$5m fund will be ‘tightly structured’

Faith-based organisations seeking access to Government’s new $5 million annual fund have been put on notice: bring strong, resultsdriven programmes or risk being left behind.

Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector Colin Jordan made it clear yesterday that the Faith-Based Social Programmes Fund will be tightly structured, with accountability and measurable impact at its core.

Delivering remarks at the opening of the third annual Faith-Based Symposium at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, he cautioned that the initiative was not designed to supplement offerings or provide easy financing.

“This is not to add to your collection . . . . It is about programmes that impact our communities,” he said, stressing that organisations must demonstrate clear outcomes tied to the use of public funds.

He said that while the Government recognised the value of faith-based organisations, access to funding would depend heavily on the quality of proposals submitted and their ability to deliver real, measurable change.

“Good intentions must be translated into well-designed programmes where vision is supported by planning and passion met with measurable targets.”

Jordan told stakeholders that the Ministry had already drafted a framework for the fund, which has been circulated for feedback ahead of Cabinet’s consideration, signalling Government’s urgency to roll out the programme.

Not every idea would be funded, he noted, warning that organisations must be able to clearly articulate their vision and expected results.

“You do not want to be in a situation where you have an excellent idea, but it is not well enough crafted . . . , that those making decisions are not able to recognise the value in your idea,” he pointed out.

The symposium, held under the theme Building Our Young People, Our Future, Our Legacy, brought together leaders from churches, ministries and other faith-based bodies to strengthen their capacity to access the fund and deliver sustainable programmes.

Central to that effort was training in grant writing and proposal development, with featured presenter Karen Phillips of Kainos Caribbean guiding participants on how to convert ideas into structured, fundable initiatives.

Jordan said the emphasis on structure and accountability was critical, particularly as taxpayer dollars would be used.

“There must be that alignment of output with the promise . . . . We must be able to look back and see whether our expenditure has been met with the results we expected,” he said.

Greater access

He outlined a series of outcomes the Government expects to see from funded programmes, including increased youth participation in structured activities, greater access to skills training and employment pathways, and reduced involvement in crime and antisocial behaviour.

However, the Minister stressed that the real measure of success would be long-term transformation.

“Impact is the goal, transformation is the goal,” he reiterated, noting that the country must be able to point to stronger families, safer communities and more responsible young citizens in the years ahead.

Jordan also made it clear that faith-based organisations would not be left to navigate the process alone, as there would be support from his Ministry and training opportunities designed to build their administrative and strategic capacity.

“We are here to ensure that faith-based organisations are equipped not only spiritually but socially, also administratively and strategically.”

At the same time, he reminded participants that the responsibility for shaping young people could not rest with Government alone.

“Building our young people requires intentional collaboration . . . . Government, faith-based organisations, families and communities must work together in unison.”

He urged those in attendance to use the symposium as a working session rather than a ceremonial gathering, encouraging open discussion, critique of the proposed framework and the sharing of best practices.

Jordan challenged stakeholders to rise to the moment, framing the fund as both an opportunity and a test of the sector’s ability to deliver meaningful social change.

“Years from now, we must be able to say that we made deliberate choices, invested wisely and created systems of support that changed the trajectory of our young people,” he added.

(CLM)

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