Governance, minus the jargon.
Plain-language guides to running a compliant, well-governed South African organisation — and to building the kind of income you can plan a mission on.
New · Giving & Income6 min read
Recurring Giving, and Why Automation Is Stewardship
Time is your scarcest resource, and certainty comes second. Why recurring payments and automation are the most faithful thing an NPO can do with both.
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Tax & SARSThe Section 18A Receipt: What It Is, Who Needs One, and How to Not Get It WrongA small piece of paper carrying real legal weight — for your donor’s tax return and your organisation’s credibility. The 2026 rules, in plain English.Read →ComplianceNPC, NPO, or PBO? Untangling the Alphabet SoupThree acronyms, three regulators, three sets of paperwork. What each one actually buys you — and what it costs in ongoing compliance.Read →ComplianceYour Annual Return Isn’t Optional: The Compliance Calendar Grassroots NPOs Actually NeedCompliance failure rarely looks dramatic — it looks like a missed email, six months later. Three regulators, three calendars, one owner.Read →ComplianceWhat Happens If Your NPC Gets Deregistered — and How to Avoid ItIt happens quietly, one missed annual return at a time — until your organisation legally ceases to exist. Entirely preventable, almost never intentional.Read →FinanceRestricted vs Unrestricted Funds: Why You Can’t Just Move Donor Money AroundThe fridge grant can’t pay the electricity bill — even temporarily, even with the best intentions. One of the most important financial lessons an NPO board can learn.Read →GovernanceResolutions 101: The Difference Between “We Chatted About It” and “We Actually Decided It”Minutes tell the story; resolutions are the legally binding punchline. Ordinary vs special, round-robins, and when you actually need one.Read →GovernanceMinutes That Matter: When (and Why) You Actually Need to Write Them Down“We’ll remember what we decided” — six months later, nobody does. Why minutes are your board’s best friend, and what good ones look like.Read →GovernanceMeetings, Meetings, Meetings: Which Ones Are Actually Compulsory?SA company law requires fewer meetings than most directors fear — but when you must meet, doing it properly really matters.Read →GovernanceThe AGM: Your Organisation’s Annual Performance ReviewThe once-a-year moment of honesty: here’s what happened, here’s the money, here’s what’s next — and why skipping it is an avoidable red flag.Read →PeopleBoard vs Staff: Who’s Actually in Charge?In a grassroots NPO, the board often is the staff. The working board isn’t a governance failure — as long as you know which hat you’re wearing.Read →GovernanceConflicts of Interest: When a Board Member’s Cousin Gets the Catering ContractHandled properly, a conflict of interest is a Tuesday. Handled badly, it’s the story that ends up in front of a funder, a journalist, or a court.Read →GovernancePolicies Every NPO Board Should Have (and Probably Doesn’t)A handful of unglamorous documents that quietly protect the organisation, its board, and the people it serves — written once, revisited yearly.Read →PeopleSuccession Planning: What Happens When Your Founder-Chair Burns Out?“We’ll figure it out” is a hope, not a plan. How to protect the mission from depending on any single person’s energy — including your founder’s.Read →