Check out NPOs’ credentials

THE ripple effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising costs of food and other necessities in South Africa have deepened poverty in KwaZulu-Natal over the past two years. This has primarily resulted in increasing hunger and food insecurity within households across the province.

Communities, non-profit organisations and other affiliations alike have bombarded us with pleas for financial aid to facilitate the purchase and distribution of food hampers and other necessities for poor communities.

Post the July 2021 riots and the recent floods in our province, the number of needy people has escalated, and national and provincial unemployment statistics have increased.

Philanthropy and charitable organisations continually plead with the public through mass media communication platforms to help the needy.

In response to the deepening of poverty within our province, the number of organisations engaged in charitable projects has increased.

New organisations have been forged by individuals and their community members who feel the need to serve disadvantaged communities.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are being utilised as an advertising space for existing and new organisations to lure support from the public.

Non-profit organisations often put up pictures of disadvantaged individuals and communities that have been recipients of their goodwill projects.

These pictures are often used to secure donations for future projects and are indicative that projects have been completed and successful. In most instances, only half the story is told through these pictures.

There is no information on the total rand value of the sponsorships accumulated for the project, and expenditure details are often not shared.

Information such as where purchases were made, and the exact number of hampers bought and distributed is central to ethical principles of good governance in the expenditure of organisational funds.

This practice will continue unless we choose to ask these questions that hold people to account.

Another irregularity evident on social media platforms is that some organisations have not familiarised themselves with the South African Popi Act Compliance regulations, which protects people’s personal information (this includes photographs of individuals who are supposedly “beneficiaries” and their residence locations.

It can be seen that non-profit organisations are now competing with one another to attract funding from individuals and businesses and therefore feel the need to showcase their endeavours in this manner.

This breach of legislation is irregular, yet it is continually practised and supported by the public through the display of likes and positive commentary on pictures of poverty-stricken people on web communication and social media platforms.

South Africans were fully informed that the act had to be adhered to by June 30, 2021.

These photographs aid in attracting sponsorships but humiliate the poor recipients.

However, the numerous advertisements and pictures that dominate our screens can become overwhelming and often we are unsure which organisation to support when the want or need arises.

Selecting an organisation that one can continually support can be an overwhelming task, especially when money is hard earned and your intentions are pure to help the disadvantaged.

As citizens, we have a right to enquire and interrogate the principles, ethical procedures and financial processes that these organisations employ.

The upkeep of this practice can only be effective in contributing towards developing an ethical society.

This is one approach where we can actively ensure good governance within our community-based organisations.

Questions to ask the organisation:

◆ Is the organisation’s membership open to all?

◆ How many people form the executive committee or governing committee?

◆ How are they elected?

◆ Are officials benefiting?

◆ Who determines which disadvantaged community needs support?

◆ Are decisions of the organisation made by the full executive committee or in exclusive meetings?

◆ Why is this project important?

◆ Is there disclosure of the total donations accumulated for a particular project?

◆ Who ratifies purchases and expenditure for the organisation?

◆ Does the organisation have preferred suppliers of goods?

◆ Is there a resolution in place that indicates that for every purchase, more than one quotation is required?

◆ Is the organisation registered as a non-profit organisation?

◆ Are the organisation’s books annually audited?

◆ In addition, as per the national legislation, the ledger of a nonprofit organisation should be available at all times to members (and the general public) for scrutiny.

◆ Similarly, one should ask about the organisation’s constitution, when it was adopted, is it being followed?

These questions should help each of us determine if our chosen and preferred non-profit organisations are aligned with practices of good governance.

The pursuit of interrogations such as these indicates our commitment to ethical behaviour in society and reflects that we condemn the continuation of irregular practices that have become normalised in our community.

There are too many organisations at present that are initiated with good intentions but fail to realise the value of good governance and ethical practices.

The right to know exactly how, when and where your hard-earned money is spent is fundamental in an economic climate which is bleak and challenging post the global pandemic, the July riots of 2021, the floods and now the onset of a worldwide recession.

Currently, the South African economy is unstable, fraught with political instability, racial tensions and various forms of financial corruption.

South Africans of all classes are bearing the brunt of escalating food prices, fuel and other necessities.

Yet some of us make a conscious decision to help the needy when we can, and therefore there is great value in knowing your preferred organisation well through a process of interrogation.