THE INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS OF KENYA
(Established under the Accountants Act, Laws of Kenya)
GRANTS MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SEMINAR
Date: 30th May – 3rd June 2022
Venue: Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa, Mombasa
Theme: Enhancing NPO sector compliance for accountability and transparency
Overview
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or Not for Profit Organisations as they are commonly known are organizations are known to support and act on various causes. These causes differ based on the focus areas NGOs have. Each NGO is unique from each other. The likelihood of NGOs having the same focus area may be high, but their mission and vision, alongside their reasons for operating, will differ.
Generally, NGOs are focused on giving aid and support for further development, regardless of the themes set out. However, NGOs at current face several problems which they are not always prepared for. Despite the good intentions of these organisations, it is unfortunate that some of them face a myriad of challenges, including but not limited to the ones highlighted below:
Lack of Funds
An NGOs goal doesn’t lie on accomplishing a project alone. After the success of a certain project, NGOs would want to maintain contact with their beneficiaries and make sure continuous progress is happening. Apart from that, NGOs would also want to be able to help more individuals and communities depending on their needs. To do so, NGOs need to constantly acquire funds. In some cases, NGOs become complacent and simply wait for donations or previous supporters to contact them. This practice will in no way contribute to the successes of an NGO. Although partner organizations and supporters will want to continually support an NGOs causes, they may possibly see more potential in other organizations and decide to fund others instead. Not having enough funds not only pose difficulties in accomplishing projects, but it also puts NGOs in jeopardy given that there are also many operational costs.
As a way of addressing this challenge, the NPO can strive to search for new opportunities and sources of funding. There is need to always research for the latest grants and offerings, funding opportunities for NGOs, and even small grants for NGOs.
While searching for additional funders would benefit you in the long run, it certainly won’t be enough. The end goal should always be acquiring funds, and not simply getting hold of grant-funding agencies. The secret to receiving various grants is simple. To avoid partner organizations having second thoughts, create well-crafted proposals. Invest in necessary trainings if needed, as this can bring many good opportunities.
Maintaining a good relationship with partners will likewise be helpful in growing as an organization.
Lack of Effective Strategic Planning
At times, many bright ideas can come to place but it can also cause confusions and stray you away from the initial goal. Although many good ideas come, sometimes, they don’t always remain in line with the goals set out. Although some organizations may already be experienced and their employees are familiar with their operations, coaching and training every now and then can still be helpful. In every situation, employees and volunteers will inevitably pick something up and be able to apply it for further development of the organization.
Absence of networking
Having a mindset that other NGOs should be seen as competition is unhealthy. If other NGOs get approved of grants, it should, in fact, be seen as an opportunity to partner and learn from them. Making use of the technology could also help in making networks within your space. The internet keeps us updated with the events we can attend and keeps us in contact with other NGOs and nonprofits too.
Lack of maintenance
Given the number of communities in developing countries and the limited funding sources for non-profit organizations, it’s quite tempting to move on to the next project to provide aid for other communities who are equally in desperate need of help as well. Thus, it would be best to make sure there is enough resources and manpower to both maintain an existing project and begin a new one. It will be better to successfully accomplish just a few projects with lasting impact rather than accomplishing a lot but with temporary results. In the end, a slow but sure process is still more effective as compared to handing more than your capacity.
NGOs are organizations who people look up to and may seem to have it all, but just like others, also struggle in more ways imaginable. Like many others, NGOs are not perfect and also go through a trial-and-error stage. Hence, when things don’t go as planned, it’s important to always be prepared and come up with alternatives.
These challenges and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have severely compromised the operations of the NPOs. It is against this background that the Institute has organized this seminar to discuss these critical developments which affect the NPO sector, and which have resulted into new approaches of serving the communities and areas where they operate. To guide the discussion during the Conference, the following shall be the main topics of discussion:
Topics
- Introduction to grant management cycles
- Understanding award and compliance referencing to various donors
- Donor reporting
- Budget management, costing and fundraising
- Audit & close out of grant funded projects
- Overview of the different types of grants
- Contract amendments
- Implementing effective internal control systems
- IFR4NPO
- NPO Accounting Basis Tool – strategic choices and donor negotiation
- Financial sustainability- How to build reserves
Continuous Professional Development Units (CPD Units):
Members of ICPAK and reciprocating professional bodies will be awarded 20 CPD Units upon successfully attending each of the training sessions.
Target Audience:
Members of Corporate Boards, Private and Public Audit Practitioners, Public Sector Accountants, Chief Finance Officers, Finance Directors and Managers, Governance advisors, Internal Auditors, Professionals working in County Governments, Academia, and other interested stakeholders.
Cost:
Charges for the training will be Kes59,000/= which will cover workshop fees, materials, and certificates of attendance.
Online Booking:
We call on Conference participants to note that booking is available only online at www.icpak.com/events and will close two hours before the training session. Delegates are reminded to note that online booking for training sessions is MANDATORY. This is available either online at www.icpak.com/events or on the ICPAK Live – A smart phone-based application that is available from google store.
National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) Reimbursement:
The Institute is registered as a trainer with National Industrial Training Authority. The Institute’s registration number is DIT/TRN/47. Participants who are registered levy contributors should apply to NITA for reimbursement of their fees. Please note that this is applicable for Kenyan citizens only and subject to NITA regulations. Remember that to qualify you should apply to NITA for approval prior to the date of the conference. Further details can be obtained from their website (www.nita.go.ke)