Non-profit organisation Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA) has simplified the process of matching donors with beneficiaries by introducing an online social investment platform.
Named Footprint, the platform aims to assist corporates in identifying suitable beneficiaries and tangibly measuring their impact.
In a statement, FTFA says Footprint is developed as a beneficiary-first platform that prioritises their needs at its core. Furthermore, it is designed to protect beneficiaries’ privacy and rights.
Explaining the decision to set-up Footprint, FTFA executive director Chris Wild highlights there is a need to match donors and beneficiaries in a way that protects both parties, as well as outlines a clear path to maximise the impact of any given funding.
“Over the years, we have developed the largest beneficiary database in the country thanks to years of applications and our thorough assessment process,” says Wild.
“During this time, it became evident that beneficiary selection is essential to the good running of a project. In terms of a strategic decision, we originally built the platform for ourselves but quickly realised that, combined with our 30 years of knowledge and experience in the sector, it would be a powerful tool in the hands of donors and funders.”
Footprint is enabled with real-time reporting, states FTFA, noting that corporate social investment (CSI) and development teams receive regular information, and are able to track progress in order to measure the process and sustainability of their projects.
To find a beneficiary that meets their strategy, CSI or sustainability departments present their requirements via the platform. Through the database, it is able to pull the highest scoring beneficiaries on the system.
According to FTFA, if a beneficiary is not on its database, the Footprint team is able to perform an assessment and give the CSI department a scorecard for potential projects of that beneficiary.
Wild adds: “One of the applications, for example, is that before a relationship between a beneficiary and donor is formalised, donors can receive accurate information and reports on a beneficiary’s needs. The information on hand, combined with assessments, makes it effortless to measure and track all elements of the relationship through a dashboard managed by FTFA that guides the development intervention process.”
Founded in 1990, FTFA describes itself as South Africa's first environmental social enterprise. Initially launched with less than 20 partners, it now has partners such as Shoprite, Tiger Brands, Fortress, Bidvest and Investec.
The social enterprise currently runs six programmes, addressing integrated and sustainable community interventions focusing on food security, community forestry and climate change.
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