By Dipo Olowookere
Market and technology leader for cloud accounting, people & payroll, and payment systems, Sage, has launched the second round of funding from Sage Foundation’s Enterprise Fund, which supports the creation of either new or piloted entrepreneurial programmes to help improve the lives of military veterans, young people or women and girls in Africa and Sage’s local communities around the world.
Every day, across Africa, inspiring non-profit leaders, volunteers and their supporters are working tirelessly to make their communities better places to live.
Sage Foundation’s Enterprise Fund has been designed to support small non-profits with exceptional, original ideas on the brink of delivering real change, take a bold step forward when they are unable to make their idea a reality due to lack of funds.
After awarding $500,000, through over 30 grants, across 15 Sage countries earlier in 2017, Sage Foundation will open the next wave of $500,000 until November 28; grants between $10,000-$25,000 will then be awarded to successful applicants.
In South Africa, the New Africa Education Foundation has received a $10,000 grant towards a project that will provide mobile libraries to disadvantaged schools.
CEO of the New Africa Education Foundation, Ahmed Motala, stated that, “We are delighted to partner with Sage Foundation to boost literacy in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Our mobile libraries can be wheeled from one classroom to another, making books more accessible for learners in communities with poor access to libraries. Support from Sage Foundation is helping us to expand a project that will enable many learners to boost their performance at school and work towards a brighter future.”
Sage Foundation is committed to helping small, frontline organisations, therefore the fund is only open to organisations with an income that is less than $2M, and projects or initiatives have been operational for two years or less.
Sage Foundation is especially keen to support organisations that have ambitions to expand, grow and deliver sustainable change. It is also hoped that the fund will support traditionally hard to fundraise needs such as; capital projects and core running costs.
“There are many passionate people in African non-profit organisations who have great ideas that could make a real difference, but they need access to funding to take action,” says Joanne van der Walt (http://apo.af/1U5ird), Sage Foundation Programme Manager for Africa.
“We aim to help small charities bring their innovative ideas to life so that they, in turn, can deliver positive, sustainable change for people and communities who need their support.”
Since January 2016, Sage Foundation has been taking action to build sustainable social, economic and entrepreneurial opportunities in Sage’s local communities around the world. By investing and supporting non-profit partners that are helping people reach their true potential, Sage are committed to doing business the right way.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Modupe Gbadeyanka