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Articles by Shelagh Gastrow
OPINIONISTA: The 10 donor funding red flags for non-profit organisations
Last month, thanks to the whim of a capricious, privileged wealthy donor, a number of people lost their jobs. Without any engagement with the CEO, a member of the organisation’s board was verbally informed that the relationship had ended and that the next tranche of substantial funding due a few weeks later would not be paid. Unfortunately, this anonymous donor had refused to even have her name on a contract so could not be held to her commitments.
OPINIONISTA: Drop in giving has ramifications for all kinds of South African entities that rely on donor grants to survive
Shelagh Gastrow provides advisory services to the philanthropy sector, higher education advancement and non-profit sustainability. She works with individuals and families on how to integrate their wealth and their values into meaningful and effective philanthropy. From 2002-2015 she was founder and executive director of Inyathelo and focused her efforts on strengthening civil society and universities through programmes to develop their financial sustainability whilst promoting philanthropy in SA.
OPINIONISTA: The rapidly changing face and expectations of global philanthropic foundations
Over the years the philanthropy sector has grown globally and, along with it, a whole industry of donor foundations together with their board members, CEOs and staff, financial advisers, strategy consultants, monitoring and evaluation specialists, and various other service providers. At the same time there have been various trends in grantmaking that often relate to changes in society. These trends are often developed in the US and then influence global philanthropy.
Pocket Guide Series on Advancement
It is imperative for organisations seeking funds to see donors not as anonymous structures but people who believe in a cause with whom a relationship needs to be built.
OPINIONISTA: Good governance, transparency and accountability are thin on the ground in South Africa – civil society must lead the way
Shelagh Gastrow provides advisory services to the philanthropy sector, higher education advancement and non-profit sustainability. She works with individuals and families on how to integrate their wealth and their values into meaningful and effective philanthropy. From 2002-2015 she was founder and executive director of Inyathelo and focused her efforts on strengthening civil society and universities through programmes to develop their financial sustainability whilst promoting philanthropy in SA.
OPINIONISTA: The bottom line: ANC must improve accountability, good governance and leadership to attract funders
Shelagh Gastrow provides advisory services to the philanthropy sector, higher education advancement and non-profit sustainability. She works with individuals and families on how to integrate their wealth and their values into meaningful and effective philanthropy. From 2002-2015 she was founder and executive director of Inyathelo and focused her efforts on strengthening civil society and universities through programmes to develop their financial sustainability whilst promoting philanthropy in SA.
OPINIONISTA: Controlling the purse-strings: Proposed new law on non-profit organisations is vague and confusing — we need clarity
Shelagh Gastrow provides advisory services to the philanthropy sector, higher education advancement and non-profit sustainability. She works with individuals and families on how to integrate their wealth and their values into meaningful and effective philanthropy. From 2002-2015 she was founder and executive director of Inyathelo and focused her efforts on strengthening civil society and universities through programmes to develop their financial sustainability whilst promoting philanthropy in SA.
OPINIONISTA: Jacob Zuma Foundation: A public benefit organisation, or for the benefit of one man only?
The Jacob Zuma Foundation, which is tax exempt according to SARS’ website, does not seem to be carrying out public benefit activities for the benefit of, or widely accessible to, the general public. It appears to be focusing only on its founder and speaking on his behalf, as well as raising money on his behalf. There is a constant stream of statements, comments and opinions from Mzwanele Manyi, now official spokesperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation and Zuma himself.
OPINIONISTA: The philanthropy sector has stepped into the breach, but we must also hold the government to account
This current blow to South Africa has further exacerbated the need for charitable support. However, in the maelstrom, it is difficult to assess what action to take, how to take it and where to take it. South Africans are stunned by the violence, looting and lawlessness that has taken place over the past week. The citizenry is starting to realise that there is little authority in the country and that much of what has happened may well be the new normal for the foreseeable future.
South Africa: Mother City Fire - UCT's Intellectual Heart Ripped Out After Jagger Library Burns
The Jagger Reading Room has been devastated and some of its most precious and irreplaceable intellectual content has been lost. The heart of any university is the library - it is the centre for knowledge production, one of the key purposes of any university. In 1998, I became part of the fundraising team at the University of Cape Town (UCT) that raised the money to reconfigure the institution's Upper Campus.
OPINIONISTA: Mother City fire: UCT’s intellectual heart ripped out after Jagger Library burns
The Jagger Reading Room has been devastated and some of its most precious and irreplaceable intellectual content has been lost. The heart of any university is the library – it is the centre for knowledge production, one of the key purposes of any university. In 1998, I became part of the fundraising team at the University of Cape Town (UCT) that raised the money to reconfigure the institution’s Upper Campus.
OPINIONISTA: How to stop the degradation of our museums and cultural infrastructure
We are witnessing the collapse or near collapse of key museums and heritage institutions in South Africa. How do we remedy this? This year is the African Union year for Arts, Culture and Heritage. This week the African Experts’ virtual meeting on Sites of Memory and World Heritage Convention in Africa and Inter-Ministerial Meeting is taking place.
South Africa: Philanthropy and Dubious Donors - Should Non-Profit Organisations Take the Money and Run?
The world has become increasingly transparent with the advent of the internet and social media. We can, after all, see child labour and slavery, carbon emissions, river pollution, the impact of plastics and the disappearance of forests through logging and farming. We have access to more information about corruption, money laundering, State Capture and racketeering. Twitter and Facebook are full of complaints, articles and opinions about governments, companies and individuals.
OPINIONISTA: Philanthropy and dubious donors: Should non-profit organisations take the money and run?
The world has become increasingly transparent with the advent of the internet and social media. We can, after all, see child labour and slavery, carbon emissions, river pollution, the impact of plastics and the disappearance of forests through logging and farming. We have access to more information about corruption, money laundering, State Capture and racketeering. Twitter and Facebook are full of complaints, articles and opinions about governments, companies and individuals.
South Africa: Dolly Parton, Legacy and Global Philanthropy
It is too important for South Africa to ditch its research institutions. There are so many needs at this time in our history when we are faced with unemployment and inequality, but we cannot lift ourselves up without innovation, research and development. Much to the amazement of many, The Guardian reported on 17 November that American music idol Dolly Parton had made a $1-million contribution towards Covid-19 research at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee.
OPINIONISTA: Dolly Parton, legacy and global philanthropy
It is too important for South Africa to ditch its research institutions. There are so many needs at this time in our history when we are faced with unemployment and inequality, but we cannot lift ourselves up without innovation, research and development. Much to the amazement of many, The Guardian reported on 17 November that American music idol Dolly Parton had made a $1-million contribution towards Covid-19 research at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee.
OPINIONISTA: Philanthropic investments in education are among our most urgent priorities
South Africa has a wealth of organisations that are involved in the education space and philanthropy recognises that until we fix education, most progress is hindered. It is a well-known fact that corporate social investment and private philanthropy in South Africa are heavily invested in education at all levels. This is not accidental, but is based on strategic decisions on what needs to be prioritised in the country in order to progress.
Africa: Philanthropy Cannot Be Divorced From Environmental and Climate Justice
The power of philanthropic endowments is that pressure can be brought to bear as to what damage their recommended share investments are doing to our world and communities. It is simply more than ridiculous to invest in a company that damages the environment and then to use income from that investment to try and fix the problem. For many, the existing crisis is a health crisis and an economic crisis.
OPINIONISTA: Philanthropy cannot be divorced from environmental and climate justice
The power of philanthropic endowments is that pressure can be brought to bear as to what damage their recommended share investments are doing to our world and communities. It is simply more than ridiculous to invest in a company that damages the environment and then to use income from that investment to try and fix the problem. For many, the existing crisis is a health crisis and an economic crisis.
OPINIONISTA: Whither philanthropic funding in the aftermath of Covid-19?
The philanthropy sector, not as a monolith but as individual foundations, is likely to take a hard look at resources available after the damage done by Covid-19 — not only to the country but to entities themselves. One of the busiest sectors in South Africa today is the philanthropic sector. The Covid-19 crisis resulted in urgent and massive calls for humanitarian support for communities in need, particularly in relation to food security.
OPINIONISTA: How crime bosses recruit through patronage
Criminal philanthropy is a major public relations exercise, but always with strings attached. This is not altruistic and the present wide publicity gained for gang leaders in the Western Cape may well come back to bite us. For many, the accumulation of significant wealth is seen as unethical and one of the unfair by-products of rampant capitalism. There are continual calls for increased taxes and the closure of all the loopholes that the wealthy use to hide their fortunes.
South Africa: SA Can Ill-Afford to Overlook the Non-Profit Sector in Its Response to COVID-19
The networks provided by non-profit organisations reach deeply into communities. In the 'new world' in which we will find ourselves, we will need the NPO sector even more to ensure that vulnerable people and all communities receive the support they need. The UK government has announced that the charity sector in that country will receive a £750-million bailout to ensure that they can continue to operate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
OPINIONISTA: SA can ill-afford to overlook the non-profit sector in its response to Covid-19
The networks provided by non-profit organisations reach deeply into communities. In the ‘new world’ in which we will find ourselves, we will need the NPO sector even more to ensure that vulnerable people and all communities receive the support they need. The UK government has announced that the charity sector in that country will receive a £750-million bailout to ensure that they can continue to operate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
OPINIONISTA: Whither philanthropy in a post-Covid-19 world?
Most philanthropic endowments are invested in the stock market, and that has crashed globally. While philanthropic entities in South Africa have provided additional grants through this crisis, they will be evaluating what is left and where it can best go to achieve a maximum impact. There is no doubt that in living memory we have not lived through any emergency that has arisen as acutely as that caused by Covid-19.
South Africa: Philanthropy in a Time of COVID-19
The big questions facing the philanthropy sector is how to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. Do they assist only those organisations with whom they have relationships, are there opportunities to collaborate in a more systemic way, including with government and the corporate sector? The world has changed and when we emerge in six or nine or 12 months from our burrows, we will find a very different world has emerged.
OPINIONISTA: Philanthropy in a time of Covid-19
The big questions facing the philanthropy sector is how to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. Do they assist only those organisations with whom they have relationships, are there opportunities to collaborate in a more systemic way, including with government and the corporate sector? The world has changed and when we emerge in six or nine or 12 months from our burrows, we will find a very different world has emerged.
South Africa: Power Relationships in Philanthropy
It is essential for private philanthropy to move away from the old charitable paradigm where non-profit organisations are forced into a state of begging. Begging to be heard, begging to be seen, begging for funds and begging for payment. The philanthropic sector is extremely diverse. This is reflected in the very broad spectrum of causes funded by private philanthropy, but also in the way philanthropy is practised.
OPINIONISTA: Power relationships in philanthropy
It is essential for private philanthropy to move away from the old charitable paradigm where non-profit organisations are forced into a state of begging. Begging to be heard, begging to be seen, begging for funds and begging for payment. The philanthropic sector is extremely diverse. This is reflected in the very broad spectrum of causes funded by private philanthropy, but also in the way philanthropy is practised.
South Africa: Philanthropy and #imstaying
#ImStaying has given so many people hope and has changed so many people's behaviour that even now, its job is done. Philanthropy, charity or something else -- we are yet to see how this movement, in its infancy, proceeds. "Besides having a degree, diploma and some certificates, I've been unemployed for the past 3 years. I'm able to make ends meet, Thank you God, yesterday I was driving on our local main road. There I saw a lady selling mealies.
OPINIONISTA: Philanthropy and #ImStaying
#ImStaying has given so many people hope and has changed so many people’s behaviour that even now, its job is done. Philanthropy, charity or something else — we are yet to see how this movement, in its infancy, proceeds. “Besides having a degree, diploma and some certificates, I’ve been unemployed for the past 3 years. I’m able to make ends meet, Thank you God, yesterday I was driving on our local main road. There I saw a lady selling mealies.
OPINIONISTA: How you can be a donor to the right cause in a time of festivity
There are many opportunities for constructive giving, depending on the donors’ passions or interests, but also, especially at this time of year, it’s possible to bring some relief to others less fortunate. South Africans are perhaps not feeling very festive when the lights are out, but no doubt as more of us take our summer holidays, we will enter the spirit of the season and spend time on vacation or with family. South Africa has more than 230,000 registered non-profit organisations.
South Africa: Your Country Needs You - Civil Society Offers Challenging Career Paths for Job Seekers
The civil society sector provides space for individuals to work with others and become active citizens. People come together, not necessarily to benefit themselves and make money, but to achieve change in society. As new job seekers come on to the market after the matriculation results are out and university graduation is complete, many will be unsure of the way ahead. If it is any consolation, many of us are never sure what we want to do when we grow up, no matter how old we are.
OPINIONISTA: Your country needs you: Civil society offers challenging career paths for job seekers
The civil society sector provides space for individuals to work with others and become active citizens. People come together, not necessarily to benefit themselves and make money, but to achieve change in society. As new job seekers come on to the market after the matriculation results are out and university graduation is complete, many will be unsure of the way ahead. If it is any consolation, many of us are never sure what we want to do when we grow up, no matter how old we are.
South Africa: National Lottery Is Hopelessly Bedevilled By a Lack of Transparency
With the concentration on State Capture, one would think that the National Lotteries Commission would be more sensitive to the desire for accountability and transparency, as should the minister of trade and industry. There have been numerous articles on the National Lottery recently with complaints about dodgy grants. There is no doubt that something odd is going on, but why are we surprised?
OP-ED: National Lottery is hopelessly bedevilled by a lack of transparency
Illustrative image | (Photo: Adobestock) With the concentration on State Capture, one would think that the National Lotteries Commission would be more sensitive to the desire for accountability and transparency, as should the minister of trade and industry. There have been numerous articles on the National Lottery recently with complaints about dodgy grants. There is no doubt that something odd is going on, but why are we surprised?
OPINIONISTA: The proliferation of non-profits is an indication of state failure
The literal explosion in the number of non-profit organisations, of people coming together in communities to attend to their own needs, is a by-product of a weak or failing state. But it could become a catalyst to a different way of working in society. According to the NPO Register in the Department of Social Development, there were 220,116 registered NPOs in South Africa as of 3 October 2019.
OPINIONISTA: Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater – social cohesion can be a powerful force for good
How do we as a nation come together to ensure our grandchildren will have a place to call home that is inclusive for all? In the 1980s, we felt a level of social cohesion in the fight against apartheid, even when we did not always agree on how to get there. In an article in New Frame on 6 August 2019, Steven Friedman stated “and yet we need ‘cohesion’ about as much we do a military coup – and for much the same reasons.
OPINIONISTA: Time for banks to come to the philanthropy party
Banks are in a special position to inspire and encourage the growth of philanthropy and they can do this by engaging with their high-net-worth customers, either individually or through events that focus on the benefits of philanthropy. 2019 has seen greater curiosity and attempts to measure the size and scope of philanthropy, globally, but also in South Africa.
OPINIONISTA: Universities see an increase in donations
The evidence is clear that over the past five years, and perhaps particularly after the #FeesMustFall campaign, increasing numbers of South Africans, local foundations and corporates are investing in higher education. The 2018 Annual Survey of Philanthropy in Higher Education published by Inyathelo has been released and it shows some significant changes from the previous four years of the study.
OPINIONISTA: Philanthropy in the spotlight
Civil society in South Africa has, in the past, been criticised by the government in particular as being ‘foreign agents’ and other nasty epithets. However, its role has been recognised within the country as critical to a thriving democracy, rather than a hindrance to change.
OPINIONISTA: We need to rethink how the non-profit sector is financed
Why should non-profit organisations be expected to operate any differently to private businesses when it comes to covering overheads? Increasingly, philanthropic funders are building into their grants a cushion for funding operating expenses – and this is the right way to go. In 2013 a new TED talk by Dan Pallotta burst onto the non-profit and philanthropy scene.
Corruption and the non-profit sector
As someone who has worked extensively with non-profit organisations in South Africa on their financial sustainability, it is alarming to read an escalation of reports on corruption in the sector and there is no doubt that some donors are having to deal with big question marks relating to the expenditure of funds.
Is corporate giving philanthropy?
It is important for non-profit organisations to understand the difference in values and purpose when it comes to private philanthropy and corporate social investment. Alignment of such values and purpose is important when making decisions about partnering on projects with any type of grant-making entity.
Ensuring accountability and vigilance in the non-profit sector
On occasions staff members of an organisation ask the question – where do we go when we see that our organisation is not doing what it claims to do? Or on occasion, a donor has concern that the funding provided is not being used appropriately. Unfortunately, there are non-profit organisations that have public benefit status that are not meeting their obligations. The question is then, what is the line of accountability and where does the buck stop?
Succession and resilience in the non-profit sector
Leadership succession in the non-profit sector is always fraught with risk. What does it take for an organisation to survive a failed leadership transition? This takes us to the issue of organisational resilience, whereby an organisation can withstand change, whether unanticipated or proactive in relation to a changing environment. The Wikipedia definition of succession planning is “a process for identifying and developing new leaders who can replace old leaders when they leave, retire or die.
Can we have social justice in a divided society?
South African society is fast becoming more polarised, especially around issues relating to key government policy positions such as land and the national health insurance. Matched with revelations around endemic corruption in government and the perceived abandonment of the concept of non-racialism by the ruling party, polarisation is becoming entrenched along South Africa’s fault lines of race and class.
International Day of Charity poses questions about giving – and how we give | Daily Maverick
September 5 was the International Day of Charity, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 in order to highlight the developmental and aid roles of charitable giving. The date, 5 September, was selected as the International Day of Charity because it was the anniversary of the death of Mother Theresa of Calcutta who received the 1979 Nobel Peace prize and was world-renowned for her charitable activities.
Civil society and government – can they work together? | Daily Maverick
In South Africa there is clearly no concept of civil society engaging with government on its policy, practice and accountability. It seems as though although the term nonprofit is used, our government still views civil society organisations through a charitable lens. Yet, increasingly, we are seeing government departments approaching nonprofit organisations and the private philanthropy sector for assistance.
Nelson Mandela 100, Obama and philanthropy
Three key sectors have an impact on our future: government, the corporate sector and civil society. Where government fails, civil society often steps in. Philanthropy – part of civil society – will be a vital part of South African life for years to come. On 17 July my cousin and I stood in the long queue, shuffling our way into the Wanderers Stadium where the Obama lecture took place to celebrate the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth.
How do non-profits ensure their long-term financial viability?
For many organisations, short-term investment by donors with high expectations of immediate impact as well as intolerance for anything that might go wrong, creates a very fragile financial situation. With over 150,000 non-profit organisations registered with the Department of Social Development, there is on-going pressure for funding for organisations that do not trade. The long-term financial sustainability of this sector is what often keeps board members and non-profit leaders awake at night.
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