This follows reports of further cuts in the United States foreign aid for healthcare. As SA marks World AIDS Day, the organisation says recent developments highlight why the sector can no longer depend solely on traditional donor funding.
Inyathelo’s Acting Executive Director, Feryal Domingo, said the non-profit sector must adapt to ensure long-term sustainability. She noted that while significant progress has been made in curbing the spread of HIV and expanding access to life-saving treatment across Africa, the stability of the organisations supporting this progress remains under pressure.
“No longer can non-profit organisations rely exclusively on donor support, especially not from a single donor source,” Domingo said. She emphasised that income diversification should form a central part of financial and sustainability planning.
“Whether this is monetising services, renting out office space, hosting events for fundraising or any other ways of spreading the income sources, multiple revenue streams must become the norm.”
Domingo added that the uncertainty surrounding international funding underscores the importance of developing innovative, locally driven strategies to ensure that HIV prevention, care and support programmes remain uninterrupted.
She said strengthening organisational governance, improving financial management and investing in local fundraising capacity would help safeguard the gains SA has made in the fight against HIV.
As global funding patterns shift and major donors reassess their commitments, Inyathelo is urging SA non-profits to rethink their models, build resilience and future-proof their operations to continue delivering essential services to vulnerable communities.
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
