Editor’s Note – Newsletter

Hi there

So much to say but so little time. I thought that this time around I would share that our magazine is finally out and has been delivered to most clients. The magazine and content have been well-received and for that we are grateful – digital version of the magazine is available here.

I continue to say that this is not the work of one person – we are a team of many which includes us in the office, and the growing freelancers across the country, who all give their everything to ensure that we produce cutting-edge content.

Content, without meaning, is like reading without understanding. Just a waste of time and I doubt any of us have time to waste. So, we have been hard at work, looking to interview organisations and individuals because we know that Covid-19 has not been friendly to any individual nor business.

With that said, I was happy to chat to Keri Paschal from Mergon Group. She is the executive trustee and co-founder of ‘Nation Builder’. At the start of Covid-19, Nation Builder launched a programme called The GAP Fund. The purpose of the fund is to assist organisations with funds of up to fifty thousand rand. The GAP Fund has raised over seven million rand. Keri was kind enough to share that NGOs can apply for funding – but strictly administrative funding. Please read more about the GAP Fund and follow this link (click me) to read up on the instructions for applications so you know what to do.

For the 2020 matrics, our friends from the IDC’s bursary fund say it is now open for submissions. Solomon, the IDC CSI practitioner and colleague, was kind enough to send the application form for bursaries from the IDC. Please download the info pack here (click me) to know more.

For those of you following our Covid-19 CSI Response Digital Series, this week we give focus to the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation – Sello Hatang. The Nelson Mandela Foundation has undertaken some incredible work during the pandemic.

In this session, you will learn how the Nelson Mandela Foundation geared up for action and became a beacon of hope for thousands during the hard lockdown. You will see how their approach made their work effective even under extreme pressure. Learning from Sello Hatang’s experiences will almost certainly help you to attract and retain funders for your own projects.

Finally, our new website is now live! – visit it here (click me)

In the next digital series you will learn about Fikile Kuhlase – from the Old Mutual Foundation. In December 2019, she was appointed head of the Old Mutual Foundation after her return from the United Nations Refugee Agency. This newly landed role meant she found herself in the middle of a storm owing to the pandemic. Learn more about how she adapted while being oriented in the culture of her new company and position.