Accounting for International Development

What Accounting for International Development does

Accounting for International Development (AfID) is a UK-registered charity founded in 2009 that connects qualified finance professionals with charities, NGOs, and non-profit organizations worldwide. Its primary service is placing volunteer accountants on short-term technical assignments (typically 2-8 weeks) either overseas or remotely, alongside paid finance recruitment services for permanent, fixed-term, interim, and project-based roles in the non-profit sector. Supplementary offerings include Pro Bono Financial Reviews, Treasurer Appointments for board-level governance, and a 12-month Senior Leadership Mentorship Programme for finance and operational leaders.

AfID has built a network of 10,000+ qualified finance professionals (with credentials such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) and serves 500+ partner organizations across 57 countries in Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe. Since inception, it has placed more than 1,800 volunteer accountants and delivered over 350,000 hours of pro bono financial management support, equivalent to £10 million+ in professional services value. The organization holds institutional affiliations with major accounting bodies (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAS, CA ANZ, CPA Australia) and corporate volunteer pipelines (notably KPMG with 40+ employee participants).

The business model combines a community-led pro bono model with paid recruitment services. Pro bono placements are funded through donations and partnerships, while recruitment services generate revenue through fees paid by hiring charities and NGOs. The organization maintains a small core staff (11-50 employees) based in London, delivering services globally through both in-person overseas assignments and remote support channels. AfID is not technology-focused; its operations rely on human curation of matches and direct engagement rather than platform automation or AI-driven systems.

Name

Accounting for International Development

Legal name

Accounting for International Development

Website

https://afid.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AfID is a UK-registered charity founded in 2009 connecting a network of 10,000+ qualified finance professionals with 500+ charities and NGOs across 57 countries through pro bono volunteer placements, paid recruitment services, and senior leadership mentorship programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Capacity Building Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit capacity building
• Pro bono finance
• Volunteer accounting
• Charity finance recruitment
• NGO financial management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pro Bono Volunteer Support: AfID provides time-bound pro bono technical assistance placements delivered by experienced finance professionals. These assignments are primarily free for partner organisations, funded through donations and partnerships.
2. Finance Recruitment Services: AfID recruits experienced finance professionals for permanent, fixed-term, interim and project-based roles in UK and overseas. This is a paid service for hiring organisations.
3. Treasurer Appointments: AfID supports charities to recruit skilled Treasurers and Finance Trustees from their network of experienced finance professionals, providing a targeted recruitment process.
4. Senior Leadership Mentorship Programme: A 12-month mentorship programme connecting finance and operational leaders with experienced mentors, providing confidential peer-level support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Accounting for International Development connects professional accountants and finance specialists with nonprofit organizations worldwide through pro bono volunteer placements, finance recruitment, financial reviews, and treasurer/trustee appointments. The organization mobilizes an international network to build financial management capacity within the charity and development sector, offering both overseas and remote engagement models.

Product overview

Accounting for International Development (AfID) offers a portfolio of services connecting qualified finance professionals with non-profit organizations worldwide. The core offerings include Overseas Pro Bono Support (in-person volunteer placements of 2-8 weeks) and Remote Pro Bono Support (flexible remote technical assistance). Supporting services include Finance Recruitment for permanent/contract roles, Pro Bono Financial Reviews for sustainability assessments, Treasurer Appointments for board-level governance, and the Senior Leader Mentorship Programme. Since 2009, AfID has supported over 500 partner organizations in 57 countries, placing more than 1,800 accountants and delivering over 350,000 hours of support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Overseas Pro Bono Support In-country volunteer placements placing experienced finance professionals within nonprofit and charity organizations to strengthen financial management, governance, and operational finance functions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ partner organisations supported
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KPMGcoreOthersKPMG employees have participated as AfID volunteers, contributing their professional accounting skills to support non-profit organisations internationally. Over 40 KPMG employees have volunteered through the programme.
• International Refugee TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity whose local NGO partners in Northern Uganda receive AfID volunteer support for financial management capacity building.
• HIPZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare organisation in Africa that has received AfID volunteers both in-person and remotely, demonstrating the capacity-strengthening impact of the placements.
• Chelsea F.C. FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball club charity using sport for social impact. Colin Huntington, an AfID volunteer who supported MicroLoan Foundation in Malawi, later became Finance Manager at Chelsea Foundation.
• Accounting Professional BodiescoreOthersPartnerships with accounting bodies including ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAS, CA ANZ, CPA Australia whose members volunteer as AfID accountants.
• 500+ Partner Organisations (57 countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharities, NGOs, social enterprises and non-profit organisations across Africa, Asia, Latin America and UK receiving AfID support. Partners range from grassroots community organisations to larger international charities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK-wide membership body representing the voluntary sector, providing infrastructure, policy and support to charities. Overlapping audience but no direct placement service.
• VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas): Much larger international development organisation placing skilled professionals (including finance) with overseas partners. Operates the same broad model as AfID but at greater scale and across all professional disciplines.
• Catchafire: US-based tech-enabled platform matching skilled volunteers (including finance and accounting) with nonprofits. A potential technology-led disruptor to manual matching models like AfID's.

Direct peers

• Pilotlight: UK charity pairing senior business volunteers with charity leaders for structured mentoring. Operates a near-identical model to AfID's overseas/remote pro bono mentorship, applied to general business rather than pure finance.
• Reach Volunteering: UK charity that matches skilled professionals (including treasurers and trustees) with voluntary roles at charities. Closest functional comparator to AfID's trustee/treasurer placement activity.
• Pro Bono Economics: UK charity providing pro bono economist and finance support to social sector organisations. Same pro bono volunteer-for-charity model as AfID, overlapping target segments.
• Accountants Without Borders (Adarsh Earth): International nonprofit placing volunteer accountants with development organisations worldwide. Directly comparable mission and volunteer-placement model to AfID.

Emerging players

• Charity Finance Group: UK membership body supporting finance professionals working in charities through training and resources. Adjacent rather than competing, but serves the same buyer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/accountingforinternationaldevelopment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accounting-for-international-development
• Xx.com/afiduk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Accounting for International Development