FAQ
1. What is Support Africa? Support Africa participates in workplace, internet, and other public fundraising programs. As part of its service to members, Support Africa works with eligible charities to ensure that they meet the SUPA-C’s fiscal accountability, governance, and programmatic impact standards. These standards are some of the most rigorous in the giving community and thus provide the basis for admission to the federation. Support Africa also educates the UK public about the complex and broad nature of Africa’s challenges and the diversity of organizations helping to meet these challenges. It also builds understanding and appreciation for the art and cultures of Africa, which underpin its past, present, and future. 2. What is the SUPA Campaign (SUPA-C)? 3. Can my organization join Support Africa? 4. Can any charity participate in SUPA-C? 5. What materials does my organization need to provide to be considered for participation in Support Africa? Applicants should also send a copy of the most recent annual report, newsletters, and brochure, if available. 7. How do donors learn about my organization? 8. How are the donations monitored and how does my charity learn of and receive donations? The SUPA Campaign will involve local and national campaigns. As a member of Support Africa, your organization will be placed before donors in every one of these locally administered fundraising drives Support Africa issues quarterly reports of all funds received on a member organization’s behalf. Support Africa’s accounts are audited annually by an independent Certified Public Accountant. 9. What is the cost to my organization to be a member of Support Africa?
Founded in 2008, Support Africa is a programme supported be The NILE African Development Organization a UK registered Community Company that brings together UK registered charities working with their partners in Africa to improve health and nutrition, education, sustainable development, food and agriculture, the environment, and wildlife conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a federation, we supply common fundraising, administrative, and management services to our members.
The SUPA-C is the Support Africa workplace giving campaign. It is the largest African workplace giving campaign in the UK. The SUPA-C will raise money on behalf of UK charities throughout the country and abroad. Contributions will be solicited from members of the public and employees of different companies and organisations’ personnel during the charity drive, which will run annually from January 1 through December 31.
All members of Support Africa must demonstrate that they are actively involved in providing assistance to Africans in and from Sub-Saharan Africa. There is no minimum eligibility requirements for the size of these programs— either by cash amount or number of people served. In fact, smaller charities often find the economies of scale associated with federation membership a significant incentive to join.
No. Eligibility standards for SUPA-C participants are some of the most rigorous in the charitable-giving community. The SUPA-C’s eligibility standards are intended to provide a high level of assurance to members of the public that their contributions will be directed only to legitimate charities that meet widely-accepted financial, accountability, and governance standards. As a result, acceptance into the SUPA-C campaign is often viewed in other giving environments as a “seal of approval” that the participating charity meets acceptable non-profit accountability standards. Currently, to be eligible for SUPA-C and Support Africa, an organization must:
Applicants need to supply two complete copies of the following documents:
Support Africa maintains a website that highlights the activities of each of its members. Part of Support Africa’s education strategy is to employ a variety of methods to bring people interested in Africa, who may also be potential donors, to its site. In addition, SUPA will provide donors with a comprehensive directory, listing and providing a 50-word description of every eligible charity. SUPA staff will work with charities to develop the 50-word description at the time of application preparation. Support Africa’s staff and members will participate in a variety of workplace giving functions. And, during the course of the campaign, Support Africa will undertake informal public education through radio, newspaper, magazines and transit posters.
There is no issue more important for Support Africa’s members than understanding how money is processed—that is, transferred from individual donors to them. All donations to member organizations made through SUPA are credited to each member’s account. These figures are posted by our bookkeeper, double checked by our accountant, and audited annually by an independent certified public accountant.
A non-profit organization itself, Support Africa does not assess it members application fees, service charges or membership dues. Instead, it funds its operations by distributing 90 percent of the money it receives that has been designated to members. The remaining funds are used to support member services and Support Africa’s administrative overhead. In addition, Support Africa supplements donations received by some of its members to support their ability to build capacity and to achieve other programmatic goals, as defined by Support Africa’s Board.
