Transparency: goodness that doesn't cost the earth
Transparency – everybody is talking about it at the moment. Transparency in government (allowing citizens access to what decisions were made and how those decisions came about), transparency in the non-profit sector (allowing donors to know where their money is being spent), transparency in computer software (allowing users to know what code is being installed on a machine/website).
Transparency does not have to be a costly affair. What your users are asking for, basically, is a breakdown of what funding your organisation receives, what is spent and where. It's a simple 'value-for-money' equation. If I give €100 to charity X, how much of it gets to those who need it? How much is spent on administration? How much on marketing? How much on salaries? Does your organisation give top-ups to salaries?
As a first entry into transparency, you could emulate some of the following examples. The Irish Cancer Society has two very easy to understand pie-charts to detail “where funding comes from” and “where the money goes” on the “About Us” section of their website. You could also publish a simple, multi-sentence statement, such as on the donations page of the Trócaire website: “During disasters and emergencies, 100% of your donation goes directly to those who need it most. Outside of disasters & emergencies 92% of your donation goes directly to those most in need. The remainder is spent on fundraising & governance.” Oxfam Ireland's website has a slightly more detailed multi-sentence statement: “During emergencies 100% of your donation to our appeal goes towards that specific response. Outside of emergencies, 81% of all other funds received is spent on long-term projects and campaigning. 7% is spent on support and governance. 12% is invested to generate future income.”
What users and donors would really appreciate, though, is a more fully-fledged financial statements area. Again, Irish Cancer Society, Trócaire, and Oxfam Ireland are to the fore here with pages listing their funders, finances, and annual reports. Trócaire also have an “Our Promise to You” section while Oxfam Ireland have their “Proving It” area. Again, nothing very difficult to achieve, but much appreciated by those who use and donate to your organisation.
Transparency – it's a graphic, a couple of sentences, a section of your website. It's goodness that doesn't cost the earth.
All websites mentioned in this article were built by Annertech, Ireland's leading Open Source web development company. To discuss any aspect of this article, or your next web project, call us on 01 524 0312.
