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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
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SAIF does not approve of commission based fundraising.
We believe that fundraisers should be paid a market related rate commensurate
with the job requirements.
Click
here to view "Arguments against Commission-based
fundraising"
Click here to view
American Fundraising Professionals (AFP) - Position Paper on Percentage-based (Commission) Fundraising.
Click here to view the International Statement of Ethical Principles
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Downes
Murray International (DMI) deal quite extensively with bequests.
However, this service is charged for.
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See
"Non-profit organisations - Starting up"
See
www.paralegaladvice.org.za/docs/chap15/13.html
for valuable
information regarding the starting up of an NPO and the difference
between the various options
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Log onto
www.civicus.org
– go to the “Resources & Services” Link, then to
the Civil Society Tool Kits. Scroll down, there is a very good
Toolkit on Proposal writing which can be downloaded (for free) -
either in MSWord or PDF format.
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I
want to circulate information to the
SAIF membership base - how do I go about it?
You don't! The SAIF membership list is not for sale
nor is it divulged to a third party. Should you really believe
in your product, you may sent an e-mail proposal to the
National Office for
perusal by the National Council.
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Downes
Murray International can advise as to where/how lists can be rented
(note – this is quite expensive!).
Direct Marketing Solutions
can also advise on list acquiring.
A good idea is to swop with other NPOs, as you will then at least have
people who do donate.
Lists of Donors/companies/ trusts, etc, go to www.papillonpress.co.za,
which has all info on donor directory service. (Available for purchase)
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We want to
organise an event in aid of fundraising for a
charity of our choice. What are
the legal implications?
You can give funds to any
charity of your choice – this is between you as the donor and the
beneficiary charity. However, should you want to raise funds in the
name of a particular charity, then you must ask permission from
them. They have the right to protect the use of their name. If you
want to hold an event to raise funds, then you must make it clear to
the people you invite that the money they give is in the form of a
donation for that charity. People then have the choice to donate or
not to donate. You must be transparent in your actions and
accountable for the funds. For example, consider whether you will
be deducting the expenses for the event from the money raised before
handing over the profits to the charity, or will it be a sponsored
event with the costs being donated, permitting all the funds raised
to go to the cause. Either way is permissible, providing you make
it clear to all concerned and everyone is in agreement. You have an
obligation to act responsibly with donor funds.
Should you wish to hold the event on a regular basis, you might want
to form a small committee to manage the event. You should write
some simple rules governing the proceedings and then allocate
responsibilities such as advertising, collecting the money and
liaising with the charity. You will need to do this if you want to
open a back account in the name of the project, which is preferable
if you are managing other people/s money. If you work closely with
one particular charity, you might find that they will help you be
endorsing your initiative and may even write a letter giving you
permission to ask businesses to donate prizes on their behalf.
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Would
it benefit our Church to become a member of SAIF? We are in the
process of starting a project which will rely entirely on donor
funding. unemployed in our area. The people we will serve are not in a
position to pay for this help. As
we are novices at this type of fund raising, we would appreciate any
advice.
Membership
of SAIF is individual not organisational.
Benefits include discounts at branch meetings, trainings,
conferences etc. Membership
gives opportunities for networking and learning from other similar
organisations. Newsletters
and e-mails give advice on matters affecting the non-profit sector.
Perhaps it would be beneficial to identify a suitable person to
be trained as a fundraiser.
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As
a member of the SAIF, I know that our ethics prevent us
from charging a percentage commission on funds raised. However, I
receive requests from very poor and rural communities who are not able
to fund our daily rate. What should I do? We could help them using our
own resources but they have to commit a portion of funds raised to
meeting our costs. Is
there any guideline on applicable daily or hourly rates or is this for
agreement between my client and me? What charges are prevailing on the
market as of now?
The
arrangement between you and your client is a contract between both
sides. You can make
whatever arrangements suit you best.
However, we
do not agree with commission based fundraising because it leads to
abuse. Click
here to view arguments against commission-based fundraising.
The consulting rate should be market related, depending on what skills
you are bringing to the party.
If you choose to work at your own risk, you could arrive at a fee and
they could pay you only if you are successful but the risk will be
yours.
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Note - the
Fundraising Act of 1997 was replaced with the Non Profit Act.
Click here for PDF format of
the Act
You
are not allowed to hold back any fees raised on behalf of a client.
All money raised should be paid directly to the client and they
should pay you for your services on presentation of invoice.
Copies of the Government Acts can be obtained from Government Printer in
Pretoria – 012 334 4500 (consult current telephone directory) or visit
http://www.info.gov.za/documents/index.htm
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Can
you tell me where I can find statistics for fundraising in Southern
Africa (i.e. % of people who give, age breakdown, success of
face-to-face fundraising vs. letters, etc)?
Try
CORE (Cooperative for Research
and Education)
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I
have been invited to join an international
group of people, of all
colours, races and creeds, which creates a forum of peaceful and
caring human people. What do we have to do legally to make this into a registered
NGO?
You
are already a voluntary association/forum.
You now need to have a founding statement or constitution.
Contact the
Department of Social Development and apply for a NPO number.
They will send a pack of information containing a model
constitution, which you can follow.
See
application
form and model
constitution supplied by the Department of Social Development
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Note - the
Fundraising Act of 1997 was replaced with the Non Profit Act.
Click here for PDF format of
the NPO Act.
Copies of the Government Acts can be obtained from Government Printer in
Pretoria – 012 334 4500 (consult current telephone directory) or visit
http://www.info.gov.za/documents/index.htm
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Take
the telephone number of the charity and ask them how much of the money
raised they are receiving. Do
not contribute if you are not satisfied as to their authenticity.
Note - fundraising numbers are not longer relevant.
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The
Non Profit Directorate is the only source of this information -
www.welfare.gov.za or 012
312 7500
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We
now have voluntary registration of non-profit organisations.
Whether or not what you are doing is legal is a matter of normal
legal practice. Consult an Attorney or Chartered Accountant.
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What is a
Case Statement? -
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It
functions as a vehicle to bring together in one place the thinking
of those responsible for the institution’s future.
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It
serves as a catalyst in the process of evolving such thinking.
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It
becomes the authorised resource document for all subsequent forms of
communication.
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It
serves as a back-up document, where necessary or appropriate, to
other shorter written communication pieces such as releases and
media events, special presentations, foundation proposals,
fundraising brochures and the like.
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It
is a major working tool in volunteer leadership enlistment,
orientation, training – and for prospect cultivation and
solicitation in selected cases. Any proposals which are made for
financial support will draw on this document without it being
necessary to recreate a completely new proposal on each occasion. In
this way it becomes a model for support and the basis for any
publication produced to support the fundraising effort.
What
a Case Statement is not -
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It
is not just a straightforward description of the institution.
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It
is not just written from the viewpoint of those inside the
institution.
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It
is not just a list of achievements, although these will be included.
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It
is not a PR document, although PR documents can be created from it.
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