Not every NGO can afford a premium database. Many then discover OpenSanctions: an open-data project consolidating the major international sanctions lists (UN, EU, OFAC, OFSI and dozens more), PEPs and entities of interest into a unified, continuously updated dataset, queryable via an API and even self-hostable. The quality is real, the philosophy admirable.
But between downloading a database and presenting a demonstrable screening framework to an AFD auditor, there is a whole system to build. This article says what OpenSanctions really offers — and what it leaves you to construct.
OpenSanctions for NGOs: open-data screening — free, serious, and bare
Reading time: ~4 min
Table of contents
- What is OpenSanctions?
- Its strengths
- The limits for an NGO
- Comparison with Abvius integrated screening
- The Abvius approach
- Mini FAQ
1. What is OpenSanctions?
OpenSanctions is a data project that aggregates, deduplicates and normalises official sanctions lists, PEPs and other entities of public interest into a unified, documented reference dataset. Data is freely accessible (non-commercial use) or licensed for commercial use, with several access modes: dataset downloads, a search and matching API, or a self-hosted deployment of the open-source matching engine (yente). Every record links to its official source, and the project publishes its consolidation methods.
2. Its strengths
Cost. Data access can no longer be an excuse: for a small NGO, OpenSanctions lowers the entry barrier to nearly zero.
Transparency. Traceable sources, public methodology, open code: the exact opposite of proprietary black boxes — and a real argument for an auditor asking where your data comes from.
Self-hosting. Screening locally, without transmitting partners' names to a provider, is precious in sensitive contexts.
Consolidation. Dozens of lists deduplicated and normalised: the thankless work every organisation used to redo alone, mutualised.
3. The limits for an NGO
Data, zero process. No disposition workflow, no third-party statuses, no payment blocking, no certificate: the entire apparatus that turns a match into a documented decision must be developed and maintained.
The technical load. An API to integrate, a matching engine to deploy and tune (thresholds, transliterations, aliases), updates to orchestrate: you need a durable technical team, not a passing intern.
Audit evidence to invent. Who archives what, where, in what evidentiary form, attached to which project? The auditor will not grade your stack: they will grade your ability to produce evidence, expense by expense.
4. Comparison with Abvius integrated screening
| Criterion | OpenSanctions | Abvius integrated screening |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Open data + API + self-hostable engine | Service embedded in the humanitarian ERP |
| Data cost | Free (non-commercial) / licence | Included in the platform |
| Source transparency | Total | Official lists configurable, sources traced |
| Process (disposition, statuses) | To build | Built-in traced workflow |
| Payment blocking | To develop | Automatic on unresolved hit |
| Audit evidence | To design and archive yourself | Certificate filed in the project's audit folder |
| Maintenance load | High (technical team required) | None on the NGO side |
5. The Abvius approach
Abvius shares the OpenSanctions spirit — making screening accessible to the organisations doing the real work — but delivers it in the form an NGO needs: a complete framework, not a construction site. Automatic screening at third-party creation, before commitment and payment; traced hit disposition; financial blocking while a hit is unresolved; master rescreening on every list update; a compliant certificate filed by default in the project's audit folder and included in donor reporting. Your technical team — if you have one — can serve your mission instead of your compliance.
6. Mini FAQ
Is screening built on OpenSanctions acceptable in a donor audit?
The data, yes — it comes from official sources and is traceable. What the auditor will evaluate is your process: completeness, triggers, hit disposition, evidentiary archiving, a written policy. That is where acceptability is decided.
For which NGO does self-hosted OpenSanctions make sense?
An organisation with a durable technical team, a strong data-sovereignty need (sensitive contexts) and the capacity to sustain maintenance over time. It is an engineering choice, not a default.
Does Abvius use open sources?
Abvius queries the official lists relevant to your donors (EU, UN, OFAC, OFSI, French Treasury, World Bank), with source traceability in every screening certificate — the transparency requirement is the same.
Summary
OpenSanctions is a precious common good: open, clean, traceable screening data. But bare data protects no one at audit time: compliance comes from the tooled process — triggers, blocking, evidence filed per project. Abvius delivers it turnkey. To go further: NGO screening guide, digital audit trail and Excel and NGO financial management: the 5 major risks. To discuss it, contact our teams via abvius.org.