It has been an exciting quarter for the Charitable Division. We have been privileged to see some our smaller trusts gain some wonderful exposure and much needed funding, which is a great achievement, particularly given the tough charitable environment we are facing. With the global economic crisis that we have seen in the last two years, the fundraising environment has been particularly challenging for charitable and non-profit organisations. This being said, we are still constantly overwhelmed by the generosity of individuals and organisations that support our Trusts and it is truly a wonderful reflection of the good will in our society.
A number of new or “fledgling” trusts have found their way to us in the last quarter and our work with these organisations and the passionate people involved in them continues to be inspiring and fulfilling. Our Charitable Division acts as an incubator for these new trusts, and assists with drawing up the Deeds of Trust, which are carefully structured to ensure that these organisations are compliant with both the Directorate of Social Development and SARS. This enables the new Trusts to qualify for NPO and PBO statuses on registration of the Trusts, and we ensure all compliance and statutory requirements are met timeously so as to free up the time of the Trustees to be able to follow the objectives of their respective Trusts and continue the incredible work they do. Our dedicated and efficient bookkeepers work on keeping detailed financial records for the Trusts under our management, and their work includes the drawing up of Annual Financial Statements, which allows for Trusts with two years or more of audited financial statements to apply for much needed Lotto funding.
We are happy to welcome the following Trusts to our fold, and continue to strive to assist these and our other Trusts to grow into sustainable entities and spread the good work done throughout our wonderful country.
Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritage Trust
- Awesome SA
- Future Farmers Foundation
- Greater Things Trust
- Kathleen Voysey Clinic Trust
- Pro Love Trust
- PPR Educational Trust
Our focus remains on Environmental, Social Upliftment, Religious Entities, Education and Health Care and we have found that the organisations we manage and administer all fit neatly into this focus. We are planning to hold a Charitable Division evening in the next quarter for all of our charitable Trusts, in order to create possible synergies and allow for a free flow of information and knowledge, while creating a good networking platform for the Trustees of these Trusts.
To end, we would like to say a very big thank you to the all the dedicated people we have the privilege of working with, and look forward to another successful and inspiring quarter!
Michelle Brown
Charitable Division Manager