Work in Progress
CRITERIA
It is up to YOU, as a potential donor, to make sure that the assistance you give, is going to the right cause and the right organizations. Development assistance can be both wasted and detrimental, if it is not going to the right places. Responsible donors need to change this and make informed decisions, based on personal priorities.
The following criteria can help you make an informed decision, based on your own priorities. None of the information provided here come from independent evaluators, therefore it is up to you to determine their credibility.
Also keep in mind, that for the really small, often rural, organizations they do not always have the capacity to make on-line updates, video-feed etc. This does not make them any less worthy!
Explanations of Criteria
That it is clear, what is being done: AID-E aims to acknowledge, what is being done, currently. The mission, aim and such are secondary. Hopefully, organizations and individuals will help update what goes on.
Completed and approved Aid – E page: Often, the information is collected by volunteers, who just take whatever information they can find on-line. When pages are made by the organizations themselves, they are much more likely to have the correct and up-dated information.
Clear need for donations: This is a difficult estimation made by Aid-E. It is often a bit of a guess, especially when no financial information is available. However, small organizations, with no steady donor relationships are typically in this category.
Open to assist new-comers, within its target group: Most organizations have limited resources, which make them carefully decide, who needs their assistance the most. New-comers, can usually not enter, even if their situation should make them eligible. Yet, the organizations aiming to help those most in need, should be recognized when they are open to take in new-comers, within their target group. (For instance, an orphanage should be able to assist a new orphan, if they have the means to do so). So far, it is based on Aid-E estimates, if they will do so, but we hope to gain more accurate information with time.
More than 90% are local volunteers: Sustainable and financially efficient organizations rely on volunteers. Aid should not be a business but something people do for each other.
Recent video-feed showing results: Here, recent, is not relevant yet, anything from the last couple of years will be used, as there are so few organizations using it, so far.
Recent and transparent financial info: Recent meaning from the year before. The information is not verified but it counts, if the organization is willing to show its finances or, if they are really small, to just explain their financial situation.
If there were some way, in which one could thoughtfully measure the need of people and where the need is the greatest; and then give a star to those who help the people most in need - this would be great, but so far it is not possible.
Recent progress updates on-line: Must make at least one up-date every second month.