Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

19 June 2024

Post No. 357

The Week’s Contents

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop Business Plan – Activity 4 for the Match Period 19 to 25/06/2024

• Project 30 – Act 2: Development of Sustainable Initiatives (17 to 23/06/2024)

• Cover Basic Spending for the Distressed Children in Africa This Summer

… And much more!

Key Messages

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop Business Plan – Activity 4 for the Match Period 19 to 25/06/2024

The financial and monitoring tests of the charity shop project have been conducted to find out the financial viability of the project. In project appraisal parlance, it means that the charity shop project has shown some positive results since it has passed some of the financial test criteria, including vulnerability test.

However, there is still a sticking point which is the not-for-profit (n-f-p) impact investor would like the Africa-based Sister Organisation (ASCO) to provide some evidence in terms of probable sales to indicate that there are palpable supplies of goods donations. So, the sales test is still pending.

To resolve the matter, both parties (i.e., ASCO and the n-f-p investor) have decided to engage in looking at the business plan for the charity shop project. What is a business plan?

According to ‘coursera.org’ (1),

“A business plan is a written document that defines your business goals and tactics to achieve those goals. A business plan typically explores the competitive landscape of an industry, analyses a market and different customer segments within it, describes the products and services, lists business strategies for success, and outlines financial planning”.

The business plan will help to provide some answers to some of the questions that came out about the sales test. This is because from the perspective of the n-f-p impact investor it is too risky for ASCO to open up a charity shop without having at least a list of people who will donate products or items that will make the initial stock for the charity shop. Therefore, ASCO needs to demonstrate that it has a good number of potential goods donors. It is required to provide their names and addresses including the types, quantity and quality of the items they will donate to build start-up stock for the charity shop.

Because of this sticking point, the n-f-p impact investor would like to see in detail the project of creating the charity shop. In other words, he/she wants to look at the business plan (that is, the complete plan including all the financial forecasts) for the charity shop to make an informed judgement on the financial forecasts, budgets and the business model of the charity shop.

To reach an agreement at the end of this Activity 4, the stumbling block relating to the sales test must satisfy the two parties (i.e., charity shop founder and charity shop investor). Where the two (i.e., investee and investor) need support, CENFACS will work with each party to fill the gap.

More details about Activity 4 can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

• Project 30 – Act 2: Development of Sustainable Initiatives (17 to 23/06/2024)

For all the problems that people faced and that led to the creation of CENFACS, the responses to their problems lied on the development of sustainable initiatives with them. In this Act 2 of CENFACS‘ creation, we are looking at the forms and types of responses we worked together with local people in order to respond to their problems or simply their needs. We did it together through the development of sustainable initiatives.

• • What Are Sustainable Initiatives from CENFACS’ Perspective?

They are the practical and actionable steps we took together with local people and Africa-based Sister Organisations to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development via the reduction of environmental foot print and the promotion of long-term ecological balance.

From this perspective, the development of sustainable initiatives was about advancing relationships, practices and procedures that we thought would become a lasting part or legacy of our work on sustainability. To enable us to develop those initiatives, we needed programmes and plans of action so that we could increase or maximise the impact of our work with both the locals and Africa-based Sister Organisations. They make up and explain Act 2 of the Tricennium.

• • What Act 2 Will Be about?

Act 2 is about answering (with those who work with us during the tricennial time) the following questions:

∝ Did we achieve our goals during the tricennial period?

∝ What were our initiatives?

∝ Did our initiatives respond to the expectations of or bring an impact to those in need?

∝ What were the problems that our initiatives faced and how did we get around them?

∝ Did we have enough money for the realisation of the grandiose idea of enhancing sustainable development?

∝ Did these initiatives help our noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction?

In this Act 2, we would like to answer the questions relating to the development of sustainable initiatives. We would like as well those who came across CENFACS‘ sustainable initiatives to share their feelings about them. They can participate in the discussion about them.

As explained above, Project 30 is about learning from this past and spot the future trends for poverty relief in an ever changing development landscape. From the experience we had together with locals and Africa-based Sister Organisations, we can together spot ways of improving the design and development of our sustainable initiatives.

The above is the second Act of the Tricennium. For those who would like to support this Act and/or Project 30, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• Cover Basic Spending for the Distressed Children in Africa This Summer

Cover Basic Spending for the Distressed Children, Young People and Families in Africa is one of the Summer Appeal projects making the first part of our Summer Programme, which will be published soon.

The appeal is about supporting children, young people and families (CYPFs), in places in Africa where there is already high level of poverty, particularly in spaces where governments have lost sovereignty or control because of continuing and polarising conflicts and insecurity in some parts of Africa.

Supporting this appeal means helping CYPFs to minimise and mitigate the impacts of continuing conflict and insecurity on them. Your support will help to reduce the risks and impacts that the polarising conflicts and insecurity can make in terms of tragedy, intergenerational poverty, etc. Your assistance is required to respond to CYPFs’ distress signals.

One can think of a child or young person without any dreams and expectations, what will be his/her future, especially in spaces (like north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo) where there is enduring deterioration of security conditions in conflict-affected areas.

Can you help this child? Yes or No!

If you say yes; then…

√ you can help that child to dream and expect for a better life and future

√ you can help stop polarised conflicts to become a structural constraint and handicap for that child

√ you can help stop endless insecurity to create lifelong adverse impacts on children and young people

√ you can help stop children’s and young people’s lives being reduced back below the poverty line

√ you can stop the lost generation of polarised conflicts to happen in Africa.

To make the above happen, support ‘Cover Basic Spending for the Distressed Children, Young People and Families in Africa’.

To support, please contact CENFACS on this website.

Extra Messages

• Thanksgiving Days: Supporters’ Days (24 to 30 June 2024)

• Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households – In Focus from Week Beginning Monday 24/06/2024: Outcome and Evaluation about Resilience Intervention for Households

• Execution of CEDM (Creative Economic Development Month) 2024 Sub-themes: Third Codes (from Week Beginning Monday 17/06/2024)

• Thanksgiving Days: Supporters’ Days (24 to 30 June 2024)

The last week of June is a thanksgiving one in accordance to CENFACS development calendar. From 24 to 30 June 2024, we will be thanking all our supporters (current and past ones).

We would like to take the opportunity of the end of June to thank them (and you if you are one of them) for helping…

CENFACS IN ENHANCING AND SUSTAINING FREEDOMS AND CAPABILITIES BY WORKING IN ALLIANCE WITH LOCAL PEOPLE TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES.

• • What Do Mean by Thanking Days or Supporters’ Days?

These are Special Days of Thank You within CENFACS we would like to dedicate to all those who contributed to our work for any types of support they have given us over this financial year. This dedication is normally held in the last week of and by the end of June. For this year, Thank-you Days will be held from 24 to 30 June 2024 in order to keep our tradition.

As we are in CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month and Year of Transitions, we shall find all sorts of creative, innovative, transitioning and communicative ways of thanking our invaluable supporters and backers.

These thanking ways may include the following:

√ Conversing with our supporters over phones

√ Signing and sending thank-you prints or e-cards to them

√ Telling them the stories or outcomes about the people and communities they helped through their support

√ E-mailing, texting and tweeting them with messages of gratitude

√ Telling and sharing thank-you stories

√ Playing and listening with them music and songs of thank you

√ Making and playing thank-you videos and films

√ Giving back to them by volunteering our time to the cause they deeply care about

√ Undertaking a free translation service (French to English and vice versa)

√ Reading African poems and poetry

√ Sending to them digital, generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) and technologically animated thank-you messages

√ Doing creative and design works symbolising thank you

√ Sending out designed and hand crafted made objects and crafts of acknowledgement

√ Making video calls if we cannot have in-person contact with them

Etc.

If you are one of the CENFACS’ supporters, please we would like to let you know the Thanking Days at CENFACS are your Days. Do not hesitate to get in touch, if you do not mistakenly hear from us.

We will welcome you, reconnect with you and thank you on the occasion for the helpful difference you made to our work and project beneficiaries, and for being with us on the side of those in need especially during this challenging year of the lingering effects of the polycrises.

Your invaluable support has meant a lot for our programmes and project beneficiaries over this ending financial year.

We would like to express all our sincere gratitude to you for helping us to help reduce poverty – CENFACS’ noble and beautiful cause.

We would like as well to say thank you for making our voice heard especially in ever challenging world of polycrises and where the voices of the small are sometimes ignored or simply forgotten.

For further details, please contact CENFACS’ Thanksgiving-End-of-June-2024 Team.

• Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households – In Focus from Week Beginning Monday 24/06/2024: Outcome and Evaluation about Resilience Intervention for Households

Outcome and Evaluation about Resilience for Households is about finding out if the system intervention (here Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households) has improved or will improve the capacities and addresses the vulnerabilities of the households making the CENFACS Community. To know that, there are questions to ask and to answer.

• • Questions Relating to Outcome and Evaluation

Two of the questions many households would ask about a project like Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households are:

a) what is the outcome from this project?

b) how do you evaluate this project?

In project planning and delivery languages, these two questions fall under outcome monitoring and impact evaluation. It means getting all the changes and effects that may result from this project and forming the judgement about the worth of this project.

From the project users’ view, households would want to know what is the result from this project in terms of strengthening resilience of households and the extent to which this project would improve the capacities and addresses vulnerability issues.

• • Responses Relating to Outcome and Evaluation

The responses to the above mentioned questions can be provided by the project participants themselves. They can explain the following:

a) the conversion of project inputs (resources put into project to deliver outcomes) into outputs (services and facilities delivered)

b) if the project met their requirements and needs

c) whether or not the benefits of this intervention will continue in the future.

The above is the fourth way of working with households on resilience matter.

For those households that need support regarding their resilience matters and in particular to Outcome and Evaluation about Resilience Intervention for Households, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• • Final Word about Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households

This project or resilience process of support to households is CENFACS‘ way of working with households to support them. It is part of informing them and working with them to stay resilient in face any shocks or stresses or polycrises they may come across. It is difficult to avoid the impacts of some types of shocks, stresses and polycrises; but resilience rebuilding techniques can help reduce these impacts.

Many of these households have their own resilience skills and capacity as well as defensive capability. However, this does not stop them to improve or add more tools to stay even more resilient than they are. Also, the project has provided the opportunity to share amongst them, and between each other resilience experience.

• Execution of CEDM (Creative Economic Development Month) 2024 Sub-themes: Third Codes (from Week Beginning Monday 17/06/2024)

We are continuing to decode the codes for our CEDM Working Weeks and Plan. The current codes, which need to be decoded, for each sub-theme are

√ CENFACS as an inspiring and transformative creation

√ Creations and innovations that are related to people’s/households’ transition operations for a climate-resilient future

√ Creations and innovations to change our poverty reduction system

√ Creations and innovations linked to household spending protection run by institutions and organisations.

Those who would like to engage with the CEDM 2024 can choose amongst the above-mentioned codes and contact CENFACS for decoding them.

For example, if one wants to know more about CENFACS as an Inspiring and Transformative Creation, they can contact. CENFACS will explain them and provide evidence how it inspired and being the force of changing lives from poverty to reduced poverty. They can also take the opportunity of the Tricennium to participate or support any events linked to CENFACS as an Inspiring and Transformative Creation.

Likewise, to transition to a climate-resilient future, it requires creations and innovations in terms of transition operations. For example, one of the areas of transition is to embrace the circular economic model. If they are struggling to embrace it, they can work with CENFACS to improve the way they operate to reuse, recycle and refurbish their household items. These operations will help materials not to be wasted and contribute to the upkeep of the nature. Those who would like to work with CENFACS on their transition operations (that is, the methods of working to transition), they can let CENFACS know.

Equally, to change our system for poverty reduction, it demands creations and innovations. Those who will be interested in working with us to change our/their system for poverty reduction through creations and innovations, they should not hesitate to communicate with CENFACS.

Finally, to improve the way some institutions and organisations deal with your spending protection matter, certain creations and innovations may be needed. You can help them improve those changes that affect your life. Those households that would like to work with us on creations and innovations to improve the way different institutions and organisations deal with their spending protection, they can as well contact us/CENFACS.

The above is the third execution of our CEDM 2024 Working Weeks and Plan.

For those who may be interested in any of the third codes of each sub-theme of this plan, they can contact CENFACS for decoding them.

For those who would like to learn more about CEDM 2024, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

Message in French (Message en français)

• Ateliers en ligne sur les arts et le dessin

Nous avons deux ateliers en ligne pour le Mois du Développement Économique Créatif.

• • Atelier en ligne 1: Fabrication et envoi d’une carte papier ou d’une carte électronique exprimant le thème de la restauration des terres, de la désertification et de la résilience à la sécheresse

La construction fera écho au thème de célébration de la Journée Mondiale de l’Environnement (2) du 05/06/2024.

Les participants à l’atelier en ligne peuvent créer et envoyer une carte postale ou une carte électronique exprimant le thème de la restauration des terres, de la désertification et de la résilience à la sécheresse.

Pour ceux ou celles qui essaient de concevoir et d’envoyer ce type de carte papier (carte-p) ou une carte électronique (carte-e) comme moyen de participer au Mois du Développement Économique Créatif, veuillez vous assurer que le message de lutte contre la pauvreté que vous transmettez est sans confusion.

• • e-Workshop 2: Fabrication et envoi d’une carte papier (carte-p) ou d’une carte électronique (carte-e) à l’appui de la Journée Mondiale de la Désertification et de la Sécheresse 2024 qui s’est tenue le 17 juin dernier

Le deuxième atelier en ligne porte sur la construction et l’affichage de cartes similaires en tant qu’expressions ou moyens de faire face à la sécheresse pour faire écho à la Journée Mondiale de Lutte contre la Désertification et la Sécheresse qui s’est tenue le 17/06/2024. Le thème de la Journée de la Désertification et de la Sécheresse 2024 (3) est « Unis pour la terre. Notre héritage. Notre avenir“.

Il existe des critères et des directives pour la conception de votre carte postale ou électronique. On peut suivre les critères et les directives de conception de cartes du CENFACS pour les ateliers en ligne Arts et Dessin 1 et 2, et concevoir sa carte postale ou électronique.

• • Critères d’un bon dessin de carte

Lors de la conception d’une carte, il vaut mieux que votre œuvre d’art ou de dessin

√ contribue aux objectifs de développement inclusif et durable

√ est un moteur et un catalyseur des processus de développement durable

√ est fondée sur des données ou des preuves en tant qu’expression de réalités

√ est conforme aux objectifs et aux cibles de réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre

√ est capable de déboucher sur de nouvelles voies pour l’économie créative

√ réfléchit au développement économique créatif

√ se connecte aux différents secteurs de l’économie créative

√ ajoute de la valeur aux solutions fondées sur la nature pour résoudre les problèmes de conception

√ est propice à de nouvelles opportunités de développement durable

√ soutient l’apprentissage et l’innovation pour la réduction de la pauvreté et le développement durable

√ ouvre la possibilité d’un modèle de collaboration

√ touche les problèmes de changement climatique (comme la restauration des terres, de la désertification et de la résilience à la sécheresse)

√ traite des questions de durabilité (comme la conservation de la nature)

√ développe une culture de lutte contre la pauvreté et de développement durable.

Bien que ces critères semblent être assez nombreux, il suffirait d’en répondre autant que possible dans la conception de votre carte-p ou carte-e.

Ainsi, ceux ou celles qui le veulent et le souhaitent peuvent concevoir et poster une carte électronique ou un objet électronique pour présenter ces thèmes. Ceux ou celles qui ont besoin d’en savoir plus sur ces critères et lignes directrices peuvent en informer le CENFACS.

Pour créer et envoyer votre carte ou vous renseigner sur les ateliers en ligne sur l’art et le dessin pour lutter contre la pauvreté, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

Pour soutenir le Mois du Développement Économique Créatif du CENFACS, veuillez également communiquer avec le CENFACS.

Main Development

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop Business Plan – Activity 4 for the Match Period 19 to 25/06/2024

As introduced in the Key Messages, the n-f-p impact investor would like to see in detail the project of creating the charity shop. In other words, he/she wants to look at the business plan for the charity shop to make an informed judgement on the financial forecasts, budgets and the business model of the charity shop. In these notes, we are going to highlight the different aspects of the charity shop business plan they (the charity shop founder and the charity shop investor) need to agree upon.

To explain how they are going to do it and what is going to happen in this Activity 4, we have organised our notes around the following headings:

∝ What Is a Business Plan?

∝ Probable Sales and Sales Forecast

∝ Key Areas of the Start-up Business Plan to Be Clarified by ASCO

∝ Reaching an Agreement on the Key Areas of the Start-up Business Plan

∝ The Match or Fit Test

∝ Concluding Note on Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

Let us look at each of these headings.

• • What Is a Business Plan?

The definition of a business plan used here comes from ‘coursera.org’ (op. cit.) which states that

Using this definition, the charity shop business plan has to display that the analyse of charity shop sector or industry has been thoroughly conducted together with the segmentation of customers where the charity shop project will operate.

• • Probable Sales and Sales Forecast

To show that once the shop is launched there will be something to sell, the charity shop business plan must contain a list of people with contact details indicating that they are prepared or promised to donate goods to the charity shop to be launched. The charity shop business plan should as well provide some key figures about the estimation of the potential demand for the goods to be donated. With on one hand the promised supply of goods and the potential demand/buyers, it is possible to work out some figures as probable sales. All the information about goods donors and buyers is to be quantified and checkable, although there are only estimates or forecasts.

ASCO can provide its sales forecast as follows:

(number of unites to sell x price for each unit) – (cost per unit x number of units)

ASCO can list its members, supporters and other people sympathising with its deserving cause who have agreed or are willing to donate goods to kick off the charity shop. ASCO can undertake a certain number of initiatives to find goods donors such as

~ organise events to sell the idea of charity shop so that it can raise more goods donations

~ advertise locally for goods donations and purchases

~ make a global appeal for goods donations

~ run a small pilot initiative of getting goods donations and selling them to its members or local people.

It needs to prove all this in the business plan as evidence of highly probable supplies of goods that will be converted into sales outcome, in order to win the argument.

This is because the n-f-p impact investor wants evidence, not words or good intentions only, that the will-be-launched charity shop can sell and break-even. He/she wants to see that the charity shop project is a profitable outlet/retail that will generate the income that ASCO is looking for its good and worthy cause.

• • Key Areas of the Start-up Business Plan to Be Clarified by ASCO

Without going into all aspects of the charity shop business plan, let us provide some key highlights on the following areas: marketing plan and strategies, brand strategy, competitor analysis, goods donations, financial plan, cash flow forecasts and operating budgets, details of the financial support and financial monitoring tools.

Let us look at each of these areas.

• • • Marketing plan and strategies

The charity shop business plan will include a marketing budget and the details of market research supported by a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis.

The n-f-p impact investor would like to know if ASCO’s plan is based on the analysis of hard factual data. He/she will check the different parts of ASCO’s marketing plan. He/she looks at the key points and issues of this plan such as the strengths and weaknesses of the products to be offered, the potential product development, the influencers on the charity shop (i.e., customers and competitors) and the available resource to deliver the marketing plan.

• • • Brand strategy

The strategy for the charity shop maker’s name and trademark should be visible in the business plan. ASCO can demonstrate that it has a brand identity reflecting the charity shop values, charitable mission, vision and personality. One of its values is the reduction of poverty and hardships amongst poor people where the shop will operate. And ASCO’s brand strategy needs to convey this charitable value. The charity shop business plan must highlight ASCO’s brand strategy. The n-f-p impact investor will investigate that ASCO has well developed its brand strategy.

ASCO is also obliged to show that it has a plan to position the charity shop in the market to differentiate from the existing competition and to catch customers’ perception.

• • • Competitor analysis

ASCO will provide an assessment of potential competitors, their offers, and marketing and sales efforts; even if the charity shop will operate in rural or remote area of Africa. The n-f-p impact investor wants to know if ASCO has properly explored its competitive market analysis.

• • • Goods donations

The n-f-p impact investor would like to understand the relationships between marketing, sales and goods donations. He/she wants to know the stock of goods to be donated and the price these goods will be sold to have an indication of the profit they can generate. ASCO’s business plan must clearly explain these relationships.

• • • Financial plan

ASCO is required to explain that it has a strategy for turning the idea of charity shop into profitable venture. To materialise this, the charity shop business plan will contain the calculation of the projected break-even (that is, point at which sufficient goods or services will be sold to cover the cost of sales or the level of activity at which the charity shop will make neither a profit nor a loss).

• • • Financial forecast statements

ASCO’s financial forecast will include

σ the forecasted profit and loss statement

σ the projected balance sheet

σ the projected cash flow statement.

It is around these statements that the matching negotiations will happen. These three financial statements have to stick together and talk to each other. If they do not stick together or do not talk to each other, the charity shop investor may try to walk away.

For example, the estimates that are used to work out cash coming in and going out have to be accurate. Another example, cash flow forecasting is based on budget (that is, financial and/or a quantitative plan of operation for the coming accounting period) . Therefore, there should be a clear link between the numbers in the budgets and those in the cash flow statements.

• • • Details of the financial support

A good business plan will indicate where the money will come from to finance it. So, the details of the financial support needed to start the charity shop should be revealed by ASCO. It is good to know if ASCO will heavily rely on the support from the n-f-p impact investor or not. The details of financial support can reveal as well if ASCO will use a funding mixed or blended strategy.

• • • Financial monitoring tools

ASCO will provide useful financial monitoring tools or calculations to show that the project will be monitored and its performance will be financially tracked. It can explain the financial ratios or metrics below.

ASCO can, for example, use the following financial ratios and metrics linked to the projected balance sheet:

∝) Working Capital = Current Assets – Current Liabilities

∝) Current Assets / Current Liabilities

∝) Debt-to-Assets Ratio

Another example, ASCO can as well employ financial ratios and metrics below related to its cash flow projections:

∝) Cash Return on Assets = Cash Flow from Operations (CFO) / Average Total Assets

∝) Cash to Capital Expenditure = CFO / Capital Expenditure

∝) Cash Flow to Net Income = CFO / Net Income

A further example, ASCO can appeal to financial ratios and metrics connected to the projected profitability of the charity shop, such as

∝) Gross Profit Margin = (Gross Profit / Sales) x 100

∝) Net Profit Margin = (Net Income / Sales) x 100

The above-mentioned ratios and metrics, which ASCO has to clearly explain, need to demonstrate that the project will be worth undertaken and a successful outcome. ASCO can use these ratios and metrics as financial monitoring tools to explain the n-f-p impact investor how it has planned to track the performance of the charity shop.

It is important to stress that financial figures or numbers from the financial forecast should not only speak for themselves. ASCO will be expected to explain them.

• • Reaching an Agreement on the Key Areas of the Start-up Business Plan

The two sides (ASCO and the n-f-p impact investor) need to reach an agreement on the key areas of the start-up business plan to be clarified by ASCO. If there is a disagreement between ASCO (charity shop founder) and n-f-p impact investor (charity shop investor), this could open up the possibility for a match/fit test. The match/fit test can be carried out to try to help the two sides. The match/fit test can also be undertaken if there is a disagreement on any of aspects of the charity shop business plan.

• • The Match or Fit Test

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p charity shop investor’s view on ASCO’s business plan must be matched with the information coming out of ASCO’s business plan. In other words, ASCO’s definition and explanation of charity shop business goals and tactics to achieve those goals must be accepted by the n-f-p charity shop investor in order for the latter to invest in the charity shop.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the investor wants and what ASCO is saying about its business plan, between what the investor would like the business plan to say and what ASCO’s business plan is really saying), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this fourth round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

• • • Impact Advice to ASCO and Guidance to n-f-p Property Investor

CENFACS can impact advise ASCOs (charity shop founders) to improve the presentation of their business plan. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p charity shop investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of business plan to a format that can be agreeable by potential ASCOs. CENFACS’ impact advice for ASCOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p charity shop investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

• • • The Rule of the Matching Game

The rule of the game is the more charity shop investors are attracted by ASCOs’ (charity shop founders’) business plan the better for ASCOs. Likewise, the more ASCOs can successfully respond to charitable shop investors’ level of enquiries and queries about the business plan the better for investors. In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., founder and investor).

The above is the fourth activity of the Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up a charity shop and n-f-p charity shop investors looking for organisations that are interested in giving, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

• • • CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses

The Hub can help to use analysis tools to test assumptions and determine how likely something is within a given standard of accuracy. The Hub can assist to

√ clean, merge and prepare micro-data sources for testing, modelling and analysis

√ conduct data management and administration

√ carry out regression analysis, estimate and test hypotheses

√ interpret and analyse patterns or trends in data or results.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this fourth activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• • Concluding Note on Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

African charities like other for-profit organisations can set up a charity shop to enable them to back up their charitable mission and vision. They can do it within the powers they have been given by their legislators and their governing rules (e.g., articles of association). However, they need to make sure that the newly formed charity shop can generate enough income so that the more the difference between the sales revenue and the costs of those sales is, the better they can find the financial resources they need to allocate to their worthy causes.

There are not-for-profit impact investors who can help them to either to start or develop their idea of having an income-generating outlet. Where African charities, we mean CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs), experience some difficulties in finding these types of investors, CENFACS can work with ASCOs to source them.

Equally, for n-f-p impact investors who are looking for Africa-based organisations to invest in but they are not sure which organisation that can be their investee, CENFACS can as well work with these investors so that their investment is channelled to the right organisation, at the right moment and to the right cause. CENFACS can match ASCOs’ need to find an investor and n-f-p impact investor’s desire to get an investee.

The match probability can be high or average or low depending on how much ASCOs’ needs meet property investors’ interests. CENFACS will make sure that this match is the strongest possible one.

CENFACS is available to work with ASCOs that are looking for Impact Advice and Not-for-profit Investors who need Guidance with Impact so that the former can find the investment they are looking for and the latter the organisation to invest in, and both of them can realise their respective Summer dreams.

To work together to make your matching dream come true by finding your ideal investee or investor, please contact CENFACS.

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• References

(1) https://www.coursera.org/articles/busness-plan (accessed in June 2024)

(2) https://www.worldenvironmentday.global (accessed in June 2024)

(3) https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2024 (accessed in June 2024)

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• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS. Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop Business Plan