About the Community Chest of the Western Cape

The Community Chest of the Western Cape is the oldest organisation of its kind in South Africa, having served the people of the province for over 82 years.

In the past 10 years, we have distributed some R142 million in grants to qualifying social welfare organisations in urban and rural areas around the province.

We are the distribution agency for in-kind donations, ensuring that food, blankets and clothing and other goods and services get to where they are most needed. In addition to financial and material support, we provide social welfare organisations with training and mentoring. Our training courses have been described as the ‘University of the Social Welfare Sector’.

We work with communities to facilitate solutions to pressing social needs. An example is an, initiative on the Cape Flats to ensure that all six-year olds enter Grade 1 with a foundation in numeracy and literacy. The experience and expertise that the Community Chest has accumulated over eight decades is also put to good use in helping businesses to structure effective social investment programmes.

What we do...

Enable communities to alleviate poverty and its consequences; Foster and develop a spirit of philanthropy by motivating people to consider others and creating opportunities for giving; Invest and allocate funds raised and other donations for sustainable community development; Encourage and foster high standards in the delivery of social welfare; Enhance the skills, knowledge and capabilities of social service providers through training, mentoring and consultation; Proactively grow resources through the promotion of private, public and community partnerships.

Through the Community Chest of South Africa we provide strategic reciprocal support to other Community Chests. We are also a member of United Way Worldwide, a network spanning 47 countries, sharing knowledge, best practice and co-ordinating fundraising activities.

How we do it...     

We provide financial support in the form of grants, special impact funding and relief aid. We act as the distribution agency for in-kind donations such as food, blankets and clothing, ensuring these get to the people who most need them. We offer mentoring and training to social welfare organisations to help them be self-sustaining and operate more efficiently and effectively. We nurture and support new pioneering best practice social development solutions. We encourage and support collaboration through funding networks.

We invest in non-profit, social-welfare organisations working in the following sectors throughout the Western Cape:

– Healthcare support services
– Child and youth support services
– Early childhood development
– Rehabilitation
– General child and family welfare
– Community development, services and programmes
– Care of the mentally and physically challenged
– Care of the elderly and homeless
– HIV/AIDS
– Disaster relief