Blockchain Technology and decentralized transactions are directly impacting the social impact sector, offering improved efficiency, global accessibility, and unparalleled transparency. The impactful technology addresses major cost-related challenges and overall donor skepticism by enabling non-profits to report their expenditures and help build long-term trust. According to a latest report by The Giving Block, a 386.83% net increase was observed in cryptocurrency donations, which exceeded $1 billion for the first time in 2024.

A noticeable increase in average donation size was also witnessed from a meagre $2,257 to as high as $10,978 during the same time period. In addition, a Statista estimation showed that the global crypto/blockchain donation sector would swell to $39.7 billion by 2025. The rapid growth is fueled by the need to enable direct value transfers for disaster and war relief and ensure an ethical supply chain. The Decentrized Ledger Technology revolution is maximizing social good and helping improve overall donor confidence.

Leading the crypto funding efforts is Millicent, a visionary who is on the frontlines of blockchain technology’s social impact. As the founder of the PSI protocol, she is reimagining the meaning of philanthropy by dismantling conventional fundraising barriers. With extensive experience up her sleeve in security, transparency and community collaboration, Millicent is building frameworks for the future that empower organizations to help drive holistic change in their fundraising and spending efforts.

In this interview, we will explore how she is revolutionizing fundraising, scaling the impact of these efforts and helping shape a future where emerging technologies like crypto and blockchain amplify global efforts to promote social good. Millicent is an advocate for a vision of a more equitable world that works for everyone regardless of their political or social background.

Let’s dive in

Ade: Pleased to be with you. Blockchain technology and crypto are fundamentally reshaping the way organizations imagine fundraising. How do you see the technology's continuing efforts to improve transparency and trust?

Millicent: Hi Ade. Thanks for the opportunity also. To answer your question, blockchain and cryptocurrency are helping many to rethink how we raise and manage funds in ways that are more inclusive, transparent, and community-driven.

Traditionally, fundraising, for example, in Australia, we have a significant amount of funding allocated through closed rounds, which follow a top-down approach. The processes are often managed internally, with only pre-selected organizations invited to apply. The criteria behind these pre-selections should be made more public to ensure greater transparency, as these rounds are funded with taxpayers' money. While these methods do aim for efficiency, they can leave funders, communities, and even applicants "in the dark". When public money is being spent, the public has a right to know how it’s being used; in Australia, globally as well as within community organizations.

Funders, too, have greater expectations for transparency. Therefore, organizations do well to show how much they’re raising; how funds are being used and reporting measurable outcomes through their project/s lifecycle. This is where blockchain can make a real impact. Being immutable and a decentralized ledger, and with every transaction tracked and verified, this all helps to promote more trust between all stakeholders e.g. governments, the public, funders and communities.

Cryptocurrency adds another layer of opportunity. As it enables global, peer-to-peer giving, it makes it easier for anyone, anywhere, to contribute directly to causes they care about. It also facilitates new models of giving, such as micro-donations and community-run funding pools which ensure more inclusive, transparent, community-driven fundraising opportunities.

Ade: What are the major challenges faced by conventional organizations working the social uplift economy? What technologies are proving to be useful to overcome these barriers and help democratize access to resources? In your vast experience, how are organizations able to improve security in fundraising and comply with the demand for accessibility?

Millicent: Challenges still need to be mitigated to successfully transform industries into the blockchain space, such as regulatory compliance, access to digital infrastructure, and the need for digital literacy. Despite this, blockchain and cryptocurrency help shift the focus from a centralized minority to a more shared responsibility, opening up global markets for transactional and democratized funding opportunities.

To help overcome these challenges, several breakthrough technologies are already proving useful in democratizing access and improving the safety and speed of fundraising. Technologies such as tokenization, smart contracts, zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), and artificial intelligence (AI).

Tokenization converts assets into digital tokens, enabling fractional ownership and broadening access to capital.

Smart contracts automate processes like token issuance, distribution, and compliance, ensuring efficiency and reducing the need for intermediaries.

ZKPs allow for the verification of information without revealing underlying data, enhancing privacy and trust.

AI streamlines administrative processes, reducing human error and improving efficiency.

Overall, these technologies empower access based on the value and impact of the work, increasing equitable access to resources for all.​

Ade: Strong partnerships are often required to facilitate long-term involvement in social causes. What role does a strong community-driven collaboration play in scaling these projects?

Millicent: In my view, community is, and should always be, at the heart of any lasting social impact. It’s not just about offering support; it’s about creating shared ownership. When people are actively involved in decision-making, the entire process becomes more transparent, more democratic, and ultimately, more accountable.

That’s why I believe not-for-profit organisations that embrace Web3 governance models, such as DAOs, where community members help guide decisions, track progress in real time, and share responsibility for outcomes, will gain a significant early advantage over organisations that don’t.

These decentralized governance structures offer a level of trust, accountability, and genuine engagement that traditional top-down models often struggle to replicate.

To me, blockchain and AI aren’t just emerging technology; they’re the foundation of how systems will operate in the future. We’re already seeing entire sectors, from finance and education to climate action, transition into this space. It’s not a matter of if this becomes standard; it’s a matter of when.

In short: when community is at the center and given meaningful ways to shape outcomes, scaling isn’t just possible — it becomes inevitable.

Ade: As someone with the kind of vast experience in the social impact sector, how do you measure the tangible nature of outcomes and present it in front of funders and their supporters?

Millicent: I believe this is a critical and timely question, particularly in a funding landscape where transparency, accountability, and lived experiences are paramount.

In our work across community development, youth, health, and technology, we’ve seen firsthand how frontline efforts are often under-reported—not because of a lack of impact, but due to time constraints and heavy administrative loads. To bridge this gap, a mix of emerging technology and human-centered evaluation strategies can be used.

AI is one such technology with the capabilities to process large volumes of qualitative data, such as interviews, surveys, and community feedback, saving time and increasing reporting efficiency. Blockchain, meanwhile, provides a transparent, tamper-proof way to track and validate outcomes, particularly in complex or multi-stakeholder projects.

I believe we shouldn’t just rely on numbers alone. I believe true impact lives in stories, relationships, and transformation. Alongside KPIs and community outcomes, I’ve project managed video and digital storytelling, feedback loops, and co-created narratives with the youth and communities we serve, all of which continue to be accessible to the general public to learn from, engage with, and build from.

While the Sustainable Development Goals remain a widely used framework, we are building upon this alongside other models to create a more human-centered approach to evaluating impact.

Ade: Please tell us more about the PSIBAR Marketplace to help empower organizations and funders to increase their exposure and get the right amount of funds in time to those who need it. What were the guiding principles in your life that led you to this amazing project?

Millicent: The journey to creating PSIBAR Marketplace has been shaped by a combination of personal experience and professional insight, both of which have shaped a clear view of the challenges that organizations and communities face as a result of limited access to funding.

Part of my background includes growing up in New Zealand in a gang-related family. My childhood experiences gave me a deep understanding of what adversity is; also, what resilience emerges as a result of surviving it. I didn’t know what safe support looked like growing up, so navigating my teenage years into adulthood was challenging for me, to say the least.

But that’s just one part of my story.

When I moved to Australia, I made a conscious decision to be the change in my family. Fumbling my way forward, and thanks to the kindness of others, I was able to turn my life around. My lived experience of overcoming adversity, combined with my gratitude for the help I received, is what has driven me to serve in the community sector for over 20 years.

In recent years, during my time as the CEO of Pasifika TOA, the gaps in the funding system became even more undeniable. Our team was able to secure several funding opportunities, yet simultaneously, we constantly saw other mission-driven organizations, delivering life-changing work in their communities, struggle to secure funding. It wasn’t a question of capability or commitment; it was and is a systemic issue with the funding model.

With the support of the Pasifika TOA team, in 2022, I decided to pivot from my role and began self-funding research aimed at globally solving impact funding challenges.

Despite experiencing life-threatening illness during 2023-2024, the vision of PSIBAR Marketplace came to life. Today, PSIBAR Marketplace is a platform designed to make it easier, faster and more secure for organizations to create, manage, and showcase their projects; while also giving funders a secure, data-driven way to support causes they care about. We’ve designed it to ensure equitable access to funding and provide real-time insights to measure both individual and collective impact globally.

PSIBAR Marketplace is about fairness, functionality, and unity. It ensures that organizations doing meaningful work have the tools and networks they need to succeed — empowering us all to make a measurable difference.

When we help those who also are about helping others, humanity wins.

Ade: Moving ahead, what is your opinion about the future of fundraising and social impact within the next decade? What obstacles do organizations need to overcome to achieve an ideal situation?

Millicent: I believe that tokenization of services is the future of fundraising and social impact. As blockchain and AI technology continue to evolve, we will see their widespread use in delivering impactful services across the globe. These innovations have the potential and already are transforming the way we approach social good and community support.

However, we are still navigating some key challenges in bringing this transformation to life. One of the biggest obstacles is making these technologies accessible and easy for users to understand and adopt. There’s also a need for widespread education to ensure people feel empowered and confident in using these tools.

In addition, managing global regulatory requirements will be a critical priority as we move forward. These regulations will shape how we scale these technologies effectively and responsibly.

Beyond these hurdles, the possibilities are limitless. The future of fundraising is decentralized, data-driven, and human-centered — and it’s already unfolding. What we need now is more bold leadership to embrace it, and the courage to redesign systems that serve everyone.