To our esteemed grantmaker members, Happy February and Happy Lunar New Year!
NGOsource is pleased to provide you with updated target completion dates for EDs requested between December, through the months of January and February.
- For renewal EDs, we anticipate completion within 10-12 weeks
- For new EDs, we anticipate completion within 12-14 weeks
As always, these target completion dates run from the date of request through the date of certification.
We expect to meet or beat these projections, as they are calculated knowing that your confidence in our deadlines is paramount. Each month we will provide a revised update on turnaround times until we have firmly returned to our 4–6-week target completion dates.
What has changed?
In response to an exponential increase in ED volume in 2020, NGOsource has spent the last two months implementing fundamental process changes to combat our backlog. In addition to piloting new systems to increase internal efficiency, we have also ramped up staff recruitment, and re-envisioned the way we process renewals. These changes have already proven immensely effective, and will help ensure that we are better equipped to scale quickly and effectively in the event of future unforeseen impacts on our capacity.
I could not be prouder of every member of the NGOsource team, who has worked tirelessly these past 11 months to avoid the inevitable delays that resulted from a year of global turmoil. I am also humbled by the overwhelming generosity of our members, who dramatically increased overseas funding since the start of the pandemic.
What is next?
In the month of January, I met with many of you to discuss your expectations of, and pain points with, NGOsource. These discussions were critical to our identifying concrete ways to better serve you, our members. Over the coming year you can expect a number of positive changes, including:
- More regular updates on the status of your EDs in process
- An NGO portal for your grantees to more easily access and update their information
- New functions and improvements to our grantmaker portal
- More educational content on our website that can be shared with your program staff and grantees to help them better understand and fulfill their ED obligations
We are always available to meet with you, your program teams, or your grantees, to discuss ways to improve our process, or otherwise point you to the resources you need to help you achieve your philanthropic goals. Until then, we look forward to making the Lunar Year of the Ox (2021) the year in which we emerge from our growing pains a stronger and more resilient partner to you and your grantees.
With gratitude,
Martha Lackritz-Peltier
General Counsel TechSoup / General Manager NGOsource
