The cost of slow money in a digital world

In a real-time world, slow payments create risks for NGOs. We examine the alternatives now and next.

Charities, non-profits and NGOs are having to do more with less. Chief financial officers (CFOs) are on the front line of this, facing a double whammy.

Firstly, the scale of global humanitarian need is bad and getting worse. More than 239 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Secondly, the funding gap between requirements and aid is growing. Foreign aid fell 23% in 2025. That’s the largest reduction on record and the second consecutive year of decline.

This means that CFOs are under pressure to make more efficient and effective use of aid as well as increase the overall amount of aid available. But this is easier said than done.

We live in turbulent times

CFOs are having to contend with macroeconomic pressures – global trade tensions, new tariffs, lingering inflation and FX uncertainties – and geopolitical instability.

There are around 130 active armed conflicts worldwide. Conflict is not only the main cause of death, displacement and hunger. It’s also a cause for sanctions, which are being applied more often and more autonomously.

Countries and regions are increasingly choosing lawfare over warfare as an instrument of foreign policy. 25% of all countries were subject to some type of sanctions by either the US, EU or UN from 2010 to 2022, compared to only 8% in the 1960s.

The cross-border payment challenge

Trying to navigate the maze of requirements to send funds abroad can seem like Mission Impossible for NGOs. Sanctions regimes and documentation requirements differ from country to country. As do know-your-customers (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) checks.

Getting it wrong comes with penalties. $4 billion worth of penalties. That’s how much global regulators levied in fines for anti-money laundering (AML), know your customer (KYC), sanctions and other breaches in 2025.

56% of fines were levied on banks. And so the vicious circle goes. Regulators fine banks. Banks de-risk NGOs due to their nature of business and hard-to-reach transfer corridors.

It’s a struggle for NGOs to get funds to those who so desperately need them. Whether that’s paying salaries in-country. Or delivering humanitarian aid, supporting the casualties of conflict and low-income countries.

The real cost of broken payments

Bank de-risking has pushed the average cost of sending $200 up to 6.36% in Q3 2025, according to the World Bank. That’s more than two times the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%.

So, what are these costs? Cross-border payments aren’t expensive in one place. Costs bleed across execution time, FX, fees and the things no-one tells NGOs about. Until now.

Sign up to our webinar The Cost of Slow Money in a Digital World. Time to Change the Way You Pay? on 09 June 2026 to learn the real cost of broken payments.

We’ll also look at some of the alternatives to sending money overseas faster, cheaper and without it actually moving. Plus, consider the practical realities of a future without fiat money for NGOs and more in this 60-minute online event.