This Third International Congress of StreetNet:
NOTING
1. the existing policy of StreetNet on Sustainability and Financial Self-Sufficiency, which states: Other means of fundraising will be identified and pursued, including:
– international trade between street vendors projects in different countries;
– savings and credit initiatives;
– fundraising events (such as cultural events, etc.)
2. that the First International Congress resolved to appoint a Fund-raising Sub-Committee to be responsible for the generation of income for StreetNet, with the following Terms of Reference:
– the Sub-Committee shall report to the International Council and the International Congress of StreetNet on a regular basis;
– members of the Sub-Committee will not be entitled to profit or benefit personally from any income-generation projects of StreetNet International;
– any income which accrues through the work of the Sub-Committee, including income in the form of commission or shares, shall belong to StreetNet International as an organization and not to any individual staff or member of StreetNet, including elected office-bearers and members of the Fund-Raising Sub-Committee.
3. that the two Fund-Raising Sub-Committees subsequently appointed by the International Council in 2004 and 2008 were not able to implement the above.
4. that a leadership training seminar for members of the Executive Committee and nominees to the Fundraising Sub-Committee from CNTG (Guinee), NASVI (India), SIVARA (Argentina) and CTCP (Nicaragua) convened in Cotonou in February 2010 produced the following recommendations.
HEREBY RESOLVES
1. Affiliation fees income should be raised by recruiting more StreetNet affiliates with more members not by increasing the level of the affiliation fees.
2. StreetNet newsletter should be used to generate income in the following ways:
2.1 Obtain advertising to recover 20% of the cost of production;
2.2 Affiliates should discuss whether StreetNet should stop free distribution of the newsletter and sell it on the streets and the markets instead if so, for what price and how sales revenue should be managed and report to the International Council.
3. Efforts should be made to reduce the cost of country activities (without reducing the quality or output) and funds so saved should be placed in reserve subject to the agreement of the relevant donors.
4. In each StreetNet exchange visit, the host organisation should cover 10% of the cost of the visit (with StreetNet bearing the remaining 90%) and the 10% saved should be placed in reserve subject to the agreement of the relevant donors.
5. International Congress should give consideration to the establishment of a distinct structure (cooperative, trust, investment company, etc.) accountable to the StreetNet International Congress and International Council, whose purpose would be to engage in revenue-generating activities. The International Co-ordinator and members of the Fundraising Sub-Committee will be charged to find such information and circulate to all affiliates and the StreetNet office, in preparation for an informed discussion of the different alternatives by the International Council, who will be charged to present a clear and detailed proposal to the next StreetNet International Congress.
6. The mandate of such distinct structure will be to:
6.1 Raise capital for revenue-generating activities;
6.2 Organise cultural activities in collaboration with StreetNet affiliates in particular countries, for each of which capital of R1m (approx. $125 000) will be raised, and anticipated revenue targeted at R1.2m, i.e. rendering a 20% profit of R200 000 (approx. $25 000) each.
6.3 Organise revenue-generating activities (including international fairs, and International Music Project proposed by CTCP and Nicaragua) for each of which capital of R2m (approx. $250 000) will be raised, and anticipated revenue targeted at R3m, i.e. rendering 50% profit of R1m (approx.$125 000)
6.4 Of 50% profits, 30% to be used to cover operational costs and 20% for reinvestment in StreetNet 5% to be distributed among StreetNet affiliates.
7. International Congress should charge the International Council with the task of investigating the viability of establishing an income-generating micro-finance institution accountable to the StreetNet International Congress and International Council:
7.1 Such institution should aim to borrow capital at a rate of 0.5% and lend at a rate of 1%, so that the profit of 0.5% would be used to pay overhead costs and the balance would be remitted to StreetNet International as revenue.
7.2 Experienced and well-established credit co-operative institutions should be approached to make presentations to the International Council regarding the viability of such an initiative by StreetNet International.
8. StreetNet should establish the necessary linkages through the ILO and African Union regional bodies such as SADC, ECOWAS and others to make it easier to access funds that come through agencies like UNDP and UNICEF towards
poverty alleviation in countries where StreetNet has affiliates, to grow the businesses of affiliates members.
9. The Fundraising Sub-Committee should be reassessed as follows:
9.1 Members of the Committee must be identified according to their capacity to do the abovementioned tasks;
9.2 Meetings of the Sub-Committee must take place with the minimum possible expense, e.g. by means of teleconferences acknowledging that the purpose of the Sub-Committee is to assist in raising funds, not spending more funds.
PROPOSED: StreetNet Executive Committee, 2010 nominees to Fundraising Sub-Committee from Argentina, Guinee, India, Nicaragua.
SECONDED: UGSEIN, ZCIEA.
