Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
25 February 2026
Post No. 445
The Week’s Contents
• Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project
• Week Beginning Monday 23/02/2026 of 2026 Sustainable Development Month – In Focus: Financial Contagion Risks to Households Resulting from Biodiversity Loss
• AI-powered Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls for Households’ Financial Capacity and Capability Building Experiences
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project
Matching an African Charity Investee (ACI) and a Not-for-profit (NFP) Impact Investor via a Sustainable Water Project is a blended finance relationship designed to solve water poverty, improve sanitation, or enhance water sustainability in the area of operation of the ACI in Africa. It combines mission-driven, high-risk tolerance of ACI capital with the sustainable, revenue-generating, and scalable approach of NFP Impact Investor.
Unlike pure philanthropy, ACI will have a sustainable, revenue-generating business model (e.g., water kiosks, sanitation services) that eventually reduces reliance on aid since we are still in the global context of international aid cuts and of African charities working to find alternative funding and business models to mitigate these cuts. In this respect, ACI’s funds will act as catalytic capital to de-risk the Sustainable Water Project to attract more NFP Impact Investors.
The Sustainable Water Project proposed by ACI echoes the dedication by the African Union of 2026 as a Year of Water Sustainability (1). This dedication was substantively materialised during the two-day Summit (held from 14 to 15 February 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopa) by the African Union under the theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063” (2). Agenda 2063 is, in the opinion of the African Union (3),
“Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It is the strategic framework for delivering on Africa’s goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”.
Indeed, Africa water statistics reveal some painful realities. According to ‘dropinthebucket.org’ (4),
“Roughly 1 in 3 people in Africa lack access to at least basic drinking water services. Basic drinking water is defined as having a water source within a 30-minute walk from where you live. So, this still means that it could be up an hour trip to get water. That means that about 30-32% of the population of the African continent – over 400 million people lack access to basic drinking safe water“.
Statistics also from the United Nations Development Programme (5) indicate that in 1990 and 2004, the percentages of population with sustainable access to an improved water source in Sub-Saharan Africa were 48 and 56 respectively. (p. 308)
The current Sustainable Water Project has also to be perceived in the context of CENFACS Guidance Service for Not-for-profit Impact Investors, (here) for those who would like to invest in sustainable water projects initiated by ACI such as Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs).
Besides the Guidance Service for NFP Impact Investors, there is also Advice Service for ACI. The Advice Service is for those ASCOs that have or are planning to set up a Sustainable Water Project and are looking for NFP Impact Investors to back them.
As part of the Guidance and Advice Services, CENFACS is going to work with NFP 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 Sustainable Water Project. The Guidance and Advice Services are organised to support both NFP Impact Investors and ASCOs to reach an agreement.
• • Reaching an Agreement by Aligning the Interests of the Two Sides
Aligning the interests of ACI (focused on community impact and water access) and a NFP Impact Investor (concentrated on sustainable, scalable solutions) in the water sector requires bridging the gap between grant-based, mission-driven work and market-based financial sustainability. In other words, in order to reach an agreement between the two sides (i.e., investor and investee) of the matching process, they will be collaborative hybrid approaches, talks or negotiations between the two. The talks or negotiations will revolve around the Sustainable Water Project to be presented by ACI (ASCOs) to Not-for-profit Impact Investors. Specifically, these talks or negotiations will be around the project planning lifecycle to used.
Both ACI (ASCOs) and NFP Impact Investors will agree to use lifecycle thinking tools for the Sustainable Water Project planning process. For convenience of this presentation, ACI (ASCOs) will be using the lifecycle thinking tool to evaluate project sustainability in international water and sanitation development work as proposed by Jennifer R. McConville and James R. Miheleic (6). This model is made up with 5 lifecycle thinking stages as follows:
Stage one: Needs assessment
Stage two: Development of conceptual designs and feasibility studies
Stage three: Design and action planning
Stage four: Physical implementation of the project
Stage five: Operation and maintenance.
As to Not-for-profit Impact Investors, they will be referring to models used by organisations already working on water projects and other impact-focused entities. These projects often follow a structured five-stage lifecycle designed to ensure water security and social impact. The 5 essential stages of water projects they can use are:
Stage 1: Needs assessment and community engagement
Stage 2: Feasibility study and technical design
Stage 3: Project financing and capital allocation
Stage 4: Implementation and installation
Stage 5: Monitoring, evaluation and long-term sustainability
The two sides will try to reach an agreement through their respective lifecycle thinking tools and processes, through the 5 lifecycle stages of water and sanitation projects for ACI (ASCOs) and 5 essential stages of sustainable water projects for Not-for-profit Impact Investors.
• • The Difference That This Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project Will Make
Through this 5-week Winter/Spring 2026 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 ACI‘s (ASCOs’) lifecycle thinking tool to evaluate project sustainability and Not-for-profit Impact Investors’ 5 essential stages of sustainable water 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 those lacking access to safe drinking water. It will also contribute to Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063 in Africa.
More on Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project can be find under the Main Development section of this post.
• Week Beginning Monday 23/02/2026 of 2026 Sustainable Development Month – In Focus: Financial Contagion Risks to Households Resulting from Biodiversity Loss
Biodiversity loss recognized as a systematic financial risk for households can trigger widespread cascading economic shocks that can disrupt household incomes, assets, and increase costs for households. For households, this risk can translate through contagion risks.
• • What Is a Financial Contagion Risk?
According to ‘sustainability-directory.com’ (7),
“Financial contagion risk is about interconnectedness and how vulnerabilities in one part of the system can ripple outwards, causing widespread instability”.
Contagion risk is also explained by the website ‘familiarize.com’ (8), which argues that
“Contagion risk represents the potential for a localized shock, failure or crisis within one part of the financial system or economy to spread and trigger widespread distress across other seemingly unrelated sectors or markets”.
Biodiversity loss can trigger broader economic instability that directly impacts households. This impact can also be the likelihood of increasing transmission of zoonotic diseases, as explained by the World Health Organization (9). The latter explains that when ecosystems degrade the balance that once kept pathogens in check is lost, leading to increased human exposure to new and dangerous diseases. This is particularly concerning as over 60% of known human infectious diseases are zoonotic meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans. This risk of disease outbreaks is heightened by human disturbances to ecosystems, which can reduce the abundance of some organisms and the environment.
These contagion risks can cause a form of poverty. However, there are ways of working with those affected by poverty associated with contagion risks.
• • How CENFACS Can Work with Those in Need of Reducing Poverty Linked to Contagion Risks from Biodiversity Loss
CENFACS can work with them to reduce contagion risks resulting biodiversity loss, whether their effects are economic, financial or zoonotic. This work will help them reduce the likelihood of poverty linked to contagion risks from biodiversity loss.
For those members of our community who may be interested in tackling Contagion Risks associated with biodiversity loss, they are free to contact CENFACS.
For any queries or enquiries about Sustainable Development Month and Biodiversity Loss as a Systemic Financial Risk; please also communicate with CENFACS.
• AI-powered Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls for Households’ Financial Capacity and Capability Building Experiences
In our post of 23 January 2026, we announced areas of work with households to leverage AI to provide seemingly support to them to implement their financial tracking, monitoring and controls. We summarised these areas (i.e., Predictive analytics, Automated communication, Fraud detection, and Impact measurement) where households can use AI-powered solutions to track, monitor and control their finances. This was our second Structured Finance Activity and part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme and Empowerment Programme. This introduction was run in the form direct questions/answers on how to use AI-enabled Tools to Monitor and Control Your Finances.
This week, we are accompanying households in their journey to dive deep into the above-mentioned four areas. The notes for these areas will be released Every Wednesdays as the following dates:
25/02/2026: Predictive Analytics
04/03/2026: Automated Communication
11/03/2026: Fraud Detection
18/03/2026: Impact Measurement
Let us provide the note for the first area of our Wednesdays AI-powered Tools, which is How AI-powered Tools Can Help in Predictive Analytics in Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls for Households
• • Wednesday 25/02/2026: Predictive Analytics in Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls for Households with AI-powered Tools
Predictive analytics in household financial tracking can use AI and machine learning algorithms to analyze historical, current, and external data to forecast future income, expenses, and financial health. Unlike traditional, reactive budgeting that looks backward, AI-powered predictive tools enable a proactive, “what if” approach to financial management.
These AI-powered predictive tools can enhance household financial management in three main areas: Financial tracking, Monitoring and Controls. Let us look at how this enhancement can happen.
a) Financial Tracking
This can happen at three levels: Automatic categorisation, Intelligent insights, and Data aggregation.
~ Automatic categorisation: AI can connect to bank accounts and credit cards, automatically classifying over 95% of transactions without manual entry.
~ Intelligent insights: These systems detect spending patterns over time, such as identifying if a user is overspending on recurring, non-essential items (e.g., streaming subscriptions or dining out).
~ Data aggregation: They centralize financial data, providing a holistic view of accounts to identify patterns that might go unnoticed.
b) Financial Monitoring
It includes three types of monitoring: Real-time cash flow forecasts, Anomaly detection, and Debt-to-Income monitoring.
~ Real-time Cash Flow Forecasts: AI models can predict future cash flow to alert users or households of potential shortfalls 2-3 weeks in advance, enabling proactive measures to avoid overdraft.
~ Anomaly Detection: AI can instantly identify unusual transactions or spending behaviour that deviate from established habits, flagging potential errors or fraudulent activities.
~ Debt-to-Income Monitoring: AI tools can analyse debt-to-income ratios and alert users or households if they exceed safe thresholds, helping to prevent excessive debt accumulation.
c) Financial Controls
Three areas are covered under financial controls, which are: Dynamic budgeting, Automated Saving, and Scenario planning.
~ Dynamic Budgeting: AI can offer personalised, adaptive budgets that update based on real-time spending behaviour and changing life circumstances.
~ Automated Saving: AI can calculate a surplus based on income and spending patterns and can automatically transfer this surplus to savings.
~ Scenario Planning (“What If” analysis): Users or households can model the impact of financial decisions, such as “What if I take on a new loan?” or “What if my income drops by 10%?” to visualise future outcomes.
In short, AI-powered tools can significantly enhance predictive analytics in financial tracking, monitoring, and controls for households by providing real-time insights and automating decision-making processes. AI can assist households in their tasks of predictive analytics in financial tracking, monitoring and controls. In integrating AI-powered tools in Predictive Analytics in Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls; these tools help to both streamline household financial management and empower households with financial goals and protect their assets.
• • Working with Households on Predictive Analytics in Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls with AI-powered Tools
CENFACS can work with households through the integration of AI-powered tools into their predictive analytics in financial, tracking, monitoring and controls. This way of working together can enhance the financial management of households, providing them with the necessary support to navigate their financial challenges and achieve their goals.
CENFACS can work with them to use AI-powered tools in the following areas:
~ to estimate the likelihood of future outcomes from household historical and current data
~ to provide foresight and enable proactive decision-making
~ to analyse datasets and make predictions about dependent variable
~ to provide event-driven alerts related to unusual events.
This use of AI-powered tools will help them follow and check their credit scoring, improve their investment strategies, comply with financial monitoring, and better plan their financial operations. It will provide them a structured approach to generating data-informed forecasts that reduce uncertainty and contribute to broader AI adoption strategy.
For any queries and/or enquiries about Predictive Analytics in Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls for Households with AI-powered Tools, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
Likewise, those who want further information or clarification about AI-powered Financial Tracking, Monitoring and Controls for Households’ Financial Capacity and Capability Building Experiences; they are welcome to communicate with CENFACS.
In addition, if you have financial planning problems, you can speak to CENFACS so that we can work together on your financial planning needs and help you stay financially stronger.
Extra Messages
• All-Year-Round Projects Lifecycle – Step/Workshop 2: Preparing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects; and Integrating Triple Value Initiatives into This Project Preparation
• Wednesday 25/02/2026: Key Activity 2 of CENFACS Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign: Educational Resources to Better Manage Your Money
• Graduation and Livelihood Programme 3: Focus Group on Consumption Support (Wednesday 25/02/2026)
• All-Year-Round Projects Lifecycle –
Step/Workshop 2: Preparing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects; and Integrating Triple Value Initiatives into This Project Preparation
Once you have identified your idea of your Play, Run and Vote Projects; you can start the preparation step. What is this preparation about?
• • Workshop 2: 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 conceptualize them.
• • Example of Preparation of Your All-Year-Round Projects (AYRPs)
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) You are required to ensure 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, find 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.
• • Integration 2: Integrating Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs) into Your Project Preparation
Integrating the Triple Value Initiatives (People, Planet, Prosperity) into AYRP Preparation requires shifting from traditional cost-focused planning to a holistic approach that embeds social, environmental, and financial value at every stage of the way, particularly the business case development and feasibility assessment.
To integrate Triple Value Initiatives into Project Integration, there are steps to follow, which include the ones provided below.
a) Project initiation and strategic definition
It is about redefining objectives by including Triple Bottom Line. This involves embedding the “3Ps” (People, Planet, Prosperity) into the project charter. It is also about moving beyond engineering outputs to focus on societal outcomes (e.g., connecting your AYRP members to jobs while reducing carbon footprint).
It is further about engaging with stakeholders by mapping stakeholders to understand societal, environmental, and economic needs, ensuring the AYRP creates value with communities, not just to them.
It is finally about aligning with long-term goals by ensuring the project aligns with organizational sustainability and strategies (e.g., Climate Action Plans).
b) Feasibility and outline of the business case
It consists of conducting multi-criteria assessment, economic and risk appraisals.
~ Multi-criteria assessment will use a multi-criteria approach to evaluate options, ranking them based on social, environmental, and economic benefits rather than just lowest cost.
~ Economic appraisal will be about expanding the economic appraisal to include social and environmental value. This may involve assigning monetary to intangible impacts (social value) and using environmental impact assessments as core criteria in the selection process.
~ Risk appraisal will involve integrating climate risk assessments and social risks into the AYRP’s risk management plan.
c) Structuring for poverty reduction value
It is about explicitly defining value for poverty reduction to include social value and sustainability, not just initial capital expenditure.
It is also about designing your AYRP to attract support for it and around you by demonstrating it is a deserving cause, bankable and sustainable.
This involves defining performance metrics by establishing clear, measurable metrics for all three pillars (e.g., carbon reduction targets, opportunities created or poverty reduced, social return on investment) during the feasibility study.
d) Lifecycle thinking approach
It is the inclusion of social value to demonstrate how your AYRP will add social value and minimize environmental impacts in your proposals. It also implies that your strategy or approach will focus on the entire project lifecycle (design, construction, operation) rather than just initiation construction costs or cost-benefit analysis.
The above-mentioned steps will ensure that your AYRP is not only financially viable but also socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. By integrating these steps, your AYRPs will be designed to deliver not-for-profit value, by creating lasting impact on you, society and the environment.
By working with AYRP users to integrate these initiatives into their tools and lifecycle thinking processes, this will stop these TVIs being ‘add-on’ and enable them become part of the preparation of their AYRP success.
For those who are not familiar with project preparation and the integration of Triple Value Model into their AYR project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS if they need support.
They can contact CENFACS by
phoning, texting, e-mailing and completing the contact form on this website.
We can together discuss in detail your/their proposals about either your/their Run or Play or Vote projects.
For any queries and/or enquiries about All-Year-Round Projects Lifecycle and Preparation as well as about the Integration of Triple Value Initiatives into Project Preparation, please contact CENFACS.
• Wednesday 25/02/2026: Key Activity 2 of CENFACS Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign: Educational Resources to Better Manage Your Money
To understand ‘Educational Resources to Better Manage Your Money’, it demands to explain these resources, give some examples about them and ways of accessing them.
• • What Are Educational Resources for Money Management?
They are the means that teach budgeting, saving, and financial literacy, as well as the skills such as understanding interest rates, avoiding scams, and managing debt. They help individuals and students learn about banking, debt and investment. These life-saving resources can assist these individuals and students to move away from poverty as the lack of knowledge on money management.
• • Examples of Educational Resources for Money Management
They include tools, curriculum-linked programmes, workshops, and apps. As examples, it is worth mentioning MoneyHelper, MoneySavingExpert Guides, NatWest MoneySense, the Bank of England’s “Money and Me”, and apps like Toca Store. These resources are accessible.
• • Accessing Educational Resources for Money Management
These educational resources can be accessed via educational establishments, workshops, and seminars, interactive games and apps, online guides and calculators.
This week, these Educational Resources to Better Manage Your Money are part of our 2026 Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign.
Those may be interested in these resources and would like to join our campaign, they can contact CENFACS.
Those who have any queries and/or enquiries about 2026 Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign, they can also communicate with CENFACS.
• Graduation and Livelihood Programme 3: Focus Group on Consumption Support (Wednesday 25/02/2026)
Our work on Economic Inclusion Programme for Households continues with Graduation and Livelihood Programme 3. This Programme 3 will be run as a focus group which will be about Consumption Support.
To clarify the matter for those who may be interested in this Programme 3, let us briefly explain this focus group.
• • What Is a Focus Group on Consumption Support for Households?
A Focus Group on Consumption Support for Households is a qualitative research method that brings together a small-selected group of people or consumers to discuss their experiences, needs, and opinions regarding various forms of aid, subsidies, or services designed to help them manage household consumption.
The sessions we are planning to run will be made of 6 to 12 people to last between 60 and 90 minutes and be facilitated by CENFACS moderator. They will focus on the “Why” behind consumer behaviour regarding household spending, energy usage, food security or access to essential services. This will allow participants to uncover motivations, frustrations, and unmet needs that cannot be captured by surveys. The focus group will help inform social policy and improve community engagement.
• • Joining the Focus Group
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 focus group or Economic Inclusion Programme for Households, please communicate with CENFACS.
Message in French (Message en français)
• Journées Écologiques et Biologiques (ÉcoBio) – Pleins Feux sur : L’indissociabilité des Enjeux Écologiques et Biologiques dans les Efforts de Réduction de la Pauvreté
Cette année, les Journées ÉcoBio du CENFACS, qui se tiendront du 23 au 28 février 2026, porteront sur l’Indissociabilité des Enjeux Écologiques et Biologiques dans la Lutte contre la Pauvreté.
En effet, cette indissociabilité engendre un cercle vicieux : la dégradation de l’environnement aggrave la pauvreté, et la pauvreté conduit à une exploitation non durable des ressources naturelles.
Ces problèmes incluent les catastrophes climatiques, la perte de biodiversité, la dégradation des sols et la pénurie d’eau, qui touchent principalement les 70 % de la population mondiale vivant dans l’extrême pauvreté et dépendant des ressources naturelles pour leurs besoins.
Les enjeux écologiques et biologiques liés à la réduction de la pauvreté comprennent les éléments suivants :
a) Le changement climatique comme facteur aggravant
b) Perte de biodiversité et dégradation écologique
c) Insécurité hydrique et alimentaire
d) Facteurs sanitaires et biologiques
e) Le piège de la pauvreté écologique
f) Consommer des produits bio pour réduire la pauvreté.
Ces enjeux et leurs liens avec la réduction de la pauvreté seront au cœur de nos Journées ÉcoBio. Nous examinerons également des stratégies pour aborder les liens entre les solutions fondées sur la nature, l’autonomisation des femmes et l’intégration des connaissances et des nouvelles technologies telles que l’IA.
Pour plus d’informations ou pour participer à ces Journées ÉcoBio, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.
Main Development
• Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project (MOIvSWP)
The following items explain this project:
σ Key Matching Terms
σ What Is a MOIvSWP?
σ The Aim of MOIvSWP
σ Sustainable Water 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 Impact Investors be Matched through SWP?
σ Matching Guidelines
σ Outcomes of MOIvSWP
σ Plan for 5-week Matching Activities
σ 25/02/2026 to 03/03/2026: Activity 1 of MOIvSWP
Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.
• • Key Matching Terms
There are three key terms relating to MOIvSWP, which are African Charity Investee, Not-for-profit Impact Investor and Sustainable Water. Let us explain them.
An African Charity Investee in Sustainable Water is a non-profit organisation that receives funding to develop long-term term water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions across Africa. These entities often build, manage or find infrastructure like wells, and crucially ensure their maintenance.
A Not-for-profit Impact Investor in Sustainable Water in Africa is a mission-driven entity, that utilises philanthropic capital, grants, or blended finance to support small and medium-sized organisations, water infrastructure projects and sanitation services. These organisations or individuals aim to bridge the funding gap for water and sanitation initiatives, improving access for vulnerable communities.
Sustainable Water signifies, according to ‘sustainability-directory.com’ (10),
“The responsible management and utilization of water resources to meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own requirements. This explanation extends beyond simple conservation; it is about ensuring the long-term availability of clean and accessible water for all life forms and ecosystems. Consider water not just as a commodity, but as a fundamental element of life, crucial for ecological balance and society well-being”.
These key terms shape the contents of MOIvSWP and facilitate the definition of MOIvSWP.
• • What Is MOIvSWP?
MOIvSWP is a blended finance relationship designed to solve water poverty in Africa, improve sanitation, or enhance water sustainability in the area of operation of the African Charity Investee (ACI) in Africa. It combines mission-driven, high-risk tolerance of ACI capital with the sustainable, revenue-generating, and scalable approach of NFP Impact Investor.
Unlike pure philanthropy, ACI will have a sustainable, revenue-generating business model (e.g., water kiosks, sanitation services) that eventually reduces reliance on aid since we are still in the global context of international aid cuts and of African charities working to find alternative funding and business models to mitigate these cuts. In this respect, ACI’s funds will act as catalytic capital to de-risk the Sustainable Water Project to attract more NFP Impact Investors.
MOIvSWP, which is part of CENFACS’ Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, refers to the process of connecting or aligning an African Charity (specifically Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations) seeking investment (investee) with a suitable potential Not-for-profit (NFP) Impact Investor via a sustainable water project.
Essentially, it is about finding an African Charity Investee that fits the NFP 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.
MOIvSWP is indeed an exercise to keep active and engaged Africa-based sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs) and NFP Impact Investors for the rest of the Winter Season and the first week Spring Season 2026. The exercise is meant to keep their respective dreams alive and to awake their potentials to grab any existing opportunities within the NFP market.
For those ASCOs and NFP Impact 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 MOIvSWP
The aim of MOIvSWP is to reduce water poverty amongst the people in need in Africa. Water poverty in Africa refers to the critical lack of access to sufficient, safe, and affordable water for basic human needs and sanitation, affecting over 400 million people in Sub-Saharan African alone. Driven by both physical scarcity (climate change-induced droughts) and economic scarcity (lack of infrastructure or management), it causes immense hardship, particularly in rural areas.
This water poverty could be due to the lack of best match or fit between ASCOs’ needs and NFP Impact Investors’ interests. Where the needs of the ASCOs best meet or match the vested interests of NFP Impact Investors, there could be high probability to reduce water poverty amongst the beneficiaries of ASCOs. The match probability could be high or average or low depending on how much ASCOs’ needs meet NFP Impact Investors’ interests.
• • Sustainable Water Project (SWP)
To illustrate this project, let us explain it and give its aim.
• • • What is a SWP?
It is a long-term initiative that provides reliable access to clean water and sanitation by incorporating community ownership, local capacity building, and environmental management.
Like most sustainable water projects do, SWP will focus on reducing water waste, maintaining water quality, and ensuring infrastructure – such as solar-powered wells, spring protections, and sand dams – lasts for generations.
• • • What is SWP’s Aim?
The aim is to ensure universal access to sufficient quantity of clean, safe, affordable water for drinking, sanitation, hygiene and productive activities as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (11); while empowering local communities, protecting ecosystems, and enhancing climate resilience. Through this access, the project will help reduce water poverty as well.
Briefly, ASCO’s project will focus on water access, sanitation, plastics recycling (circular economy), and reducing agricultural water waste. SWP will create the following three benefits:
a) Sustainability: It moves from dependence on total foreign aid to self-sustaining models
b) Scalability: It is scalable since the combined capital will allow for much larger long-term impact
c) Alignment: It is aligned because both sides will focus on social and environmental outcomes.
• • Key Points about Matching Organisation-Investor Programme to Consider
There are three points that need explanation to understand the implementation of MOIvSWP , which are: investee, investor, and matching process or programme.
a) Investee is the African Charity or ASCO that is seeking and receiving the investment.
b) Investor is the person or entity providing the capital for Sustainable Water Project. In our matching model, this investor is Not-for-profit (NFP) Impact one. A NFP Impact Investor is a kind of an investor who is trying to invest in a project without looking to make money for themselves. Our NFP Impact Investor, who is driven by selfless motivations, would invest to reduce water 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 MOIvSWP 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 MOIvSWP
√ 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 SWP?
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 NFP Impact 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 Impact 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 impact investment, the specification or description of the investor, and identification of possible ways of matching organisation’s profile and investor’s specification.
• • Outcomes of MOIvSWP
It is better to differentiate outcomes for NFP Impact Investors from those relating to Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes (ASCOCs).
• • • Outcomes for Not-for-profit Impact Investors
The activity will provide peace of mind for NFP Impact Investors and a good return in terms the rate or size of water 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.
• • • Aligning the Interests of ACI and NFP Impact Investor
To align the interests of ACI (which will focus on community impact and water access) with those of NFP Impact Investor (who will be concentrating on sustainable and scalable solutions) in the water sector required bridging the between grant-based, mission-driven work and market-based financial sustainability.
This can be achieved by employing blended finance models, structuring a fair deal between the two sides, and focusing on capacity building rather than solely on top-down investment scenario. The following 5 weeks of matching talks will be help in understanding how this can be done.
• • • A 5-week Action Plan of Matching Activities
As part of CENFACS Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project (MOIvSWP), we are running a 5-week sequence of matching steps to support both sustainable water charitable organisations and not-for-profit impact investors. It is a 5-week work about Impact Advice Service for sustainable water charitable organisations and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for NFP Investors.
The project is based on lifecycle thinking tool to evaluate project sustainability in international water and sanitation development work as proposed by Jennifer R. McConville and James R. Miheleic (op. cit.). ACI (ASCOs) will be using this lifecycle thinking tool or model, which is made up with five stages as follows:
Stage one: Needs assessment
Stage two: Development of conceptual designs and feasibility studies
Stage three: Design and action planning
Stage four: Physical implementation of the project
Stage five: Operation and maintenance.
As to NFP Impact Investors, they will be referring to models used by organisations already working on water projects and other impact-focused entities. These projects often follow a structured five-stage lifecycle designed to ensure water security and social impact. The 5 essential stages of water projects they can use are:
Stage 1: Needs assessment and community engagement
Stage 2: Feasibility study and technical design
Stage 3: Project financing and capital allocation
Stage 4: Implementation and installation
Stage 5: Monitoring, evaluation and long-term sustainability
The two sides will try to reach an agreement through their respective lifecycle thinking tools and processes, through the 5 lifecycle stages of water and sanitation projects for ACI (ASCOs) and 5 essential stages of sustainable water projects for Not-for-profit Impact Investors.
The above-mentioned stages will be adapted SWP.
However, let us recognize that there could be more than five steps or stages in any lifecycle thinking process of sustainable water projects. Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this activity in five weeks, we choose a five-model for sustainable water 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 sustainable water charitable organisations and causes. The following (Table no. 1) 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 lifecycle thinking tool to evaluate project sustainability
(***) Guidance for Impact Investing follows 5 essential stages of water projects.
If you want advice, help and support to find NFP Impact Investors; CENFACS can work with you under this 5-week Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project, starting from 25 February 2026.
If you need guidance to outsource sustainable water charitable organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under this 5-week Matching Organisation-Investor via a Sustainable Water Project, starting from 25 February 2026.
These matching activities are a great opportunity for a sustainable water 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 sustainable water impact 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 Sustainable Water Project, please contact CENFACS.
• • 25/02/2026 to 03/03/2026: Activity 1 of MOIvSWP –
Matching Organisation’s Needs Assessment with Impact Investor’s Needs Assessment and Community Engagement
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 Sustainable Water Charitable Organisation and/or Cause through Needs Assessment of this ASCO. We are trying to match ASCOs’ Needs Assessment with a NFP Impact Investor’s Needs Assessment and Community Engagement.
In order to carry out the matching process, it is better to clarify the meaning of Needs Assessment and Community Engagement.
• • • What Is Needs Assessment?
Needs assessment can be defined in many ways. By referring to the definition of ‘asana.com’ (12),
“Needs assessment is a process for determining the needs, or gaps, between a current and desired outcome. It is a part of strategic planning – essentially, a needs assessment helps you pinpoint how you’ll accomplish your strategic goals”.
This definition will help in explaining needs assessment from the perspectives of both ACI and NFP Impact Investor.
• • • What Is Community Engagement?
Just like for needs assessment, there are various views on community engagement which seem to convey the same meaning. According to ‘ideascale.com’ (13),
“Community engagement refers to the process by which organisations, institutions, or individuals actively involve members of a community in discussions, decision-making, and activities that impact their collective well-being”.
Pennstate College of Agricultural Sciences (14) states that
“Community engagement seeks to better engage the community to achieve long-term and sustainable outcomes, processes, relationships, discourse, decision-making, or implementation”.
These definitions of community engagement will help the NFP Impact Investor to scrutinize ACI’s Needs Assessment stage to check how ACI’s SWP will work in collaboration with local people where this project will be implemented to address issues affecting the well-being of these people.
• • • ACI’s Needs Assessment versus Needs Assessment and Community Engagement from NFP Impact Investor
• • • • ACI’s Needs Assessment
SWP Needs Assessment from the perspective of ACI (recipient of investment) is a strategic, internal process that ACI will use to identify, analyze, and document the specific gaps between ACI’s current state and its desired future state. This assessment will act as a foundational, data-driven justification for the investment, providing to potential NFP Impact Investors that the SWP is necessary, aligned with ACI’s charity objects and aim, and poised to deliver a strong social returns or poverty reduction outcomes.
The reasons for Needs Assessment are
~ to attract more NFP Impact Investors
~ to justify funding requirements
~ to avoid misaligned efforts
~ to enhance credibility.
In its Needs Assessment, ACI will include the following elements: Gap analysis (current versus desired state), Water poverty reduction return or Business Case Justification, Stakeholder requirements, Resource and budget planning, Risk identification, etc.
The key steps in its Needs Assessment will be:
a) Define the problem
b) Collect data
c) Analyse and prioritise
d) Develop action plan
e) Validate and document.
In brief, Needs Assessment from the perspective of ACI will consist of determining the motivation of ACI’s interventions and the extent of need of sustainable water in Africa.
• • • • Needs Assessment and Community Engagement from NFP Impact Investor’s Perspective
For NFP Impact Investor, Needs Assessment is a critical, foundational analysis that validates why the SWP should receive funding by clearly defining the gap between ACI’s current state and its desired future state. The NFP Impact Investor will use this assessment to determine if ACI’s proposal for a SWP is financially viable, market-aligned and capable of delivering high results in terms of water poverty reduction while minimising its costs.
This Needs Assessment will serve as the foundation for the business case, directly influencing the decision to invest or decline. The NFP Impact Investor will be looking for specific, data-driven insights in a needs assessment.
Key components of its Needs Assessment will be Gap and opportunity analysis, Quantifiable breakeven or social return on investment and Value creation, Market validation, Risk assessment and mitigation, Resource and financial feasibility, etc.
The NFP Impact Investor will use the Needs Assessment to reduce risk, ensure strategic alignment and evaluate SWP. In its Needs Assessment, the NFP Impact Investor would like ACI to answer these questions:
σ Why does ACI want to set up SWP now?
σ How big will SWP be?
σ Will SWP breakeven?
σ What is the exit strategy?
ACI has to respond to all these questions for it to pass this investor-focused needs assessment test, which will be based on external market analysis and poverty reduction benefits.
Regarding Community Engagement, the NFP Impact Investor would like to be assured that ACI will be working with local communities to identify specific needs. This also involves vetting communities, ensuring they express a need for water, and confirming that community ownership and organisation exist.
• • • Matching Organisation’s Perspective on Needs Assessment with Not-for-profit Impact Investors’ View on Needs Assessment and Community Engagement
In order to make matching possible, ACI or ASCO needs to respond to all the issues the NFP Impact Investor raised in its Needs Assessment and Community Engagement files.
In addition, the NFP 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 water contractor, etc. This way the NFP Impact Investor will be able to check that ASCO’s project goals are directed towards sustainable water activities.
To enable this Activity 1 or first level of matching talks to move further, ASCO needs to respond to all the queries, enquiries and questions from the NFP Impact Investors.
Briefly, the NFP Impact Investors would like to be ensured that ASCO’s project goals are SMART enough and will be directed towards sustainable water activities and water poverty reduction. If this is the case, there will be a possibility to reach an agreement.
• • • Reaching an Agreement on the Key Areas of the Needs Assessment and Community Engagement
The two sides (ASCO and the NFP Impact Investor) need to reach an agreement on the contents of Needs Assessment for the former and Needs Assessment and Community Engagement for the latter. If there is a disagreement between ASCO and NFP 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 Service
As part of the match or fit test, the contents of ASCO’s Needs Assessment Stage must be matched with NFP Impact Investor’s view on Needs Assessment and Community Engagement.
The match test (or matched sampling) will help to increase the accuracy and statistical efficiency of the study of the SWP by carefully selecting subjects for comparison. The purpose here will be to increase the statistical efficiency of the study on SWP by controlling for confounding variables when forming a sample.
The fit test will assist in determining how well the observed sample data matches a specified theoretical distribution. The fit test will check if the data collected fits a model or an assumed population distribution. So, the purpose of the fit test is to validate or invalidate the statistical model by checking if the sample data follows an expected distribution.
The match can be perfect or close (that is, when every unit is paired with an equivalent unit) in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the impact investor’s approach to Needs Assessment Stage and what ACI/ASCOC is saying about its Needs Assessment Stage, between what the investor would like the Needs Assessment Stage to indicate and what ASCOC’s Needs Assessment Stage is really saying), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this First round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.
• • • Impact Advice to ASCOC and Guidance to NFP Impact Investor
Where there could be a disagreement, CENFACS can impact advise ACI/ASCOC to improve the contents of its Needs Assessment Stage. CENFACS can as well guide NFP Impact Investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of Needs Assessment and Community Engagement Phase to a format that can be agreeable by potential ASCOs.
CENFACS’ impact advice for ASCOs and guidance on impact investing for NFP 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 ACI’s or ASCOCs’ Needs Assessment Stage the better for ACI or ASCOCs. It means that ACI or ASCOCs’ process must pass the attractiveness test (that is, the evaluation of market’s appeal). Likewise, the more ACIs or ASCOCs can successfully respond to impact investors’ level of enquiries and queries about the SLS 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 SWP.
Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up a SWP and NFP Impact Investors looking for organisations that are interested in their giving, they can contact CENFACS to be their matchmaker to find their perfect investee or investor.
• • • CENFACS as a Matchmaker
As a Matchmaker, CENFACS can streamline your search process, save time, money and resources to help you find the perfect match in the world of impact investing.
CENFACS platform will help facilitate the matching process between investees and investors. By leveraging the power of AI tools, CENFACS’ Matching Organisation-Investor Programme can streamline the search process for funding opportunities, connecting African charities and impact investors/funders.
Briefly speaking, CENFACS can work with matching applicants and use AI to match organizations with the right impact investors, filtering profiles based on development stages, sectors, and aims.
In this matching process, CENFACS can 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 use analysis tools to test assumptions and determine how likely something is within a given standard of accuracy. The Hub, which can serve as a learning or reference place for those who would like to understand and apply statistical hypothesis testing, 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.
In this respect, CENFACS’ H-tests Hub is knowledge repository designed to demystify the process of using data to make informed decisions and move beyond intuition and guesswork.
Those who would like to apply hypothesis testing in fields of economic development or to deal with poverty reduction, they are welcome to use CENFACS’ H-tests Hub.
For any queries and/or enquiries about this first stage (or phase) activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via SWP, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
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• References
(1) https://au.int/ (accessed in February 2026)
(2) https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20260214/au-elects-new-chair-union-year-2026-and-priorities-water-security (accessed in February 2026)
(3) https://au.int/en/agenda2063/overview (accessed in February 2026)
(4) https://dropinthebucket.org/africa-water-access-statistics/ (accessed in February 2026)
(5) United Nations Development Programme, (2006), Human Development Report 2006 – Beyond Scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis, New York, USA
(6) McConville, J. R., & Miheleic, J. R., (2007), Adapting Lifecycle Thinking Tools to Evaluate Project Sustainability in International Water and Sanitation Development Work, Environmental Engineering Science, Volume 24, Number 7, 2007@Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/ees. 2006.0225
(7) https://climate.sustainability-directory.com/term/financial-contagion-risk/ (accessed in February 2026)
(8) https://docs.familiarize.com/glossary/contagion.risk/ (accessed in February 2026)
(9) https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/climate-change/qa-infectiousdiseases-who.pdf?sfvrsn=3a624917_3 (accessed in February 2026)
(10) https://climate.sustainability-directory.com/term/sustainable-water/ (accessed in February 2026)
(11) https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed in February 2026)
(12) https://asana.com/resources/needs-assessment (accessed in February 2026)
(13) https://ideascale.com/blog/what-is-community-engagement/ (accessed in February 2026)
(14) https://aese.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd/engagement/what-is-community-engagement (accessed in February 2026)
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• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year
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