RMB FUND: PHASE 1 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR REGISTERED PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANISATIONS (PBO)

Trust that you are well. As one of South Africa’s leading investment banks, Rand Merchant Bank continually strives to achieve a better world through good business and to secure a sustainable future for all stakeholders. The RMB Fund, a division of the FirstRand Foundation (FRF), invests RMB’s annual 1% of net profit after tax in selected projects within two focused development sectors, namely the Creative Arts, and the Environment.

The RMB Fund is now open for applications:

CREATIVE ARTS PROGRAMME:

Applications are open for funding in two areas of focus within the Creative Arts Programme:

1.1 Education for a creative economy

The RMB Creative Arts Programme in recognising the value of education for a creative economy has the following strategic goals and objectives:

Goal: Over the next three years (2017–2019), to support organisations in music, dance, film, theatre and visual arts to deliver programmes that facilitate the development of a creative mind-set for a creative economy.

Objective One: To support organisations that demonstrate an understanding of how programme actions develop a creative mind-set through cognitive thinking (problem-solving, critical thinking, abstract reasoning and personal expression)

Objective Two: To support organisations that have established rural community arts programmes (that have been in existence for 3+ years) both in-school and after-school that demonstrate positive impact for a participant’s circumstance and future possibilities.

Objective Three: To support relevant best practice creative arts organisations with accredited tertiary-level training programmes in the following performing arts disciplines: music, dance, drama and visual art towards building a creative economy

1.2 Talent Unlocked

Goal: To become a go-to integrated arts platform, recognised as a space that is instrumentally and deliberately driving growth in the creative economy through supporting initiatives for both audience development and artist exposure.

Objective One: To play a key role in the creation of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for artists practising in the creative arts.

Objective Two: To support programmes that enable young people to produce work in the performing arts disciplines of music, dance, drama and visual art for exposure and audience development.

Call for Applications:

Organisations that are registered PBOs who can demonstrably contribute to one or more of the objectives listed above are hereby invited to apply to the RMB Fund for three-year funding. You can find further information about this programme here.

Please ensure that your organisation meets the standard criteria for all applicants to the FirstRand Foundation before submitting your application. The criteria are listed online.

Should you fulfil the criteria listed in the FirstRand Foundation page mentioned above, download the RMB Fund Phase One Application Form, complete it and send it to firstrandfoundation@tshikululu.org.za

The application deadline is Friday 2 June 2017.

For any queries, contact Xolile Charmaine Zondi on xczondi@tshikululu.org.za