African Institute for Development Policy Research and Dialogue
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
TO TRANSLATE AND ENABLE UTILIZATION OF EVIDENCE IN POLICY-MAKING, PRIMARILY IN THE FIELDS OF POPULATION CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AND HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING IN AFRICA. AFIDEP'S PRIMARY MANDATE IS TO PROMOTE APPLICATION OF RESEARCH EVIDENCE IN THE FORMULATION OF DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC POLICIES IN AFRICA. AFIDEP'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA BY ENABLING THE FORMULATION OF POLICIES AND PROGRAM INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE INFORMED BY SOUND RESEARCH EVIDENCE.
- Income
- $9.3 million
- Spending
- $9.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 0.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 72%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $391,658, 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
Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.6 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 77% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 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
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (4)
- $3.7 million spent. RESEARCH:AFIDEP SEEKS TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT HELPS DECISION-MAKERS IDENTIFY AND SCALE-UP INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND REACH OF SOCIAL SERVICES, ESPECIALLY TO UNDER-SERVED POPULATIONS. AFIDEP USES A NUMBER OF METHODOLOGIES TO GENERATE AND TRANSLATE RESEARCH EVIDENCE:1) SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS OF PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED LITERATURE TO BRING TO THE TABLE OF DECISION-MAKERS COMPREHENSIVE EVIDENCE ON A GIVEN ISSUE;2) FURTHER ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY DATA TO FILL DEFINED POLICY EVIDENCE GAPS, WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON POLICY SCENARIO BUILDING;3) POLICY AND PROGRAM ANALYSES AND AUDITS TO UNDERSTAND POLICY PRIORITIES AND KEY EVIDENCE GAPS TO BE FILLED; AND4) BUDGET ANALYSIS TO INFUSE EVIDENCE IN RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND DETERMINING EFFECTIVENESS IN USE OF ALLOCATED RESOURCES. FURTHER, AFIDEP COLLABORATES WITH OTHER RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE THE USE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS AND IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING.AFIDEP RESEARCH IS MADE AVAILABLE TO STAKEHOLDERS WORKING TO PROMOTE CHANGE IN POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN VARIOUS MINISTRIES, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS, PROGRAM-IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS, AND REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY-MAKING AGENCIES (SUCH AS THE AFRICAN UNION, REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES, AND UN AGENCIES). ADDITIONALLY AFIDEP PROVIDES ITS RESEARCH TO CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, MEDIA, AND OTHER EVIDENCE INTERMEDIARIES WHO ENFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC POLICY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES. LASTLY, AFIDEP RESEARCHERS SUBMIT ORIGINAL RESEARCH FOR PUBLICATION IN PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS TO TARGET RESEARCHERS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE SCIENTIFIC AND POLICY DISCOURSE IN THE AREAS IN WHICH THEY WORK.WHEN APPROPRIATE, NON-PARTISAN ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS ARE SHARED WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AGENCIES OR OTHER POLICY-MAKING BODIES TO INCREASE THE DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING SPECIFIC SUBJECTS. SUCH COMMUNICATIONS DO NOT CONSTITUTE LOBBYING.RESEARCH CONSTITUTES APPROXIMATELY 50% OF AFIDEP'S TIME AND EFFORT.
- $1.5 million spent. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:AFIDEP PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO POLICY MAKERS TO HELP THEM APPLY EVIDENCE IN FORMULATING DEVELOPMENT ROADMAPS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES, AND PLANS; DESIGNING INTERVENTION PROGRAMS; AND MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAMS AFTER IMPLEMENTATION. FOR EXAMPLE, AFIDEP SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHER KEY DEVELOPMENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT DEVELOP LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO MODEL POTENTIAL LONG-TERM OUTCOMES BASED ON VARIOUS POLICY SCENARIOS. AFIDEP ALSO DEVELOPS ANALYTICAL REPORTS ON VARIOUS DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND HELPS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THE EVIDENCE IN FORMULATING POLICIES. IN MANY CASES, GOVERNMENTS APPROACH AFIDEP FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON A GIVEN TOPIC, AND MULTI-LATERAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS SUCH AS THE UN AGENCIES OR THE WORLD BANK MAY HIRE AFIDEP TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO GOVERNMENTS.IF REQUESTED IN WRITING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MAY BE PROVIDED TO GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, OFFICES OR COMMITTEES TO ENHANCE CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH THE INTERPRETATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH. SUCH ASSISTANCE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LOBBYING.TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CONSTITUTES APPROXIMATELY 20% OF AFIDEP'S TIME AND EFFORT.
- $1.5 million spent. CAPACITY BUILDING:IN ORDER TO MAGNIFY THE IMPACT OF ITS WORK AND CREATE A CULTURE OF EVIDENCE-INFORMED DECISION MAKING IN PUBLIC POLICY FORMATION IN AFRICA, AFIDEP CARRIES OUT ACTIVITIES TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL CAPACITY IN EVIDENCE TRANSLATION AND UPTAKE. AFIDEP CONDUCTS TRAINING ACTIVITIES AND OTHER CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO HELP POLICYMAKERS, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER END-USERS OF EVIDENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF RESEARCH EVIDENCE, AND HOW TO ACCESS, EVALUATE, INTERPRET, COMMUNICATE, AND USE IT EFFECTIVELY. THE INSTITUTE ALSO STRENGTHENS THE CAPACITY AND SKILLS OF RESEARCHERS AND KNOWLEDGE INTERMEDIARIES IN TRANSLATING AND COMMUNICATING RESEARCH EVIDENCE IN DECISION-MAKING.
- $741,760 spent. ADVOCACY:AFIDEP PROACTIVELY PROMOTES APPLICATION OF RESEARCH EVIDENCE IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES AT SUB-NATIONAL, NATIONAL, AND REGIONAL LEVELS IN AFRICA. AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, WE WORK WITH VARIOUS PARTNERS TO DISSEMINATE OUR RESEARCH FINDINGS THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH HIGH-LEVEL POLICY MAKERS AND THE MEDIA, AND THROUGH VARIOUS SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES. OUR EVIDENCE INFORMED ADVOCACY EXTENDS TO THE REGIONAL LEVEL THROUGH OUR INVOLVEMENT IN, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH, KEY REGIONAL NETWORKS AND ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION (AUC), AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC BLOCKS FOR EASTERN, SOUTHERN, AND CENTRAL AFRICA. WE STRENGTHEN THE AFRICAN VOICE IN GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE BY DRAWING ON THE ANALYSES AND EXPERIENCES WORKING WITH DECISION-MAKERS IN AFRICA TO INFORM THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY'S INVESTMENT POLICIES IN AFRICA. AFIDEP'S EXPERTS PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES, HIGH-LEVEL DEVELOPMENT PANELS, AND ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH KEY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE CONTINENT TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE PERSPECTIVES OF AFRICAN PROFESSIONALS.DURING THE CURRENT YEAR, ALL ADVOCACY EFFORTS WERE IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES, AND DID NOT CONSTITUTE LOBBYING.ADVOCACY CONSTITUTES APPROXIMATELY 10% OF AFIDEP'S TIME AND EFFORT.
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? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2010 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on November 15, 2015.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(3) charitable organization as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, 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 May 2016.
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 November 4, 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.