|
Introduction:
This past two years has seen a significant change in SAIF. It started
the momentum of “SAIF Going Forward.” The National council has had
many new members which has brought an upward shift in the process of
“Going Forward.” I have been amazed at the high calibre of members
that we have joining SAIF at present and who have so willingly come
forward to serve. We continue to train and equip our members
to be
professional in the industry, SAIF is proud to be maintaining the
founding principles.
Membership:
Membership continues to be our first priority. Although we have
stressed on numerous occasions it has not grown as I would have liked
it to. I have requested the branches to give a large percentage of
their time on growing the membership, but to date we have not seen the
growth we would have liked to have seen. KZN had a very good start in
2007/2008, but did not continue the growth we may have thought it
would. They continue to have a very balanced committee. Diane, Sandra
and team, thank you for your continued efforts and I know that KZN
will grow from strength to strength. Eastern Cape, although is at
present not constituted as a Branch, Riaan Marais, Pam Lewis and
Crystal Watson have taken on the challenge of re-establishing Eastern
Cape as a Branch, unfortunately it has not yet developed to that
level, but I am sure in time it will. Cape Town is continuing to grow
and meeting the challenges of working with a limited group of
committee members. I have no doubt in my mind that a very capable,
Veronica Pronk, Erica Jacobs, Leigh Goldschmidt and the team will
encourage and excite branch members to join hands and continue to grow
the committee and the branch. Gauteng is growing in leaps and bounds
and despite the fact that many of the committee members form the
Convention committee as well; they still make time to have very
successful Branch functions and trainings. I am ever grateful to Zai
Miller, Jan Gouws and Elrina van Schaardenburgh who have for some
years now worked with me in growing the Gauteng Branch and I know that
as I continue in the Presidents role they will continue to run a very
good team.
All that I have stated above has contributed to a continued membership
growth, although small.
The National Council together with the Executive, decided that there
would not be one strategic planning meeting form 2009, but rather that
we would travel around to the branches and meet with them as a whole
to develop their own strategic plan. I met with Gauteng and KZN and
Jan met with Cape Town, unfortunately we could get a date from Eastern
Cape. Later this year we will have one representative from each region
to brain storm some ideas for 2010 and beyond.
Members should always be encouraged to include their membership
details of SAIF in their correspondence with donors as proof of their
professionalism.
Convention:
Planning
and organizing the biennial Convention is always a busy time. Our 9th
Convention, took place in May 2009 in Durban, under the Chairmanship
of George Pappas. This was for the last time as Zai Miller who has for
many years been an extremely integral part of the convention accepted
the post of Vice President, portfolio Convention. The team put
together a varied and dynamic programme with relevant topics,
presented by 6 international and local high profile speakers. Master
Classes were run for the second time by Bernard Ross and other
international and local speakers. It certainly was a good idea to
introduce Master Classes. 5 Scholarship were granted to community
based fundraisers to enable them to benefit from the skills training
provided by the Convention.
This Convention was the best attended Convention that any could
remember, thank you so much to those many who worked really hard to
achieve the results we did.
We have already started working on the 2011 Convention. I know Zai and
her team will be working very hard to line up as many experienced
speakers that she can for you all. I was blessed to have the same
committee and one or two new ones. The 2011 Convention will in Cape
Town.
Thank you to Jenny and Graham Paper from Town and Country for their
guidance and assistance with the convention. They were amazed that the
Convention week had so few problems and that the organization of the
convention left them with little to be concerned about or to deal
with. Thank you Jan and Noeleen
I was able to negotiate with Protea Hotels a sponsorship in the form
of a discount of R65000, of which we are very grateful.
This as well as the high number of delegates enabled SAIF Convention
to record the best profit from a Convention.
SAIF Learning Centre and SAIF Directions:
Although the theme for the year is celebratory we are conscious of the
work still to be done to position the Institute where it belongs.
Your Council has good vision for the future and has made Great strides
in establishing the new SAIF Learning Centre, under the
leadership of Anne Wright, our Vice President. Unfortunately Anne left
at the end of 2008 for New Zealand with her husband.
Gibela an organization in KZN took over the running of the Learning
Center and developed it to another level with questionnaires and
planning that has put LC on a level that is ready to begin some
serious training times. Diane and Chris developed a programme with an
Organisation called Community Development Programme CDP and the man
who runs it Johann Kruger. It went to a certain level and
unfortunately Gibela resigned from the Learning Center and I have
until now continued with the development of the programme with Johann.
Once the training begins it will put SAIF LC and SAIF onto a very
strong financial basis. It will enable us to market SAIF in a way that
has never been envisaged before. We hope to start with 20 delegates in
the Mpumalanga area within a few weeks time. Johann has assured me
that we will be training for the CDP in 2009.
Each person trained will be given a year’s free membership, which will
grow each branch by a minimum of 500 new members per annum. There will
also be the financial aspect for each branch as they receive a portion
of the membership fee.
I did a presentation to 250 delegates at the NGO summit in Mpumalanga,
for the Department of Social development and they have now asked for a
quotation to train 20/30 NGO’s in Nelspruit, Sasolburg and Secunda.
Also, held a two hour training for Gordon Institute of Business
Science, where we had about 6 NGO’s present and hopefully that will
also lead to further training.
SAIF Learning Centre
together with the SAIF Directions scheme is important
components of SAIF’s strategic response to the urgent need for
fundraising skills development. By means of these two initiatives,
the Institute seeks to provide added value to members and incentives
to fundraisers to become members of SAIF.
Anne and her team in Cape Town started to move the Learning Center to
another level and this past year has seen some exciting training
sessions take place in the Cape, Durban and Gauteng. I have no doubt
that the LC will continue to grow and expand during the next twelve
months.
It has been disappointing that the branches have not held many LC
training sessions this year.
Council Members:
It was
with sadness that we said "goodbye" to Anne who had been with SAIF for
some years and left in the position of Vice President. She will be
missed and we thank her most heartily for everything she has done and
the strong foundation she has laid. Anne always went the extra mile
and with a smile.
I need here to say a very, very big thank you to my Council Members
and Vice President. I have mentioned them all by name under pervious
headings. One person I have left to now is Jan Gouws our National and
Gauteng Branch Treasurer, Jan you have been are more than a friend and
advisor to me and the Council and Gauteng Branch, Thank you very, very
much. Jan has had enormous pressure with his work situation and yet
has continued to give SAIF all that he could.
National Co-ordinator and Office Administration
I cannot end this report without thanking Noeleen Mullett for her
outstanding abilities in the SAIF National Office. Noeleen is another
person who will always do her best to accommodate the needs of the
members and branches.
Thank you also for the enormous amount of work you put in to making
the convention that success it was.
Thank you Noeleen for being there for me and all of us, you are so
well organised and capable in your duties.
Conclusion:
Despite the many challenges that have taken place in SAIF over
recent years it is admirable that the Institute has not lost sight of
its mission to serve and adapt to the changing needs of its members.
I salute you all as without you there would be no SAIF.
Thank you for your continued support in the second year of my office
as President and acting CEO.
I am sorry if there have been times that I have not met your
expectations, but I will continue to try harder.
However it is my last year in office and feel that maybe there are
other members who can now take SAIF to another level. We have tried to
identify members from time to time in the last 18 months, but there
just does not seem to be the commitment needed at President Level for
them to stay. I must say should the National Council re-elect me, it
can only be for one more year as I really need to put more focus on
Westsiders against addiction, of which I and my wife are the founding
members. They have graciously given me to SAIF for 30% of my time each
month, but the organisation is growing and needs more of my time.
It has been a wonderful year working with you all.
Thank you and God bless you.
George Pappas
National President
Top
|
