With whom does the Southern Africa Trust want to work and how do we want to work with others?

The Southern Africa Trust works with diverse civil society organisations from southern Africa and beyond that promote public policy dialogue with a focus on poverty, especially those with a significant regional presence and impact. Partnerships with networks are of particular value to the Trust. For the Southern Africa Trust, civil society is understood broadly to include, for example, research institutes, NGO networks, faith-based organisations, the media, trade unions, popular organizations, private businesses, youth organisations and other forms of interest-based organisation in society. The Southern Africa Trust supports and develops networks amongst a wide range of role-players in civil society, representing different interests and constituencies that are focused on overcoming poverty. In addition, the Southern Africa Trust has strong collaborative relationships with governments and governmental and inter-governmental agencies in the national, regional, and global spheres.

We believe in actively seeking out and establishing different types of strategic relationships, either formal or informal, and conventional or unconventional, with any organisation that shares the Southern Africa Trust’s organisational values and its vision for overcoming poverty. In developing strategic partnerships, we seek to strengthen civil society organisations and inclusive policy dialogue rather than competing with other civil society organisations for legitimacy and influence.

We use a variety of mechanisms to establish formal partnerships, including open calls for grant proposals and soliciting proposals from particular organisations. However, at times, the Trust will independently undertake initiatives it considers to be strategically important to its mission.

The Southern Africa Trust strives to be a thoroughly professional organisation that is committed to the highest standards of ethical governance, transparency, and integrity, while at the same time ensuring that the support we provide can be accessed widely in a non-bureaucratic manner.

The Southern Africa Trust believes in robust debate and will challenge policies, practices, attitudes, and beliefs that, in its view, are inappropriate. However, the Trust is equally open to learning and changing its own policies, practices, attitudes, and beliefs by being challenged by others.

The Southern Africa Trust will assert its autonomy when necessary. It is neither politically aligned nor ideologically driven