Spotlight on Watsi and Transparency in Accounting

 

Several years ago, Chase Adam was just a Peace Corps volunteer riding a bus through an area of Costa Rica known as Watsi. At one point, a woman climbed aboard and began asking passengers to donate to her son’s medical treatment.

The proverbial light bulb switched on: What if you could fund healthcare for people in need, anywhere in the world?

And that was how Watsi, a crowdfunding platform for healthcare, was born.

On the day that Watsi launched in 2012, 16,000 people visited the site and donated enough to cover treatments for people in developing countries for six months.

 

Watsi funds medical treatments for people such as Claudia who don't have access to affordable healthcare. Watsi funds medical treatments for people such as Mary who don’t have access to affordable healthcare.

From the beginning, Chase knew that he needed to stay focused on his priority—funding healthcare for individuals without access to affordable healthcare. But was worried because priorities can easily become diluted by operational concerns, especially for fast-growing organizations.

Scaling business operations can be difficult for any company that experiences 1000% growth in its first year, let alone one committed to complete transparency. All of Watsi’s financials are publicly available, which sets a high bar for accuracy.

“It became clear very quickly that we needed somebody to help us manage our accounting,” Chase said.

Outsourced Accounting for Transparent Bookkeeping

By outsourcing accounting to indinero, Watsi’s books stay transparent. That’s important so that donors know exactly where their funds are going—donations aren’t used for operating costs without explicit permission. But even more crucially, outsourced accounting has enabled Watsi to remain focused on helping people.

“What gets our team really excited is the idea that, one day, everyone on earth will have access to healthcare,” Chase said.

They’re on the right track. Since launching with a humble $3,000, more than 5500 patients in 20 countries have received healthcare, thanks to thousands of Watsi donors.

Outsourced accounting helps indinero clients like Watsi scale in the face of rapid growth. Schedule a call today to see how we can help your business grow.

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Summary

This article highlights how Watsi, a healthcare crowdfunding platform, leveraged InDinero's outsourced accounting services to maintain radical transparency in its financials. This transparency allows donors to track their contributions, while the outsourced services enable Watsi to scale effectively and focus on its core mission of providing healthcare to those in need.

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Watsi?

Watsi is a crowdfunding platform for healthcare, founded by Chase Adam, that funds medical treatments for people in need around the world.

How did Watsi achieve radical transparency in its accounting?

Watsi achieved radical transparency by outsourcing its accounting to InDinero, ensuring all financials are publicly available and donors know exactly where their funds are allocated.

What was the initial growth of Watsi?

On its launch day in 2012, Watsi saw 16,000 visitors and raised enough to cover treatments for six months. In its first year, the organization experienced 1000% growth.

How has outsourced accounting helped Watsi?

Outsourced accounting has enabled Watsi to maintain transparent bookkeeping, allowing donors to track their contributions, and has helped the organization scale while staying focused on its mission of funding healthcare.

What is the impact of Watsi's work?

Since launching with $3,000, Watsi has helped over 5,500 patients in 20 countries receive healthcare through the donations of thousands of supporters.

Related Entities

People
Chase Adam
Companies
Watsi, InDinero, Peace Corps
Locations
Costa Rica