Browsing by Author "Goff, Robyn"

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    Designing a conceptual model for the management of in-Kind donations in NGOs
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Goff, Robyn; Bam, Wouter; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Within recent years, the number of in-kind donations moving from donors to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has increased, with corporate dona- tions accounting for the majority of these donations. Estimates have shown that in-kind donations make up 60%-70% of the total donations given by corpo- rations to NGOs. Many NGOs are primarily resourced and sustained through in-kind donations; therefore, these donations are valuable and needed. How- ever, in-kind donations are not nearly as versatile as cash and often result in specific operational challenges. One of the most common challenges NGOs encounter is the misalignment of the donation to the actual need of the NGO. NGOs thus face the decisions of either redistributing the donation, selling the donation for cash-in-hand, storing the donation or disposing of the donation. With the recent increase in attention on corporations’ need to improve their sustainability practices, many are using NGOs as alternative channels to distribute their surplus or unsaleable products instead of disposing of these products in landfills. These products tend to be either highly specialised prod- ucts that may not be appropriate for the needs of most NGOs or be donated in large quantities that may be more than sufficient for the needs of one NGO, resulting in the operational challenges previously stated. Many NGOs focus on enhancing the well-being of communities by provid- ing much-needed goods and services to the most vulnerable and thus directly impacting society’s social and economic development. By providing NGOs with the appropriate resources and donations needed to fulfil their missions, their impact on society can significantly increase. This study aims to contribute to the effective management of in-kind dona- tions by developing a conceptual model that focuses on increasing the visibility of the needs of an NGO to effectively solicit appropriate donations and, in turn, reduce the amount of waste in the donation process. A design science research process (DSRP) methodology was utilised in the study in order to develop a conceptual solution artefact that aligns with the research aim and objectives. The study consists of a detailed literature review that provided the context of the research problem. The literature review also identified challenges of the current process, relevant stakeholders in the process and existing artefacts that address the management of in-kind donations. The solution capabilities and objectives of the desired solution artefact were thus defined from the theoretical outputs of the literature review. A detailed analysis of 27 existing artefacts compared to the identified so- lution capabilities and objectives were conducted. Several limitations in the artefacts ability to address the solution objectives were identified. This analy- sis and identification of limitations provided the foundation for the design and development of the conceptual solution artefact. The research’s final phase employed a combination of verification and val- idation processes involving subject matter experts and stakeholders of the donation management process. The conceptual solution artefact was refined based on the input from the evaluation and is presented as an architecture model. The evaluation of the conceptual solution artefact deemed the model valuable and appropriate in solving the research problem.