Verification in the non-profit (NPO) and philanthropy sector is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight.
Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Derek Lubner and Henk Swanepoel, co-founders of Izinga Assist.
Izinga Assist is a digital verification and rating platform designed to build trust and transparency between local and international donors with NPOs across sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the team, the non-profit sector faces significant administrative burdens and a lack of transparency.
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Small NPOs, which make up about 95% of the sector, often lack the resources, marketing budgets and infrastructure to reach foreign donors, while donors struggle to verify if small charities are legitimate and compliant.
Izinga Assist acts as an agnostic verification layer where NPOs upload required compliance and governance documents. Verified NPOs receive a digital token to display on their websites, giving donors confidence to fund them.
The team say this is not a fundraising platform.
The platform evaluates NPOs across four pillars — legal, governance, finance and impact — to assign up to a five-star rating.
Through the session, the team outlines Izinga’s technology platform, state of funding in the non-profit sector, efforts to grow compliance and outlook for the sector.
The discussion also touches on international funding cutbacks, such as USAid, the UK, and the EU, and how independent verification helps local organisations stand out to alternative funding sources such as corporate donors, family offices, and diaspora communities.
Producer: Demi Buzo
Business Day Spotlight is an Arena Podcasts Production.
Business Day
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