FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How can I donate?
A: Click on the “Donate Now” link, which will take you to a secure PayPal account where you can make your contribution. Or find more information under “Support.”

Q: Are my donations tax-deductible?
A: Yes, because Alliance Africa has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, all donations are tax-exempt in the United States. Upon receiving your donation, we will provide a receipt to use when filing your taxes.

Q: Can you receive employers’ matching contributions?
A: Yes, we can receive matching contributions from employers. If your employer offers to match your charitable contributions, Alliance Africa can receive those donations. Often, employers require a charity’s Employer Identification Number (EIN). If you are interested in seeking a matching contribution from your employer, we will be happy to provide our EIN. Please contact us for details.

Q: How do you choose which groups you support?
A: We only support organizations that are accountable, responsible, and responsive. We identify these groups based on our direct experience working with them, or on the recommendation of friends and partners we trust. All of our beneficiaries undergo an extensive approval process to ensure they are effective and responsible. We require a grant application proposal and proof of an organization’s non-profit status. We maintain accountability by keeping in regular contact with organizations’ leaders, by requiring regular reports of projects and the use of funds, by coordinating evaluation with our partners, and by making occasional site-visits to evaluate our beneficiary organizations and the projects we support.

Q: How can you guarantee that our contributions will be maximally efficient? How do I know that my donation is actually going to help someone in need?
A: Unlike many large non-profits with large administrative overhead costs, Alliance Africa has committed itself to working efficiently with the generous donations of our contributors. Alliance Africa has no paid staff and relies heavily upon volunteers. Moreover, all of the administrative costs of Alliance Africa are covered by the Board of Directors, or by donors who have explicitly agreed to cover administrative costs. (If you would like to donate to our “Management Fund,” please contact us.) Finally, our organizational capacity and operations are centered on a dedication to getting the most out of each donation, however small or large. Our partners in Africa share this commitment to efficiency and effectiveness; it is one of our requirements when deciding which partners to support. We can guarantee that the money you contribute to Alliance Africa will help children and families in need.

Q: How can I get involved in the work of Alliance Africa?
A: Click on the “Support” link, which identifies ways you can get involved. We invite you to make a donation, hold a fundraiser, subscribe to our mailing list, and invite friends to become involved.

Q: Why did you choose the name “Alliance Africa”?
A: We chose our name in conversation and consultation with our partners in Uganda, non-profit leaders and communications experts in the UK and US, and friends and colleagues working in development in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. We chose the word “Alliance” because we believe it connotes solidarity rather than charity. In Uganda, the word for “alliance” is “enkolagana,” which means “coming together to accomplish a common cause.” We believe this captures our mission to unite people in the United States and in various African countries around the common cause of alleviating extreme poverty, hunger, and disease. We included “Africa” in our name because we want to focus our efforts in various African countries. We recognize that “Africa” is not a homogeneous place, but is compromised of particular and diverse countries, communities, and cultures. We respect this diversity and seek to honor it. Our purpose for including “Africa” in our name is strictly geographic. We hope our Alliance will make a difference for people in communities on this continent.