Transparency of aid and donations From your pocket to the world
D
onating for charity and helping the needy is a good deed. but there is always this nagging sense that the donated money does not reach its original destination. People are aware of organisations that collect money for charity purposes. They collect funds through the internet, on the streets or via fundraising galas. But an important question remains: How can donors be sure their money reaches its destination and does not go up in smoke? The interest in the transparency of allocating aid funds has been growing over the past years. Stakeholders who are active in this field have developed their own specific information needs. Governments,
By Olga Ostapenko
for example, are mostly interested in data for providing effective services and macroeconomic management. Non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) require information about each other’s current and future activities to ensure a smoother cooperation process. Civil society and the media need information to hold governments accountable for the use of donations.
Following the money trail To show how money reaches its destination, analysis of a concrete example is necessary. In this context one can focus on the International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The United Nations’ programme