Jean Marc Debricon: Greenshoots - From charity to sustainability

From charity to sustainabilitySocial Business Summit, 2-5 Oct 2013

GK Enchanted Farm - Bulacan, PhilippinesSocial Business Summit 2013

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What is charity all about?

• Philanthropists give to charities for i) good conscience, ii) goodimage and iii) tax relief

• Charities (try to) do good with that money• Perpetuating the philanthropic cycle:

• But is it sustainable?

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Donate

Dogood

Feelgood

Needmore

money

Needto feelgood


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Sustainability

• Oxford dictionary definition: “able to be maintained at a certain rate orlevel”, “conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion ofnatural resources”

• Brundtland Commission definition, UN March 1987: “sustainabledevelopment is development that meets the needs of the presentwithout compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirown needs”

• The three pillars of sustainability:

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The first principle of sustainability isthat it should be applied to oneself

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Why is sustainability good?

• Good governance

• Non-conducive global environment

• More competition amongst charities chasing the same funds

• Reduce donor dependency

• Manage liquidity risk

• If the charity itself is sustainable, it will find it easier to launch andmanage sustainable programmes

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Do more with less

• Less overheads

• More non-monetary income• Volunteers• Pro bono offices• Pro bono legal aid, accounting aid

• More strategic partnerships• With local NGOs• With players providing leverage

• More trading income• Charity shops• Social Businesses

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What we stand for

Our Vision:A world in which all people live in dignity and securityand are able to provide for their families

Our Mission:Help individuals and families in the poorest regions ofthe world by setting up microfinance, education andmedical Greenfield operations one community at a time


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Defining Green Shoots

Sowing the Seeds of Sustainable DevelopmentWhere it is Most Needed

Signs ofgrowth

Repair

Renewal

Expansion


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Our core values

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• Passion forsocial change

• Integrity• Respect• Compassion• Fair practice

• Transparency• Innovation• Best practice

projectmanagement

• Sustainability• Measurability


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Our initial focus

• Our initial focus was to set up microfinance Greenfields in regionswhere the poor had little/no access to fair financing

• Greenfields are new initiatives designed from scratch and that lack theconstraints imposed by existing frameworks

• Once a Greenfield reaches maturity,the funds would then be channeledto another Greenfield in its first stageof development

• This approach was reviewed anddeemed insufficient in light of theimportant correlation education andhealth have on the success (or failure)of economic development programmes

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Our expanded focus

• Poverty is a complex issue, it cannot be solved by simple solutions• Focus on Economic Development, Education and Medical Aid:

implementing synergetic/multi-purpose programmes in our Greenfields, inadequacy with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in order to breakthe cycle “disease/illness – lack of education – poverty”

• This is a more holistic approach, itsimplementation will be more difficult butits impact greater and more obvious

• Most importantly, we partner up withreputable, efficient and reliable localNGOs/charities/authorities

• Working with local partners contributes to greatersustainability (lower costs and long term viabilityof a locally empowered programmes)

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Our programmes

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EconomicDevelopment

Education MedicalAid

Vietnam: microfinancefor HIV/AIDS ruralcommunities. Partner:local authorities

Vietnam: microfinancefor HIV/AIDS ruralcommunities. Partner:local authorities

Kyrgyzstan: medicalassistance & education.Partner: NationalInfection Control Centre

Kyrgyzstan: medicalassistance & education.Partner: NationalInfection Control Centre

India: education loansfor slum girls. Partner:(Ujjivan)

India: education loansfor slum girls. Partner:(Ujjivan)

Philippines: sustainableagriculture and socialentrepreneurship.Partner: Gawad Kalinga

Philippines: sustainableagriculture and socialentrepreneurship.Partner: Gawad Kalinga

Cambodia: sustainableagriculture and socialentrepreneurship.Partner: Enfants duMekong, CIDO

Cambodia: sustainableagriculture and socialentrepreneurship.Partner: Enfants duMekong, CIDO

Myanmar: medicalassistance & education.Partner: Medical ActionMyanmar

Myanmar: medicalassistance & education.Partner: Medical ActionMyanmar


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Our implementation process

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Step1: identify a region with a specific need

Step 2: define a programme addressing that need

Step 3: partner up with a reputable, efficientand reliable local NGO/charity/authority

Step 4: fund and launch a pilot

Step 5: assess the impact andadjust/grow/terminate or replicate


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Ex.1: sustainable support to ruralcommunities• Food & Agriculture and Social Entrepreneurship (FASE)• In Cambodia, focus on i) lack of education, ii) sustainable

farming techniques=> vocational vegetable gardens by schools/education

centers• In the Philippines, focus on i) social capital, ii) rural

entrepreneurship=> volunteer programme

• Sustainability means that• we work together with local partners• we provide them what we have a competitive advantage

for• We provide what we can afford!

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Ex.2: sustainable medical education

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• Medical Assistance & Medical Education (MAME)• 2-week HIV medicine fellowship in London:

• Flights and visa• Accommodation• Food• Local transports• Access to HIV conference• Intensive training at:

• Chelsea & Westminster Hospital• Royal Free Hospital• Charring Cross Hospital• King’s College Hospital• St Stephens AIDS Trust• Soho AIDS clinic

• How do we measure sustainability?i) effective knowledge transfer, ii) impact and iii) low cost £2,500 (US$4,000)

Identify aneed

Identify aneed

Find a localpartner

Find a localpartner

Selectcandidates

Selectcandidates

CustomisefellowshipCustomisefellowship

Follow-up onknowledge

transfer

Follow-up onknowledge

transfer


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How can you help?

• Make a donation towards one of ourprogrammes

• Introduce us to your network

• Help us find Volunteers for our programmes:• Short term (1 week) missions for

business professionals• Medium term (2-6 months) missions

for medically trained professionals,sabbatical leaves

• Long term missions (6-24 months)for graduates and post graduates

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Thank youGreen Shoots FoundationP.O. Box 63678London, SW11 9BDUK

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For further information please contact :

Jean-Marc [email protected]: +44 7595 600 766

UK charity number 1138412

General enquiries:[email protected]:www.greenshootsfoundation.org


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Jean Marc Debricon: Greenshoots - From charity to sustainability

Documents

sustainability good

pillars of sustainability

good conscience

microfinance greenfields

initial focus

stageof development

fair financing greenfields

tax relief charities