Derek Lubner (left) and Henk Swanepoel (Photo provided)
When you donate money to a charity project, you want to know it’s going where it should – and that it’s really making a difference. A new digital function from iZinga Assist wants to tackle precisely this gap by enabling donors to follow their contributions from the moment of donation to the ultimate impact.
With iZinga Assist’s new Donor Journey feature, donors can see how their contributions are used from donation to ultimate impact.
iZinga Assist is a digital platform that verifies and rates nonprofit organizations. The aim is to create greater transparency in the donor process and give donors more confidence that their money reaches the intended projects.
According to Derek Lubner, co-founder and chairman of iZinga Assist, the new feature is an important step for philanthropy in Africa.
“For the first time, donors can see how their money moves from the moment of donation all the way through to real impact on the ground. We have built the infrastructure of trust that the sector has always lacked,” says Lubner.
When a donation is made through the Donor Journey platform, the money is transferred to the organization concerned’s secure Shoprite Money Market account, after which the transaction can be followed in real time. When verified organizations spend the money on approved projects, donors automatically receive updates showing how their contribution has been used.
Henk Swanepoel, co-founder and CEO of iZinga Assist, says the platform already verifies organizations through a strict 20-step process and a five-star rating system.
“The Donor Journey bridges the last gap. Donors can now track their contributions through our Shoprite Money Market integration. Vouchers and transactions are linked directly to the chosen project, so donors can see how their money is being used. This level of traceability has never existed before for South African non-profit organisations,” says Swanepoel.
According to iZinga Assist, 261 organizations are currently registered on the platform. A total of 76 have already been fully verified and rated, while 15 organizations are already active and can receive donations.
The Donor Journey feature is available to verified organizations and donors right across South Africa.
- iZinga Assist is a UK registered charity with a South African not-for-profit subsidiary. The platform says it wants to strengthen trust in philanthropy and help ensure that donations reach their intended destination through verification, real-time tracking and transparent systems.