6 Resources To Make Your NGO More Transparent
How screenshots can improve peoples' trust in your organization.
NGOs or non-governmental organizations operate independently, i.e., without any help from the government. NGOs work with a laser-focused vision to make this world a better place and are involved in several social causes.
For example, some NGOs take care of orphans while some provide relief and shelter to acid attack victims. NGOs are considered an important pillar in today’s society since thousands of people find their shelter and home in such places. However, many organizations face backlash due to their lack of transparency.
Here’s why …
NGOs typically require funds from other people to provide food and clothing to the underprivileged. Unfortunately, these funds often go missing or are used for unethical purposes. However, almost every NGO makes sure that the money they receive is put into good use.
85% of NGOs claimed that their annual reports were up for public viewing, while 73% of NGOs with balance sheets had shared their accounts with the public.
To help fill this gap, in this article, we shall focus on a few resources to make your NGO more transparent so that you earn the trust of the general public. That will make funding much easier.
1. Add financial statements and governing documents
When financial statements and governing documents are added to the website, people automatically put their trust in non-profit organizations.
For example, Amnesty International has an entire page dedicated to finances and pay. There they have provided clarity over their funding practices, stating that their funds are received worldwide. What’s more, they have also given links to the financial results of the Global Amnesty International movements for each year.
Similarly, Saving The Amazon is another NGO that gives a detailed report on the trees they have planted and its sustainable development goals. Naturally, these websites have earned the trust of millions of people who are willing to donate to their causes.
2. Testimonials or real-life experiences
Human beings tend to believe in a cause much more when they see or hear another person’s story. So amnesty has taken the stories of many real-life persons and put them up on their website.
For example, to stop the death penalty, it has shared the inspiring stories of people like Hafez Ibrahim and stories of brave volunteers like Souleymane Sow. When real-life stories are given out in the open, other people start trusting that website more and agree to donate funds to support their cause.
These testimonials can also be taken from social media, searching for people’s experiences with your organization using your username or related hashtags. In case you’d also like to add such experiences to your NGO page, you can track those mentions and keep screenshots of them at hand with Stillio.
Stillio helps you take full-page screenshots of any website, and social media archiving makes your work much easier.
3. Precise results
Giving precise data is another important aspect of maintaining website transparency. Make sure that the data you provide is honest. For example, you can add facts from your work, such as “1500 meals were provided to the homeless in the current quarter.”
That will assure your audience that your NGO is authentic and honest. The more data you provide, the more authentic your organization looks to others. But always be careful that this data comes with proper proof.
4. List of board members
Another great way to increase transparency is to include a complete list of board members on your website. For example, Oxfam is an NGO that has put up its list of board members on its website. Suppose your organization’s board members are notable people with enough credentials. In that case, patrons will automatically want to donate to your organization.
Ideally, members of the board of directors should all come from various backgrounds and social statuses. That gives an impression of inclusivity in your NGO. For example, Oxfam’s board members hail from worldwide, with some of the most famous personalities a part of its board.
Similarly, you can also make sure the governing board of your NGO is inclusive in terms of gender, ethnicity, and disabilities. Again, this list of members should be real and have all the members in it.
5. Leaderboards
A leaderboard is a must if your NGO is dedicated to competition, such as raising funds by organizing a running race to support a chronic disease. For example, The Great Cycle Challenge, Australia, aims to conduct cycling competitions to raise funds for kids who have cancer.
A leaderboard is essentially a scoreboard that has all the competitors' names, along with the money they have won and their current scores. That gives a clear insight into the funds involved in the charity and increases transparency. Like the Great Cycle Challenge leaderboard, you can also have a list of top performers, teams, top states, or any other parameters that you wish.
Having a fun leaderboard also inspires others to join and win the competition, increasing participation numbers and donating more money.
6. Press clippings
One of the most significant ways to ensure that your NGO is transparent is to provide press clippings. To include authentic screenshots, you can use Stillio's screenshot features. If the press praises your organization, you will automatically have more viewers and patrons.
So don't forget to include as many press clippings as possible. You can make a weekly newspaper check to see whether there are new mentions you can add. These clippings can even be useful to promote your website. For example, suppose others see that your NGO has often been mentioned in the media. In that case, it will be clear to them that your organization is authentic and honest.
Bonus: website archiving
Suppose you hit a snag, and you need to provide evidence of how your website looked previously. In that case, you can use Stillio's website archiving feature. Since the content on your website will keep growing, it's best to archive your site for later use.
Stillio helps you to archive your site safely with minimum hassle. Archiving can be important to provide evidence, fight legal battles, or have the edge over competitors. So no matter how your website looks or has looked in the past, use Stillio and save your site's data. Read more on our 360° website archiving features.
Final thoughts!
There are many resources that non-governmental organizations can use to gain the utmost trust from donors. These six resources above will ensure that your site is authentic and legitimate.
Almost every NGO wants to put the donated money to good use. However, you won't like it if your beloved charity organization runs into trouble. So use these resources above to prevent any backlash.
Once people see proof of your organization, they will feel relieved that their money is being put into good use and return to your site to donate even more. Simultaneously, you will also feel good and proud of the work that you have been sharing with others.