Using Technology for the Greater Good: GK's Issa Cuevas-Santos and Jersey Miranda with Techsoup Founder Daniel Ben-Horin and senior leaders Lynn Van Housen and Doug Jacquier in the Techsoup Partners Meeting in Manila
As part of its efforts to establish global credibility, Gawad Kalinga Foundation has completed the Equivalency Determination (“ED”) process and is now established as the equivalent of a U.S. public charity to facilitate funding from U.S. grant-makers. In partnership with Skoll Fund, GK worked on the ED process with NGOSource, a project of the Council on Foundations and Techsoup Global that helps U.S. grantmakers streamline their international giving. Their global reach, legal expertise and standardized methods enable a thorough, accurate analysis of a foundation in compliance with IRS regulations.
The purpose of the ED is to demonstrate that an organization is the equivalent of a U.S. public charity, which qualifies GK Foundation for funding from Skoll Fund as well as other U.S. charitable givers. NGOSource determines if a non-US Foundation is organized and operated in accordance with guidelines that U.S. tax authorities require for public charities. Now that GK has an Equivalency Determination certificate in the NGOSource database, other U.S. funders can find out more about our work and make grants without having to go through this ED process again. This will also make it easier for GK to obtain funding from U.S. funders in the future.
NGOSource was co-created by Techsoup, one of Gawad Kalinga’s IT partners who have also helped expand GK’s network throughout the globe. By simplifying and centralizing the Equivalency Determination, NGOSource increases the efficiency of international grantmaking for both grant-makers and their grantees everywhere. Backed by a database of detailed information about NGOs around the world, the data and analysis that NGOSource uses to issue an ED to one grant-maker can be used to issue EDs to other grant-makers. In this way, NGOSource reduces the complexity and costs of EDs for grant-makers, their intended grantees and the entire philanthropic sector.
NGOSource works with recipient foundations in over 75 countries, and also works with over 50 influential U.S. grantmakers, including some of the largest international givers such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Skoll Foundation (which chose Gawad Kalinga's Tony Meloto and Luis Oquinena to be the 2012 Skoll Awardees for Social Entrepreneurship. These NGOSource members make over US$2.2B in international grants to non-U.S. NGOs like Gawad Kalinga.
To find out more about NGOSource, or to learn how to apply for Equivalency Determination for your own foundation, visit www.ngosource.org
To participate and find out more about Gawad Kalinga and the Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneurs Challenge,
visit http://www.crowdrise.com/gawadkalinga