3rd Summer Edition
Finding and securing the needed financial resources to start and scale initiatives for sustainable development can be difficult, particularly in African countries where there are many economic, social, and environmental challenges with limited resources available to tackle them. Grants have been one of the financial vehicles used by local and international organizations to support social enterprises addressing these issues in such contexts but are usually very competitive and requires certain skillsets and experience to successfully navigate its demands. While grantors are never short of applications for funding, majority of grant applications fail, creating frustration and despondency on the part of grant seekers as well as feedback and management pressures on grant makers. What do grant organizations expect from social and environmental entrepreneurs looking for funding and how should applications be tailored to increase their chances of success? This was the focus of this two days’ workshop aimed at gathering Grantmakers and seekers to discuss expectations and issues around grant funding, while sharing procedures and tips for writing successful grant applications. The following grant organizations were on ground to share insights about their programmes and take questions from participants: UNDP GEF Small Grants Program, Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation, Abilis Foundation, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), African Women Development Fund (AWDF), Purposeful Productions. An expert from Non-profit Grant Solutions (NGS) and AWDF coordinated a workshop where participants explored the practicalities of developing or completing a proposal they can use for future funding. Also, the workshop had a fireside chat with the co-founder of one of Africa’s foremost waste recycling companies, Recyclepoints Limited, where a practitioner’s perspective on Grant Funding were explored. Participants benefited from: A good understanding of different funding organizations and their aims, objectives, funding calls, and application success tips Templates for developing high quality grant proposals Networking with other change makers and leaders alike. You can watch all the sessions again for free by subscribing to our YouTube page.
Explore Edition
2nd Summer Edition
Social enterprises need to run a good business while also finding ways to have a positive impact on people and the environment. With the long-term impact of the current crisis on global economies yet to be understood, these enterprises are more likely to suffer after the lockdown due to severe constraints to their operations or even bankruptcy. What will this mean for social enterprises in African countries and how do you prepare your organization for this potentially new reality? This virtual workshop enabled social entrepreneurs to reflect on their strategies and the impact they make. The aim was to work on adaptive approaches and to explore better ways of measuring and reporting impact, necessary to compete for social investments. It drew on expert knowledge from academics and practitioners, who had experience of social enterprises and impact investment around the world. You can view this year’s list of speakers and facilitators at https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:42f6c80d-d66f-4c4b-8cc6-6abdf8f0f73e Participants benefitted from: A panel session on the potential impact of the pandemic on social enterprises globally and locally now and in the future A reflective session to help articulate and adapt their organizational strategies, as necessary A unique and tailored way of measuring and reporting impact to attract funding A practical hands-on tool to help align their strategy with impact measurement
Explore Edition
1st Summer edition.
Running your own business is hard, but it can be especially difficult for people who want to set up a social enterprise, aimed at having a positive impact on people and the planet. How is this done, and how do you get over the tension between commercial and social objectives? In this workshop, we drew on our research to give workshop attendees the tools to understand the tensions they face, and how they can find a way to navigate through this. We helped those involved in social enterprise and other forms of third sector or business activity to think through some challenging issues such as: should a social enterprise grow its business if it is not its core social mission; should we hold onto knowledge about our innovations or share them broadly; should we employ experienced and highly skilled staff or employ those needing the experience and skill development. The workshop was aimed at existing and start-up social enterprises/entrepreneurs and was organized by CUSP and CEEDR in collaboration with the American Corner at the Co-Creation Hub Lagos.
Explore Edition
