332 organisations in GBV sector get funding from Solidarity Fund

The Gender-based violence Selection and Evaluation Panel of the Solidarity Fund has approved 321 community-based organisations (CBOs) and 11 large public benefit organisations (PBOs) with systemic impact to receive funding.

In November 2020, the Solidarity Fund put a call out for applications from potential beneficiary organisations in the gender-based violence (GBV) sector, who would benefit from a once-off grant from the fund.

This call formed part of the Solidarity Fund’s second GBV intervention programme in support of the national effort to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns.

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The value of the funding is R61, 25 million and R9, 99 million respectively and will impact approximately four million individuals through organisations providing services across the country.

The fund originally allocated R50 million to this second intervention. The allocation was bolstered when the UK, through the British High Commission, issued a grant of R50 million, R25 million of which was allocated to the fund’s GBV initiative- bringing the total to R75 million. Approximately five percent of the funding was allocated to the administration costs of the project.

The funds are to be disbursed in the form of once-off grants, ranging from R50, 000 to R250, 000 for CBOs and R250, 000 to R1 million for larger programmes working to combat GBV at a systemic level. This funding will allow these organisations to increase their capacity to deliver GBV-related services in response to the GBV epidemic.

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A total of 11 organisations will receive just under R10 million in funding to implement systemic change programmes and initiatives across the country.

This is estimated to directly benefit around 89, 000 people and catalyse change that will benefit many more. The largest distribution of funding will go to the following provinces: Gauteng- 25% , Western Cape- 16%, KwaZulu-Natal- 14%, and North West- 11%.

Among other criteria, CBO organisations were judged on their ability to offer services and support in the three key pillars related to GBV. As such, 46 percent of funding goes towards prevention, 35 percent to response and 19 percent to access to justice.

The successful applicants should be issued with grant agreements this week, while unsuccessful applicants will be notified by the end of February, via email.

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“There can be no doubt that there are thousands of organisations doing important and impactful work in this field. Ultimately, however, many did not meet the criteria as set out or make it through the screening process. All along the way, tough decisions had to be made to ensure that the limited funds could be applied as effectively as possible in areas that they could make the biggest impact,” said Wendy Tlou, the executive head of the fund’s humanitarian pillar.

This article was republished from Phoenix Sun with permission 

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