Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
28 May 2025
Post No. 406
The Week’s Contents
• Matching Organisation-Investor via Telehealth Facility
• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Updates and Upgrades; Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management (From Wednesday 28/05/2025)
• Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies for Households – In Focus from 28/05/2025: Climate-resilient Investments
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Matching Organisation-Investor via Telehealth Facility
This is a new initiative from our Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, which is part of CENFACS’ Guidance Programme to not-for-profit impact investors. The new matching initiative consists of matching an African charitable organisation’s project to set up a telehealth facility/service (which could be telemedicine or teleclinic or both) and a prospective investor who may be interested in impact investing in telehealth services.
The charitable organisation is planning to open up a telehealth facility whereby underserved and unserved communities will remotely receive healthcare services through electronic devices (like computer, tablet, smartphone and video); while a potential investor is looking to invest in telehealth venture.
The matching process will be run for five weeks, from the week beginning 26 May 2025. To better understand this project, let us briefly re-explain it and its aim.
• • What Is Matching Organisation-Investor via Telehealth Facility?
It is a set of five activities designed to arrange the match/fit test between an Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation planning to set up a telehealth facility and a prospective not-for-profit impact investor. This project of CENFACS’ Matching Programme will enable the former to find a suitable investor, and the latter to gain an investee in which they can impact invest in.
• • The Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor via Telehealth Facility (MOIvTF)
The main aim of MOIvTF is to facilitate a mutually beneficial relationship, where the organisation (investee) gains access to capital, expertise, and resources, and the investor earns a potentially high-return not-for-profit investment opportunities through telehealth facility. This connection can lead to the organisation’s growth, innovation, and long-term success, while also allowing the investor (who generally is a not-for-profit one in accordance to CENFACS‘ matching model and rules) to achieve their goals (which are other things than financial gains).
Besides this main aim, there is also the specific aim of the telehealth facility, that is the project that will connect investee and investor.
• • The Aim of Telehealth Facility (TF)
The aim of TF is to reduce health poverty (that is, the condition of being in poor health) through the setting up of a telehealth facility. It is about reducing the adverse impacts of low or the lack of income can have on health outcomes of the healthily-underserved and -unserved people and communities. The facility will address the root causes of health disparities, cut health costs, and improve the well-being, wellness and healthiness of these people and communities in Africa.
The facility will help raise much-needed funds to help keep the Africa-based Charitable Organisation’s services and support the local community via the health poverty reduction of local people. In this respect, the telehealth facility will be an opportunity to increase support to fight health poverty and hardships amongst the Africa-based Charitable Organisation’s users and beneficiaries. All money raised via this facility will help people in health crisis and poverty in their community.
Through this facility, it is hoped that the Africa-based Charitable Organisation will meet its dream not-for-profit (n-f-p) impact investor. It is as well expected that the n-f-p impact investor will find the right organisation to invest in for impact. Where the two parties experience difficulties in matching their project proposals or respective dreams, CENFACS will organise the match test for them.
More details about this Matching Organisation-Investor via Telehealth Facility can be found under the Main Development section of this post.
• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Updates and Upgrades; Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management (From Wednesday 28/05/2025)
The last series of our two-story programme is on Stories of Updates and Upgrades after resetting a system; Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management after changing a system. What are these stories? Let us explain each of these sets of stories.
• • System Post-reset Stories of Updates and Upgrades
Before providing these stories, it is better to explain update and upgrade which are not the same in meaning.
• • • What is an update?
To explain update, let us refer to ‘computerhope.com’ (1) which states that
“An update is new, improved, or fixed software that replaces older versions of the same software”.
The same ‘computerhope.com’ argues that updates can be critical, meaning that they should be installed as soon as possible to resolve a problem like vulnerability that gives an attacker full access to your computer.
Our system of poverty reduction could become critically vulnerable. This means it may need urgent updates.
• • • What is an upgrade?
The website ‘thefreedictionary.com’ (2) explains that
“Upgrade is to raise to a higher grade or standard”.
For instance, in the computer environment and world, a software upgrade refers to any major upgrade to the software that adds significant or completely new changes to the programme, according to ‘computerhope.com’ (3).
Upgrades are larger and not free, whereas updates are free and small.
In the worlds of poverty reduction and sustainable development, systems can be upgraded. Upgrading and updating our systems of poverty reduction can provide stories to tell and share.
• • • System Post-reset Stories of Updates and Upgrades
Stories of System Updating and Upgrading after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Updates and Upgrades) are the tellings of renewing our system by replacing older versions, enhancing functionality and reducing system vulnerabilities.
• • • • Stories of System Updating after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Updates)
In terms of our system of poverty reduction, Stories of System Updating after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Updates) are those of
~ patching security vulnerabilities and protecting against cyberattacks
~ introducing new features and improvements to our system
~ enhancing user experience and efficiency
~ adaptation of users to changes in system interfaces and functionality
~ frustration and potential disruption when updates go wrong
etc.
Briefly they are the tales of fixing bugs, improving security, and enhancing functionality of a system, our system of poverty reduction.
If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS. If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.
To donate, tell and share your storying gift featuring Stories of System Updating after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Updates), please contact CENFACS.
• • • • Stories of System Upgrading after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Upgrades)
In terms of our system of poverty reduction, Stories of System Upgrading after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Upgrades) are those of
~ replacing older versions with newer ones (like Windows 10 with Windows 11)
~ improving their functionality
~ unexpected issues during upgrades
~ troubleshooting
~ rollback upgrading systems
~ successful and unsuccessful experiences of upgrading systems
~ meeting system requirements
etc.
Briefly, they are the accounts of added enhancements over an earlier version of our poverty reduction system, and of greater performance than earlier poverty reduction model.
If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS. If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.
To donate, tell and share your storying gift highlighting Stories of System Upgrading after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Upgrades), please contact CENFACS.
• • System Post-change Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management
To approach these stories, let us first describe documentation and knowledge management.
• • • What is documentation?
To explain documentation, let us mention what ‘scribehow.com’ argues about it, which is:
“Documentation is broad term that describes any written or visual resource that offers instructions, specifications or troubleshooting advice. The documentation could appear online in a knowledge base or offline in a printed handbook” (4)
Like any system, our system or poverty reduction can have documents that describe its inner working, design and its principles. This documentation can be objective, technical, process, software, objective, etc.
For instance, our system of poverty reduction can have incident response documentation outlining the steps we need to take in case of a polycrisis (like geo-economic crisis) or any type of attack to it.
• • • What is knowledge management?
There are many ways of explaining knowledge management. The explanation retained here comes from ‘ibm.com’ (5) which contends that
“Knowledge management is the process of identifying, organising, storing and disseminating information within an organisation… A knowledge management system harnesses the collective knowledge of the organisation, leading to better operational efficiencies. These systems are supported by the use of a knowledge base”.
Our system of poverty reduction will have a knowledge base and a structured process to help information and knowledge flow to the right people, particularly those in need, to the right location at the right time.
Because our system of poverty reduction has both documentation and way of managing its knowledge, there could be stories to tell and share after changing it.
• • • System Post-change Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management
Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management after Changing a System (or System Post-change Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management) are the reports of making the information more relatable and easier to understand, and of ensuring knowledge of our poverty reduction system remains accurate, up-to-date and useful.
• • • • Stories of Documentation after Changing a System (or System Post-change Stories of Documentation)
They are a documentation approach that focus on presenting information in a narrative or story-like format, rather than just a list of facts or procedures. They aim to engage the story listener, make the information more memorable, and provide context.
In terms of our system of poverty, Stories of Documentation after Changing a System (or System Post-change Stories of Documentation) are those of
~ designing principles
~ conveying architectural decisions
~ overall structure of the system, our system of poverty reduction.
In short, they are those of going beyond simple instructions and of creating a more engaging and informative experience after changing a system.
If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS. If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.
To donate, tell and share your storying gift expressing Stories of Documentation after Changing a System (or System Post-change Stories of Documentation), please contact CENFACS.
• • • • Stories of Knowledge Management after Changing a System (or System Post-change Stories of Knowledge Management)
They are narrative accounts that demonstrate how knowledge is created, shared, and utilised within an organisation or group.
In terms of our system of poverty reduction, Stories of Knowledge Management after Changing a System (or System Post-change Stories of Knowledge Management) are those of
~ knowledge management process (that is, knowledge creation, storage and sharing)
~ knowledge management tools (e.g., document management systems, content management systems, data warehouses, etc.)
~ communicating vision, values, and goals of our system of poverty reduction
~ illustrating how knowledge is applied in real-world situations
~ showcasing the value of knowledge management practices
~ knowledge capture and retention
~ promoting a culture of learning
~ providing inspiration and motivation
etc.
To sum up, they are not just dry facts and figures; they are narratives that tell a story about knowledge used.
If you are a member of CENFACS Community and have these types of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your stories with CENFACS. If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.
To donate, tell and share your storying gift linked to Stories of Knowledge Management after Changing a System (or System Post-change Stories of Knowledge Management), please contact CENFACS.
• Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies for Households – In Focus from 28/05/2025: Climate-resilient Investments
Households of any types and sizes can integrate climate resilience into their investment decision-making process. They can have climate-resilient investments. To clarify what we are talking, let us deal with the following points:
The meaning of climate-resilient investment, integrating resilience into investment decision, benefits of climate-resilient investments, and working with households on climate-resilient investments matter.
• • The Meaning of Climate-resilient Investment
Within the literature about climate resilience, a climate-resilient investment refers to the process of integrating climate resilience into investment decisions to minimise the financial impact of climate change on assets and operations. It is about shifting your investment and finance away from potentially maladapted activities towards those that contribute to climate-resilient economies and society. This involves understanding and mitigating both physical climate risks and transition risks associated with the shift towards a low-carbon economy.
• • Integrating Resilience into Investment Decision
It is about assessing how climate risks can affect household investments. To deal with these effects, households can develop strategies to mitigate those risks and incorporate resilience considerations into the investment process. There are benefits in doing so.
• • Benefits of Climate-resilient Investments
Integrating climate resilience into investments can help households protect their assets. It can also lead to improved long-term financial returns.
For example, investing in renewable energy sources can help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and help mitigate climate change. Similarly, investing in businesses that offer climate-resilient investment products and services can help households reduce risks, protect their livelihood, build resilience and promote sustainability.
• • Working with Households on Climate-resilient Investments
Climate-conscious household impact investors would integrate climate resilience into their investment decision-making processes. Likewise, their asset managers can also assist them in this matter. Those households that are struggling to include it and do not have asset managers for assistance can work with CENFACS.
For any queries and/or enquiries about Climate-resilient Investments as well as Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies for Households (including how to access these strategies), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
Extra Messages
• Volunteers’ Stories of Actions across All Fronts of System Post-reset and -change
• End-of-May 2025 Stories: Impact Story
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (MELA) Projects and Activities for Rebuilding Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa
• Volunteers’ Stories of Actions across All Fronts of System Post-reset and -change
These stories could be related to actions generally taken in volunteering capacity to help people and communities in need in the following four ways of post-resetting the system:
a) reinstallation
b) restoration
c) reconfiguration
d) updating and upgrading our system of poverty reduction or life.
They could also be linked to actions in which a volunteer got specifically involved and at the fronts of the four strategies or tips after changing a system, which are
a) stabilisation and initial testing
b) ongoing maintenance and support
c) continuous improvement and adaptation
d) documentation and knowledge management of a system of poverty reduction or life.
Both system post-reset and system post-change stories from volunteers respond to our model of two-story sequences. Volunteers can tell and share them.
To tell, share and provide opportunity for learning development through your story of volunteers’ actions across all the fronts of system post-reset and post-change; please contact CENFACS.
• End-of-May 2025 Stories: Impact Story
On the last day of the Month of Stories, people and ourselves will ask this:
What is the impact your story leaves to us? In other words, what is the force or effect or even impression your story will leave after telling and sharing it?
To answer this question, let us see what impact story is about.
• • What Is the Impact of My Storytelling?
It emerges from the literature about storytelling that an impact story is a narrative used to communicate the effects of a specific action, project, or organisation on its beneficiaries or stakeholders. It goes beyond simple description of activities and aims to demonstrate the tangible changes that have occurred as a result of these efforts.
The impact story model of Laura Meagher and David Edwards (6) who used building blocks to tell their impact story explains impact story further. According to them, there are five types of impact that could be the legacy of your story; types which are:
1) instrumental 2) conceptual 3) capacity building 4) enduring connectivity 5) culture/attitudes towards knowledge exchange, and research impact itself.
Depending on the type of impact your story will generate, your story could be on the Top Three Stories of the May 2025 Stories Challenge organised by CENFACS. It is also a way to evaluate your story.
• • Evaluating Your Impact Story
On the site ‘linkedin.com’ (7), it is stated that
“Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging your audience, conveying your message, and inspiring action”.
During this month of May, we have tried as much as we could to engage with our audiences, users and supporters through this tool. Now, it is the time to evaluate the impact of our and your stories.
To measure or evaluate our/your storytelling impact, the same ‘linkedin.com’ suggests the following steps:
σ define your communication goals
σ collect feedback about your communication
σ analyse results or indicators that show how well you have achieved your communication goals.
Evaluating Your Impact Story ends our notes on May 2025 Stories.
Those who have not yet donated their stories, we would like to remind them 30 and 31 May 2025 are the last days. They can submit their stories by the 31st of May 2025.
For those who have donated their stories, CENFACS thanks them for their storying gift.
For those who would like to know more about or to catch up with any of the series of our All in Development Storytelling Programme of this year or month, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (MELA) Projects and Activities for Rebuilding Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa
To grasp MELA Projects and Activities for Rebuilding Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa, let us briefly explain MELA of a system, contextualise it for Africa, and provide projects and activities that can be part of it.
• • What Is MELA of a System
MELA of a system is a systematic approach to tracking, assessing, and improving adaptation efforts of a system. It involves gathering data, analysing results, and using the insights to refine strategies and policies for adaptation to events or new circumstances.
In the context of Rebuilding Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa, MELA will be about assessing the effectiveness of these systems, monitoring their functionalities and operationality, tracking results, gathering feedback from project users to evaluate Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction success. Based on results, the latter might be adjusted or new interventions can be added to promote effectiveness. This is all part of Rebuilding Africa.
However, to carry out MELA, projects and activities are required.
• • MELA Projects for Rebuilding Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa
They are a series of interrelated tasks and activities planned and to be executed to achieve the objectives of monitoring, evaluating, learning and adapting systems of poverty reduction within specific constraints of time, costs and resources. They are planned pieces of work that aim to monitor, evaluate, learn and find out adaptive capacity of Africa’s poverty reduction systems.
These projects could be or include the following:
~ Impact evaluation technics to assess the long-term effects of effectiveness and lessons learned from poverty reduction programmes run in Africa on their intended beneficiaries
~ Social impact assessment of funded projects to check if the best value is obtained from investment made
~ Projects of tracking progress in poverty reduction for work carried out by Africa-base Sister Organisations (ASOs) to monitor tasks, deadlines, and progress in poverty reduction
~ Projects integrating climate and poverty to reduce and possibly to end poverty linked to the lack of climate action funds ad poverty reduction funds
~ Projects of collecting, analysing and using information to find the effects of programmes run by ASOs on gender equality, social inclusion and empowerment
etc.
ASOs that are willing to get involved in the above-mentioned projects, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
• • MELA Activities for Rebuilding Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa
They are specific actions to learn, monitor and find out about adaptation of Africa’s systems of poverty reduction.
These activities could include:
~ Conducting surveys with ASOs to gather their perceptions about new ways of funding their work
~ Advocacy/appeals to motivate philanthropic global organisations and major donors to support ASOs in the era of international aid cuts, and to give ASOs’ audience the opportunities to get involved
~ Advising ASOs to explore social enterprise models (that is, income-generating initiatives)
~ Running e-workshops to provide new information and knowledge to participants on financial self-reliance and self-sufficiency policies to reduce ASOs reliance on international foreign aid
~ Providing guidance and information to develop ASOs’ capacity to independently manage their own affairs via private-charity partnerships or collaboration for poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa
~ Private fundraising campaign with ASOs to provide capital to ASOs and access specialised knowledge, expertise and networks provided by private investors to raise private donations locally
~ Organising focus groups to gain insights into alternative funding mechanisms
etc.
Those who would like to participate in the above-mentioned activities, they can contact CENFACS.
The above-mentioned projects and activities will be conducted to help communities and ASOs to meet their goals of
“moving forward to protect the gains or legacies of our/their building-forward-better-together work while building upon progress to achieve a more equitable and inclusive society”.
However, to realise these projects and activities, it is better to work with communities and ASOs in Africa.
For those who would like to engage with the above-mentioned rebuilding projects and activities, they should feel free to contact CENFACS.
Message in French (Message en français)
• Mini Atelier Thématique sur le Financement Climatique et le Financement de la Réduction de la Pauvreté
Pour introduire cet atelier, définissons-le, présentons son objectif, ses aspects clés et les domaines qu’il couvrira.
• • Qu’est-ce que le Mini Atelier Thématique sur le Financement Climatique et le Financement de la Réduction de la Pauvreté?
C’est un événement de formation ou d’apprentissage qui se concentre sur la manière de mobiliser, gérer et utiliser des fonds pour faire face à la fois au changement climatique et à la pauvreté.
• • Quel est l’objectif de l’Atelier Thématique Mini sur le Financement Climatique et le Financement de la Réduction de la Pauvreté ?
L’atelier vise à soutenir ceux ou celles qui n’ont pas ou peu d’informations et de connaissances sur le financement climatique et le financement de la réduction de la pauvreté. Il vise à éduquer les participants sur les mécanismes de financement climatique, les principes de finance durable, et comment intégrer les considérations de réduction de la pauvreté dans des projets et investissements résilients au climat.
• • Aspects clés de l’Atelier
Les aspects clés de l’atelier incluront les points suivants :
~ la compréhension du financement climatique
~ les principes de finance durable
~ l’intégration de la réduction de la pauvreté
~ le renforcement des capacités
~ la création de réseaux et la collaboration.
• • Domaines à couvrir par l’Atelier
L’atelier couvrira les domaines ci-dessous :
~ le développement de la finance climatique
~ la prise en compte de la finance climatique et de la pauvreté
~ le développement résilient au climat
~ la finance durable
~ l’économie verte
~ et le financement des risques de catastrophe.
Ceux ou celles qui ont besoin d’une évaluation approfondie de formation en compétences financières climatiques sont également les bienvenu(e)s. L’atelier fournira des recommandations pour des actions avec des options et des opportunités pour les participants.
Pour vous renseigner sur l’atelier, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.
Main Development
• Matching Organisation-Investor via Telehealth Facility (MOIvTF)
The following items explain this project:
σ What Is a MOIvTF?
σ The Aim of MOIvTF
σ Telehealth Facility
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 Telehealth Facility (TF)?
σ Matching Guidelines
σ Outcomes of MOIvTF
σ Plan for 5-week Matching Activities
σ 28/05/2025 to 03/06/2025: Activity 1 of MOIvTF
Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.
• • What Is a MOIvTF?
MOIvTF, 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 telehealth facility.
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.
MOIvTF 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 Spring Season and the beginning of Summer 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 telehealth investors willing to realise their Summer dream of winning an investment for the former and a share for the latter, this Spring-Summer initiative is a golden opportunity for each of them.
• • The Aim of MOIvTF
The main aim of MOIvTF is to facilitate a mutually beneficial relationship, where ASCO (investee) gains access to capital, expertise, and resources, and the investor earns a potentially high-return not-for-profit investment opportunities through a telehealth facility. This connection can lead to ASCO’s growth, innovation, and long-term success, while also allowing the investor (who generally is a not-for-profit one in accordance of CENFACS‘ matching model and terms) to achieve their goals (which are other than financial ones).
Besides this main aim, there is also the specific aim of the telehealth facility, which is the reduction of health poverty. Health poverty could be (but not necessarily) 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 health poverty amongst the beneficiaries of ASCOs. The match probability could be high or average or low depending on how much ASCOs’ needs meet impact investors’ interests.
• • Telehealth Facility (TF)
To understand this facility, let us define telehealth and where ASCO would like to focus within telehealth field.
• • • What is telehealth?
There are many definitions of telehealth. One of its definitions comes from ‘hrsa.gov’ (8) which argues that
“Telehealth is the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, health information, and public health”.
Looking at telehealth from the perspective of patient, the website ‘verywellhealth.com’ (9) explains that
“Telehealth is a way to remotely receive healthcare services through electronic devices like your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Telehealth services come in different forms, such as live video or audio appointments, secured text messaging with your healthcare provider, or remote monitoring devices that allow your healthcare provider to track things like your blood sugar”.
Telehealth is a broader term that encompasses a wide range of activities that utilise telecommunications to deliver healthcare. Within the umbrella of telehealth, one can have telemedicine or teleclinic.
Telemedicine specifically refers to the delivery of medical services, such as diagnosis and treatment, using telecommunications technology.
Teleclinic is essentially an online doctor’s office enabling patients to consult with doctors, receive diagnoses, and get prescriptions or sick notes without needing to physically visit a clinic.
Depending on the local needs on the grounds where TF will be implemented as a project, ASCO will use telemedicine or teleclinic facilities or both.
• • • What is TF’s Aim?
The aim of TF is to reduce health poverty (that is, the condition of being in poor health) through the setting up of a telehealth facility. It is about reducing the adverse impacts of low or the lack of income can have on health outcomes of the healthily-underserved and -unserved people and communities. It is about making healthcare more accessible, efficient, and patient-centred, especially for those in remote areas or with limited mobility.
• • • What is TF’s business model?
Depending on areas of Africa where TF will be implemented, ASCO’s telemedicine or teleclinic business model is business-to-consumer (or charity-to-beneficiaries). In other words, the facility will directly offer telemedicine or teleclinic services to patients. It will specifically offer urgent care, mental health services, and specialised consultations.
• • • How helpful TF will be
The facility will address the root causes of health disparities, cut health costs, and improve the well-being, wellness and healthiness of these people and communities .
The facility will help raise much-needed funds to help keep the Africa-based Charitable Organisation’s services and support the local community via the health reduction of local poverty. In this respect, the telehealth facility will be an opportunity to increase support to fight health poverty and hardships amongst the Africa-based Charitable Organisation’s users and beneficiaries. All money raised via this facility will help people in health crisis and poverty in their community.
• • Key Points about Matching Organisation-Investor Programme to Consider
There are three points that need explanation to understand the implementation of MOIvTF, which are: investee, investor, and matching process or programme.
a) Investee is the ASCO that is seeking and will receive the investment.
b) Investor is the person or entity providing the capital for telehealth facility. 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 health poverty for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.
c) Matching process is the analyse of factors (like charity sector, health industry, software development 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 MOIvTF 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 MOIvTF
√ 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.
For ASCO (investee), CENFACS’ Matching Platform will help as follows:
Access to capital: CENFACS’ Matching Platform enables to secure funding, crucial for ASCOs to scale their charity objects/mission;
Expertise and resources: ASCOs will benefit from investor’s valuable experience, industry knowledge, and networking connections;
Strategic alignment: Investor’s investment philosophy and goals will be aligned with ASCO’s vision;
Reduced search effort: CENFACS’ Matching Platform streamlines the search for suitable investors, saving ASCO’s valuable time and resources.
For Not-for-profit investor, CENFACS’ Matching Platform will provide the following:
Access to high-growth opportunities: CENFACS’ Matching Platform provides access to a stream of vetted deal flow;
Diversification: CENFACS’ Matching Platform can help investors diversify their portfolio and reduce risks;
Expertise and network: Through CENFACS’ Matching Programme, investors can leverage the expertise of other investors or industry experts;
Risk reduction: CENFACS’ Matching Platform help investors reduce risk and get confidence in their investments.
Briefly, CENFACS’ Matching Programme creates a win-win situation where both the investee and investor benefit from a well-matched partnership.
• • How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors be Matched through TF?
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 MOIvTF
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 health outcomes and the rate or size of health 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 facility aims, objectives and key deliverables with peace of mind.
• • Plan for 5-week Matching Activities
As part of CENFACS‘ Matching Organisation-Investor via a Telehealth Facility (MOIvTF), we are running a 5-week matching activities to support both telehealth charitable organisations and not-for-profit impact investors. It is a 5-week work about Impact Advice Service for telehealth charitable organisations and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for not-for-profit investors.
The facility is based on 5 Key Components of a Telemedicine Business Plan as suggested by Bask Health (10) and 5 Key Stages of the Telemedicine Software Development Process as highlighted by ‘thinkitive.com’ (11).
The 5 Key Components of a Telemedicine Business Plan, which ASCO needs to consider, as suggested by Bask Health are as follows:
Component one: Business description
Component two: Market analysis
Component three: Operational plan
Component four: Financial plan
Component five: Marketing plan.
The 5 Key Stages of the Telemedicine Software Development Process as highlighted by ‘thinkitive.com’ are:
Stage 1: Needs assessment and planning
Stage 2: Features prioritization and design
Stage 3: Development and testing
Stage 4: Deployment and launch
Stage 5: Scalability and future developments
We have adapted these components and phases to TF.
However, let us recognise that there could be more than five components or stages in any telehealth project designing process and any investment lifecycle. Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this project in five weeks, we chose a five-stages model for telehealth investment lifecycle.
The facility 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 telehealth charitable organisations and causes. The following is our action plan.
Note to table no. 1:
(*) Match periods are portions of time intended to help discover whether or not investors’ interests match organisations’ needs
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 Telehealth Facility, starting from 28 May 2025.
If you need guidance to outsource telehealth charitable organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under this 5-week Matching Organisation-Investor via a Telehealth Facility, starting from 28 May 2025.
These matching activities are a great opportunity for a telehealth charitable organisation to realise their Summer dream of getting an investment they badly need. They are also a grand aspiration for a not-for-profit telehealth investor to find Summer peace of mind through a suitable organisation in which to impact invest in Africa.
Need to engage with Matching Organisation-Investor via a Telehealth Facility, please contact CENFACS.
• • 28/05/2025 to 03/06/2025: Activity 1 of MOIvTF –
Matching Organisation-Impact Investor via Business Description and Needs Assessment and Planning
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 Telehealth Charitable Organisation and/or Cause through two things: ASCO’s Business Description from its business plan and ASCO’s Needs Assessment and Planning from its software development plan. We are trying to match what ASCO is offering as part of its business plan and software development plan with a investor’s view on ASCO’s these plans.
In order to carry out the matching process, it is better to clarify the meaning of Business Description and what Needs Assessment and Planning from the software development entail.
• • • The meaning of business description
According to ‘blog,bit.ai’ (12),
“A business plan in your business plan highlights key aspects of your company, like its purpose and uniqueness. It explains your business name, and distinctiveness. It covers details like company location, ownership, and employee count. It also presents a clear vision, goals, and mission statement”.
Through the description of telehealth facility, ASCO needs to convince any potential investors to engage, to tell them that it is worth investing in the telehealth facility.
• • • Needs assessment and planning relating to software development
Needs assessment can be defined as “a process of determining the needs or ‘gaps’ between a current and desired outcome”, according to ‘asana.com’ (13)
In terms of software development, it is the stage of gathering and analysing information to understand what software is needed, including knowledge, skills, resources, and processes, to achieve the goals of telehealth facility. It is also the stage of dealing with the systematic process of identifying gaps between current conditions and desired outcomes or wants in terms of software that will make the telehealth facility functions.
At this stage, ASCO needs to clearly define the goals of its telehealth facility, target patient groups and the functionalities of the telemedicine or teleclinic software.
• • • Matching Organisation’s Business Description as well as Needs Assessment and Planning with Not-for-profit Impact Investors’ View on Them
• • • • Matching Organisation’s Business Description with Not-for-profit Impact Investors’ View on it
In order to reach an agreement, ASCO needs to set the tone through its Business Description for the entire business plan. It should convince any potential n-f-p impact investors that it is worth investing in the telemedicine or teleclinic project.
The n-f-p impact investor, who will be looking through ASCO’s Business Description, would like to get the first impression of ASCO’s business idea. He/she wants to understand the core activities of the TF (that is, telemedicine or teleclinic), the products or services it will offer and how it will benefit local people or ASCO’s project beneficiaries or users.
• • • • Matching Organisation’s Needs Assessment and Planning with Not-for-profit Impact Investors’ View on Them
ASCO needs to explain why its wants to develop a telehealth platform. To do that, it needs to clearly define its project goals, target patient groups, and the functionalities of the telemedicine or teleclinic software. It means ASCO has understood potential users’ needs and has analysed the competition.
As to the n-f-p impact investor, he/she may want to know the specific needs of ASCO’s software and the features and functionalities that will be included. He/she wants to know its idea of creating a unique ecosystem of the healthcare practice. He/she would like to be ensured that there will be a link between ASCO’s telehealth software and the functionalities of ASCO’s telehealth platform.
To enable this Activity 1 or first level of matching talks to move further, ASCO has 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 telehealth activities and health 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 Business Description as well as Needs Assessment and Planning
The two sides (ASCO and the n-f-p impact investor) need to reach an agreement on the contents of ASCO’s business description and needs assessment and planning and n-f-p impact investor’s view on them. 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 telehealth facility.
• • • The Match or Fit Test
As part of the match or fit test, the contents of ASCO’s business description and needs assessment and planning must be matched with n-f-p impact investor’s view on them.
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 business description and needs assessment and planning, between what the investor would like the business description and needs assessment and planning to indicate and what ASCO’s business description and needs assessment and planning 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 business description and needs assessment and planning. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p impact investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of business description and needs assessment and planning 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’ business description and needs assessment and planning 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 telehealth facility 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 Telehealth Facility.
Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up a telehealth facility and n-f-p telehealth 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 Telehealth Facility, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
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• References
(1) https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/update.html (accessed in May 2025)
(2) https://www.thefreedictionary.com/upgrade (accessed in May 2025)
(3) https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/update.html (accessed in May 2025)
(4) https://scribehow.com/library/what-is-documentation (accessed in May 2025)
(5) https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/knowledge-management (accessed in May 2025)
(6) https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialscience/2020/09/18/how-to-to-tell-an-impact-story-the-building-blocks-you-need/ (accessed in May 2023)
(7) https://www.linkedin.com/advice/o/how-do-you-measure-impact-storytelling (accessed in May 2023)
(8) https://www.hrsa.gov/telehealth/what-is-telehealth (accessed in May 2025)
(9) https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-telehealth-5115712 (accessed in May 2025)
(10) https://bask.health/blog/telemedicine-business-plan (accessed in May 2025)
(11) https://www.thinkitive.com/blog/the-telehealth-development-process-from-idea-to-implementation/ (accessed in May 2025)
(12) https://blog,bit.ai/business-description/ (accessed in May 2025)
(13) https://asana.com/resources/needs-assessment (accessed in May 2025)
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• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year
We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.
One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.
Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS. Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.
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With many thanks.
