STAY CONNECTED

OUR ENGAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY

OUR APPROACH TO PARTNERSHIP

Our overarching goal is to strengthen the safety net of care and increase access to essential services for vulnerable children and families by supporting community-based organizations.

We strive to provide long-term funding to our grantee-partners and hope to gradually increase grant sizes according to the capacity of the organization, especially as grantee-partners approach the end of our funding relationship.

We also support the organizational development of our grantees so that they become stronger, more sustainable organizations working effectively to improve the well-being of children and families.

PARTNERSHIP GOALS

Over the course of our partnership with each grantee-partner, we help them work actively toward their vision of success, which includes the following:

Community empowerment and involvement evidenced by a focus on:
- Enhancing local knowledge and skills in children’s well-being.
- Creating safe social spaces for the discussion of issues that children face.
- Enhancing the sense of ownership, responsibility, and community activism to improve children’s well-being.
- Increasing confidence in local strengths and resources to make a difference for children.
- Building collaborative community relationships, initiatives, and networks.
- Increasing access to essential services, including health, education, social, and legal protection services for vulnerable children.
Strong articulation of mission. Grantees have a sense of “who they are” and demonstrate a “heart” for children.
Clarity and consistency between goals and strategies, with ongoing efforts to strengthen programs that provide holistic support for children and families.
Evidence of learning, adaptation, and building upon previous achievements.
Ability to demonstrate results for vulnerable children and families.
Sound organizational management roles and structure.
Well-developed financial management systems with appropriate financial controls.
Partnerships and collaborations with other organizations and relevant government agencies to improve services for vulnerable children and families.

SHARED VALUES

Following are the core beliefs and assumptions that guide and characterize our partnerships with our grantees:

The Resilience and Strength of Children
Children are the future. We believe that children are resilient and able to overcome many challenges. We believe that children are experts in their own lives and that we should take what they say seriously.

The Importance of Family and Community
We believe that children grow best in families. A child’s long-term developmental needs are best met within a family, rather than an institution like an orphanage. Strengthening the capacity of families and communities is the most effective way to address the needs of children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and poverty.

The Power of the Grassroots
In areas with few resources, one of the most effective and powerful means of bringing about social change is through community-based organizations. We believe that investing in grassroots organizations contributes to the development of civil society and is essential to lasting change for children.

Respect for Community Ownership and Local Leadership
A community’s ownership and investment in forging its own solutions to local problems is essential to sustainability. We seek to learn from and to work in partnership with local leadership.

Being a Learning Organization
We are continually developing and evolving. We learn by doing, and we extend our learning through data collection, analysis, documentation, and reflection. We strive to stay informed by observing closely what is happening on the ground, keeping abreast of research and developments in the field, and maintaining good communication with key influencers and networks.

Being Agile, Adaptive, and Responsive
We strive to remain nimble and quick to respond to needs as they arise. We adapt our strategy to new circumstances, changing our approach based on what we know is effective. We are listening, monitoring, and constantly asking how we can use our resources more effectively.

Being Collaborative
We value collaboration for many reasons, first and foremost because we know that the scale and scope of HIV/AIDS and poverty in Africa requires it. We actively engage in networking and in sharing information, resources, and ideas with peer organizations. We initiate strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations to extend the impact of our efforts by joining advocacy efforts on key issues and encouraging the leveraging of resources.

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