The Each One Teach One Institute is a registered South African non-profit company (NPC) that assists other NPOs, community organisations and social enterprises to build their capacity and sustainability by improving their access to resources.
OUR MISSION:
The mission of the Each One Teach One Institute is to build the capacity and sustainability of Southern African non-profit organisations.
The Institute was founded to develop projects that enhance the capacity of non-profit organisations to deliver their missions.
From the start, we offered training programmes in fundraising skills and mentoring support for trained fundraisers.
We improved communications capacity through paid services such as:
While we still provide these services, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed a broader level of incapacity in society. Many non-profits were forced to close and some could not be started up again. Available funding in the region reduced as the global need for support increased alongside corporate citizens focusing on the survival of their businesses. The economy shrunk, joblessness increased and millions of people were almost overnight unable to guarantee their next meal.
We realised that our successful model of addressing incapacity in one organisation at a time could make little impact on the social crisis the region was experiencing. We also realised that a new opportunity had emerged during COVID-19 to simultaneously reach mass and individual audiences and particularly new ways to inspire action and promote agency. The Zimela Agri-Production project will be the first product of our fresh approach to capacity building.
There are more than 250 000 non-profit organisations (NPOs) helping to develop society and combat the effects of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. NPOs make a considerable contribution to the economy and the development of civil society, including directly sustaining more than 1 million jobs, supporting the economy through contributions to education, entrepreneurship and infrastructural development in communities, and saving the cost of living in society through the prevention or treatment of health conditions, promoting safety and learning, supporting families and tackling other social problems.
Despite this huge contribution of social and economic capital, the sector gets little direct support from government agencies and structures. It has no representative bodies or recognised lobby groups. There are no training facilities or qualifications in non-profit work. Although individual organisations can be granted the status of public benefit organisations, which entitles their donors to a tax benefit, complying with the conditions imposed by the tax authorities to achieve this status is beyond the means of most organisations.
Adding to these challenges, many donors are reluctant to fund NPOs’ non-programme costs and beneficiaries usually cannot pay for the services received.
As a result, almost all NPOs operate in conditions characterised by extreme financial risk, uncertain employment, an inability to grow their services and no resources to provide for their future sustainability.
With few available resources, most NPOs are unable to do the research, writing and marketing communication required to sustain successful fundraising campaigns and appeals. Equally, most are incapable of generating their own income or developing their own resources. Without help, even a small change in fortune can force the closure of an organisation or the end of the services it performs for the public good.
