‘Listen to what the people need’: Kolisis’ call to SA philanthropists

True philanthropy begins with listening to what those dealing with challenging circumstances really need.

This and other fresh thinking is being championed by young philanthropists such as Rachel Kolisi and her Springbok captain husband Siya as key to meeting SA’s growing challenges in disruptive times.

“We need to listen to what people dealing with challenging circumstances really need,” says Rachel, co-founder of the Kolisi Foundation.

The power couple formed their foundation last year to respond to the needs of communities hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

They have shared their views on meeting the new challenges facing the nation in the third edition of the Annual Review of South African Philanthropy, to be launched on November 2 by the Independent Philanthropy Association South Africa (IPASA).

The review aims to provide valuable public information on the nature, scope, achievements and challenges of some of the many hundreds of philanthropic organisations active in SA.

“We need to listen to the people already working in the community, the non-profit organisations, to learn from them and to better support them.

“Listening is the first step.

“Understanding and action must follow to make a meaningful difference. Doing this collaboratively is far more efficient and effective than striding out on one’s own,” said Rachel Kolisi.

Among its active projects, the foundation has identified communities struggling since the lockdown in March 2020.

These families are being assisted with grocery deliveries on a one- to three-month basis.

“The grocery parcels are substantial enough to provide food support to a family for almost a month. They include 10kg maize meal, 10kg rice, sugar, tinned food items, fresh produce, cleaning products, masks and sanitary products,” said the foundation.

Annual Review editor Shelagh Gastrow described the past year as “a time of mayhem”.

Philanthropists not only had to sustain their longer-term priority projects and programmes, but also had to respond to emergencies created by the Covid pandemic and the midyear outbreak of looting and violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

“These are momentous times for philanthropy,” said Louise Drive, IPASA executive director.

We need to listen to the people already working in the community the non-profit organisations, to learn from them and better support them.

—  Rachel Kolisi

“An important new challenge for IPASA members and other funders is to try to achieve a balance between providing immediate emergency support and driving systems change to tackle the root causes of the many complex issues our country faces.”

Events such the sudden demand for food and emergency supplies caused by the nationwide lockdown brought to the fore the increasing need to give local communities greater flexibility and freedom in how they invest funds from donors such as philanthropic foundations.

“There is greater emphasis on community — and trust-based participatory philanthropy in which donors and communities work more closely together to develop solutions to pressing social issues.

“This is all about listening to communities and trusting that they know best how to solve many of their problems and that they will invest donor funds wisely.

“This approach to shift more power from the grant-maker to the grantee is becoming prevalent, especially among new, young philanthropists such as the Kolisis,” said Driver.

IPASA’s membership consists of 40 prominent philanthropic organisations and includes some of SA’s most well-established foundations, such as the Ackerman Family Foundation, Allan and Gill Gray Foundation, Oppenheimer Generations Foundation, Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, Raith Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

“The approach being taken by the Kolisis is highlighted in one of a number of case studies that appear in IPASA’s annual review, as examples of the sort of impact that can be made from small beginnings,” said Gastrow.

“The hope is that the stories and perspectives in the 2021 edition of the annual philanthropy review may inspire others across the country to consider philanthropic giving or to make contributions to organisations that can effectively use these private resources to advance their objectives,” said Gastrow.