Ghanaian digital platform Creion has launched Reach, a zero fee fundraising feature that enables individuals, communities and organizations to raise money for personal needs and social causes without the cost barriers common on international crowdfunding platforms.
The new feature allows users to create campaigns for education, medical bills, community projects, creative pursuits and personal goals without requiring them to host an event or belong to a formal organization. It is open to individuals, students, creatives, nonprofits and community groups.
According to the company, Reach was developed from insights gained within its event ecosystem. Creion said many event organizers across the continent successfully attract large audiences and deliver socially impactful gatherings, yet still operate at a loss despite strong attendee engagement.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Eric Arden said the development revealed a much larger gap in the market. He noted that millions of Africans lack accessible ways to receive timely support, particularly in local currencies and from their own communities.
The company said personal experiences within its team also influenced the decision to build the platform, citing cases where families struggled to raise funds for critical medical treatment. These experiences, according to Creion, reinforced a broader truth about countless individuals across Ghana and Africa seeking help for medical bills, education, projects and capital, yet with limited tools to reach those willing to help.
A defining feature of Reach is its zero platform fee model, which ensures that all donations go directly to beneficiaries without deductions. Donations are processed securely in Ghana cedis, a choice the company says reflects local economic realities while improving transparency and trust.
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Tsatsu Adogla-Bessa emphasized that trust and reliability are critical in digital fundraising. He said the focus has been on building a platform that is secure, scalable and accessible to everyday users.
The company described Reach as built specifically for African markets with more than eight years of experience in building and scaling technology products informing the platform’s technical direction. Eric Arden, a senior software engineer with experience in high growth technology firms, said the goal was to apply global product development standards to local challenges.
By prioritizing local currency transactions, Creion is positioning Reach as an alternative to international crowdfunding platforms that often operate in foreign currencies, charge service fees or require international payment methods. The company argues that such barriers discourage participation and limit the impact of fundraising efforts within African communities.
Aurelia Abena Attipoe, Founder of The Pitch Hub and an Advisory Board Member of Creion, said the platform addresses longstanding weaknesses in African fundraising systems. She described what Creion has done with Reach as tackling trust and access head on, two of the biggest barriers to fundraising across Africa, calling it a strong example of how thoughtful technology can unlock generosity at scale.
Reach complements Creion’s broader suite of services, including event management, ticketing, guest check in, event linked donations and host analytics. The integrated approach allows the platform to serve both commercial events and impact driven initiatives within a single ecosystem.
Creion employs approximately 12 staff members and operates as an all in one event and crowdfunding platform designed to address challenges specific to African markets. The company developed the platform to support individuals and informal groups alongside established organizations, moving beyond its initial event linked donations model.
While the company has not disclosed fundraising targets or user projections, it says the feature is intended as long term digital infrastructure rather than a short term commercial offering. Reach is available on Creion’s mobile application and web platform.
Ghana’s crowdfunding sector has been evolving gradually with support from development partners. In March 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Capital Development Fund issued comprehensive guidelines for investment based crowdfunding, though these regulations do not apply to donation based platforms like Reach, which fall under Bank of Ghana oversight.
The UN Capital Development Fund’s GrEEn Project has pioneered innovation in Ghana’s crowdfunding sector over the past three years, supporting various crowdfunding solutions including donation based platforms. Lessons from these initiatives revealed that Ghanaians were more inclined to donate towards charity initiatives, community and infrastructure projects rather than business oriented campaigns.
Creion’s launch of Reach comes as local fundraising platforms face competition from established international services like GoFundMe, which operates globally but processes transactions primarily in foreign currencies and charges platform fees. The zero fee, local currency approach represents an attempt to address barriers that may limit participation within African communities.
