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NGOs to brainstorm on ICT fundraising in Johannesburg
ALL major South African civil society organisations are set to converge in Johannesburg in two weeks to deliberate on how best they could use Information Communication Technology (ICT) to raise funding.
South African NGO Network (SANGONeT) Executive Director, David Barnard, told our reporters this afternoon (Tuesday) that the conferences would be held in the South African cities of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
The first conference will take place from 1-2 September in Johannesburg, then two more on 3 September in Durban before the final one on 6 September in Cape Town.
“The annual SANGONeT ICTs for Civil Society Conference is the premier ICT event dedicated to the work of the NGO sector in Southern Africa,” said Barnard.
“At a time when many Southern African NGOs are struggling to secure sufficient funding and other resources to sustain their work, raising money through the Internet, mobile phones and other online applications is gaining international importance.
“This is particularly evident during high-profile events such as disasters, political campaigns and targeted multi-channel media efforts that draw attention to a particular cause or campaign,” he said.
Barnarde said the three ICT conferences follow the success of the previous five events held under the banner of the sixth annual SANGONeT Conference, which focused on “Fundraising in the Digital World”.
“The challenge for NGOs, fundraisers and other development stakeholders in South Africa is to ensure that they are prepared to embrace and maximise current and future opportunities presented by a fast changing digital world,” he added.
The SANGONeT conference will explore these challenges by drawing on the experience of local and international experts, showcasing innovative projects, facilitating the transfer of skills and reflecting on NGOs’ future technology needs and requirements.
Ted Hart, a leading US fundraising expert, will be the keynote speaker at the Johannesburg conference, and will also present the seminars in Durban and Cape Town. He is the CEO of P2PFundraising and TedHart.Com, and founder and CEO of GreenNonprofits.org.
The three conferences will be attended by about 300 NGO practitioners, fundraisers, government officials, donors and representatives from the ICT industry interested in the use and application of digital tools in support of the work, and sustainability, of the NGO sector in Southern Africa.
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