Nongovernment organizations across sub-Saharan Africa are set to benefit from the NGOConnect Africa portal launched at Microsoft's South African headquarters last month.

The portal allows NGOs, the government and the private sector to form partnerships and share best practices and case studies.

The project was initiated through consultation with over 400 NGOs across Southern Africa as part of a broader NGO capacity-building drive by Microsoft, said Heather Third, Microsoft's director of citizenship and strategy for Africa, via e-mail.

Microsoft remains a key player as the founding partner of the project, which is managed by Potential Africa, she added.

Third called NGOConnect Africa "a platform for collaboration and learning, without the barriers of geography or socioeconomic barriers."

The project has support from many organizations, including the Microsoft NGO ICT4D Academy partners, specifically AED, the Aga Khan Foundation, EduNova, Enablis, Learn to Earn, Women's Net and others.

Microsoft hopes to aid NGOs through monetary grants, software and curriculum donations, technology solutions, and employee volunteer hours, Third said. Since 1983, she added, Microsoft and its employees have provided over US$3.4 billion in cash, services and software to nonprofits around the world through localized, company-sponsored giving and volunteer campaigns.

"We hope to boost the NGOs through their expanded use of ICT, thus enabling their ability to scale and accelerate sustainable development on the African continent," said Third. "NGOConnect Africa allows us to extend the reach of these products and services to make them accessible, affordable and relevant across the continent."

Through technology, geographical gaps can be narrowed and relationships can be built between NGOs, the private sector and governments to jointly work on projects, incubate ideas and celebrate successes, said Kimber Dodge, executive director of NGOConnect Africa

Meanwhile, recent research from WorldWide Worx suggests that the skills gap within NGOs mirrors that of small and medium enterprises in the marketplace, said Ntutule Tshenye, Microsoft's citizenship manager for East, West and Central Africa.

"NGOs have needs in planning, purchasing, implementing, troubleshooting, solutions development, maintenance and other related IT issues," he said. "Their problems are exacerbated by budget constraints, and many are based in less desirable or rural areas that lack infrastructure or are hard to reach. NGO IT solutions need to be affordable and accessible to them."

"We have a multimillion dollar investment in Africa through our citizenship campaigns -- which target civil society, under-served communities and NGOs -- and NGOConnect Africa forms part of this commitment," he said.