Fraud, theft, mistreatment, abuse, violence, and the violation of rights; these are not issues that you would generally associate with a nonprofit organization – yet it’s happening, and, regrettably, it’s undermining the great work done by the sector.

This poses questions such as: What types of fraud are being disguised as NGO work? How do I know if the foundation I support really has ethical practices and does legitimate work?

Consciously supporting social causes implies knowing, monitoring and living the cause, understanding how these organizations work, and what the risks are that may arise.

International studies signal that this problem is not unique to any one country or region, but part of a global phenomenon where fraud and corruption are hidden and normalized within non-profit organizations due to a lack of transparency and effective controls. Jeremy Sandbrook of Integritas360 put it this way:

“Despite the increasing level of funding channeled through NGOs (or perhaps because of it), fraud and corruption remain a very sensitive issue, and most NGOs are reluctant to address it openly. […] attitudes like this, the general lack of transparency in the sector and the shortage of available empirical evidence on fraud and corruption have made the issue avoid proper scrutiny.” (2015)

This analysis suggests that corruption within NGOs and foundations occurs, in large part, because it is not spoken about, not called out, and not investigated, allowing bad practices to grow under a blanket of institutional silence.

The lack of uniformity and solid regulations creates gaps that, in many cases, can be exploited by front organizations to operate without any real controls.

One such case came to light in Colombia in 2021, which led to the arrest of 21 people in Bucaramanga. According to a statement from the General Command of the Colombian Military Forces (2021), this criminal network, composed primarily of family members, used supposed foundations as a façade to commit crimes such as kidnappings and forced disappearances. The victims were street dwellers, elderly, and vulnerable populations who were held and exploited under the guise of receiving attention and care. 

This situation received notoriety due to the murder of Abraham Josué Chía Robles, 27, who had been transferred from Cúcuta to a foundation that offered treatment for emotional instability. According to local media, his family initially took him to the Funcape Foundation to receive therapeutic support. However, without authorization, the young man was taken to another location. There, according to Caracol Radio, Abraham was brutally beaten to death inside a small cell.  Unfortunately, the case did not receive the attention it deserved and went largely under the radar.

For this and many more reasons, we at Wakii work to promote and accompany honest, transparent social and environmental organizations committed to the well-being of communities and the earth. We only link up with organizations that demonstrate good practices, real impact and ethical work, and we also visit personally to learn first-hand about their work, challenges and daily needs.

Redaction: Gabriela Carmona Rivera