DonorSee Partner Vetting Process

At DonorSee, we really respect the trust of our donors. Because of this, we work with organizations and individuals we can fully endorse as doing lasting good for the global poor. 

This level of quality requires robust vetting. On average we reject 90% of applicants who want to become DonorSee Partners - not because we like being exclusive, but because we know how important it is to steward the trust of our donors.

Our very name indicates the importance of a donor being able to “See” the impact of their work. DonorSee is a platform where donors can see the needs of the global poor, easily donate, and then see the impact of their giving. This creates a beautiful cycle of generosity and positive impact where donors don’t simply give a one time gift and disappear. And, it all depends on having excellent Partners.

Below are some of the things we look for in vetting potential Partners. As each Partner is unique, the process might be more rigorous for some applicants.  

Mission Aligned

We only Partner with individuals and organizations that are deeply committed to serving the poorest people in the world on the worst day of their lives. While there are many ways to meet the needs of the global poor, too many organizations sadly don't have helping the poor at the center of their mission.

Deep connection with the community

Prospective Partners must be on-the-ground or have a trusted contact on-the-ground who has strong relationships in their community of impact and understands the importance of telling compelling but dignifying stories. The deep connection with the community means that DonorSee Partners can avoid a lot of bureaucratic red tape, can immediately address urgent needs, and are creating projects that are actually needed.

Trustworthy reputation

We look for Partners with positive reputation within their community of impact, with their donors, and with the broader global community. This generally means we are looking for Partners who have established a solid track record over the years. We highly prioritize applications that have been referred to us through our existing Partners - as they know who among their peers is doing great work.

We evaluate the digital footprint, financials, and reports a prospective Partner provides to their donors. We also reach out to mutual connections we trust to verify what might not be accessible online. We will also inquire into group affiliations and attempt to talk to individuals who can directly vouch for the quality of work and trustworthiness of the potential Partner.

We also look for an existing donor base that is consistently supporting the applicant's initiatives. If no one the applicant is already connected to is willing to give, that means the applicant hasn't develop the trust necessary to post on DonorSee.

Our Partner Coordinators closely review the initial projects of any new Partner. We evaluate the ability to provide financial details on the use of funds and compare the projects against other Partners and organizations doing similar work. This is to assess the ROI of the Partner and to catch any potential price inflation.

Doing sustainable relief work

We partner with individuals with a strong understanding of development and relief work and who have a direct and lasting impact on their recipients. We believe in the principles of effective altruism and the importance of helping without hurting. Because of this, we chose to partner with organizations that focus on reunification (vs ‘traditional’ orphanages) and with partners who help the recipients set up sustainable businesses (vs those that simply give handouts).

DonorSee is a platform for raising funds for all sorts of projects - but we choose Partners who predominantly have humanitarian projects that have been proven to create sustainable change. 

Meets technical requirements

• Must be able to post video projects featuring the individual recipients
• Must be able to post video follow-ups that complete the giving cycle
• Must have the correct financial setup to receive US funds through Stripe. (Stripe is a world class digital payment processor who actually handles the financial transactions. For security purposes, DonorSee never actually sees the full credit card or bank information of our donors.) This generally requires Partners to have a bank account in the US, UK, Australia, or Canada
• Have a registered charity. DonorSee predominantly works with 501c3 US non-profit charities
• Have reasonable overhead costs that ensure the majority of any donation actually goes into addressing the needs of the poor
• We also have certain project quality standards that are explained in more detail in our Staff Picks guide. Partners must be able to tell effective stories using video on a consistent basis

A Final Check

The final stage of vetting is done by the actual donors of DonorSee. They choose which projects they will support and have the ability to leave reviews on each Partner's profile. In addition, every project is reviewed daily by a staff member of DonorSee. However, it is ultimately on you - our Partners - to create life changing projects. Together, we can help the poorest people on the worst days of their lives!

If you ever see a project that gives you concern, or know of something that’s happening off the platform that we should be aware of, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Partner Coordinator. You can also reach out at admin@donorsee.com

Do you know someone who should be telling stories on DonorSee? I'd love to be connected with them!

Just send me an email at chadwyck@donorsee.com with their name and affiliation and I'll start the vetting process.