Non-governmental organizations handle a multitude of tasks that require fast and efficient handling. On top of this, they are in charge of managing funds for promoting the common good among the most vulnerable members of the population.
Since funding is involved, there is no better way to ensure transparency than to use an open-source and immutable technology like blockchain in ensuring that funds reach their intended audience and corruption is eliminated.
In this article, we will look at the Top 10 NGOs using blockchain to create a positive impact on society. Read on.
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund launched the UNICEF CryptoFund in 2019, allowing the organization to receive, hold, and disburse cryptocurrency to fund its future projects.
Since cryptocurrencies are based on open-source and transparent blockchain technology, donation and financial records are available for public viewing. This way, donors are ensured that their donations are kept free from corruption as tokens can be tracked from their point of origin up until their destination.
Over the past years, UNICEF has seen increased donor initiatives from the crypto community which has likewise benefited from low-cost transfer fees when using blockchain transfers. UNICEF’s CryptoFund is part of the organization’s Innovation Fund initiative which invests in early-stage, open-source businesses that benefit children’s welfare on a global scale.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is working closely with the Ethereum Foundation to support sustainable and inclusive development across different industries in developing countries, particularly in agriculture and healthcare.
The partners are working on a blockchain-based crop insurance project in Kenya aimed to benefit small farmers in the country. It targets to achieve equitable access to finance with the use of the Ethereum Network, in which Africa lags far behind.
Similarly, UNCTAD developed a new prototype database with the Graduate Institute Geneva to track the lifecycle of plastics globally. The plastic industry holds a market value of $1 trillion which is equivalent to 5% of the global merchandise trade.
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
The world’s largest humanitarian initiative for combatting hunger and achieving food security has officially welcomed blockchain technology to its operations under the Building Blocks project in 2020. WFP uses blockchain to transfer multiple types of humanitarian assistance namely cash, food, and water, sanitation, and hygiene to support the basic needs of refugees living in conflict zones.
During its pilot year, the use of decentralized technology benefited 100,000 Syrian refugees temporarily seeking asylum in Jordan. Using UNHCR’s biometric identification system allowed WFP to make direct payments to pay for refugees’ food while living in camps without the need to reveal their identities. As of this writing, Building Blocks supports a million refugees monthly and has saved $2.5 million in bank fees by using blockchain.
Wonder Foundation
Wonder Foundation is another non-governmental organization that found blockchain’s benefits to fulfill its cause of empowering women and their communities through education.
In partnership with the UK-based cryptocurrency startup Electroneum, Wonder Foundation began validating the network’s transactions using the Proof of Responsibility consensus protocol in exchange for block rewards. By the end of 2021, the organization received $19,000 worth of ETN, Electroneum’s native token, which it has used to commit funding to 100 women and their families living in Kamalini, India in the next three years.
Network for Empowered Aid Response (NEAR)
The Network for Empowered Aid Response (NEAR) has partnered with a local blockchain community in Kenya to explore blockchain innovation, education, and talent development in the African continent.
The project will sponsor capacity-building measures for the most talented blockchain developers in the region and their respective future projects.
Save the Children
Save the Children, an organization aiming to improve children’s lives with the use of better access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, accepts cryptocurrency donations to fund its causes.
The organization has partnered with The Giving Block and Gemini to accept more crypto payments beyond Bitcoin which is the only token it accepted since 2013. Today, donations can come using altcoins like Ethereum, Ankr Network, Aave, and ChainLink, among its long list of accepted tokens.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
The World Wildlife Fund has agreed to create non-fungible tokens called “Tokens for Nature,” featuring 13 endangered species in a virtual collection. Among those included in the virtual collectibles are a giant panda, a Galapagos penguin, and a Javan rhino. The project aims to secure funding for the conservation of ten endangered animals on its lost.
However, the WWF had to quietly drop from the project as it solicited backlash from environmentalists, given that it works closely with the Polygon blockchain which is claimed to be energy-intensive.
Human Rights Foundation
The Human Rights Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes and protects human rights across the globe. In 2020, it launched the Bitcoin Development Fund, with the aim to make Bitcoin more decentralized and resilient from external shocks.
This way, BTC can better serve as a financial tool for human rights activists, civil society organizations, and worldwide journalists who are working towards achieving the common good for all people in every society. Donors can donate using Bitcoin to support the initiative.
Action Against Hunger
Like the World Food Programme, Action Against Hunger also works on eliminating all forms and manifestations of hunger across 50 countries worldwide.
To serve its 25 million beneficiaries better, it has partnered with The Giving Block to explore on using blockchain technology to bring its channels closer to the crypto community. During the pandemic, crypto philanthropy has risen to the ranks of traditional donation, tapping a new era of private initiatives for the public good.
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is one of the costliest treatment plans in the world today. In 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved less than five treatments under this category, leaving the sector with a high percentage of unmatched medical needs.
With this, the Alliance for Cancer and Gene Therapy has opened its doors to accept cryptocurrency donations to fund research projects targeted to harness the power of life science to combat cancers and other forms of rare genetic diseases.
