Questions to ask before backing a community project

When you're considering backing a community project, the questions you ask—and how the organisation responds—tell you more than any proposal document. A project leader who thinks clearly and welcomes scrutiny is someone you can trust with your time or money. Here's how to interview them like a partner, not a donor.

The three questions that reveal competence

Start with the simplest: "What problem are you actually solving?" Listen for precision. A vague answer ("we help communities") is a yellow flag. A sharp one tells you they've done their homework. For example: "Youth in this ward leave school without maths skills, so employers won't hire them. We're teaching numeracy through apprenticeships at local businesses." That tells you the problem is specific, the solution is grounded, and they've thought about the end goal.

Next: "Why does this approach work better than what's already happening?" A defensive response—or silence—suggests they haven't looked at what competitors or neighbouring organisations are doing. A good answer names existing services, admits what they do well, and explains why this project fills a gap. They might say: "The school tutoring programme is full, and these youth have dropped out already. We're bringing learning to them in a workplace where they can see the payoff."

Then ask: "How do you know this is working?" This is where many organisations stumble. Avoid answers that rely entirely on stories (powerful as they are) or vague feelings of progress. Push for concrete measures. How many people? What changed for them? Are they checking six months later, or just at project end? The best responses include a mix: "We track attendance, pass rates on maths assessments, and employer feedback. We also follow up with three job placements from the last cohort—two are still employed, one moved away."

The questions that expose weak governance

Ask: "Who makes decisions, and how do you avoid money disappearing or favours being done?" This matters because communities are built on trust, and trust breaks fast if someone's uncle always gets the contract or funds vanish. A solid answer mentions a board or committee with clear roles, documented approval processes for spending, and someone independent checking the books. They might say: "Our board has seven members—three are from the community we serve, two from partner organisations, and two with finance backgrounds. Every payment over 5,000 rand needs two signatures and approval by the finance sub-committee."

If they sound cagey—"we keep it simple, no red tape"—that's a signal to dig harder. Simple can mean efficient, but it can also mean unaccountable.

Ask one more: "What happens if you run out of money mid-project?" This separates projects that have thought about risk from those hoping for the best. A good answer shows they've mapped out funding sources, have a contingency, or have stopped a project before to avoid harm. A weak answer is "we'll figure it out" or "we always find more funding somehow."

What to listen for, not just what you hear

Pay attention to how they answer tough questions:

• Do they admit what they don't know, or pretend to have all the answers?
• Do they blame others (government, other organisations, lack of funding) for all problems, or do they own what's in their control?
• When you ask about failure, do they have examples of things that didn't work and what they learned, or is their history suspiciously perfect?
• Do they welcome a second conversation, ask what *you* need to see, and offer to introduce you to people they've worked with?

These tell you whether you're dealing with someone reflective and honest, or someone performing.

Before committing your support, ask for one conversation with someone outside the organisation who's worked with them—a partner NGO, a local councillor, a community leader. Ask that person: "If you had to sum up this organisation in one sentence, what would it be?" The answer—and the hesitation before it—is often revealing.

When you find an organisation that answers clearly, welcomes hard questions, and doesn't oversell itself, you've likely found one worth backing. Strove's verified community development organisations have submitted to this kind of scrutiny, making it easier to identify those serious about lasting impact.