Educating South Africa’s Future: AIDS Orphans
TOMORROW TRUST
Organizational Vision
Citizen Base Strategy
How It's Working
Lessons Learned
Ensuring access to education for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) in South Africa, the Tomorrow Trust empowers South African children affected by the AIDS/HIV epidemic to become self-sustaining, contributing members of South African society and the world at large. Ashoka Fellow Kim Feinberg founded Tomorrow to provide OVCs with educational programs, trainings, job placement, and financial and emotional support. Feinberg, who earlier founded the Foundation for Tolerance Education, which focuses on the value of tolerance education as a means to prevent future racial intolerance, shifted her educational focus to children affected by HIV/AIDS based on a staggering fact: three million AIDS orphans currently live in South Africa alone, and by 2020 there will be 40 million worldwide. The UN predicts that if these young people are not educated, 75% will become drug addicts, engage in criminal activity, and contract HIV/AIDS at a young age.
The Tomorrow Trust supports AIDS orphans and ensures their success both in school and life by first providing a basic food and transportation allowance to ensure that they are fed and able to attend their educational institute. Tomorrow also offers educational support programs to help the children gain better academic results, thereby encouraging their participation in post-secondary education. Finally, Tomorrow helps students identify a field or career about which they are passionate, and provides holistic life skills training to aid them in attaining their dream job. The Tomorrow Trust, after just one year in operation, has placed 22 children in various secondary and post-secondary institutions where they began completing various levels of education qualifications.
Contract pay-back
Similar to mandatory church tithing, Tomorrow Trust requires participants to financially support the organization once they are able, a strategy that provides revenue for the organization while simultaneously ensuring that individuals remain engaged even after their formal involvement is complete. Tomorrow Trust believes that it is essential for the children involved to “give back to their community and take ownership of their own success.” Every post-secondary student involved with the Tomorrow Trust therefore signs a contract stating that once employed full-time, they will donate 10% of their monthly salary to the organization for two years. This money then goes directly to Tomorrow Trust to support current students going through the program.
Combine fundraising with exposure and media publicity
The Tomorrow Trust is skilled at creating opportunities for fundraising that simultaneously raise money and educate the community at large about their organization. In many instances, partners gain exposure while the organization gets funding, an exchange that benefits both parties and is therefore more likely to be repeated.
On June 4th, 2006, the South African radio station 94.7 ran the largest ever radiothon in the country, heightening awareness of the Tomorrow Trust and raising nearly $500,000 for the organization. Tomorrow Trust also hosted a Celebrity Golf Day fundraiser with one of their corporate partners, during which some of South Africa's finest sportsmen, including Neil Tovey, Clive Rice, and John Robbie, gathered to compete and demonstrate their support. This partner also held an auction of highly exclusive sports memorabilia at the prize-giving dinner, with proceeds going to the Tomorrow Trust. Nearly half of the Tomorrow Trust’s funding comes from event revenue. In this way, those who might not have been exposed to the Trust were educated about the organization, and money was raised for Tomorrow Trust’s social cause.
Finally, the Tomorrow Trust has published a book called the Tomorrow Publication, an oral history written and illustrated by the orphans themselves. This book has not only empowered the orphans by helping them raise their voices, but also educates those who read it about their challenges. The Trust sold 5,500 “Tomorrow Books” in December of 2005 alone, with 70% of the book sales deposited into Tomorrow Trust’s education account. Tomorrow Trust has mastered the art of achieving two objectives in one: their events raise both awareness about their organization, encouraging more and more varied support, and bring in the much-needed funds that make the organization self-sustaining.
Be aware that money is not the only resource worth donating
Rather than focusing solely on financial contributions, Tomorrow Trust encourages and receives donations in any form. In their words, “Donations do not have to be in a financial sense only but can be offered in many forms.” This not only generates resources for the organization, but it gets people involved. The more community members and others understand and appreciate the organization, the more likely they are to donate more of their time and money.
The Tomorrow Trust website lists several concrete ways for people and organizations to get involved, including: Expertise and workshops from Corporations; providing school premises for the Holiday Schools Program; donating textbooks, computers, memory sticks, or printers; and providing accommodations for the children. Nearly half of the organization’s resources are currently provided through donations or pro bono support. As Feinberg states, “With regard to partnerships with corporations in the private sector, we believe that this sector of the economy is just as responsible for social development as government and the NPO sector.”
- In its first year, the Tomorrow Trust did not rely on any grants from the government or domestic foundations.
- 47% of Tomorrow Trust’s costs are covered by corporate donations and pro bono support.
- 10-12 schools are already involved in Tomorrow Trust programs
- Tomorrow Trust is currently supporting approximately 700 AIDS orphans through all of their programs and initiatives, including their Holiday School Programs for children with no home to return to during the holidays.
- Institutionalize funding strategies. Tomorrow Trust aspires to make events like the Golf Day into yearly events, thereby securing a continued source of funding.
- Focus on long-term engagement with partners. The Tomorrow Trust forms strategic partnerships that allow corporate executives to see the students as valuable resources for future employment, which creates a strong foundation for continued support from the partner and ultimately encourages sustainability of the organization.
- Engage recipients in fundraising. The orphans themselves were the authors of the book sold to produce revenue for the organization.
- Identify clear objectives. According to Feinberg, the organization needs to have clear requirements in terms of necessary financial and human support in order to ensure that targets are achieved.
“It is very important to ensure diverse methods of funding within a non-profit organization. To limit oneself to a single type of funding leads the organization to the risk of running out of funds.” – Kim Feinberg, Founder, Tomorrow Trust