E Letter (July - Sept 2022)

NPO CERTIFICATION
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Launch of certification management information system (CMIS)

It is with great pleasure we announce that due to the collaborative efforts of PCP NPO Certification and IT Units, we have launched our new Certification Management Information System (CMIS) https://cmis.pcp.org.pk. Our intent is to produce a digital system that is robust and user friendly and would digitize the whole certification process.

PCP looks forward to working, and developing more on this feature in the future as well.

PCP, the body approved by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for the certification of nonprofit entities in Pakistan, has granted certification approval to as many as 62 organizations from April to June 2022.

Beyond tax benefits, PCP Certification Stamp helps to bridge the information and credibility gap between grant-makers and grant recipients, builds NPOs' capacity to meet international standards of Governance, Transparency & Accountability and last but not the least, build a credible pool of nonprofits that are reliable and effective development partners.

A session with newly recruited inland revenue service (IRS) officers

PCP was invited for a lecture/ discussion at the post-induction training of newly recruited Inland Revenue Service (IRS) Officers, organized by IRS Academy Lahore

While speaking to the trainees, Executive Director PCP along with Manager NPO Certification gave a broad introduction of PCP, its certification program and regulatory landscape for NPOs including tax related matters. The event was attended by more than 35 participants who took keen interest in knowing about the NPO certification process since it is fundamental for the organizations promoting social welfare in Pakistan.

Meeting with the parliamentary secretary for the law and justice ministry

The Executive Director PCP had a productive meeting with the Parliamentary Secretary for the Law and Justice Ministry on the regulatory regime for NPOs in Pakistan.

We look forward to working together and fostering an enabling environment for the civil society sector and NPOs.

Sector Research
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A national level household survey on individual philanthropy in Pakistan

As part of the large-scale study on the state of philanthropy in Pakistan, the PCP Research Unit designed a nationally representative survey on individual giving in Pakistan. The survey will cover an estimated 12,000 households from the four provinces of Pakistan as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The survey questionnaire, using a mixed methods research design, has been finalised and enumerators have been selected from local areas to administer the survey in the field. A two days training was imparted to 25 enumerators (19 males and 6 females) from Islamabad, Punjab, and KPK. The objective of the training was to educate the participants about various dimensions of philanthropy and the purpose of the study, as well as to help them understand the meaning and relevance of survey questions themselves before asking the respondents.

The data collection process is planned to commence in mid-October 2022. The next capacity building session for enumerators from Sindh and Balochistan will be held at Karachi after the rehabilitation of affected communities in the flood-hit areas. The study is expected to generate knowledge and information about the total quantum of philanthropy in Pakistan as also to examine the trends and patterns of giving in Pakistan.

Corporate philanthropy survey (CPS) 2020

The Corporate Philanthropy Survey (CPS) report, 2020 has been finalised and is in the design and printing phase. Besides a comprehensive in-house review by the PCP research team, the report has also been reviewed by external experts, namely Ms. Javeria Younas from the Department of Economics at SESS, IBA and Dr. G.M. Arif, Former Joint Director, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad.

The report presents an enhanced analysis of business companies’ CSR initiatives and giving patterns by their size, number of employees, and geographical location.

Qurbani hides: A case study of Karachi city

Recognising the fact that the ritual of qurbani or ‘sacrifice’ is widely practiced on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha in Pakistan and generates significant revenue for many stakeholders involved in the process, PCP conducted a pilot study on qurbani hides in seven districts of Karachi. The purpose of the study was to explore the socio-economic dimensions of qurbani hides and skins in Pakistan by identifying their marketing chain and assessing the quantum of funds generated from these hides and used for philanthropic activities. Data were collected during the three days of Eid-ul-Azha in the target districts of Karachi division. The first draft of the report has been completed and is circulated for an internal review. The headline finding of the study is that in 2022, a total of 1.67 million hides and skins of sacrificial animals were collected across the seven target districts of Karachi, and their monetary value was estimated at 1.78 billion rupees, with 80% of the proceeds going to philanthropic organisations.

Academic course on philanthropy extended to the fall 2022 semester

With a view to involving youth in philanthropic activities, PCP in collaboration with Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Islamabad piloted an academic course titled "Introduction to Philanthropy" in the Fall Semester of 2021.

Newspaper articles by PCP on philanthropy

The Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy’s (PCP) Research Unit has been regularly informing and educating people regarding the importance of philanthropy through the publication of newspaper articles.

The first article titled "Riding the winds of change", was written by Dr Zainab Salim, Senior Programme Officer - Research and published in the Daily DAWN on July 18, 2022. The article underlines the critical role of educational institutions in inculcating values of compassion, empathy, and civic responsibility amongst the youth. Educating young people about philanthropy, volunteerism, and the importance of community service and cultivating an early interest in “giving back to society” may be the impetus towards institutionalising youth philanthropy and fostering a culture of positive youth development and civic engagement. Through meaningful engagement and experiential learning, young adults can evolve into more informed and generous members of society, leading to a paradigm shift whereby Pakistani youth is viewed as an asset rather than a liability for meeting the challenges of the changing world. Read it here: https://bit.ly/3rqLDbc

The second article titled "Philanthropy — a buffer for floods" was written by Muhammad Tahir, Programme Officer - Research, and published in DAWN on September 26, 2022. It argues that philanthropy can alleviate the harmful impact of climate change and natural disasters such as the recent floods in Pakistan by investing resources towards strategies geared to address environmental issues, including reforestation, decarbonisation, and the construction of dams. In this regard, philanthropists can play a vital role in supporting activities for climate change adaptation. Read it here: https://bit.ly/3rni0Yg

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Training on taxation and regulatory compliance for non-profit organizations

After the successful completion of 06 training events in 03 main cities engaging 60 participant NPOs, PCP brought its exclusive two days training on "Taxation and Regulatory Compliance for NPOs" again to reach out to those organizations that were left out previously. Two batches held in Islamabad and we look forward to continuing with more of our training sessions on similar or any other relevant topic for nonprofits in the upcoming quarter.

A session on personal development and philanthropy for PCP staff

It was an absolute pleasure to have Mr. Azam Jamil for a session with us. His insightful session was a much needed discussion for the PCP team, and we are delighted to have interacted with him on personal development and philanthropy.

HANDS Pakistan's dialogue on CSR and faith-based funding

At HANDS Pakistan's Dialogue and Book Launch on CSR and Faith-based Funding for Community Development, Executive Director PCP highlighted the quantum of philanthropic giving by Pakistanis including local individuals, diaspora and corporates. She emphasized that the NPOs should also explore this untapped stream of funding for their social causes on a sustainable basis.

BAT’s visit of PCP

Director The British Asian Trust (BAT) Pakistan, Ms. Kamyla Marvi Tapal, visited PCP's office today. A productive discussion was held on the avenues and opportunities around social impact financing in Pakistan, and potential partnership between PCP and BAT in this regard. We look forward to deliberating further on public-private partnership models to promote social development in the country.

PCP and OGDCL have renewed their MOU

PCP and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited-OGDCL have renewed their MoU which aims at facilitating OGDCL, one of the largest corporate givers in the country, to manage their CSR funds effectively by routing them towards transparent and impactful organizations.

Employment exchange platform for GBC

PCP has taken on board ROZEE.PK to work on the development of a one-stop, web-based digital employment platform under the EU-Pak Civil Society Project with the intent to connect job seekers and employers in GBC.

This online portal will prove to be a significant step towards catering to the IT boom in the GBC region that has consequently made many recruitment processes to be switched to online means. It will also provide an online space for I/NGOs and private companies to tap into the pool of skilled youth from the GBC region.

Flood relief grants facilitated by PCP

The flood catastrophe in Pakistan wreaked havoc in major parts of the country and to mitigate the destruction, nonprofit organizations are working tirelessly. In this regard, PCP facilitated the flood relief and rescue grants. The Citizens Foundation (TCF) UK received grant funds of $50,000 from Give2Australia on behalf of the Phoenix Foundation.