Page 12 - SCAT Rural Voice II - 35 Stories for 35 Years

JoAnne hArdinG director/ eX oFFicio
MANAGEMENT Voices A PERSONAL REFLECTION ON SCAT’S MODEL.
SCAT’s director Joanne Harding started her apprenticeship at SCAT as a trainer and fieldworker 21 years ago. She writes about the value of conscious grantmaking and its contribution to transformative development.
SCAT has provided me the opportunity to work in an organisation with conscious grantmaking at its core. At the foundation of SCAT’s approach is the belief that the power lies with the local development agencies (LDAs) and that our contribution is financial and technical. Being a funder and a fundraiser keeps us humble and aware of the environmental fluctuations which impact on our partners. Reaching the milestone of 35 years is no mean feat and is in part due to forward thinking trustees who in the late 90s decided to invest in a building which we sold for a healthy profit in 2008, and in the early 2000s to invest in Ditikeni Investments (an investment fund set up for the sustainability of the NGos that invested). These investments make up our sustainability fund and have provided a cushion when we needed it and flexibility when we want to try new things.
Sustainability is also about the governance of the organisation and we are extremely grateful to our founder trustees, those who worked with them, and our current trustees who took the baton and have carried the vision and purpose. We remain thankful to Barry Streek a founder trustee we lost to a brain tumour in 2006. We honour him with this book, an indigenous garden in Community House, and the Barry Streek Awards. Barry loved the written word and we know he would have been proud of what we have co-created with our partners. Aluta Continua SCATTIES!
SCAT GRANT FUNDING AND CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORT
SCAT Programme Director Seth Tladi writes how SCATs mission resonated with his passion for community development. He also explains how SCAT’s grant funding works.
I am passionate about community development and improving the quality of life of the poor and marginalised communities, and have been lucky to have spent most of my career working in rural areas. The role of the Programme Team that I lead in SCAT is to make our vision a reality and ensure that the LDAs we support are accountable for the funds they receive; are well governed; and are supported to address the issues that arise in their communities, promote local philanthropy and campaign against injustice. SCAT core grant funding to LDAs enables them to “keep their doors open” and as a result, more than 500 LDAs have been able to sustain their work over 35 years. This work includes: paralegal advice; creating awareness of rights violations; addressing gender based violence; monitoring local government service delivery; mediating conflicts;
seth tlAdi proGrAMMe director
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RuRal Voice ii: 35 stories for 35 years