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Funding Workshops for CBOs in Limpopo

Funding Workshops for CBOs in LimpopoPolokwane, in Limpopo was the site for the most recent of The Forum’s workshops on applying for funding from the (NLDTF). The workshop was hosted by the members of the Capricorn Forum and was held at the Mogolwane Centre. Representatives from over fifty organisations in the Capricorn district attended and we were pleased that at least 70% of members were in possession of the required supporting documentation. There was however a disconcerting disregard of good governance practices within organisations, which will certainly have a negative impact on their chances of successfully receiving funding from the NLDTF. Further discussion revealed that the lack of good governance practices was not intentional and more related to the practicalities of the environment they are operating in, with poor access to resources, skilled people and severely high service user numbers. We have reached agreement with members in the area to assist with skills sharing sessions on good governance in the new year to help improve the understanding and practice within member organisations.

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Funding Workshops
funding-workshopsFunding Workshops for CBOs in KZN

Vryheid, in Kwa Zulu Natal was the venue for the next in the series of workshops to help CBOs access funding from the NLDTF. Forty people turned up to attend the workshop hosted by the Community Law & Rural Development Centre at the Vryheid Library. Less than ten percent of the attendants have tried applying to the Lottery for funding before and even less have ever received funding. Many did not have the required supporting documents to make an application and the major concern with those that had applied seemed to be the fact that they have not received feedback of their previous applications. The comments and questions focused a lot on the supporting documentation and the application process. Some members plan to ready themselves so that they can apply in the next round of applications. The attendants also committed themselves promised to share the information gained at the workshop with other organisations in their communities and to work together to make sure that they help each get funding.
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Forum Workshops Update

Forum Workshops ThembaOn the 21 of October 2008, Civil Society Organisations in the Temba area gathered in their numbers to attend another of The Forum’s workshops on applying for funding from the (NLDTF). The workshop was the third in the nationwide series. The workshop was organised with the help of Smangaliso Mthimunye the Community Liaison Officer in the area. Over 95 participants attended the workshops, and they were taken through the different forms and all the pitfalls in completing them. In this community most of the discussions focussed on the possibilities of partnerships. Many of the organisations were new organisations and sought to comprehend the process of partnering with established organisations.

The 4th workshop on applying for funding to NLDTF was held at the Embalenhle Hall in Secunda in Mpumalanga where the workshop was rolled out. The workshop was hosted by the Emabalenhle Home for the Aged with the help of long standing member of The Forum; Mrs Gulube. 50 participants attended the workshop coming from various areas around Secunda. This workshop was probably the most difficult with an almost 50:50 split between organisations that had all the supporting documents and those that had none. It was wonderful to observe as the organisations sorted themselves into groups and consented to another meeting to help each other apply. This reflected the spirit of the workshops, which extended beyond the mere dissemination of information and into the actual networking and collaboration between members of The Forum.
Prepared by Tselane Moleba.

Helping CBOs to access NLDTF Funding

Members at the workshop in Zwide On 3 October The Forum held the first in a series of workshops for Community Based Organisations (CBOs) to assist them with responding to the call for proposals from the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).

A common concern amongst CBOs is the lack of adequate and sustainable sources of funding for their work. The NLDTF call for proposals issued earlier in September, is an ideal opportunity for CBOs to access local funding, as the requirements for NLDTF funding are generally not as onerous as for other donors.

Workshop participant - Brenda LalelaThe Forum is hosting this series of workshops as part of its Capacity Building programme and the key focus is to help CBOs understand how to apply for NLDTF funding using the current application forms and application guidelines.

The Forum is also recording the details of CBOs that do not have the required documentation to apply for funding in this cycle and will invite these organisations to particpate in the Capacity Building programme over a two year period to ensure that they meet all the critera for future funding calls.


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