Chairman's Introduction

Dear readers,

What? A two percent value added tax increase! Understandably, the nation was outraged at the Finance Minister’s proposal made in February’s ‘non-budget’. While one may have some sympathy with any finance minister trying to deliver a budget that pleases nobody but satisfies everyone, this was a step too far. 

It did, however, make me think long and hard about how the Spirit Foundation is funded, how we use our donor funding and the impact we need to demonstrate for donors and beneficiaries alike. Ultimately, the Spirit Foundation can only survive and thrive on donor funding, effective delivery and proven impact. I can confidently say that 30 years after the founding of the Spirit Foundation, our unique track record of delivery and impact in scholar education, community development and wildlife conservation shows exactly how cost effectively we have invested donors’ funding. 

One great advantage we enjoy is that the Spirit Foundation is a registered Non-Profit Organisation and thus we derive a host of tax benefits. Importantly, as an NPO and Section 18A approved institution, donations to the Spirit Foundation are tax deductible.  

A Section 18A receipt is an official document issued by a Section 18A-approved institution to a donor who makes a qualifying donation. It serves as evidence of the donation made and potentially enables the donor to claim a tax deduction from their taxable income on submission of the income tax return.

To issue section 18A tax-deductible receipts, the section 18A-approved institution must be approved by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for purposes of section 18A of the Income Tax Act. The donation made by the donor, which includes an individual or business, may be in cash or in-kind and must not have any conditions attached for personal benefit.

For donors, obtaining a section 18A tax-deductible receipt potentially enables them to reduce their taxable income. This incentivises charitable giving and encourages greater support for worthy causes. For section 18A-approved institutions, issuing section 18A tax deductible receipts can enhance transparency, build trust with donors, and promote their fundraising efforts.

In this edition of Full Circle, our Managing Director, Dr Armand Bam, will review the delivery and impact of all our programmes in education, early childhood development, community upliftment, visual and hearing-impaired programme support, community sport and our renowned wildlife conservation impact. 

If you are inspired by these stories and wish to join us in making a difference, please visit the Spirit Foundation website and become a donor to this remarkable NPO. We’d love you to join us!

Until next time, please just do some good.