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1. What is the difference between TVF and its 5 other
brands?
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The charity, the registered company and the legal entity is True Volunteer Foundation (TVF). All the others are brands of the TVF to help us to focus on different causes:
LifeCycle: Children
GreenCycle: Environment
PhoneCycle: Rurally based population
AnimalCycle: Animals
SeniorCycle: Senior Citizens
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2. What are your principles?
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3. What is your cost base?
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TVF’s would ideally like to have a zero cost base. However, to be an open, transparent organisation it is important that TVF pays out certain costs from its own funds. These costs include financial auditing costs and membership fees to regulated associations (i.e. Institute of Fundraising). In the last three years the cost based averaged at just over £1,000 per annum.
By 2010, TVF expects it’s projects to span 30 countries
supporting hundreds of thousands of people.
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4. What is the history of TVF?
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From 2004, seed and start-up capital was invested by the Padmanathan family to establish TVF's position in the charity value chain. A commitment has been made never to claim this investment back from TVF and it will be viewed as a donation. TVF started work in Sri-Lanka and Madagascar building schools but soon realised True Volunteers were keen on working in different countries and the Corporate Sector wanted support in a variety of charitable projects. Subsequently, TVF launched 4 other charity brands and expanded its activities to other countries. By 2010, TVF expects it’s projects to span 30 countries supporting XXX people.
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5. How can you build schools with no expenses?
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When we ask our partners not to use TVF funding toward non-project expenses such as administration, marketing and commissions. Project expenses which are allocated towards a builder or to hire a project manager are accepted. True Volunteers will work with the charity partner, review their proposal and feedback what costs are expected and what are not. Feedback has been that it is amazing what can be achieved if these non-project costs are eliminated from the value chain.
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6. What was the thinking behind TVF?
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There are many pain points in the charity sector. Small charities, corporates and volunteers are faced with real issues. TVF addresses these issues. Similarly, well placed commentators have highlighted the vast amounts have been and continue to be mismanaged by charities and vast sums of money are being lost through an increasing cost base. This is rippling through to the public who now want to understand where their money ends up. TVF addresses these issues.
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7. Why don’t you implement projects yourselves?
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TVF believe there is a huge problem in the charity value chain and our positioning enables us to assist corporate and small charities enabling us to provide greatest benefit to the ultimate beneficiaries. However, TVF also implements a number of projects directly, where it believes it can add more value. |
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8. Why would companies want to work with TVF?
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The feedback from corporate is that the TVF is an ideal partner for the following reason:
i) a free service to corporates with hand-holding through the Corporate Giving process
ii) Tailor made projects (i.e. building a school names after an Organisation)
iii) full feedback on each project, irrespective of the value
iv) a professional organisation with corporate experience
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9. For big project can we have pop ups when the photo slideshow finishes
?
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Madagascar health programme – 12 pharmacies, 12 wells, 12 water pumps and 4 latrines constructed
Madagascar IT programme – 1 million touched by strategic nationwide project
Gampaha regeneration – New school, library, computer centre, drama stage, a football and cricket pitch, lavatories and changing rooms.
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10. What are your biggest concerns?
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Scalability. We have proven our principles work. Our projects have touched so
many people but it means we have to continually improve our processes/practices
and recruit more True Volunteers to ensure TVF scales effectively.
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11. What is your typical Charity Partner?
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A typical partner is a registered and regulated charity, normally with revenues less that £250,000. We have found there are numerous non-government organisations which can provide the True Volunteer Foundation with excellent implementation capability across the globe. Many of these organisations need support in fundraising and agree to not deduct any wages, commissions or personal expenses from the funding received.
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12. What is your remit?
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TVF’s has created charitable brands whose remit is to work with children, the environment, rurally based people, animals, senior citizens and micro-finance.
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13. Can you implement a project anywhere in the
world?
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TVF has a global infrastructure to allow completion of projects anywhere in the world. Partners exist in many countries, but not all.
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14. What is your vetting process?
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True Volunteer’s undertake a strict and methodical vetting process with our charity partners. Once approved, a project valued typically at a few hundred pounds is undertaken before larger projects are scheduled. An ongoing vetting process occurs via TVF’s Accreditation Process. Please click here to learn more.
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15. What is your ultimate vision?
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This exists at a number of different levels:
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i)
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To regenerate areas – to work with central and local governments to provide a mini-economy in degenerated regions. This has happened with:
- the Gampaha Regeneration Programme where new developments including a school, library, computer centre, drama studio, sports centre are partially maintained through the funds generated by a village microfinance programme.
- the Madagascar IT Programme where 1 million children will be touched through the provision of free computing in an initiative with the Ministry of Education and partners including Microsoft.
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ii)
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Corporate Sector – will donate their employees time so they provide professional services on a pro bono basis for TVF. This is currently happening with a number of companies in the UK and Asia.
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iii)
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Charities – to provide 100% fundraising support for select charities who become strategic partners. In return the charities donate this saved time toward working for the True Volunteer Foundation. This is happening to a certain extent with two UK registered charities.
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16. Do you only undertake projects in the developing
world?
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Only – no. Predominantly – yes.
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17. How can I become a volunteer in the developing
world?
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Whilst TVF have a number of projects in different regions of the world, only certain projects have the infrastructure in place to accommodate volunteers. For example, Emagnevy School in Madagascar was built from scratch by local and volunteers from the U.K, US, Netherlands and Belgium. TVF teamed up with Azafady who have successfully run an award winning volunteering programme. The organisation won the best Volunteering Organisation in the 2007 Responsible Tourism Awards. Please click here to watch a short video on this subject.
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18. What happens if we want to advertise a personal
fundraising event?
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Whilst TVF focuses on the corporate sector, the charity is happy to receive contributions from individuals and provide them with the same levels of feedback as our corporate sponsors receive.
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19. What happens if a charity uses the funds unethically?
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Legal agreements are drawn up by Dundas & Wilson LLP, a major legal firm in the U.K. All charities need to engage in a legally binding agreement before any funds can be remitted. All agreements are subject to English law.
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20. What are the charity's objects?
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TVF’s objects are registered with Companies House and the Charities Commission as follows:
To alleviate poverty, particularly but not exclusively in the developing world through a number of means including the advancement of education, micro-finance, the preservation of health, and the relief of need. The Charity’s objects (the Objects), being primarily but not limited to the:
i) benefit of underprivileged children and senior citizens worldwide,
ii) benefit of the public the conservation, protection, and improvement of the environment
iii) benefit of the public to relieve the suffering of animals in need of care and
attention
iv) benefit of the rurally based population by enabling the access to services and
micro-finance
v) furtherance of such other general charitable purposes that the trustees in their
absolute discretion determine; as long as it reflects the main goal of alleviating
poverty
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21. How do you ensure the principles are implemented
properly?
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The principles are the DNA of the charity and embedded even in the Memorandum of
Association, induction policies and accounting rules. Moreover, an experienced organisation
with sound processes will ensure the delivery can match the demand created by TVF’s
principles.
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22. Does TVF have a political, social or religious
bias?
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TVF is totally unbiased in its approach to colour, creed, gender, religion, language, disability, sexuality and political orientation. For example, in Sri-Lanka, recent decades have witnessed one of the most complex ethnic conflicts, TVF is proud to have successfully provided support to opposing ethnic groups without regard to their political views and received recognition from for its efforts from all sides.
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