Thought Leadership Archives - Page 8 of 14

Good Governance – Every PBO’s North Star

A public benefit organisation (PBO) is an organisation (whether voluntary association, trust, non-profit company, or local branch of a foreign tax-exempt charitable organisation) that does not work for profit and is exempted from paying certain taxes because it undertakes public benefit activities (PBAs).

Good Governance – Decision-making Principles that PBOs should follow

In our first article in this series, the moral imperative for good governance of public benefit organisations (PBOs) was spelt out. In this article, we look at a few of the legal imperatives that are equally important.

Good Governance – PBO blind spots

In our first article in this series, the moral imperative for good governance of public benefit organisations (PBOs) was spelt out. In the second article, we looked at the legal imperatives and fiduciary duty for your board to always keep in mind whenever it makes decisions. In this, the third and last article in the series, we explore a few (and by no means all) potential blind spots which your PBO should watch out for.

FROM BREADTH TO DEPTH

President Cyril Ramaphosa last week outlined a number of interventions that government plans to use to address the enormous issue of unemployment, particularly amongst the youth. With South Africa’s unemployment rate rising to a new record high of 32.6% in the first quarter of 2021, Social Investment Specialist Riyaadh Ebrahim unpacks the role that social investment from the private sector can play in what seems like an almost insurmountable challenge.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE NPO SECTOR

Tshikululu Social Investments has undertaken a survey of over 170 NPOs around South Africa to assess the effect that COVID-19 has had on this crucial sector.

What social investors need to consider when investing in Early Childhood Development during and post Covid-19

175 000 jobs are at risk and over 30 000 ECD centres may close as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, the Department of Social Development (DSD) has recently proposed allocating R1.3 billion to create 36 000 short-term ECD centre “compliance monitoring” jobs. The sector has responded to this proposal quite forcefully, urging the DSD to consider using this funding to protect and hopefully save as many at-risk jobs as possible. One million children will be potentially affected by mass ECD closures and thousands of jobs (and livelihoods) hang in the balance.

Celebrating 22 years of social investment management.

To be part of a pioneering and transformational initiative that has and continues to impact millions of lives is a rare privilege. This is the story of Tshikululu, an organistion that, through its work over the last 22 years, has played a central role in the professionalisation of social investment in South Africa.

Future of Social Investments: Literature

Tshikululu Social Investments is dedicating time and resources to critically think about the Future of Social Investments. As part of this, it will be releasing a series of thought pieces for the rest of 2020 around the Future of Social Investing, with the express purpose of driving discussion in the space and to help inform our own strategies and work.

Measuring and Managing impact during the wake of COVID-19

COVID-19 has not only brought the world to a standstill, but it has thrown us into the future where there is no choice but to use technology to work collaboratively and remotely. The pandemic has forced us to start thinking differently about how best to harness our resources and technology for good. As at 11 August 2020, more than 20 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed globally, with 735 000 deaths to date. In South Africa, we are heading to over 564 000 COVID-19 infections and over 10 600 deaths. COVID-19 has not only left countries reeling, but has forced social investors – whether they are grantmakers or impact investors – to think creatively about crafting solutions that are responsive to the current environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic and higher learning in South Africa

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in all higher education institutions moving their learning to online platforms. Institutions and students have experienced substantial challenges during this migration due to the scale and pace at which the change must be implemented. The pandemic has highlighted the deep inequalities amongst the country’s 26 universities. While well-endowed institutions (e.g. Wits University, University of Cape Town) were able to commence with online learning between 20 April and 4 May, historically disadvantaged institutions (e.g. University of Venda, University of Fort Hare) have been unable to fully migrate to online learning for a myriad of reasons (e.g. lack of expertise, infrastructure, resources). The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation set a deadline of 1 June 2020 for all institutions to implement contingency plans to ensure that the 2020 academic year can be completed by the first quarter of 2021.