Inclusion
When Trust Deserves to Be Understood
You shouldn’t have to earn a degree in accounting to understand how a nonprofit works. Making that understanding possible is the responsibility of NP(G)Os. The mission of the Nonprofit Accountability Association is straightforward: to strengthen financial transparency and governance in the nonprofit sector, so that donors, government agencies, and the broader public can engage in dialogue based on clear and accessible information. Our support has never been limited to donations. More often, we do something else: we help them find the hard questions.
Duration：2019~2022
Rationale
Promoting open culture has always been one of the key goals behind RC’s cultural and arts foundation.
Beyond open government, we have also been concerned about another issue:
Are nonprofit organizations truly transparent and accountable in their finances?
For many NGOs and NPOs, the common assumption has been that once financial statements are audited and the three standard reports are publicly released, they have fulfilled their obligation of disclosure.
But reality often tells a different story.
In many public controversies involving nonprofits, even when financial statements are legally disclosed, questions from society remain unanswered.
The reason is simple:
Accountability is not a one-way announcement—it is a two-way conversation.
Initiatives
We have long held a clear view:
Donations received by nonprofit organizations are, in a sense, public resources.
Because charitable donations are tax-deductible, the state is effectively encouraging citizens to support public causes through policy.
This makes philanthropy inherently part of the public sphere.
Therefore, oversight should not be limited to donors alone.
Questions and scrutiny from the broader public are both natural and necessary.
A necessary role—though not always a popular one.
With this understanding, the Nonprofit Accountability Association was established.
We knew from the beginning that this would not be work that easily wins affection.
It is unlikely to attract emotional fundraising campaigns,
and its results will not bring audiences to tears.
Because the work itself is practical—and deliberately sober.
Its task is to translate nonprofit financial reports into language ordinary people can understand, ensuring that financial information genuinely reflects organizational governance.
More importantly, it aims to build meaningful dialogue and understanding among nonprofit organizations, donors, and the public.
We often use a metaphor to describe this work:
Nonprofit accountability is like a city’s sewer system.
It may never become the city’s most glamorous infrastructure, nor a tourist attraction.
But without it, a city cannot truly function as a civilized society.
Being able to accompany the Nonprofit Accountability Association along this quiet yet essential path is something we consider an honor.
Impact
The goal of the Nonprofit Accountability Association is simple:
to enhance transparency and governance within nonprofit organizations,
so that donors, government institutions, and the public can communicate and understand one another through clear information.
Our support has never been limited to financial contributions.
In fact, what we often do is bring them difficult questions.
Because we believe that true professionalism is not proven by pointing out others’ mistakes,
but by being willing to examine real cases.
When TFT (Teach For Taiwan) had grown to a certain scale, we connected the organization with the Nonprofit Accountability Association.
Using TFT as a real-world case, we explored an important question together:
What kind of accountability report do stakeholders truly want to see?
And how can financial information be communicated clearly enough for the public to understand?
We would not claim to have reached perfection.
But at the very least, we have begun moving in the right direction.
Because we constantly remind ourselves of one principle:
To be the most demanding—and the most responsible—kind of donor.
Only when things are clearly explained
can trust endure over time.
The goal of the Nonprofit Accountability Association is simple:
to enhance transparency and governance within nonprofit organizations,
so that donors, government institutions, and the public can communicate and understand one another through clear information.
Our support has never been limited to financial contributions.
In fact, what we often do is bring them difficult questions.
Because we believe that true professionalism is not proven by pointing out others’ mistakes,
but by being willing to examine real cases.
When TFT (Teach For Taiwan) had grown to a certain scale, we connected the organization with the Nonprofit Accountability Association.
Using TFT as a real-world case, we explored an important question together:
What kind of accountability report do stakeholders truly want to see?
And how can financial information be communicated clearly enough for the public to understand?
We would not claim to have reached perfection.
But at the very least, we have begun moving in the right direction.
Because we constantly remind ourselves of one principle:
To be the most demanding—and the most responsible—kind of donor.
Only when things are clearly explained
can trust endure over time.
