Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
26 February 2025
Post No. 393
The Week’s Contents
• Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project
• Week Beginning Monday 24/02/2025: Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
• Projects of Shared Prosperity
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project
Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project (MOIvLRP) takes at the levels of guidance and advice what we explained in the 2025 Edition of Africa Not-for-profit Outlook for Impact Investing (1). In this Edition, we focused on Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes Working to Reduce the Risk of Desertification, to Restore Degraded Lands and Ecosystems.
The Guidance Service is for Not-for-profit Impact Investors who would like to invest in land restoration projects initiated by Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs). The Advice Service is for those ASCOs that have or are planning to set up a land restoration project and are looking for impact investors to back them.
As part of the Guidance and Advice Services, CENFACS is going to work with impact investors and ASCOs so that the former can find the organisation to invest in and the latter the impact investors willing to meet their funding needs relating to a Land Restoration Project. The Guidance and Advice Services are organised to support both Impact investors and ASCOs to reach an agreement.
• • Reaching an Agreement
In order to reach an agreement between the two sides (i.e., investor and investee) of the matching process, they will be talks or negotiations between the two. The talks or negotiations will revolve around the Land Restoration Project to be presented by ASCOs to Not-for-profit Impact Investors. Specifically, these talks or negotiations will be around the project planning cycle to used.
For convenience of this presentation, ASCOs will be using the planning model of any ecological restoration project as suggested by ‘nativeresourcepreservation.com’ (2). This model is made up with five steps as follows:
Step one: Project goals and stakeholders
Step two: Site assessment and background
Step three: Management plan
Step four: Initial implementation
Step five: Follow-up and further assessment.
As to Not-for-profit Impact Investors, they will be referring to 5 essential stages of restoration projects as highlighted by ‘wri.org’ (3), which are:
Stage 1: Scope
Stage 2: Design
Stage 3: Finance
Stage 4: Implement
Stage 5: Monitor.
The two sides will try to reach an agreement through the planning model of any ecological restoration project for ASCOs and 5 essential stages of restoration projects for Not-for-profit Impact Investors.
• • The Difference That This Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project Will Make
Through this 5-week Winter/Spring 2025 project, each side of the project will have the opportunity to match their strategy and goals with of the other. In technical parlance, it means that the matching exercise will be between ASCOs’ planning model of any ecological restoration project and Not-for-profit Impact Investors’ 5 essential stages of restoration projects.
One can hope through and after the matching process, the two sides will agree. At the end of this matching process, if successful, the project will result in making a difference in the lives of ASCO’s beneficiaries or a world of difference for land and the ecological poor in Africa who are simply beneficiaries of ASCO.
More on MOIvLRP can be find under the Main Development section of this post.
• Week Beginning Monday 24/02/2025: Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
The fourth note of 2025 Sustainable Development Month is composed of these items:
σ What Do We Mean by Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems?
σ Key Strategies for Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
σ What to Consider When Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
σ Final Word or Note about 2025 Sustainable Development Month with Fighting Desertification, Restoring Degraded Lands and Ecosystems While Reducing Poverty.
Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.
• • What Do We Mean by Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (RDCME)?
It emerges from the literature about ecological restoration that RDCME is about taking steps to revive damaged habitats by addressing the root causes of degradation, such as pollution, overfishing and coastal development, through methods like replanting mangroves, coral reef restoration, seagrass re-establishment, and managing fisheries sustainably.
The aim of RDCME is to bring back biodiversity and ecosystem functions to their natural state. In order to achieve this aim, there are key strategies to follow.
• • Key Strategies for Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
Among these strategies, which can be found within the literature about RDCME, it is worth mentioning the following: mangrove replanting, coral reef habitat restoration and pollution mitigation, fisheries management, coastal development management, etc. However, to implement these strategies, there are some considerations to have for any restoration efforts.
• • What to Consider When Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
Among what to consider is community engagement. The latter is about involving local communities in restoration projects to ensure their support and participation. In this respect, it is normal to mention the essential aspects of community-based coastal and marine ecosystem restoration which are: community engagement and outreach, capacity building and skill development, collaborative decision-making, and participatory monitoring and assessment.
The above highlights provide the key message about the fourth note of 2025 Sustainable Development Month.
For those members of our community who may be interested in matter relating to Restoring Degraded Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, they are free to contact CENFACS.
• • Final Word or Note about 2025 Sustainable Development Month with Fighting Desertification, Restoring Degraded Lands and Ecosystems While Reducing Poverty
Combating desertification includes activities which are part of the integrated development of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas for sustainable development which are aimed at: prevention and/or reduction of land degradation; rehabilitation of partly degraded land; and reclamation of desertification, as explained by ‘unccd.int’ (4).
In this fight against desertification, degraded lands and soils should not be forgotten. Equally, the restoration of deteriorated terrestrial and that of deteriorated inland water ecosystems should also be part of ecological restoration work.
However, we cannot conduct ecological restoration by not thinking of those suffering the most from ecological poverty. Our work will be relevant by including them – those who bear the brunt of degradation of lands, forests, seas, ecosystems, etc.
Finally, the work of ecological restoration will bring more and better result by working together. So, working with the community, Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and other stakeholders on this matter will help achieve more and better results than one singly handling it.
For those members of our community and ASOs interesting in matter relating to Fighting Desertification, Restoring Degraded Lands and Ecosystems While Reducing Poverty, they are free to contact CENFACS.
For any further queries or enquiries about 2025 Sustainable Development Month and the Reduction of Poverty linked to Desertification, Degraded Lands and Ecosystems; please also communicate with CENFACS.
• Projects of Shared Prosperity (PSP)
To understand these projects, let us define them, highlight their points and indicate areas covered by them.
• • What Are PSP?
These are new projects aiming at reducing poverty by evenly and equitably distributing economic benefits and opportunities, tackling inequalities and improving the quality of life for all beneficiaries in Africa.
They are projects that we will be considered from those of our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) working on or investing in areas that improve poor people access to basic services (like healthcare, education, infrastructure, et.) or areas of shared prosperity in Africa.
• • Key Points about PSP
In order for a project to be labelled as PSP, it needs to carry these three features:
1) Have a focus on levelling up
2) Use a community-driven approach
3) Employ multiple funding sources.
The above-mentioned characteristics will tell if a project is a PSP or not.
• • Areas Covered by PSP
They include education, skills development and training, infrastructure, community development and revitalization, etc.
Projects falling within the above-named scope will be easily eligible amongst the projects to be supported by CENFACS.
• • Working with ASOs on Shared Prosperity
Those of our ASOs that have PSP and would like to work with us on shared prosperity matter, they are welcome to contact CENFACS with their project proposals or their request on particular areas of their projects they want us to get involved.
Extra Messages
• Financial Controls and Monitoring 2025 – In Focus from Wednesday 26/02/2025: Timely Updating and Identifying Key Performance Indicators
• Activity 3 of the Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Resilience: Focus Group on Creating Equitable Access to Financial Resources (From Wednesday 26/02/2025)
• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 2: Preparing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects
• Financial Controls and Monitoring 2025 – In Focus from 26/02/2025: Timely Updating and Identifying Key Performance Indicators
To present the second financial control and second financial monitor, we are going to briefly explain updating and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• • Brief Explanation of Updating and KPIs
Let us start with updating. According to ‘statisticseasily.com’ (5),
“Updating refers to the process of refreshing or modifying datasets, models, or algorithms to ensure they remain relevant and accurate”.
As to KPIs, Online Harvard Business School (6) states that
“KPIs are metrics organisations use to track, measure, and analyse the financial health of the company. These financial KPIs fall under a variable of categories, including profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency, and valuation”.
Households are organisations. They can customise and use KPIs according their needs.
Knowing what updating and KPIs mean, we can now proceed with the second financial control and the second financial monitor.
• • Timely Updating
According to ‘statisticseasily.com’ (op. cit.), it is about refreshing or modifying all available data and all management practices and policies concerning the existing financial control methods.
In the definition of ‘statisticseasily.com’, let us single out the term policy management and explain it. Its explanation comes from ‘timespro.com’ (7) which argues that
“Policy management refers to the systematic approach organisations adopt to manage their policies effectively. It involves a comprehensive framework for creating, implementing, and maintaining policies that are clear, concise, and aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives”.
Indeed, household data analysts or heads need to update their datasets to reflect the most current information if new data are available. It is equally important for households to update their policy management and to ensure that they comply with current laws and regulations, deal with new technological advancements, and enhance their operational efficiency by updating their household financial policies and procedures. Policies and procedures are the rules they set up to strategically guide them, according to ‘onpolicy.com’ (8).
There are methods for updating data; just as there are benefits in doing so.
• • • Methods for updating data
There are several methods for updating data and models which include the following:
~ incremental updating (that is, adding new data points to an existing dataset)
~ batch updating (i.e., collection of new data)
~ online updating (in other words, adjusting data in real-time as new data flows in).
• • • Benefits from data updating
Updating data help households to make their financial decisions on accurate data instead of outdated information, on the latest trends and patterns.
For instance, if a given household receives a communication from utilities company (e.g., electricity, gas and water providers) that they will increase their prices, then household needs to act by updating their data from the time this increase takes effect.
So, data updating helps ensure that households are working and making decisions on relevant accurate and effective data.
• • Identifying Key Performance Indicators
KPIs are measurable values that indicate progress towards financial goals. There are many KPIs that households can use. From the financial statement analysis (of their financial statements like balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, etc.), they can pull out these metrics.
Examples of KPIs to pull out include net worth, savings rate, debt-to-income ratio, and investment portfolio performance.
• • • Helpfulness of KPIs
The metrics help or will help households as follows:
~ to know their performance
~ to adjust performance knowledge to their financial goals
~ to contribute to household strategy.
So, identifying and using a number of financial KPIs, households can review their key financial documents to gain a better understanding of how their household is financially performing. This understand can help them take appropriate measures if there is a need to do so.
The above are the second financial control and second financial monitor we wanted to share with our users or beneficiaries.
If anyone of our members need support regarding their financial controls and monitoring, in particular Timely Updating and Identifying Key Performance Indicators; they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
• Activity 3 of the Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Resilience: Focus Group on Creating Equitable Access to Financial Resources (From Wednesday 26/02/2025)
Activity 3 consists of having an interactive discussion to research on ways of creating equitable access to financial resources. The activity will be a discussion that will focus on access to capital, funding, and financial support necessary to live as a household or investment in household members.
Perhaps, the smooth way of introducing this discussion is to explain access to resources and what the focus group will help achieve.
• • What Is Access to Resources?
Access to resources has be understood here, in the terms of ‘oxford-review.com’ (9), as
“The fair distribution and availability of essential tools, opportunities, and support necessary for individuals or groups to thrive”.
This access to resources is equitable when there is impartial and just allocation of resources, opportunities, or services, guaranteeing that individuals or groups with varying backgrounds have equal opportunities to reap the benefits.
Having equitable access to resources could mean that households have equal opportunity to succeed, to contribute to their lives and of others as well. This will empower households to reach their full potential as households.
So, discussing equitable access to resources can improve the way one perceives resources in terms of outcomes in the context of Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Resilience.
• • Focus Group’s Outcomes
The discussion will enable the following:
σ to learn about opinions and experiences on access to resources
σ to understand households’ attitudes and feelings regarding access to resources
σ to gather information for community research on Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Resilience
σ to help guide actions on Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Resilience
etc.
Those who may be interested in the focus group can let CENFACS know.
Those members of the CENFACS Community who would like to get involved in the focus group can contact CENFACS.
For any other queries and or enquiries about this workshop or Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Resilience, please communicate with CENFACS.
• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) –
Step/Workshop 2: Preparing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects
Once you have identified your idea of your Play, Run and Vote Projects; you can start the preparation step. What is this preparation about?
• • Preparing Your Play or Run or Vote Project
It is about ensuring that they are feasible and appropriate, and can be successfully implemented. It is also the step you try to de-risk and conceptualise them.
• • Example of Preparation of Your All-year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives)
Let say, you choose to play the CENFACS League for Poverty Reduction. Because of the choice you made, you need to be aware of three basic principles as given below.
a) Your Play project is feasible, appropriate and can be successfully implemented; in other words it is SMART (that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound).
In practical terms, you need to strategize your actionable plan to attain Play project outcome, to use quantitative (numbers), qualitative (words) and infographics to measure the progress, to set a goal that pushes towards its realisation, keep the project’s core vision, and to allow realistic time frame to achieve the goal or complete the project.
b) You need as well to de-risk your Play project from the risk of not researching enough information or not having enough data about poverty reduction efforts or achievements of the selected African countries in your league model are making.
To apply this principle, you need to proactively identify potential risks early on, thoroughly assess their impact and implement strategies to mitigate or eliminate them by creating a detailed project plan, setting realistic goals, effectively allocating resources and consistently monitoring progress to address emerging issues.
c) You finally have to reduce any asymmetric information gaps when comparing and contrasting African countries in order to get reliable results in your sample.
In project parlance, it means the following: involve published data on the performance of African countries, finding the rules for information disclosure, identify and prioritise knowledge gaps, and foster a culture of continuous learning.
For those who are not familiar with project preparation and would like some support, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
They can contact CENFACS by
phoning, texting, e-mailing and completing the contact form on this website.
We can together discuss in detail the proposals about either their Run or Play or Vote project.
Message in English-French (Message en Anglais-Français)
• CENFACS be.africa Forum e-discusses the Impact of Tariff Rate Increases on Poverty Reduction in Africa
Tariff rates can increase and decrease depending on economic circumstances. However, varying tariff rates can affect either the price or quantity of goods subject to this variation or both; just as they can affect poverty. For instance, tariff rate reduction on energy can reduce energy poverty in Africa.
This week, CENFACS be.africa Forum is e-discussing tariff rate changes, particularly increases, and how they affect any efforts deployed to reduce or end poverty in Africa. But, before going any further let us recall the meaning of tariff.
• • What Is Tariff?
By referring to the Dictionary of Economics written by Christopher Pass et al. (10), tariff or import levy is defined as
“A duty (a form of tax) that is levied on imports. There are two main types of tariff: ad valorem duty and specific duty” (p. 508)
As Christopher Pass et al. put it,
“Tariffs are used to protect domestic industries from foreign competition and to raise revenue for the government” (p. 508)
However, tariffs can become problematic if there are retaliatory measures and if they affect any efforts to reduce or end poverty in particular if imports come from developing countries like of Africa.
• • The Impact of Tariff Rate Increases on Poverty Reduction in Africa
Tariff rates increases can affect any efforts to reduce poverty in Africa. These effects depend upon the price-elasticity of demand for the imported good. If import demand is highly price-inelastic, there will be little reduction in the volume of imports. On the contrary, if import is highly price-elastic, there could be more reduction in the volume of imports. This can eventually impact any income that could have raised by exporting countries. If this income was expected to be used to reduce poverty, poverty reduction could be negatively impacted.
To explain this further, the report released by the World Trade Organisation (11) explains that
“Tariffs tend to place a heavier burden on economically disadvantaged individuals and families, countering the misconception that open markets are contributing to a more unequal world… Tariffs and countermeasures have the potential to escalate and harm not only low-income households but also domestic prices and consumption”.
It is the impact of tariff rate increases that we are e-discussing this week, especially when decisions to increase tariff rates come from developed nations. Our discussion will take into account what has been argued so far on this matter, including any tools or metrics.
For example, we will consider the World Bank’s work (12) about the Household Impacts of Tariffs Simulation Tool.
The above is what this week’s debate within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum will be about.
Those who may be interested in this discussion can join our poverty reduction pundits and/or contribute by contacting CENFACS be.Africa Forum, which is a forum for discussion on poverty reduction and sustainable development issues in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members by making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.
To contact CENFACS about this discussion, please use our usual contact information on this website.
• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne de l’Impact de l’Augmentation des Droits de Douane sur la Réduction de la Pauvreté en Afrique
Les taux tarifaires peuvent augmenter ou diminuer en fonction des circonstances économiques. Toutefois, des taux de droits variables peuvent influer sur le prix ou la quantité des marchandises qui font l’objet de cette variation ou les deux; tout comme ils peuvent affecter la pauvreté. Par exemple, la réduction des tarifs sur l’énergie peut réduire la pauvreté énergétique en Afrique.
Cette semaine, le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne des modifications des taux tarifaires, en particulier des augmentations, et de la manière dont elles affectent les efforts déployés pour réduire ou mettre fin à la pauvreté en Afrique. Mais, avant d’aller plus loin, rappelons le sens du terme tarif.
• • Qu’est-ce que le tarif ?
Si l’on se réfère au dictionaire de l’économie écrit par Christopher Pass et al. (10), le tarif ou le prélèvement à l’importation est défini comme
« Un droit (une forme de taxe) qui est prélevé sur les importations. Il existe deux grands types de tarifs douaniers : le droit ad valorem et le droit spécifique » (p. 508)
Comme l’ont dit Christopher Pass et les autres,
« Les tarifs douaniers sont utilisés pour protéger les industries nationales de la concurrence étrangère et pour augmenter les revenus du gouvernement » (p. 508)
Cependant, les droits de douane peuvent devenir problématiques s’il y a des mesures de rétorsion et s’ils affectent les efforts visant à réduire ou à mettre fin à la pauvreté, en particulier si les importations peuvent provenir de pays en développement comme l’Afrique.
• • L’impact de l’augmentation des droits de douane sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique
L’augmentation des droits de douane peut affecter les efforts visant à réduire la pauvreté en Afrique. Ces effets dépendent de l’élasticité-prix de la demande pour le bien importé. Si la demande d’importations est fortement inélastique par rapport aux prix, il y aura peu de réduction du volume des importations. Au contraire, si les importations sont fortement élastiques par rapport aux prix, il pourrait y avoir une réduction plus importante du volume des importations. Cela peut éventuellement avoir un impact sur les revenus qui auraient pu être générés par les pays d’exportation. Et si l’on s’attendait à ce que ce revenu soit utilisé pour réduire la pauvreté, la réduction de la pauvreté pourrait être affectée négativement.
Pour expliquer davantage ce point, le rapport publié par l’Organisation Mondiale du Commerce (11) explique que
« Les tarifs douaniers ont tendance à imposer un fardeau plus lourd aux personnes et aux familles économiquement défavorisées, ce qui contredit l’idée fausse selon laquelle l’ouverture des marchés contribue à un monde plus inégalitaire… Les tarifs douaniers et les contre-mesures ont le potentiel d’augmenter et de nuire non seulement aux ménages à faible revenu, mais aussi aux prix intérieurs et à la consommation ».
C’est cet impact des hausses de tarifs que nous discutons en ligne cette semaine. Notre discussion tiendra compte de ce qui a été argumenté jusqu’à présent sur cette question, y compris les outils ou les mesures.
Par exemple, nous considérerons les travaux de la Banque Mondiale (12) sur l’outil de simulation des impacts des tarifs sur les ménages.
Ce qui précède fera l’objet du débat de cette semaine au sein du Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS.
Ceux ou celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette discussion peuvent se joindre à nos experts en réduction de la pauvreté et/ou contribuer en contactant le ‘me.Afrique’ du CENFACS (ou le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS), qui est un forum de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.
Pour contacter le CENFACS au sujet de cette discussion, veuillez utiliser nos coordonnées habituelles sur ce site Web.
Main Development
• Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project (MOIvLRP)
The following items explain this project:
σ What Is a MOIvLRP?
σ The Aim of MOIvLRP
σ Land Restoration Project
σ Key Points about Matching Organisation-Investor Programme (MOIP) to Consider
σ How MOIP Works
σ Benefits of Matching Organisation and Not-for-profit Impact Investors
σ How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors be Matched through LRP?
σ Matching Guidelines
σ Outcomes of MOIvLRP
σ Plan for 5-week Matching Activities
σ 26/02/2025 to 04/03/2025: Activity 1 of MOIvLRP
Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.
• • What Is a MOIvLRP?
MOIvLRP, which is part of CENFACS’ Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, refers to the process of connecting or aligning a charitable organisation (specifically Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations) seeking investment (investee) with a suitable potential impact investor via a land restoration project.
Essentially, it is about finding a charitable organisation that fits the impact investor’s investment criteria, goals and interests; as well as creating a good match/fit between the two parties involved in an investment transaction.
MOIvLRP is indeed an exercise to keep active and engaged Africa-based sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs) and n-f-p impact investors for the rest of the Winter Season and the first week Spring Season 2025. The exercise is meant to keep their respective dreams alive and to awake their potentials to grab any existing opportunities within the n-f-p market.
For those ASCOs and n-f-p property investors willing to realise their Easter dream of winning an investment for the former and a share for the latter, this February and March project is a golden opportunity for each of them.
• • The Aim of MOIvLRP
The aim of MOIvLRP is to reduce ecological poverty amongst the people in need in Africa; ecological poverty that could be due to the lack of best match or fit between ASCOs’ needs and not-for-profit impact investors’ interests. Where the needs of the ASCOs best meet or match the vested interests of not-for-profit impact investors, there could be high probability to reduce ecological poverty amongst the beneficiaries of ASCOs, while restoring land. The match probability could be high or average or low depending on how much ASCOs’ needs meet impact investors’ interests.
• • Land Restoration Project (LRP)
To illustrate this project, let us explain it, give its aim and restoration techniques.
• • • What is a LRP?
It is an initiative aimed at actively repairing and improving degraded land by implementing various methods like reforestation, soil conservation, and habitat enhancement, with the goal of restoring ecosystem functions, biodiversity, and mitigating climate change impacts on a specific area of land that has been damaged or degraded through human activities.
So, the current project will focus on degraded land, that is land that experienced deforestation, overgrazing, erosion, pollution, etc.
• • • What is LRP’s Aim?
The aim is to bring back the land to its healthier state. It is to restore the natural ecosystem functions of the land (that is, improving water quality, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity). Through this process, the project will help reduce ecological poverty as well.
Briefly, ASCO’s project is an ecologically sustainable, socially inclusive and economically feasible to spur self-sustaining restoration economic benefits to the nature and to the local community. Consequently, ASCO is looking for an impact investor to help reverse land degradation and reduce ecological poverty.
To achieve that, ASCO is planning to use restoration techniques.
• • • Restoration techniques
These techniques will include planting trees, reintroducing natural species, managing water flow, implementing soil improvement techniques, and controlling invasive species.
• • Key Points about Matching Organisation-Investor Programme to Consider
There are three points that need explanation to understand the implementation of MOIvLRP , which are: investee, investor, and matching process or programme.
a) Investee is the ASCO that is seeking and receiving the investment.
b) Investor is the person or entity providing the capital for land restoration project. In our matching model, this investor is not-for-profit impact one. A not-for-profit (n-f-p) impact investor is a kind of an investor who is trying to invest in a project without looking to make money for themselves. Our n-f-p impact investor, who is driven by selfless motivations, would invest to reduce ecological poverty for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.
c) Matching process is the analyse of factors (like charity sector, industry, business stage, investment size, risk tolerance, and strategic fit) to find the best possible pairing between investee and not-for-profit impact investor.
• • How MOIP Works
MOIP works under CENFACS’ Matching Platform by comparing and contrasting investor’s profiles and investee’s profiles.
• • • Investor’s profiles
Impact investors outline their investment preferences, including target sectors, preferred investment stages, and desired return on investment.
• • • Investee’s profiles
ASCOs seeking funding create profiles detailing their charitable models, programmes, volunteering policies, financials, teams, achievements, and investment needs.
• • • CENFACS’ matching platform
This platform helps match investors with investees based on their stated criteria.
• • Benefits of Matching Organisation and Not-for-profit Impact Investors
There are benefits when organisations’ needs match not-for-profit investors’ interest. These benefits include:
√ Cost-effectiveness as MOIvLRP reduces the costs for both organisations (for instance, the costs of looking for investment) and impact investors (e.g., the costs of finding the right organisation in which to invest)
√ Reduction of opportunity costs between the two parties (i.e., investee and investor) engaged in the MOIvLRP
√ Increased efficiency which facilitates quicker connection, creates and sustains relationships between organisations seeking funds and investors
√ Better alignment as impact investors find organisations that align with their investment goals, as well as problems-solving mechanisms or solutions for organisations’ problems and needs, and solutions to investors’ requests
√ Opportunity for a fit test (i.e., testing organisation-investor fit on mutual interests and contribution to the right decision)
√ Qualitative feedback about Organisation-Investor and background knowledge
√ Better decision-making processes for the two parties (e.g., organisations and investors)
√ Access to diverse opportunities as CENFACS’ Matching Platform provides access to pool of potential investees for impact investors looking for organisations to invest in
Etc.
• • How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors be Matched through LRP?
The matching happens through the two main components of this programme, which are Impact Advice to ASCOs and Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors for Impact.
• • • What is Impact Advice to ASCOs?
It is an approach to or methodology of working with ASCOs that uses a theory of change to measure impact following advice given on project planning.
Impact Advice uses impact measuring tools and frontline metrics to track results and outcomes.
• • • Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors for Impact
This is a service we offer to those n-f-p investors who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.
Briefly, Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors can be matched via Impact Advice on project planning for the former and Guidance on Impact Investing for the latter. They can as well be advised on project appraisal. To realise a successful match, some guidelines need to be followed.
• • Matching Guidelines
To carry out matching, one needs to know the profile of the organisation that is looking for not-for-profit investment, the specification or description of the investor, and identification of possible ways of matching organisation’s profile and investor’s specification.
• • Outcomes of MOIvLRP
It is better to differentiate outcomes for not-for-profit investors from those relating to Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes.
• • • Outcomes for Not-for-profit Investors
The activity will provide peace of mind for n-f-p investors and a good return in terms of the land to be restored and the rate or size of ecological poverty reduction they will expect from the organisations or causes in which they will invest or support.
• • • Outcomes for Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes
The activity will enable them to access the type of investment they need and build the capacity they are lacking. In doing so, this helps them to achieve their project aims, objectives and key deliverables with peace of mind.
• • • Plan for 5-week Matching Activities
As part of CENFACS‘ Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project (MOIvLRP), we are running a 5-week matching activities to support both land restoration charitable organisations and not-for-profit impact investors. It is a 5-week work about Impact Advice Service for land restoration charitable organisations and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for not-for-profit investors.
The project is based on a 5-step planning model of any ecological restoration project lifecycle as suggested by ‘nativeresourcepreservation.com’ (op. cit.) and 5 essential stages of restoration projects as highlighted by ‘wri.org’ (op. cit.).
ASCOs will be using the 5-step model of any ecological restoration project lifecycle made up with five steps as follows:
Step one: Project goals and stakeholders
Step two: Site assessment and background
Step three: Management plan
Step four: Initial implementation
Step five: Follow-up and further assessment.
As to Not-for-profit Impact Investors, they will be referring to 5 essential stages of restoration projects, which are:
Stage 1: Scope
Stage 2: Design
Stage 3: Finance
Stage 4: Implement
Stage 5: Monitor.
We have adapted these steps and phases to LRP.
However, let us recognise that there could be more than five steps or stages in any land restoration designing process and any land restoration investment lifecycle. Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this activity in five weeks, we choose a five-model for land restoration investment lifecycle.
The project is designed to work with both those seeking not-for-profit impact investors and those who would like to invest in the not-for-profit land restoration charitable organisations and causes. The following is our action plan.
Notes to table no. 1:
(*) Match periods are portions of time intended to help discover whether or not investors’ interests match organisations’ needs
(**) Impact Advice uses a 5-step model of ecological restoration
(***) Guidance for Impact Investing follows a 5 essential stages of restoration projects lifecycle.
If you want advice, help and support to find not-for-profit impact investors; CENFACS can work with you under this 5-week Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project, starting from 26 February 2025.
If you need guidance to outsource land restoration charitable organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under this 5-week Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project, starting from 26 February 2025.
These matching activities are a great opportunity for a land restoration charitable organisation to realise their Easter dream of getting an investment they badly need. They are also a grand aspiration for a not-for-profit land restoration investor to find Easter peace of mind through a suitable organisation in which to impact invest in Africa.
Need to engage with Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project, please contact CENFACS.
• • 26/02/2025 to 04/03/2025: Activity 1 of MOIvLRP –
Matching Organisation’s Project Goals and Stakeholders with Impact Investor’s Project Scope
There are many scenarios in which an investor can invest in an organisation. In our scenario or model of matching organisation-investor programme, we are trying to bring a potential impact investor in an Africa-based Sister Land Restoration Charitable Organisation and/or Cause through Project Goals and Stakeholders of this ASCO. We are trying to match ASCOs’ Project Goals and Stakeholders with a land restoration investor’s Project Scope.
In order to carry out the matching process, it is better to clarify the meaning of Project Goals and Stakeholders on the one hand, and Project Scope on the other hand.
• • • The meaning of project goals, stakeholders and scope
According to ‘smartsheet.com’ (13),
“A project goal is a statement that explains the expected outcome of a project. Project goals consist of objectives – measurable action items that support the goal’s success”.
When setting its project goals, ASCO needs to ensure they are SMART (that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely).
As to project stakeholders, ‘invensislearning.com’ (14) states that
“A project stakeholder refers to an individual, group or organisation that can impact or be impacted by a project’s decisions, activities, or outcomes”.
Project stakeholders could include beneficiaries, sponsors, end-users, regulatory bodies, etc. When planning its project, ASCO needs to list all its project stakeholders, especially if the not-for-profit impact investors want to know if ASCO did carry out any stakeholder analysis.
Regarding scope, World Resources Institute (op. cit.) explains that
“It is the process of assessing the ecological, social, economic, financial and regulatory context of any potential project site to determine where restoration is most feasible”.
Not-for-profit investors will use this definition to check if LRP has a good scope.
• • • Matching Organisation’s Project Goals and Stakeholders with Not-for-profit Impact Investors’ Scope
In order to make matching possible, ASCO needs explain or clarify the following matters:
its restoration goals, mapping of restoration opportunities, prioritization of landscapes and interventions, enabling conditions and barriers, the analysis of trade-offs and the development of a strategy to mitigate risks, the selection of project site, the determination of value proposition, etc.
In addition, the not-for-profit impact investor may want to know whether ASCO is the project developer or it will be working with a local community or is going to employ a restoration contractor, etc. This way the not-for-profit impact investor will be able to check that ASCO’s project goals are directed towards restoration activities.
To enable this Activity 1 or first level of matching talks to move further, ASCO needs to respond to the queries, enquiries and questions from the not-for-profit impact investors.
Briefly, the not-for-profit impact investors would like to be ensured that ASCO’s project goals are SMART enough and will be directed towards restoration activities and ecological poverty reduction. If this is the case, there will be a possibility to reach an agreement.
• • • Reaching an Agreement on the the Key Areas of the Project Goals, Stakeholders and Scope
The two sides (ASCO and the n-f-p impact investor) need to reach an agreement on the contents of project goals and stakeholders for the former and project scope for the latter. If there is a disagreement between ASCO and n-f-p impact investor, this could open up the possibility for a match/fit test. The match/fit test can be carried out to try to help the two sides of the matching process. The match/fit test can also be undertaken if there is a disagreement on any of aspects of the land restoration project.
• • • The Match or Fit Test
As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p impact investor’s project scope and ASCO’s project goals and stakeholders must be matched.
The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the investor wants and what ASCO is saying about its project goals and stakeholders, between what the investor would like the project goals and stakeholders to indicate and what ASCO’s project goals and stakeholders are really saying), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this first round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.
• • • Impact Advice to ASCO and Guidance to n-f-p Impact Investor
CENFACS can impact advise ASCO to improve the contents of its project goals and stakeholders. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p impact investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of project scope to a format that can be agreeable by potential ASCOs. CENFACS’ impact advice for ASCOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p impact investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce or avoid the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.
• • • The Rule of the Matching Game
The rule of the game is the more impact investors are attracted by ASCOs’ project goals and stakeholders the better for ASCOs. It means that ASCO’s process must pass the attractiveness test. Likewise, the more ASCOs can successfully respond to impact investors’ level of enquiries and queries about the land restoration project documentation the better for investors. In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., investee and investor).
The above is the first Activity of the Matching Organisation-Investor via a Land Restoration Project.
Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up land restoration project and n-f-p land restoration investors looking for organisations that are interested in their giving, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.
• • • CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses
The Hub can help to use analysis tools to test assumptions and determine how likely something is within a given standard of accuracy. The Hub can assist to
√ clean, merge and prepare micro-data sources for testing, modelling and analysis
√ conduct data management and administration
√ carry out regression analysis, estimate and test hypotheses
√ interpret and analyse patterns or trends or insights in data or results.
For any queries and/or enquiries about this first stage/activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via Land Restoration Project, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
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• References
(1) cenfacs.org.uk/blog/02/12/2025 (accessed in February 2025)
(2) https://www.nativeresourcepreservation.com/blog/process-of-ecological-restoration (accessed in February 2025)
(3) https: //www.wri.org/update/restoration-launchpad-guide-investors-landowners-and-practioners# (accessed in February 2025)
(4) https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/press-releases/least-100-million-hectares-healthy-land-now-lost-each-year (accessed in February 2025)
(5) https://statisticseasily.com/glossario/what-is-updating-in-data-science-and-analysis (accessed in February 2025)
(6) https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/financial-performance-measures (accessed in February 2025)
(7) https://timespro.com/blog/what-is-policy-management-and-its-elements (accessed in February 2025)
(8) https://onpolicy.com/importance-updating-policies/# (accessed in February 2025).
(9) https://oxford-review.com/the-oxford-review-dei-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dictionary/access-to-resources-definition-and-explanation/ (accessed in February 2025)
(10) Pass, C., Lowes, B. & Davies, L. (1988), Dictionary of Economics, HarperCollins Publishers, London & Glasgow
(11) https://globaltrainingcenter.com/the-impact-of-tariffs-on-low-income-households-insights-from-the-wto/ (accessed in February 2025)
(12) https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/brief/hit (accessed in February 2025)
(13) https://www.smartsheet.com/content/project-goals# (accessed in February 2025)
(14) https://www.invensislearning.com/blog/who-are-project-stakeholders/# (accessed in February 2025)
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• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year
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