Girls and Boys Town Integrated Biennial Report April 2018 – March 2020

38 Girls & Boys Town South Africa Integrated Biennial Report 2018/2020 STAKEHOLDER engagement GBTSA’s methods of engaging stakeholders Youth and child care services Family outreach Community activity Use of media Mass media adverts and PR, social media Professional engagement Publications and forums National hotline Short-term counselling and referral Fundraising activities Mail appeals, newsletters and social media Partnerships Managing donations of skills and resources How we engage the public and stakeholders Service organisations like GBTSA relate to communities and a range of stakeholders not only through targeted communication activities but also through the services that lie at their heart – in this case our work with children, young people and their families, our outreach to communities and our national Hotline Service. When it comes to the broader public – beyond the direct reach of our services – GBTSA’s work lends itself to storytelling as a method of communication. There are many stories contained within our campuses, and a good many have inspirational endings. While respecting and protecting the rights of individual beneficiaries in terms confidentiality and privacy, we use many of these stories to foster pride in our achievements and to win new supporters. We enjoy good relations with the media and they generally support us through honest reporting. Our media interactions are always protective of the rights of our beneficiaries and their families. Wherever possible we broadcast interviews. Media are generally engaged through our PR service provider which issues media releases and secures interviews for the CEO. We always aim to respond to the media promptly, accurately and honestly – and to amplify some of the issues raised through our stakeholder publications and social media. Social media continues to provide opportunities for us to share information with agility and cost effectively. It has also become an easy access for enquiries by the public who need assistance with youth matters. They provide a unique opportunity for feedback and we value this two-way engagement. We embrace diverse opinions, but do not tolerate bullying, racism or hate speech and, therefore, have filters that monitor and remove offensive comments. Our teams develop compelling fundraising campaigns, nurture relationships with our supporters and seek meaningful partnerships with government bodies, agencies, media, corporate social investors, private individuals, philanthropists, trusts and foundations as well as other stakeholders. Our regional fundraising teams engage with the public consistently through various activations and initiatives. We also publish a monthly internal staff communique, Staff Zone, to keep all staff aware of what is happening at GBTSA. We pride ourselves on transparency and consider ourselves accountable to our donors and supporters. Our CEO communicates personally with any donor who might have negative or critical feedback.