Key Elements Of Community-based Organization For Community Development

Some people are born with a passion of helping other people or better yet addressing their concerns and they would go out of their way to offer help and/ or starting an organization its ones choice and right, and looking at the current frame work it produces or provides the legal personality towards opening an organization to encourage more formation of organizations.

“The right to form an organization is a fundamental human right that is enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and opinion; of expression and of association as contained in the bill of rights are essential for the formation of non-profit organization, this means everyone has the right to associate with other people and form organizations and to express themselves in whatever they choose provided that this is within the law” (Policy Framework on Non-profit Organization Law, 2012; 7).

When one is about to start a CBO no matter who you are, there are some rules and regulations in order for ones organization to prosper and flourish and serve the purpose of it being created. The fundamentals of creating or forming a CBO;

What do we want to do

When starting an organization, there are certain questions that you need to ask yourself and until one answer then do not embark on stating a CBO. For example what really you want to do? And what uniqueness you are to bring in the community that will enhance the community. ? “Keep focus on the destination, not the vehicle in which you will traveling in” (Phillips and Pittman; 2015, 155).

Is there any someone doing this kind of a project in this community

This is very important so that you who wants or have the desire to open up an organization because no one wants repeat something that has been done already and operating in the same community and this question “addresses or determines if there are organizations already addressing your concerns because the best interest of the community are not served when too many organizations compete for the same resources” (Phillips and Pittman, 2015; 155).

Mission and Purpose

The mission and the purpose they go together and also work together for the achievement of the desired out-come, they narrow the work and point it to one direction and they make it easier to make decision and gives you a stable foundation to stand on and knowing what exactly what you want and how are the things are going to be done, who is going to involved or participate and who is going to be affected. “The mission statement is what keeps your ship in the correct ocean” (Phillips and Pittman, 2015; 155).

Is the Organisation Feasible

Is the organization practical or workable and this include the staffing of the organization both the professional and the volunteers and the things that they are going to use meaning the sufficient facilities and equipment and the most important part of it the cash-flow, the financial sustainability, which brings me to the next fundamental.

Can the organisation pay bills

A well-functioning CBO it is very vital for it to be able to pay its own bills and also with that been said though it’s non-profit but it needs capital and to make sure that the organization is on the right track in generating and regulating money. “it is vital for the CBO to conduct a SWOT analysis, the SWOT analysis looks at the strength, weaknesses, the opportunities and threats and this will help the organization to at what it does better or worse than the others” (Phillips and Pittman, 2015; 157). And doing the analysis will also what skills do they have and what skills do they deed specially for marketing capital is everything in community development “forms of community capitals; human, social, financial” (Phillips and Pittman, 2015; 49).

Does the organization have a business plan

Planning is a very vital role when forming an organization and it’s the actual thing that guides your steps when you are to make decision as to what are your objectives and your desired achievement. “The most important use of a business plan is to ground the organization in reality and provide operational guidance for daily decision and a business plan should also include a description of the organization, a marketing plan, a financial plan, a management plan, key metrics and future projection”(Phillips and Pittman, 2015; 158). This show that planning is the heart of forming an origination.

Starting or forming an organisation is a lot more than just addressing socio economic issues or providing an aid to the vulnerable communities or closing the gap between the community and the government there is a lot of work, planning, laws to follow and the kind of organization you want to form as there are different kinds of organizations and the need of capital and also a well-structured managing structure of the organisation both volunteers and professionals.