Supporting organizations to quickly respond to the Covid-19 pandemic

Saturday, April 4, 2020

“In this global crisis, it is important for organizations on the frontlines of responding to COVID-19 to quickly mobilize financial resources so that help can get to where it’s needed sooner, ” says Prof Tom Kariuki, the Director of Programmes at the African Academy of Sciences.

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is today announcing a fixed cost of $100 to allow organizations of any size to assess their compliance against the requirements of  the global standard for Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP).This allows organizations of any size to rate their capability to receive and manage grants. The offer not only includes access to the GFGP pre-certification framework but also access to an assurance framework for areas falling outside the scope of the GFGP standard such as safeguarding, health and safety, legal compliance and risk management. The offer is restricted to grant makers and grant receivers who can demonstrate the funds will be used to combat the COVID 19 pandemic.

The reduction in costs by the Global Grant Community (GGC), a financial governance platform of the AAS, makes accessible and expedites due diligence — a process that helps grant makers to assess a prospective grant recipient’s financial and legal compliance. This process can typically take months, but the GGC provides a “one stop shop” for any grantor’s and grantees due diligence requirements which expedites the process. “With this announcement, the Global Grant Community can facilitate faster disbursement of grants to organizations so that they can support the world's most vulnerable populations affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic,” says Dr Michael Kilpatrick, Senior Advisor of the AAS.

Additionally, governments, aid agencies, philanthropists and foundations need to adapt to the fast-emerging needs from COVID-19 and administer emergency funds rapidly, and with good fiscal assurance, to help not-for-profit organizations, charities and research institutions to continue to support the world's most vulnerable populations who are affected by the pandemic.

Organizations can complete the entire pre-certification assessments and be eligible to receive grants within one to two weeks for faster implementation of their Covid-19 related community-based activities.

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