1. Who are we and what do we do?
A Global Healthcare Public Foundation (GHPF) is a charitable Organization based in Maryland, USA that is focused on reducing healthcare imbalances by partnering with grassroots organizations and clinics to accelerate interventions that will alleviate the disease burden by granting Technical & Financial Assistance, Medications & Equipments to rural communities in Sub-Saharan African countries affected by HIV/AIDS. GHPF is a non-for-profit organisation established in 2002, beginning field operations in 2003. Since its inception, the Foundation has been pioneer of participatory development. It promotes community ownership and helps strengthen non-governmental African institutions and local capacity. GHPF offers a helping hand, not a handout. Because of its community-based approach, GHPF assistance directly affects people's lives.
The Foundation has a unique mandate and role within the larger HIV/AIDS assistance policy and public health strategy towards Africa. GHPF's overall mission, as articulated by Management in its incorporation, is: "Supporting healthcare grassroots development in Sub-Saharan Africa through Education, Policy and Training thus making a difference in HIV/AIDS and community Public Health. This enables the communities to participate in the process of healthcare expansion, to solve their development problems, scale up their potential, fulfill their aspirations, and enjoy better, more productive lives."
GHPF's efforts complement larger government assistance programs by tackling problems "from the ground up" and developing new models of participatory development that can be replicated on a larger scale by the private sector and other development assistance agencies. Given the dramatic changes in Sub-Saharan Africa, the mission of the Foundation is even more important and compelling today than when it was established.
2. How is GHPF different?
GHPF's grassroots approach is unique within the grassroots community in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its philosophy and operations operate in sharp contrast to virtually most other
bilateral and multilateral donor agencies.
Most Donor Agencies:
1. Provide large grants, primarily to host government agencies
2. Support projects that are centrally generated and often depend heavily on foreign expertise to design and implement
3. Award grants premised on contributions from government budgets with little community input
4. Make grants designed to strengthen government institutions and public sector service delivery
5. Rely on foreign expertise in conducting "external" evaluations
6. Conduct overseas operations based on large staffs, with expatriates serving as principal officers
A Global Healthcare Public Foundation (GHPF), by comparison:
1. Provides small grants directly to community groups; none is channeled to or via governments
2. Ensures that all activities are locally conceived and implemented; technical assistance is provided at low cost by African specialists
3. Makes grants premised on community self-help and fosters empowerment and self-reliance
4. Helps build capacity for community-based and non-governmental intermediary organizations
5. Ensures that participatory evaluation is wholly African-run
3. What countries does operate in and how are these selected?
GHPF currently has active programs in three sub-Saharan Africa countries: Cameroon, Nigeria, and Togo. GHPF utilizes a set of criteria for determining whether to open a new country program or to close an existing program. Prior to initiating a new country program, GHPF conducts an assessment of the overall development environment and the opportunities for GHPF to make a significant and sustainable impact. GHPF assesses the degree of poverty, the potential for grassroots development, economic policies, the political environment, the state of the non-governmental community, infrastructure (communications, banking and transportation), and other donor assistance. GHPF 's management authorizes program openings and closures.
5. What kind of organizational structures does GHPF have overseas?
GHPF has established two mechanisms for field operations: the Partner Organization and the Country Representative.
In most countries where it operates, GHPF has an objective to "build self-supporting, sustainable, agencies that provide technical assistance and support to grassroots groups." Through an open, competitive process, GHPF selects a local non-governmental organization to serve as the Partner Organization. The Partner Organizations assist grassroots groups with all aspects of project development and implementation. For example, they help prospective grantees in developing proposals for funding, including conducting rigorous financial analyses to ensure the viability and sustainability of the proposed projects. The Partner Organizations provide training and participatory evaluation and routinely visit them to monitor progress and assist in rectifying implementation problems, and advise them on preparing quarterly financial and performance reports.
The Country Representative reports to GHPF and is independent of the in-country Partner Organization. The Country Representative carries out functions that support GHPF and, hence, are overhead in nature. Their principal duties include ensuring compliance with government regulations and GHPF policies, screening of proposals, assessing the financial management capacity of new grantees, reviewing their use of funds throughout the life of the grant, monitoring project implementation and remediation, and assessing project and program impact.
6. What level of support does GHPF provide to grassroots projects in Africa?
In 2003, GHPF provided support totaling $90,000 to 11 grassroots projects and community-based initiatives in Africa. In addition, GHPF disbursed $5,000 to 4 projects that were awarded grants in prior years.
7. What types of projects does the Foundation support?
GHPF provides solicited grant support towards projects focused on the Prevention, Education and Training within communities working on HIV/AIDS projects. GHPF may from time to time issue a Request for Applications (RFAs) for other activities. Most of GHPF's grants are between $500and $5,000 and are provided in local currency. GHPF rarely provides a grant larger than $5,000.
GHPF can provide assistance directly to a wide range of African-based, African-run, non-governmental organizations (NGO) including, but not limited to, legally registered cooperatives, GHPF also provides funding to intermediary organizations that work with low-income people and groups, such as people living with AIDS and children orphaned by AIDS. GHPF does not provide funding to government agencies, political parties, or organizations that are not based in Africa. GHPF does not provide support to individually owned or family-owned enterprises. GHPF does not fund scholarships.
GHPF only provides funding to organizations based in African countries where it works. Presently, GHPF works in: Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Togo
