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IKHALA TRUST. 030-883-NPO Est 2002 Our Story. Where and why it all began. Why a micro-fund for community based organisations in the EC (background) Who was involved and how Where it was initially located and reason for choosing a different path (from faith-based to secular)
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IKHALA TRUST 030-883-NPO Est 2002 Our Story
Where and why it all began • Why a micro-fund for community based organisations in the EC (background) • Who was involved and how • Where it was initially located and reason for choosing a different path (from faith-based to secular) • The journey continues … the destination – who knows
OVERALL GOAL OF IKHALA TRUST • Poor communities in the EC are less vulnerable, more self-reliant and have improved economic and social well-being
PURPOSE • Community responses to social and economic challenges are strengthened through the provision of effective, targeted grant funding and appropriate capacity building support
GUIDING PRINCIPLES • To work with grassroots organisations that would usually fall through the gap • To make small grants to small organisations • To act as a catalyst for other initiatives • To work across and with all sectors • To demonstrate efficient and effective disbursement of funds in the least turn-around time • To hold a shared vision with organisations with whom we work • Recognise and value what people bring to the relationship • Equity based partnerships with recognition of mutual rights and responsibilities • To bring decision making about funding to lower levels
PROGRAMMATIC FOCUS • Capacity Building Framework - Organisational Development (outsourced) - Skills Training (outsourced) - Relationship Building – internal and external * Grant making
SECTORS WE SUPPORT • Rural Development • Urban Development • People living with Disabilities • Health: HIV/Aids (specific) • We operate across all sectors and size and frequency of grants depends on the donors we are able to attract
Purpose Statement for HIV/Aids • To ensure that through the support we provide to CBOs in the field of HIV/Aids, households and communities by and large have access to • Free and available health care services • Access to relevant social grants • Access to balanced, regular, nutritious meals • Free education for orphans and vulnerable children • Support mechanisms that will free individuals from stigmatization and discrimination including education and awareness of gender rights
GRANT-MAKING CYCLE • Request Criteria and Application Forms • Application Received • Desk-top appraisal • Field visits • Appraisal Report and Approval • Disbursement and Monitoring • Transition (regrant or exit)
Monitoring, Evaluating and Reporting • Unit of analysis – monthly report – report translated into local language • Encourage self-assessment using Ikhala’s format • Link questions to Ikhala’s vision, mission, result areas and share with grantees • Revisit monthly reporting format x 2 per year • Provide peer to peer support (horizontal exchanges) • Access relevant information that is shared • Use annual conference as a way of M & E • Encourage regular telephonic and written communication • On-site support services availed by Ikhala Trust staff and reps
Ikhala’s Version of a Capacitated CBO • Registered with NPO Directorate: Has their own constitution and used to guide the organisation • Organisations structure clear: Roles and Responsibilities understood – good leadership • Basic internal financial and organisational policies • Reasonable understanding of the development context • Ability to write simple reports and report on activities • Part of a broader network of like-minded organisations • Has acquired at least one other donor aside from Ikhala Trust
Relationship Wheel • Donors • Some Govt officials • CBOs & Grantees • NGOs inside and outside the Province • Donors • Critical friends • Corporates • Local and national networks
Challenges we deal with • Unemployment and poverty has peaked – very uneven development – rural vs urban – Eastern Cape Province largely rural – geographically very challenging • The effects of HIV/Aids on ourselves, our work, our grantees and the communities we serve – challenges our developmental model – immediate needs often outway our developmental approach in terms of strengthening of orgs • Mushrooming CBO sector – many doing much of the same – poses challenge in who we should be supporting • Available resources in Province – not however reaching target group – attempts to centralise for better monitoring and evaluation by Govtment – many orgs lost in this process
Lessons we take from what we do • Spend time building a relationship of trust and understanding with grantees to ensure that there is mutual accountability – trust is a major aspect of this process • Projects must be visited so one gets a better sense of what is happening is the community – reports don’t reveal the true picture • Big is not always better – small has profound ripple effects – builds critical mass • Organisations have learnt to talk about problems as they feel that this is what will get them funding – they often don’t share the many ‘little’ successes they achieve on the ground for fear of not being supported
Key benefits CBOs derive from our support • Good introduction to managing projects • Managing funds and learning to be accountable • Writing reports • Meeting community needs • Understanding and building relationships with a donor • Managing volunteers and potential conflict • Increase in the skills of project leaders, staff etc • Introduction to other donors and networks, service providers and ‘help’ organisations
Practice and a link to Education and Research • Collaboration with Academic Institutions regarding community grant making with a practice community i.e. Ikhala Trust • Coady Institute – case study documentation • Provide Masters and Doctoral students with opportunity to research • Link with institutions gives credibility to the work we do and takes the Ikhala Model to scale and out into the international arena
The questions we ask of ourselves • To what extent is our target/beneficiary community involved in informing the planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting systems we have developed? • Is there space for them to influence these and how does this happen? • To what extent do we ‘listen’ to our target group – how do we take lessons we learn from them and incorporate into our practice? • What happens when target/beneficiary community can take ownership of their own destiny? What happens to the role we currently play? • Whose agenda are we promoting – how do we promote and develop our own agenda? • How well do we understand our target/beneficiary community? • When we say hallo we must also be planning our goodbyes