Integrity Action (formerly known as Tiri ¹) is a United Nations-aligned global sustainable development organization that creates apps and digital services for citizens of developing countries to monitor their countries’ policies and infrastructure projects. It claims that since its founding in 2003, citizens have tracked $1 billion in projects. ²

Background

Integrity Action was founded in 2003 as “Tiri” and later changed its name in 2012. ³ It was conceived as an internationally focused organization based in the United Kingdom. ⁴ It constructs its initiatives in accordance with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.” ⁵

Activities

Integrity Action has a small team of staff and trustees, but partners with larger organizations to accomplish its initiatives and supports aligned institutions. It also acts as a media platform to boost stories and research. ⁶

Integrity Action launched its DevelopmentCheck mobile app in 2014 for citizens of developing countries to monitor the quality of their countries’ policies and infrastructure projects. ⁷ As of October 2022, Integrity Action claims that citizens were monitoring 534 projects in nine different countries. ⁸

Some of the main projects Integrity Action has tracked include Kenyan water infrastructure, Nepalese schools, and ensuring teachers in Afghanistan show up to work. ⁹ Initiatives planned through 2025 include “Supporting Public Participation and Planning in Local Government” in South Africa, “Monitoring for Financial Savings” in Ghana, climate regulations in Kenya, global “Sustainability Research,” “Social Accountability Through Youth” in Tanzania, and “Students Acting for Honesty, Integrity, and Equality” in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nepal, and the “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” ¹⁰

Funding

Integrity Action has received support from the Marvin Naiman and Margery Goldman Family Foundation and financier George Soros’s Open Society Institute. ¹¹

Integrity Action has received several grants from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: $400,000 in 2017 and $120,000 in 2018 “for the community integrity building project in Kenya,” $45,000 in 2019 for “a project to build monitoring and evaluation capacity,” and another grant in 2019 of $250,000 “for general operating support.” ^{12 13 14}

1. “About us.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/about/
2. “Home.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/.
3. “About us.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/about/.
4. “Home.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/.
5. “Approach.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/what-we-do/approach/.
6. “About us.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/about/.
7.  “About us.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/about/.
8. “DevelopmentCheck.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/devcheck/. Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20221002200749/https://www.integrityaction.org/devcheck/.
9. “Our Impact.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/what-we-do/impact/.
10. ^[1] “Initiatives.” Integrity Action. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.integrityaction.org/what-we-do/initiatives/.
11. “Full text search.” ProPublica. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=integrity+action.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. 2017. Part XV. Accessed October 2, 2022.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. 2018. Part XV. Accessed October 2, 2022.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. 2019. Part XV. Accessed October 2, 2022.