Sivio Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROMOTE A CITIZEN-FOCUSED DEMOCRACY BY CATALYZING CITIZENS AGENCY TO ENHANCE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND NURTURE THE MOBILIZATION OF COMMUNITY ASSETS.
- Income
- $810,394
- Spending
- $748,068
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- 1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 91%
- Employees
- 18
- Highest pay
- $41,040, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (international, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 23% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (international, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (6)
- $154,521 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O.
- $134,274 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O.
- $132,502 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O.
- $42,073 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O.
- $37,290 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O.
- FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A - PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTSCENTRE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT - THE GOAL OF THE WORK DONE IN THIS CENTRE IS TO ENHANCE PROCESSES OF DEMOCRATISATION AND ECONOMIC PROCESSES THROUGH EVIDENCE-CENTRE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT - THE GOAL OF THE WORK DONE IN THIS CENTRE IS TO ENHANCE PROCESSES OF DEMOCRATISATION AND ECONOMIC PROCESSES THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY ADVOCACY AND NURTURING A CULTURE OF DELIBERATIVE DIALOGUE, AS WELL AS THE SHARPENING OF CITIZENS ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SPACES/PROCESSES BY:1. ENSURING IMPROVED GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE IN EFFECTING PUBLIC POLICY REFORMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS (I) ELECTIONS, (II) ADDRESSING CORRUPTION, (III) RESOLVING THE FACTORS CURRENTLY INHIBITING ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED ADVOCACY. 2. IMPROVING PROSPECTS FOR A PRO-POOR/INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT MODEL THROUGH THE GENERATION OF CREDIBLE POLICY-RELATED EVIDENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS THAT CAN BE TESTED BY MAKERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREAS OF FINANCIAL INCLUSION, SMALL-SCALE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ECONOMIC ORGANISATION (E.G. COOPERATIVE VS TRADITIONAL FIRM).3. REDUCING HIGH LEVELS OF MISTRUST AND POLARIZATION CURRENTLY AT PLAY BETWEEN CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT AND BETWEEN POLITICAL PARTIES THROUGH NURTURING PLATFORMS FOR DELIBERATIVE DIALOGUE THAT PROVIDE SAFE SPACES FOR ACTORS TO FIND COMMON GROUND AND MAKE TRADE-OFFS.4. MAPPING AND UNDERSTANDING THE CONTINUED THREATS TO CIVIC SPACE.5. PROFILING THE WORK CITIZENS DO FOR AND WITH EACH OTHER. THE KEY ACTIVITIES WE ARE CARRYING OUT IN THIS CENTRE:-ONGOING TRACKING AND ANALYSIS OF GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE ACROSS FIVE AFRICAN COUNTRIES. - POLICY KNOWLEDGE GENERATION/RESEARCH RESULTING IN 3 POLICY BRIEFS, 1 POLICY INSIGHT AND UNDERTAKING 1 SURVEY ON CITIZENS PERCEPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS OF GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE; 1 VOLUME OF THE AFRICAN JOURNAL OF INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES FOCUSED ON RE-IMAGINING CITIZENSHIP AND DEMOCRACY, ELECTORAL PROCESSES AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT. THE PUBLICATIONS HAVE BEEN DOWNLOADED 136 TIMES. - TRAINING/CAPACITY BUILDING ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WITH 16 PARTICIPANTS TO BUILD UP THE CAPACITY OF NON-STATE ACTORS TO UNDERSTAND AND CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS POLICY PROCESSES AND TO ENHANCE THEIR ADVOCACY CAPABILITIES; AND AN ONLINE TRAINING COURSE ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMPLETED BY 44 PARTICIPANTS. - LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR ADVOCACY USING INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS (ITPS) SUCH AS ONLINE TRACKERS LIKE WWW.AFRICANCITIZENSWATCH.ORG AND WWW.AFRICANAGORA.ORG. - HOSTING AND PARTICIPATING IN 15 FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE DIALOGUES ON THE STATE OF THE CIVIC SPACE AND ELECTORAL PROCESSES,AND SHARING OUR INSIGHTS BASED ON RESEARCH WE HAVE CARRIED OUT AND OUR TRACKING DATA. FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4B - PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTSCENTRE FOR PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITIES - THE CENTRE FOR PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITIES IS FOCUSED ON NURTURING PHILANTHROPY, IN PARTICULAR, COMMUNITY-BASED PHILANTHROPY/GIVING ACROSS AFRICA. EXISTING FRAMEWORKS OFTEN PORTRAY PHILANTHROPY AS ONLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTS OF GIVING BY THE RICH TO THE POOR AND IS MOSTLY MEASURED IN MONETARY TERMS. WHILST RICH-TO-POOR GIVING IS NECESSARY AND MUST BE ENCOURAGED, THERE ARE ALSO FORMS OF GIVING THAT NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED AND SUSTAINED SUCH AS THE COMBINED GIVING BY THE GROWING MIDDLE CLASS AND THE POOR GIVING TO THE POOR- WHAT OTHERS REFER TO AS PEER-TO-PEER GIVING OR JUST AS COMMUNITY GIVING/PHILANTHROPY. THE WORK OF THIS CENTRE IS THEREFORE FOCUSED ON:1. IMPROVING THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATIONS AND ROLE OF EXISTING FORMS OF PHILANTHROPY.2. ENHANCING PRACTICES AND INNOVATIONS OF PHILANTHROPY.3. ENSURING THAT THERE IS AN ADEQUATE POLICY FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF PHILANTHROPY.THE KEY ACTIVITIES IN THIS CENTRE ARE:- KNOWLEDGE GENERATION/RESEARCH, WHICH INCLUDES MAPPING STUDIES TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATIONS AND ROLE OF EXISTING FORMS OF PHILANTHROPY; PROFILING VARIOUS FORMS OF COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY THROUGH ANALYZING COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS; UNDERSTANDING THE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS THAT IMPACT PHILANTHROPIC PRACTICES IN AFRICA, RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EASE OF DOING PHILANTHROPY IN SADC INDEX (WWW.AFRICANPHILANTHROPY.ORG). WE PUBLISHED 2 OPINION PIECES/INSIGHTS BASED ON THIS.- PROVIDING TRAINING FOR PHILANTHROPY PRACTITIONERS TO ENHANCE PRACTICES OF PHILANTHROPY AND RUNNING SUSTAINABLE NON-PROFITS THROUGH AN ONLINE COURSE COMPLETED BY 28 INDIVIDUALS.- LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THE TRAINING ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO PHILANTHROPY THROUGH THE SIVIO INSTITUTE PHILANTHROPY LAB, WHICH WILL IS REGULARLY. UPDATED.- HARNESSING AND GROWING INDIVIDUAL GIVING THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ONLINE GIVING PLATFORM WWW.AFRICAGIVING.ORG, PROVIDING AN AVENUE FOR 16 AFRICAN NON-PROFITS TO RECEIVE DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL GIVERS. - PARTICIPATING AND HOSTING 16 DIALOGUES/CONVENINGS WHERE WE SHARED INSIGHTS BASED ON OUR WORK: DIALOGUES ON CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR PHILANTHROPY IN AFRICA. THIS INCLUDES THE 5TH AFRICAN PHILANTHROPY CONFERENCE AND THE 4TH AFRICAN PHILANTHROPY NETWORK ASSEMBLY.FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4C - PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTSSUSTAINABILITY - THIS UNIT AIMS TO IMPROVE EXISTING SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES IN THE ORGANIZATION AND ENSURE THAT THEY SUPPORT SIVIO INSTITUTES OVERALL GOAL OF HAVING AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY. TO ADVANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE WORK OF THE UNIT IS FOCUSED ON TWO STRATEGIC AREAS (I) ENSURING THAT INTERNAL SYSTEMS ARE STRENGTHENED AND (II) CREATING A SYSTEM OF LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY BY RAISING OWN INCOME FOR THE ORGANISATION. THE KEY ACTIVITIES WITHIN THIS UNIT ARE:1. INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING FOCUSING ON: A. FUNDRAISING RETENTION OF DONORS AND SECURING OF MULTI-MILLION AND MULTI-YEAR GRANTS.B. HUMAN RESOURCES RETENTION OF STAFF AND GROWTH OF HUMAN RESOURCE BASE AND SKILLS.INCREASED VISIBILITY AND EXTENSIVE USE OF OUR OUTPUTS.2. STRONG AND ROBUST INSTITUTIONAL PROCESSES FOCUSED ON:A. EFFECTIVE USE OF RESOURCES,
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2019.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.