Foundation Grants
Community Vital Signs
About Us
The World Health Organization has taken a big step toward eliminating cash payments for its health workers in Africa.
In a press release, the WHO says it has digitized payments for more than 2 million health workers in 24 countries, and that 80% of them prefer the option of receiving their wages via mobile phones instead of cash.
The organization says the move has saved time and money for organizers of immunization campaigns, as well as improved morale and worker retention.
The WHO's Digital Finance Team has been working with countries and partners to design and implement digital payment solutions in 24 countries, including last year in Benin, Botswana, Madagascar, Rwanda, Togo, and Zimbabwe.
"When you have 300 to 500 volunteers to pay, doing accounts and signing receipts takes a lot of time," says a polio team leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Now we can relax."
Surveys funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation found that workers appreciated the security of not carrying cash, the convenience of no longer having to travel to a disbursement site to receive their wages, and above all, the speed of payment: as short as half an hour after finishing work compared to weeks or even months.
Read the Entire Article
Selected Foundation News
A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.
The Tampa Bay Innovation Center is kicking off its spring accelerator program, and it's got eight startups on its list. Among them: AgWise, which focuses on the climate impact of agriculture's...more
A "first-of-its-kind impact investing network" in the Philippines is putting its money where its mouth is, in the form of collateral-free loans to women-led social and environmental...more
"It is simply not good enough that, for many advisers, their understanding of AI is that information goes into a black box,'magic happens' and something comes out." So said the outgoing director...more
"The future is green, and it's ours to invest in." That's the takeaway from Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest, who is offering an online course on "Impact Investing with Plant-based...more
"Without actively looking for it, I came across a problem to solve, a powerhouse co-founder and an idea worth pursuing, so I decided to go for it," Alba Forns tellsEquities News. Forns is the...more
It's no secret that Africa's livestock industry plays a big role in the region's economy. In fact, the demand for livestock products is expected to grow by 50% by 2030, notes Business...more
The New Mexico town of El Rito has been named one of America's 10 most livable cities by Time. The honor goes to El Rito for the third year in a row, thanks in large part to the work of its...more
"This research pushed me outside my comfort zone and forced me to interact first-hand with hard truths about what social media is being used for in the modern day," Daisy Rehbock writes in her...more
The CEO of the nation's second-oldest civic monument has been ousted over allegations of financial impropriety at Dallas' Fair Park, the Dallas Morning News reports. On May 1, Brian Luallen...more
Quebec City's Mus ? 'e des beaux-arts du Qu'bec museum is getting a major boost from a single man. Michael Audain, chairman of the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation, has pledged $10 million toward...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Social Enterprise: Reaching Out to the Private Sector for Help
John Converse Townsend, a Forbes contributor, shares what can the private sector do for a social enterprise. He encourages social enterprises to reach out to corporations for help to scale up their businesses.