Many of the enquiries we receive at DEVELOPMENT WORKS are for assistance with fundraising. We are constantly reminded that the search for funding is an ongoing and pressing challenge for NGOs and CBOs operating in South Africa. No doubt this same challenge also affects nonprofits in other countries.
The recent International Fundraising Congress (IFC) examined a number of big issues and trends in the fundraising arena. One of the big ssues raised during the Big Issues Sessions was whether a need exists for a deeper discussion with donors? This interesting debate is well laid out and explored in a recent posting by the Resource Alliance. It is worth reading for those involved in sourcing and securing funding for nonprofits and charities as it considers the important role of Dialogue, as opposed to ‘just looking for feedback’.
(The other big issues addressed include Passion, Originality, Simplicity and Positivity. More on these in future posts.)
The IFC, the worlds leading training and education forum for fundraisers, is an initiative of the Resource Alliance and presents fundraisers with the opportunity to build on their skills and knowledge of fundraising.
The 28th IFC will be held 14-17 October 2008 in Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands.
In the latest edition of Pambazuka News Firoze Manji gives an interesting perspective on the recent violent post-election clashes in Kenya, which is worth reading. What has instigated this unexpected conflict that has flared up so suddenly? Talk of ethnic cleansing and genocide raise concerns at ethnicity fuels this crisis. The key question is why are the Kenyans fighting?
Accounts indicate that more then 350 people have been killed and many Kenyans have been displaced from their homes. Many have fled to neighbouring Uganda.
International aid, specifically food from the World Food Programme, travels through Kenya, arriving at Mombasa port and then overland to neighbouring coutries including DRC, Sudan and Ethiopia. These aid shipments have been delayed or even halted given the current crisis in Kenya. As the conflict continues it has repercussions for the region, spilling over through trade and aid blockages, displacement and movement of people fleeing from the conflict. Kenyan’s tourism industry will in particular suffer from this recent crisis, as will its booming economy.
Revered by many anthropologists as the ‘cradle of mankind’ Kenya has for many years been seen as a positive example of a successful and developing African state. To many Kenya is the financial and commercial hub of east Africa. However, the current conflict arising from the 27 December 2007 election poses serious challenges for the citizens of Kenya, as well as those involved in politics, development and aid in Africa. The need for continued support and overseeing of election processes by international observers is crucial. Consolidating and supporting good governance is key, as is finding ways of reducing inequality.
Those marginalised, uneducated and frustrated living on the margins in the slums of Mathare and Kibera are at the forefront of clashes with police. In a post by Associated Press “War is happening here,” said 45-year-old Edwin Mukathia, who was among thousands of people who poured out of Nairobi’s slums to heed opposition candidate Raila Odinga’s call for a million-man march in the city’s Uhuru Park. The mobilisation of thousands of people in support of Odinga in opposition to the election results have fuelled the violence. The willingness of these disenfranchised, frustrated and angry protesters perhaps bears witness to long simmering tensions amongst the ethnically diverse people of Kenya. The propensity to use violence, and the speed with which this violence has spread, is particularly worrying for what seemed to be a beacon of growth and development in east Africa… on its way to becoming the “African Tiger”.
The University of Sussex based Institute for Development Studies has identified the following 8 hot topics to look out for in the development arena in 2008:-
- the US elections
- China and the Bejing Olympics
- The resurgence of the Conservative Party in the UK
- Climate change and the Bali roadmap
- PPP – purchasing power parity or patently persistent poverty?
- Power transitions in Africa
- The growing number of new philanthropists
- The battle of the grand narratives
This makes for fascinating reading for those interested in / working in the development sector and wanting to keep up to date with upcoming development trends.
Of particular interest is the references to the new philanthropists whose focus and approach is far different from that of the traditional large aid organisations. For example, talk of leverage, technology and actions not overly compromised by complexity, by Bill Gates at a Harvard graduation speech in 2007 bears reference.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which Bill Gates and his wife started in 2000 and is based in Washington and supports grantees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Internationally, the Foundation offers support in more than 100 countries.
Total grant commitments since inception: $14.4 billion
Total 2006 grant payments: $1.56 billion
