Interview of Anna Josse in Spear’s Magazine
Prism the Gift Fund is listed as one of the key 20 advisors in the philanthropic sector in Spears Magazine September 2011 edition.
News
Excellent: charity that supports access to clean water for farmers in Kenya
Excellent supports subsistence farmers and their families to gain access to clean water and grow more food to eat, store and sell. The charity supports communities to build sand dams which provide clean water and the potential to invest in sustainable agriculture.
In rural Kenya survival has become increasingly precarious over the last decade. This year’s drought is the third since 2005, and the water table has had no chance to recover. In 2009 and 2010 there was a particularly devastating water crisis. Crops failed, wildlife and livestock died, and the food shortage reached the point of famine. Now crisis has struck again. Wells are at risk of drying up, as ground water is depleted more and more.
However, there is great truth in the old saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ and communities with sand dams have weathered the storm. Their dams store 2-10 million litres of clean water, that won’t evaporate. Built in seasonal riverbeds, the dams trap a bank of water under sand where it is protected from parasites, providing a year-round supply of clean, filtered water that would have otherwise ended up in the ocean. So women and children who used to spend 6-12 hours a day fetching water can now spend their time on agriculture and education.
With Excellent’s support, the communities have also terraced their land and planted trees, techniques which both conserve soil and water. The number of communities requesting Excellent’s support, not just in Kenya but in other drought prone regions too, continues to grow as people hear of the miraculous benefits of sand dams. They too desperately need the security of a water source that is dependable all year round and unaffected by groundwater levels.
Since its formation in 2002 Excellent has supported over 220,000 people to gain access to clean water. It’s 2020 goal is for 3 million more people every year to have access to clean water.
£10,000 will fund a sand dam – providing clean water for life to around 1,000 people
For more information on Excellent’s work please visit www.excellent.org.uk or contact Alexandra Oatham alexandra@excellent.org.uk / 0208 232 9057.
Registered Charity Number 1094478
Big Issue launches social investment fund
See our latest coverage in the FT Adviser.
Looking for a Marketing and Relationship Manager (Maternity Cover)
This position is to cover Sophie’s maternity leave starting 1 September 2011 for 4 months.
We are looking for a self-motivated, driven candidate to build our client base, oversee marketing, represent us at events, and look after clients.
The organisation:
Prism the Gift Fund increases giving to charity by offering a personal service to individuals and foundations donating significant sums of money. The team is small, efficient and committed to increasing the flow of money into the charitable sector. We work closely with the private sector, in particular with private banks, law firms and accountants.
Salary: Competitive, full or part time
Location: London, W1
The Role:
As marketing manager, the candidate will be primarily responsible for :
- sourcing new clients and maintaining Prism’s network of contacts,
- research and attend networking events, seminars, conferences and where possible they should find opportunities for Prism to speak or be represented at such events,
- organising events,
- creating marketing material (newsletter, brochures, etc.),
- Market research
- Media and Public relation (press articles, interviews, twitter, etc.),
The Candidate:
The successful candidate should have:
- strong organisational skills,
- Marketing experience,
- strong networking skills with confidence to represent the organisation, happy working with high-powered contacts and understand the relevance of Prism to these individuals,
- high quality written skills,
- confidence on the phone and in person, talking to people they do not know and promoting Prism the Gift Fund.
Ideally candidates should have a good understanding of the private sector, particularly the level of service expected by clients. An understanding of the charity sector would be an advantage but is not essential.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please email a CV and covering letter to Anna Josse on anna@prismthegiftfund.co.uk or phone on 020 7486 7760.
Big Issue Social Investment Appeal
Our event on the 14th June at the Groucho Club was very successful. Thank you to Nigel Kershaw who was inspiring as always! Prism the Gift Fund will continue to collaborate with the Big Issue Social Enterprise Investment Appeal. If you are interested, please contact Sophie at sophie@prismthegiftfund.co.uk.
Photos by Philippe Allard