BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTH AFRICA

BGCSA focused on ensuring our capacity meets our growth targets, including both internal staff, and the BGCSA Board. We launched formal staff training, promoting a Facilitator from within the Pimville Club to serve all Clubs as a Training Coordinator.  We also doubled the size of the Board to increase our reach and drive more resources towards the organization.  We added six professionals to the Board with expertise in Health & Safety, Marketing & Public Relations, Employee Relations, Finance & IT, Fundraising & Marketing, and Corporate Social Investment. 

We held our annual fundraising event and all Board Members contributed to not only attending the event, but also mobilizing their friends on our behalf.  25% of the Board also gave personally in 2018, which demonstrates their commitment to the organization.  These are the first personal Board gifts in our organization’s history. BGCSA also raised more funds than any previous year, topping R10M for the first time, and maintained a healthy profit against operating expenditure, which we need given our rapid growth.  The TJF Trust, who committed to supporting BGCSA for 4 years in 2017, granted their second year of funding, which demonstrates our growth plan being on track.  BGCSA successfully set up a fiscal sponsor in order to facilitate more fundraising through the US.  BGCSA also doubled down on marketing and public relations, and as such featured across TV shows, in print, and on radio throughout the year. 

BGCSA continues to explore partnerships to increase our reach and our impact.  We piloted a partnership with City Year, to train their service leaders to better deliver after school programs in 9 schools across Johannesburg.   While ultimately the partnership will not be carried into 2019, it was a positive learning experience for the organization and an example of how we can play a lead role in capacity building with other NGOs in South Africa.  BGCSA also lead the national efforts for Giving Tuesday South Africa, which encourages generosity on the global day of giving that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  This brought in some funding to the organization, but also provided additional exposure and opened new networks to the organization. We support a number of young people on a daily basis, and they are all special in their own way.  Zimasa Ntsimbi and Nomphumelelo “Mpumi” Phetoe stood out in 2018 and here’s why.  Zimasa, 15, was selected as the Youth of the Year in Pimville, for the second time, and continues to model the ideals of a Club kid.  Our new promotional video is a tribute to her and her story. Mpumi, 18, has been selected to receive a full university scholarship, including leadership development and wrap around support, from Charlize Theron’s African Outreach Project (CTAOP).  We are still awaiting specific details for her plans in 2019, but this is a remarkable achievement as she is one of a handful selected in the pilot phase of the project for CTAOP.