Community Informatics

Our Vision and Mission

Community Informatics exists to strengthen the ability of communities and government to work together in building healthy, thriving, and resilient societies. We believe that access to information, and the skills to make sense of it, are essential for good governance and inclusive development.

Our approach is rooted in a whole-of-society philosophy, supporting local leaders, civil society organizations, and government officials to use data, evidence, and digital tools to guide decisions that matter for everyday life. By improving data literacy, fostering decision support, and advancing the use of data visualization, we aim to make information a shared resource for shaping policies and strengthening services.

Legal Status and NPO Identity

Community Informatics is a newly established voluntary association and body corporate.

• Independent Existence: The organization exists in its own right, separately from its members, and continues to exist regardless of changes in membership or office bearers.

• Public Benefit Purpose: CI is constituted to carry out public benefit activities in a non-profit manner with an altruistic and philanthropic intent.

• Compliance: The organization is governed by a formal constitution (signed September 2025) designed to align with the requirements of the Nonprofit Organisations Act and the Income Tax Act.

Core Public Benefit Activities

The organization is authorized to pursue several key public benefit objects:

• Capacity Building in Government: Providing training and support for government employees in the use of community informatics tools to improve data-driven decision-making.

• Community Education & Leadership: Designing programs to build skills for community leaders and civil society in information access and participatory governance.

• Collaborative Platforms: Promoting knowledge-sharing networks that link government and communities to co-create locally relevant data dashboards and visualizations.

Governance and Transparency

Community Informatics is managed by a Management Committee that is directly accountable to its members.

• Leadership Structure: The committee consists of at least three office bearers, including a Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer.

• Fiduciary Responsibility: At least three natural persons who are not connected to one another accept fiduciary responsibility for the organization, ensuring that no single person controls the decision-making powers.

• Financial Integrity: All funds and property are applied solely toward the organization's public benefit objects, with strict prohibitions against distributing income to members or office bearers except as reasonable remuneration for services rendered.

Founding Information

The organization was formally established in January 2026 by its founding members: Robin Dyers, Petro Rousseau, and Kevin Naicker.

Last update: 31 January 2026