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The Southern African NGO Network [SANGONeT], a nonprofit Internet access and service provider in South Africa, has launched PRODDER, the first comprehensive online directory of South African nonprofits. It is available to the public at no charge.

The Mott Foundation provided a $300,000, three-year grant to SANGONeT in 2003 to develop PRODDER and another database, Thusanang. The latter provides data on foundations that fund in the region. Thusanang was launched in 2002.

A printed directory of South African nonprofits was published between 1987 and 2001. Although a number of attempts were made in the 1990s to develop an electronic database of nonprofits, none was completed.

More than 2,600 organizations are listed in PRODDER, which provides organizational contact information as well as information about each organization’s interests. The database can be searched by organization name, location, type and area of interest.

Executive Director David Barnard said SANGONeT plans to expand the existing database to provide even more detailed information.

“Forthcoming versions of PRODDER will capture additional information on nonprofit organizations, such as financial statements and annual reports,” he said. “This will enhance the accountability of the South African nonprofit sector by promoting transparency.”

Russell Ally, Director of the Mott Foundation’s South Africa office, said the PRODDER database is a good example of how the non-governmental organization (NGO) sector in South Africa is beginning to benefit from online technologies.

“It’s important for us to find ways to use technology to strengthen both individual NGOs and the sector as a whole,” he said. “This new online resource provides a convenient, one-stop shop for data about South African NGOs.”

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Additional Resources

• Click here to visit the PRODDER Web site. [Link is located on right-hand side of page under SANGONet News.]
• Click here to visit the Web site of SANGONeT.