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- Please list links to your Website and Social Media Platforms here:
- Describe in detail what your Organisation does:
We provide part time paid work experience to students and youth. Connecting employers with quality, tech savvy, friendly, eager, smart young people. Over 50,000 students and over 500 work placements per month. We are well known and have an excellent reputation amongst both students and employers, thus enabling us to secure good pay, great jobs and experience for all our customers. We also provide a free website, mentoring and coaching as well as references to students. In 2018, we will be launching more services to students including reduced rate student loans, lowest charges for banking, cellphone and airtime deals etc.
- How long has your Organisation been operational?
Around since 2008, fully operational 2013
- In your opinion, what has been the most challenging aspect of running your Organisation?
Dealing with some employers that are clearly racist. Dealing with the odd student (0.1%) who does not arrive at a job we found for them, that they applied for, but because they had something better to do or could not be bothered – even when we point out they prevented another student / youth from working. Otherwise, no sponsors, no grants, no funding … so usual NPC issues around keeping the dream alive.
- Describe your Nonprofit Journey in three words:
Hope, Reward, Belief!
- Do you collaborate with other Causes? If yes, would you like to mention them?
No
- If you had one Organisation wish, what would it be?
To grow and offer more work placements to soooo many amazing students / youth …
- In your opinion, which skills do Nonprofits in your Country lack?
Fund raising, social media, growth (unless the NP is large, then they have these). It is the smaller non-profits that struggle. e.g. My non-profit has 50,000+ students, yet there is only me. If I could afford staff, we would have many more work placements for them and many more students / youth.
- Looking back at your Cause Journey, what advice would you give a newbie Organisation?
Do not under estimate the time involved and what is expected. e.g. we were not paid by a large customer once, students went crazy, demanding payment, we almost went under. I have to personally pay them and take action again the well know SPA organisation to get paid (eventually and at a loss).
- If you could change one thing about the Nonprofit Landscape, what would it be?
Help for the smaller Non-Profit. We have google adwords, Microsoft and Sage Foundation support, but no support from government, funders, sponsors etc.
- Which Cause achievement are you most proud of? Feel free to elaborate on why and include any links:
Probably in excess of 20,000 work placements – including some large corporate customers (JSE listed). It is a shame we generally only deal with HR and not business owners / shareholders that would see the benefits of what we do and assist.
- Last question, if your friends had to describe your Organisation in three words, which would they use?
Amazing, life saving, incredible