Excluding funding, what is the number one challenge facing nonprofits? Validation, according to Angela Holzer, founder of WikiCharities and a recent Master of Business Creation graduate.
As a humanitarian volunteer, nonprofit researcher, and student, Holzer realized that a resource was needed to centralize and build trust between funders, users, and nonprofits. Thus, WikiCharities was born.
“It is a platform that creates transparency for nonprofits on a global scale and has a standardized reporting structure,” Holzer said. Charities pay an annual subscription to access the platform, and in return are backed by WikiCharities, becoming a trusted and verified nonprofit that funders and users alike can easily find online.
Some of the nonprofits WikiCharities has worked with are RiseUp School of Dance, GuardianGroup, and Meals in the Meantime. Holzer explained how these charities are finding WikiCharities since they need a path toward gaining trust with funders. Funders want third-party validation of nonprofits since they do not see a return on funds, unlike traditional investors.
With the advancement of technology and global acceptance of online platforms, Holzer believes that WikiCharities can accomplish what wouldn’t have been achievable even five years ago. She hopes to find partners for Wikicharities, go fully nationwide, and begin expansion into the international space.
More articles like this in ‘Student Innovation @ the U!’
Find this article and a lot more in the 2023 “Student Innovation @ the U” report. The publication is presented by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute to celebrate student innovators, change-makers, and entrepreneurs.
