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- The non-profit sector has been dealt another financial blow with the announcement by StreetSmart South Africa of its permanent closure.
- The Green Point-based organisation raised funds for street children’s education, skills training and family reunification programmes. This it did through partnerships with restaurants, benefactor organisations and sponsors.
- Since its establishment 18 years ago, the organisation raised about R14 million for children’s charities.
The non-profit sector has been dealt another financial blow with the announcement by StreetSmart South Africa of its permanent closure.
The Green Point-based organisation raised funds for street children’s education, skills training and family reunification programmes. This it did through partnerships with restaurants, benefactor organisations and sponsors.
Since its establishment 18 years ago, the organisation raised about R14 million for children’s charities.
StreetSmart ceased fundraising last week, but not before disbursing a final R500 000 to 19 children’s charities across the country.
The organisation was founded under the leadership of Margi Biggs and the late Archbishop-emeritus Desmond Tutu as its patron.
Board chair Zaid Adams said in a press statement, restaurants and business patrons of participating fundraising partners would donate.
“The organisation is shutting its doors because it can no longer cover its own running costs,” he explained. “Until now these have been funded by sponsorships, fundraisers, corporate and other donor organisations, whose own pressures have been mounting in the face of the persistently depressed South African economy.”
Adams said StreetSmart’s aim was to always ensure every rand raised by their fundraising partners goes towards helping children to build life and learning skills.
He said since the post-Covid bounce-back fundraising partners had started to return, but clearly not enough.
“The simple reality is that in the present economic climate financial support from other sponsors, donors and various fundraising initiatives has proven insufficient to cover our own costs.
“That makes it impossible for us to continue operating. We will cease fundraising at the end of this month. This will be followed by a final audit before winding the company down.”
He confirmed that since 2005, StreetSmart has:
Disbursed R14 million to 36 charitable organisations working with children
Funded more than 304 different programmes to improve the lives of children
Helped more than 18 000 vulnerable children and their families
Colleen Pietersen, founder of TLC Outreach Projects, based in Table View, said they were one of the organisation’s first beneficiaries 18 years ago.
“I fully understand that funding was scarce,” she said. “We took a bit of a knock because obviously we’re dependent on that. But I am grateful and appreciative of all the years that the agency helped us. My heart breaks because it was a strong organisation and worked so hard behind the scenes to make a difference for children living on the streets.”
Pietersen said organisations are always in need of a cash boost.
“We cater for 400 kids and provide 1 600 meals per month. Funding is difficult in general.
“Last year, 2023, was the weakest year for us. We managed to pull through and I am hoping that this year will be a better year for us.”
Michelle Bagley, communications and fundraising manager for the Amy Foundation, said they have been receiving funding for about 10 years.
“It is devastating to know that a non-profit that has been around for this long has not been able to get the amount of funding to able to run the fantastic programmes. We were able to use some of the funding from StreetSmart to run programmes like our academic support programme.”
She said this is a stark reminder of how fragile the NPO sector is especially during this economic downturn.
“Hopefully at some stage StreetSmart will be resurrected, since it has always been a beacon of hope and catalyst for positive change,” Adams said.
“It is very sad, but the board is proud of the real impact we have made in children’s lives over the past almost 19 years. We are proud of surviving Covid and very proud that we close this chapter with a significant R500 000 donation to children’s welfare. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all who have supported us over almost 19 years and made these donations possible.”
