Social enterprise, a must!
Tigwepo - March, 2017 23
External financial support to civil has been declining for several years not just in Zambia but in the region as a whole. The phrases ‘donor fatigue’ and ‘shrinking donor support’ have become part of our vocabulary and make the need to create pathways to sustainability imperative.
As an organisation operating in this space, ZGF has begun to explore both diversification that is multiple sources of funding, as well as sustainability – sources of funding that are regenerative in an effort to increase independence and flexibility in our programming. With poverty levels still hovering around 60% in Zambia our work supporting pro-poor policy engagement by civil society in Zambia is still very relevant. Thus, creating options for new, diverse, and multiple funding streams will help ZGF continue its programmes beyond traditional donor funding.
A popular proverbs says ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step’. The same can be said about ZGF’s journey towards sustainability. After much planning the Business Development Unit (BDU) was established in late 2016.The unit is responsible for spearheading initiatives to mobilise resources for ZGF sustainability. The BDU’s mandate is simple but clear find opportunities to maximize income that align with ZGF’s vision and mission of building communities in Zambia that also adhere to our principles of transparency, respect and accountability. Thus the unit follows basic principles of a social enterprise that looks not only at the financial benefits but also the social and environmental impacts of initiatives. With this in mind the Unit has explored initiatives under two broad themes: