From the outset, CBN has been blessed with friends. This is in every sense of the word – people who listen at dinner parties, people who come along and share their expertise in anything from archaeology to playing the cello, people who donate books; people who give their time to serve on our board. There have also, significantly, been friends who trust us enough to write cheques that enable us to keep working with children.
We like to think that there are two kinds of funding. Friend-Funding can happen when an organization is new, but is also applicable while the paper-chase to receive official recognition continues merrily. CBN is now in the final throes of the paper chase. We have our Not for Profit Organization (NPO) number. We have our financials in order and properly audited for three years. We have a bank account with First National Bank and the online banking works. We are registered for GivenGain. We are waiting for the last detail – a tax exemption certificate. All the paperwork for that has been finalised and we are told it will take ‘about two months’ to receive. Then we can begin Formal-Fund-Raising, applying to corporates and trust funds and – hopefully – achieving more stability.
In the meantime, we need to continue with our workshops and we need to fund the development of our toolboxes that will spread the reach of CBN to more and more children through teachers, librarians and teacher-librarians.
This, then, is an appeal. All contributions, however small, will be welcomed, acknowledged and used carefully. Please help us to take CBN further – to bring more books to more children and more children to more books.
We need money to pay for:
• Developing the toolbox project. There is more information on this on our website at – https://www.childrensbook.co.za/workshops/toolboxes
• Operational costs – telephone, petrol, retainers for staff and running expenses, book-keeping, stationery and art materials
• Workshop expenses including fees for facilitators and meals for children.
Image: Cellist Robert Jeffries playing Bach for children from Red Hill informal settlement
