Theme of the Month

From non profit to social profit

Engaging volunteer energy is powerful way for development organisations to further their objectives and build their organisational capacity as they benefit from person-power, skills and expertise that they may otherwise not have access to. Volunteering is also a wonderful and meaningful way for people to make a contribution to development in our country, because giving is not simply about money.

Research undertaken in 2005 by the Centre for Civil Society (CCS), the Southern African Grantmakers' Association (SAGA) and the National Development Agency (NDA), however, has shown that just 17% of South Africans volunteer for a cause - a figure which is low and almost half that seen in various other countries around the world (Canada 31%; US 29% of adults, 55% of teens; England 36%; Korea 27%).

There are various common "explanations" for this low level of involvement, including that members of the public do not know where to go to volunteer or what they can do for who; they cannot commit their time regularly or for the long-term to a cause because of other life commitments; or NPOs do not provide practical opportunities for volunteers because they believe they are high-maintenance, low-reward support that requires intensive supervision. Volunteering is often considered time-consuming and demanding of a sustained commitment from the volunteer.

In response to some of these issues, GreaterGood South Africa in 2005 developed and implemented Do it Day in partnership with the JDI Foundation and Wesbank. Do It Day is designed to be a one-day event that aims to encourage individual participation in giving by engaging NPOs to think more broadly about the potential benefits volunteers could bring and then presenting the public with opportunities for clearly defined involvement and the provision of person-power - whether professional expertise, skills or simply time ("sweat equity") for the benefit of non profit organisations on just one single day. Do It Day aims to help promote a culture of volunteerism in South Africa, enabling individuals to feel the satisfaction that comes from making a good difference in our society. The campaign boosts civic self-reliance, organisation and mobilisation.

A major advantage of Do It Day is that it enables people to make a measurable difference by committing their skills and time for one day only. Do It Day promotes volunteerism as an effective 21st Century giving solution.

Do it Day supports GreaterGood South Africa's overarching strategic objective, namely that of providing concrete, practical opportunities for the public to engage with the non profit sector in ways that do not focus only on the provision of financial support. The first annual Do It Day was successfully held on 28th October 2005 and involved 412 volunteers participating in 41 community projects in 4 provinces (Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal). In total these volunteers committed some 2,900 hours of time (excluding continued activity of volunteers since Do It Day), of which 310 hours involved high-level professional skill and expertise and the balance was "sweat" equity and person-power. The total value of time and skills given on the day was conservatively valued in excess of R317,240. Materials donated were valued at a further R85,544.75.

Volunteering not only brings significant benefits to communities, it also brings benefits to volunteers themselves as they learn skills that make them more employable, enhance their self-esteem, become more positive and productive. Most businesses have observed the power of volunteerism and recognized that a well thought-out employee volunteer programme offers a successful and cost-effective solution that has one of the largest returns for a business, as it helps build trust among the community, employees and stakeholders. Businesses worldwide have documented measurable results from implementing volunteer initiatives with their employees.

Do It Day aims to significantly boost the culture of volunteerism in South Africa, enabling individuals to feel the satisfaction that comes from making a difference in our society through the contribution of their own unique skills and energy. Visit www.DoItDay.co.za today and match your unique skills to a specific Do It Day project, join a "sweat equity" initiative working for the greater good of the country or invite your family, friends and colleagues to form a Do It Day team with you.

We are delighted to have the support of Wesbank once again for the Second Annual Do It Day 2006 and to have joined forces with VolunteerLink, a Gauteng based organisation that has provided a referral service for the past three years to match what you have to offer with an organisation that is looking for support.

This Month's Feature Articles:

• Recent findings of the State of Giving Project's research report suggest that individuals in South Africa contribute an average of 1.9 hours of their time per month to charity, as well as a total of R920 million per month toward poverty alleviation and development in South Africa. To find out about the state of social giving in South Africa. read more...
• Many people in our country work with children on a voluntary basis. Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Africa (BBBSSA) is a mentoring programme that matches youth in need with carefully selected and trained adult volunteers in one-to-one relationships that help them maximize their potential. Here are some ideas from BBBSSA for things you can do with a child with whom you have volunteered to spend time. read more...
• If you are thinking about volunteering your time or skills to work with one of the 569 Causes registered on GreaterGood SA's website, or any other non profit organisation, you may want to have a look at a list of ten tips for volunteering wisely, suggested by the US-based Independent Sector. read more...

Our Causes of the Month

KidzPositive Star of Hope R25

The KidzPositive Family Fund is dedicated to improving the health of HIV positive children. Healthcare professionals working at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town founded this non profit organisation. Their goal is to generate funds for the grassroots support of Southern African families affected by HIV and Aids. These beautiful products are made by HIV-positive women caring for their HIV-positive children and family members. This beaded star is beautifully crafted with a hook for hanging. It is the perfect reminder that there is hope!

Mother's Creations: Beaded Belts R125 and Beaded Lanyards R65

Mothers Creations supports prevention and treatment adherence programmes through economic empowerment. New mothers living with HIV, many them primary providers for extended families, are trained in income-generating skills, offering them new hope for the future. Mothers Creations forms part of the Mothers Programmes which provide hope for these women and their families, hope for a future without fear and stigma, hope for the health of a new generation and hope that only comes from the support of the community. These belts provide a unique take on hip retro-fashion trends and are available in a range of colours or made to suit your personal preference. The lanyards come in a range of colours and can be custom made for your company and/or event, complete with text and logo if desired.

Experience The Gift

Thank you, This Is The Fantastic Difference You've Made!

Latest Reportbacks: Corporate Contributions and Fuchs Foundation Funding

• Staff of Key Recruitment in Woodstock, Cape Town, have decided to put back something into the community surrounding their offices by volunteering with the organisation help2read - for half an hour twice a week, helping children at nearby Mountain Road Primary who are struggling with their reading. read more...
• GreaterGood SA would like to send a heartfelt thank you to Freelancentral - an agency who are in the business of finding freelance design talent for clients and promoting designers' portfolios online - and eighteen of their freelance designers who have volunteered their time and talents free of charge to design posters for the Causes who will be exhibiting at this year's Giving Exchange. read more...
• We would like acknowledge the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation's generous funding of a set of Teachers Dreams through collaboration with GreaterGood SA on the Promotion of Maths and Science Education in Rural Schools in South Africa project. One of the Dreams funded was a trip by learners from Moshoeshoe Primary School in Gauteng to various sites related to their Maths and Science curriculum - including the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, the Johannesburg Planetarium and the Johannesburg Zoo. read more...
• Siyabulela Primary School in the Western Cape also had their Teachers Dream fulfilled, thanks to the Fuchs Foundation, who funded their trip to the Two Oceans Aquarium at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. The children toured the whole Aquarium, gathering information about marine life, and had a hands-on experience touching sea urchins and sea anemones in the Aquarium's on-site classroom. read more...

Latest www.GreaterGoodSA.co.za Statistics

What Are You Good For?

The 2006 Donate-A-Book Campaign

With International Literacy Day due to be celebrated on 8 September, literacy is a cause for celebration - since there are now close to four billion literate people in the world according to UNESCO. However, literacy for all remains an ambitious national objective in South Africa, with nearly five million adults being functionally illiterate according to Education Minister Naledi Pandor.

GreaterGood SA's Donate-A-Book campaign works to raise awareness of South Africa's poor literacy levels and show how ordinary South Africans can make a real difference through relatively small contributions. We have already received over R66,000 towards this year's campaign since it launched on World Book Day in April.

This has resulted in more than 15 starter libraries being established in various under-resourced areas across South Africa. The deadline for contributions to this year's initiative is 8 September and for as little as R50, you can make a genuine difference in someone's life. Find out about how to donate and Donate-A-Book options (ranging from single book donations to starter libraries, farm libraries and reading schemes for deaf children). read more...

Wishlists

There are many volunteer wishlists featured in our "Wishes and Dreams of the Month" including the following requests that could see your time and skills being put to good use. For the other Wishlists
read more...

Do It Day 2006 volunteer requirements: There are 85 projects all over the country that would benefit enormously from your time and skills. We need 1 018 volunteers so far. To fulfil a wish, sign up today. Find a project at
read more...

Do It Day 2006 material requirements: Although the primary focus of Do It Day is the mobilisation of person power, sweat equity, skill and expertise, there are in some cases obvious related requirements necessary to make the day happen - for example, paint for painting, plants for gardening etc. If you are unable to take part on the day but would still like to support Do It Day, you can contribute to the purchase of materials to make these days happen. Here are some of the things we need.
read more...

Big Brothers Big Sisters South Africa rely extensively on volunteers to mentor and support their children and youth at risk. Mentoring at Big Brothers Big Sisters is both a discrete programme and a broader idea that individual change and progress is fundamentally about having other individuals care, support, tend to and guide on a one-to-one basis. Sign up today.
read more...

Help2read - Help help2read make reading fun and help children to love books - we need children's books and volunteers to assist primary school children with their reading and read to preschool children
read more...

Dreams looking for a dreammaker

Science is All Around Us - Help a Science teacher at Gasela High School in the Eastern Cape to fulfil a Dream to produce young scientists who will contribute to the welfare of South Africa as whole, and particularly to motivate young girls to continue with Science and go on to study Engineering. This will be achieved by helping these rural learners from all grades to travel to the city to participate in different science projects i.e. Expos, Scifest, and Olympiad.
read more...

A visit to Robben Island - LEAP Science and Maths School - Help this school, which has already received 83% of the necessary funding, to take all their learners on an educational visit to Robben Island. The learners will travel by bus from Mowbray to the Waterfront and take the ferry to the island, where the guides will take them through an educational tour of the island. The school will be divided into 15 groups across grades and each group will be lead by a senior student.
read more...

Upcoming Events

The Giving Exchange

The Giving Exchange was successfully launched in 2005 as an innovative showcase of the inspiring work of the South African development and non profit sectors. In 2006, the Giving Exchange will once again be held in September as part of the country's Heritage Day celebrations. For three days only, members of the public and corporate donors will have the opportunity to visit an expo showcasing the work of 20 South African social profit organisations, who received the most votes during an online voting campaign. Thanks to 18 volunteer designers, co-ordinated by Freelancentral, stunning display posters will give you a greater understanding of the work undertaken by these organisations. Expo visitors will have the opportunity to meet and talk to their staff, and to explore new ideas for engagement and participation in the development sector.

The two high profile Giving Exchange expos take place as follows:

• 8th - 10th September in Johannesburg - Fountain Court, Sandton City
• 15th - 17th September in Cape Town - Market Square, V&A Waterfront

Do It Day

Many people are willing to contribute their expertise and energy to a worthy cause, but don't know how to. If this applies to you, Do It Day on Friday 20 October 2006 is your chance to do some good. It takes just one day out of your year, and it won't cost a cent! GreaterGood SA has compiled a list of projects that need your assistance and there is something for everyone - from gardening to painting, developing marketing plans or providing IT support. For further information or to register as a volunteer please visit www.DoItDay.co.za or email or call (021) 794 0580.