A National Data and Information Sharing Platform for the Nonprofit Sector Mapena Bok Department of Social Development Lulama Makhubela National Development Agency Tsholo Mogotsi Nelson Mandela Foundation

NPO Directorate, Department of Social Development –Administers the Nonprofit Organisation Act 71 of 1997 –Registers and manages annual reporting of NPOs –More than registered NPOs –200 registration applications per week, and increasing –Current NPO database system not designed to cater for the increased demand for registration of NPOs –Challenges in dealing with: Public expectations and requests for information on NPOs Processing of reports of registered organisations Unveiling of statistical information Institutional Perspectives

National Development Agency –Administers the National Development Agency Act 108 of 1998 –Vision is to have a developed society free from poverty –Mission is to eradicate poverty and its causes through partnerships and aims to: Develop a coherent national poverty eradication framework and strategy Mobilise resources for poverty eradication Provide platforms that facilitate dialogue and consultation between government and civil society organizations Enable the communication of credible and relevant development information –A comprehensive civil society information is a fundamental requirement for the NDA to achieve its aims Institutional Perspectives

Nelson Mandela Foundation –Promotes and enables the growth of human fulfillment and the continuous expansion of the frontiers of freedom, and is a promoter and catalyst of the Nelson Mandela legacy –Through strategic networks and partnerships, directs resources, knowledge and practice to add value and demonstrate new possibilities –Requires access to a comprehensive civil society information platform to support its work in developing strategic networks and partnerships Institutional Perspectives

Rationale The partners have institutional objectives as well as a common vision for social development infrastructure that will be served by the creation of a common national data and information sharing platform Aims To jointly facilitate the development of a feasible plan for the properly resourced implementation of a national data and information sharing platform that will be a resource serving all stakeholders in the SA nonprofit sector, including the collaboration partners. Collaboration between DSD/NDA/NMF

Partner Roles –DSD will provide its extensive NPO database as well as business processes for the sustainable collection of data and the provision of public access to information –The NDA will facilitate the convening of civil society stakeholders and provide support in knowledge management, R&D and policy development –The NMF will direct international resources and knowledge to add value to the development of the platform, and will provide the facilities for the convening of stakeholders. Collaboration between DSD/NDA/NMF

Government, Policymakers and Public Agencies –Provides data and analytical tools to support the regulatory framework –Generates increasingly higher quality reporting by nonprofits –Supports public access to information and reduces costly public requests for nonprofits’ reports –Enables policy makers to identify geographies, sectors and interventions that are over or under-served by civil society –Supports decision-making by enabling the tracking of trends in philanthropy and civil society, by sub sector and geography Anticipated Benefits of the National Platform

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) –Offers all CSOs, regardless of their size or means, a free opportunity to explain their work and demonstrate their accountability to the public –Increases the visibility and access of South African CSOs to a significant range of local and international grant makers, donors and other potential givers and supporters –Streamlines reporting to grant makers, donors, intermediaries, and any individuals, researchers, institutions and agencies demanding information about their work –Allows CSOs to understand the work of peer organizations and access benchmarking data Anticipated Benefits of the National Platform

Donors & Grant makers –Satisfies the first level of due diligence for grant applicants. –Allows convenient mapping of grant program areas. –Permits grant makers to identify other nonprofits, for comparison purposes, that are similar to grant applicants –Identify other donors who have committed resources to specific CSOs and causes Anticipated Benefits of the National Platform

Individual Donors and Society in General –Provides the tools to identify, compare and track the records of nonprofits undertaking activities that they wish to support. –Allows individuals to confirm the status of any fundraising entity and assess its strategy, programmes, organizational capacity and impact –Establishes transparency as the accepted practice in civil society –Increases transparency which enable the public to gain greater confidence and satisfaction in giving and volunteering

Current Status and Next Steps Currently finalising MOU, Activity Plan and Budget Major steps going forward: –Convene stakeholders and understand their needs –Leverage international experience, knowledge and resources –Develop an implementation business plan for a sustainable national platform –Direct resources and implement the national data and information sharing platform for the nonprofit sector

Thank you