Introduction
SIVIO Institute hosted a meeting of Community Foundations in Zimbabwe leaders on the 16th of May 2024. It brought together diverse organisations from across the country working in various thematic areas. A total of 28 participants attended the meeting. . SIVIO Institute’s role was to facilitate conversations and create a platform where organisations could share their experiences and learn from one another as well as weave a way of working together to advance community philanthropy and mitigate challenges confronting communities.
What is Philanthropy?
After introductions of getting to know the attendees, the facilitator posed a question for participants to share their understanding of what philanthropy is. Participants’ responses associated philanthropy with values such as kindness, compassion, empathy, and love for humanity. They emphasized the importance of welfare and care for vulnerable groups, viewing it as a form of charity and duty to or for the community. They also shared the people who come to mind when they think of philanthropy and they mentioned people like Jairos Jiri, Strive Masiyiwa, Mother Theresa etc.
SIVIO Institute’s View of Philanthropy
SIVIO Institute’s conceptualization of philanthropy in Zimbabwe is a nuanced one that distinguishes it from government actions and official development aid. SIVIO defines philanthropy as “the actions taken by citizens and communities to support each other, irrespective of their financial status”. This definition encompasses a wide range of activities, from helping neighbours in need to supporting family members’ education expenses. The Institute emphasizes the organic nature of philanthropy, which is rooted in the love for humanity and a sense of community responsibility. The understanding challenges conventional notions of philanthropy and underscores the importance of grassroots efforts in fostering social support networks.
Why are we Here?
Colleagues highlighted several reasons for attending the community foundations meeting. Key motivations included the opportunity to learn from each other and share experiences, facilitating a valuable exchange of knowledge and practices. Networking and mapping peers in the philanthropic space were also important objectives, enabling participants to identify potential collaborators and build meaningful connections. The desire to collaborate and establish a shared value system underscored the importance of unity in their efforts. Participants indicated their desire to learn how to effectively use networks to mobilize resources and increase the visibility of their work. They also indicated the need to learn how to amplify community philanthropy efforts to expand the impact of their initiatives.
Another significant aspiration was to birth a network where they could speak with one voice, ensuring a cohesive and united front. Additionally, they were keen on finding strategies to work collaboratively with other stakeholders and avoid conflicts. This aspect emphasized the importance of fostering harmonious relationships and aligning efforts for greater collective impact.
Knowing the organisation – Stories of formation
Participants were prompted to delve into the stories behind their organisations’ formations, focusing on the initial motivations and circumstances that led to their creation. They were asked to share how their organisations came to be, especially if they were involved from the beginning. The discussion sought to uncover the critical conversations on efforts to resolve the discomforts that led to the formation of the organisations.
“Organisations are often born out of a significant pressure point or a particular discomfort that founders felt needed addressing. Unlike business ventures that might be established on a whim, community foundations typically arise from a deep-seated need to resolve a pressing issue or challenge.”
Participants articulated their stories, shedding light on the specific problems that motivated them to act and create lasting solutions through their organisations. This exploration aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the driving forces behind their philanthropic efforts and the personal and communal needs they strive to meet. Pain points that led to the formation ranged from the need to address land issues, girl child welfare, environmental protection, service delivery disability and many more (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Clusters of the social origins
Membership Base of Organisations
The organisations were asked about their membership base and only one organisation did not have members. The membership data of 27 organisations revealed a diverse range of sizes. There were 10 organiations with over 1000 members, 7 organisations had between 500 and 1000 members, showing a significant number of moderately large groups. Three (3) organisations fell into the 250-to-500-member range, while another 7 had between 50 and 250 members. This distribution highlighted that while many organisations had large memberships, there was also a notable presence of smaller and medium-sized organisations.
Figure 2: Organisations’ membership base
Geographic areas of operation
From the discussions, it was evident that the operational scope of organisations varies significantly. Specifically, 9 organisations operate exclusively within a single district, while 15 organisations extend their activities across multiple districts. Additionally, 3 organisations indicated that their operations span multiple provinces, and only 1 organisation has a national-level presence. This distribution highlights a concentration of organisations functioning within more localized areas, while a few have managed to expand their operations to now reach a broader geographical scope.
Thematic Areas
The organisations’ thematic areas cover a wide array of critical issues affecting communities. Thematic areas include empowering girls and women, tackling climate change, promoting sexual and reproductive health rights, fostering civic engagement, ensuring access to education and healthcare, and advocating for sustainable development. Some focus on sanitation, water access, children’s and human rights, and peace and security.
Figure 3: Thematic focus areas
Resource Mobilisation and Sustainability
The sustainability of the organisations relies on various income streams. These include annual membership fees, partnerships with local businesses, and income from online content as indicated by Nhimbe Trust’s TV on YouTube. Chiedza Community Welfare Trust shared an innovation they started for both sustainability and to ensure the provision of reusable sanitary wear for girls of low-income backgrounds. They have a factory for reusable pads certified by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe. Other organisations indicated that they have income generated from properties they rent out, while others emphasized the support of well-wishers in the community and individual donations. Platform for Youth Innovative Trust indicated that they host self-funded initiatives like art concerts and café conversations to generate income. Online educational programs, training platforms, and earning royalties from content are some of the income-generating streams shared by organisations to ensure the sustainability of their programs.
Visibility
The discussion revealed that the majority of organisations utilize various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, to engage with their audience and promote their activities. Facebook is the most widely used platform, with organisations recording over 1000 followers. Additionally, 10 of these organisations have their own websites to further establish their online presence and provide more detailed information about their work. Interestingly, while most organisations leverage platforms like Facebook and Twitter extensively, only a few are currently utilizing TikTok, indicating potential for growth and diversification in their social media strategies. Organisations employ a variety of storytelling techniques including podcasts to effectively communicate their mission and impact.
Challenges Faced
Organisations shared the challenges they face and these were clustered into fundraising challenges, operating environment challenges, cultural challenges, internal capacity challenges, visibility and storytelling and challenges with relationships with international organisations. The facilitator posed a question to understand if the challenges faced are an opportunity to explore collaboration to work and learn from one another.
Activation: Community Philanthropy – Remarks from Dr Stigmata Tenga (APN)
The gathering welcomed Dr Tenga from the Africa Philanthropy Network (APN) who delivered some key insights on the network’s journey and reenforced the need to strengthen community philanthropy. She challenged the participants to think about promoting giving that is transformative and impactful, to think about why they continue to do what they do and lastly, she buttressed the question of who would miss them (organisations) if they were to cease existing. She challenged participants to think more about the beneficiaries and the impact of their work which motivates the need to drive impact and change in communities.