BOARD MEETING HUB

FOR BETTER BOARD EFFICIENCY & EMPOWERMENT

Starfish Greathearts Foundation USA

Letter from Executive Director

Hello Board Members,

As we get busier and busier I wanted to create a hub that best empowers you to stay on top of what is happening at Starfish and help us to have the most productive meetings possible.

Hence the new version of your board pack, please feel free to give any feedback and let me know if you would like to see anything else in this pack, as it has been set up for your convenience.

 

Can you please:

 

  • Review the agenda below.
  • Review the votes to be taken in the meeting (if any).
  • Review all of the Pre-Read sections and add your thoughts and questions in advance via the Comments Form. 

 

Thanks for all your support and I look forward to a productive meeting.

- Candice

Key:  Board Action Required  Highlight  Lowlight

 

 

 

 

 

Agenda

 
10:00 am (EST)

Call to Order (SW)

  • Role Call (Quorum)
  • Welcome & Overview

 

10:05 am

Approvals (TG)

  • Today's Agenda
  • Previous Minutes 

 

10:10 am

Executive Director Report (CB)

  • Fundraising
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Governance
  • Other: Marlize Adair

10:50 am

Financial Report

  • Bank Balance

  • New Bank?
  • Review and Tax

 11:10 am

South Africa Update

 

  • SA Trip
  • New Model
  • Progress
  • Collaborations

11:30 pm 

Close

 

 

 

 

 

FUNDRAISING

 

Through 3 Peer to Peer campaigns, over 100 children are receiving and education they would not have otherwise had

We received AED 10k ($2,723) from a donor in Dubai. I called him to thank him and it turns out he is a well known hotelier and restauranteur Will keep his details for a future Dubai event

Investec (new process) for sponsorship

Application for donations in Crypto currency

 

EVENTS

Gala Tentative date: 3/10/2026

SA Skop (invited top donors/Networking)

Looking at events in addition to the gala. Model: Low investment (of time and resources) high return.

  • Winter Spa Day
  • Golf Day
  • Online Store
  • Can start looking at California again
    • Yacht cruse on Hudon
    • Rugby VIP Guest
    • Exclusive, invitation only
    • Top doonors
    • Max 100 guestsEarly talks with Marco Masotti for collaborative event
    • Visits for tourists (expand)
    • Trips to SA for youth

BRETT'S ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ

 

Brett aimed to provide a year of education for 10 orphaned children. Through his remarkable efforts, he raised $18,943, making it possible for 45 previously waitlisted children—who could not afford school—to attend classes and pursue a better life.

FABIO & DOUG - COMRADES RACE

 

Fabio & Doub (South Africa) raised ZAR 50,890 for education.

We have several people globally who are interested in running the Comrades in 2026 for Starfish. The campaign is with Mastercard employees. Mastercard matches employee donations.

MARKETING

 
  • Automations (Workflows & Drip Campaigns)
  • Welcome / Info Pack
  • Travel
  • 28% increase in followers on Instagram
  • Website Analytics
  • Updating and reviewing the website to create a positive donor journey
  • Search Ads ($10,000 Grant)

TECHNOLOGY

 
(2 mins)
 

Simple Strat Tech support for Hubspot support is going well. They are currently fixing our reports and dashboards.

GOVERNANCE

  
(2 mins)
 


Dan has retired after many years as a board member, due to the birth of his new baby (they have a 2 year old too).

HUGE celebrations: California Registration restored!!!

Pro Bono Partners

 

Other Business

(2 mins)
 

Requesting New Hire: Marlize Adair (Fundraising Specialist)

Resume

Linkedin

Plan: Global hire / shared cost 

Pros:

  • Uniform brand
  • Consistent marketing messaging
  • Uplifting the organisation as a whole
  • South Africa needs assistance (Gmail emails to 70 people only - GDPR compliance)
  • Great Britain - 235k South Africans (mostly England)
  • USA - 123k (California 12,500 (LA/SD/San Francisco Bay area), Florida 8,000 (Miami), Texas 6,800 (Houston), New York 4,250, Atlanta 3,400, (Also, Phoenix, New Jersey, and Maryland)
  • Possible succession plan for USA
  • A role that is income generating
  • Lines up with strategy for Starfish's growth

Cons: 

Cost to Starfish (shared)

 

Screenshot 2025-07-10 at 20.22.03

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Update (Pre-Read)

(4 mins)

 
Please tell me if there is anything specific that you would like to see here. See docs bank for detailed Statement of Activity FY2025.

Quickbooks is up-to-date and accessible to all board members.

  • Total Bank Balances: $532,484.69
  • SF SA has been paid for Q2
  • Bank of America: $178,667 (of this $75,000 is restricted grants)
  • Key Bank (Reserve) $353,817.69 (of this $3,817.69 is interest earned at 4.5% interest (guaranteed for 6 months).
  • Chase Bank Change banks due to logistical impossibility of amending signatories with Bank of America?

Appointed new accountant for review and Tax (due October 2025). Saving of $750 (also works well with bookkeeping firm).

Past 7 years -

700% increase in revenue

10x increase in funding to South Africa

Screenshot 2025-07-11 at 09.35.15

 

 

 

 

 

Programs (South Africa)

SOUTH AFRICA

  • SA Trip

  • STRUCTURE - STARFISH SA

    • Current Structure
    • New Board Member: Valerie Hammond - Linkedin
    • New Accountant
    • Streamline
      • Current Staff (5)
      • New Model (3) TBC 
      • Need additional board member with financial acumen
      • No CEO Required
Capacity / Roles Required
2

 


New Model: Programs

    • Community Mapping
    • Generate - Collaborate - Innovate
    • Capacity Building:  Develops training, policies, toolkits, and evaluation methods for chapters. Step-by-step launch toolkit: templates, brand guidelines, program blueprints, curriculum.
    • 5 levels (no longer mere funders, incentive-based) - five arms of a starfish

    • Monitoring & Evaluation: Impact Tracking: Aggregates chapter-level data to track national impact.

    • Compliance & Legal: Oversee ECD registration, tax-exempt status, legal compliance in all jurisdictions.

    • Strive for a Standard of Excellence
    • Self Sustaining / Income Producing
      • Clothing Bins
      • Food Gardens (sell food & seedlings)
      • Spaza (eggs /meals / Bread)
      • Tutoring
      • Resumé typing
      • Teach community
      • Food Kitchen (WhatsApp to order)
      • Rent 50% of space model
 

  •  
Progress so far...

    • Application Process
    • Contracts (Redraft)
    • Refine Processes Data (Not manual)
    • Meetings / Supervision for Redcap
    • Reporting Revision
    • Monitoring and Evaluation Revision
    • Site reports (No visits during holidays) Checklist
    • Dashboard creation and integration to Hubspot
    • New Collaborations
      • Sozo (maintenance / Wall)
      • Great Hearts Farm - supply fresh produce 
      • Leveraging Nurse (Agape)
 
 
Potential Upcoming Projects
  • Wall for Agape (Sozo?)
  • Sozo Tutoring / Internships
  • Diepsloot Preschools for corporate volunteering
  • Bulungula Internships
  • JHB Wellness Wagon? Currently doing a deep dive into Wellness Wagons (time in operation - Tracker)
  • Adjacent Property for Masibulele (Approx. ZAR 280k - $15,700)
  • Great Hearts Farm / Teach communities sustainable farming

  • Dashboard (Weekly Meetings) with myself, Amelia, and SF SA to maintain momentum and keep the program going. Additional meetings
  • 2 - 3 additional meetings per week with myself and Data person
  • Talks with Monitoring & Evaluation expert to review process
  • Training set up for the Programs Manager on RedCap

SITE VISITS
 
Report Back: Antonio's Volunteering with family at Agape
Report Back: Justine's Visit to Agape
 
 
Images from site visits April 2025

Drum at Tumelong Playground

Prompted review of site visit checklists and Starfish processes.

Concept of elevating standards of CBOs through the use of incentives

Screenshot 2025-07-10 at 17.57.40
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SA Programs Summary (in progress)

Absa had been funding this school and Investec had volunteered here and undertaken renovations to the property in collaboration with Starfish. Absa funding term came to an end end of June. We are taking them over (I visited them when I was in Johannesburg).

 

60 Children

2,400 meals served each month

 

01 Agape - Rooidakke

"Red Roofs" Preschool

(Grabouw, Western Cape)

120 Children

4,800 meals given per month.

All receiving meals on the nutritional program. Nearly every child was deemed malnourished by the Dpt of Health before receiving our meals

New wellness program implemented (nurse funded by Starfish FY26)

This school would have closed had we not jumped in to save it. It is the only preschool in the area where there are 7,500 children who should be in school.

In 6 weeks land will have been transferred to Agape. Cost was R100.

Screenshot 2024-11-26 at 12.41.31

02 Agape - Asiphe House

Special Needs Unit - Nutrition Program

(Grabouw, Western Cape)

Caring for children with cerebral palsy and HIV.

We supply nappies (diapers) - 7,920 (small) and 2,160 (Med).

Providing meals for special needs children. Feeding 65 children on a different plan, especially curtailed to their needs.

Healthcare (3)

03 Agape

Wellness Program

(Agape Asiphe House, Agape Rooidakke & Masibulele) 

(Grabouw, Western Cape)

Agape urgently required a nurse to support children with special needs. Through our funding, a dedicated nurse now delivers a wellness program at Agape Preschool and Masibulele, ensuring health and care for 177 children.

Feed (5)-1

04 Aquina

Preschool

48 Children

 1920 meals each month.

Recently upgraded to the nutrition program. This was a fixed grant.

Strong relationship with the local clinic. One of the most vibrant centers. Children are confident.

Need a gate to be installed for security, as there have been kidnappings in the area. High crime area.

Feed (8)

05 David Rappaport Scholarship Fund

Eductation

When David retired from Investec they asked what he would like as a gift and he asked that a donation be made to Starfish. Investec donated $10,000 which we ringfenced for children who needed to go to school but could not afford to pay tuition.

To date over 100 children have been sent to school through this program.

 

 

Screenshot 2024-12-04 at 20.07.19

06 Jim Johnson 

Wellness Wagon

 

Currently undergoing repairs.

 

Healthcare-3

07 Keiskamma Trust

Wellness Program

(Eastern Cape)

Using own vehicle. The wellness program provides health care to 14800 patients in the past year in one of the remotest parts of the country.

Services provided are -

  • TB screening
  • HIV testing
  • Counselling
  • Deworming
  • Vitamin A
  • Vision / Dental / Hearing Tests
  • Growth monitoring (height & weight)
  • Nutritional advice

 

 

Screenshot 2024-12-04 at 20.05.01

08 Keiskamma Trust

Preschool

(Eastern Cape)

Serving 3 preschools in the area. Helping 53 children.

Providing 2,120 meals every month.

Health care program provided (our WW).

This center needs assistance, not up to standard as yet. The classroom need ages separated. Practitioner training need additional training and skills development. 

New Project: to upskill practioners so that all our teachers have level 4 qualifications.

Screenshot 2024-11-26 at 12.21.14

09 Masibulele

Preschool

(Khayelitsha - Western Cape)

92 children

3,618 meals each month.

Wellness Program being implemented 2025.

I would like to buy the property next door as these children have no playground. Currently bought by shebeen owner... Opportunity for a Spaza store to be operated as an income stream and start a food garden. Use additional building for tutoring.

They want to start a after school tutor program for children who start elementary school but are not coping to help them keep up and not fall away.

Healthcare-2

10 New Horizon (*New)

Preschool

Tembisa, Johannesburg

Screenshot 2025-02-13 at 14.52.11

11 Thandanani (*New)

Maternal Healthcare & social psycho counselling

Feed (18)

12 Tumelong

Preschool

(Gauteng)

46 Children

1,840 meals per month

Local clinic supports children's health care.

This preschool is on my radar... have some concerns here. Looking at legalities of placing cameras in classrooms.

Feed (7)

13 Wellness Wagon

Stationed at Starfish Office - New Project?

  • Health Program / Mobile Toy Library / Mobile Book Library
  • Food Gardens
  • Afterschool program
  • Upskilling teachers to level 4 education

14 Potential New Projects

 

Aquina Security

Agape Wall

Sozo (tutoring and maintenance collaboration)

Bulungula (Internship Program)

Food Gardens

Additional schools at Keiskamma

Masibulele Land

Clothing bins

Crystal Foundation

 

Screenshot 2024-12-04 at 20.09.51

Task List 

Please feel free to Submit any comments, queries, or suggestions here any time.

 

Votes 

1. The Better Fundraising Company Extension

2. Banking to Chase Bank

3. Marlize Adair Employment

Candice's Updated Salary Proposal (votes will be sent to Sebastian)

Pre-Reading For Upcoming Meeting

Section on proposed new hire: Marlize Adair

Conflict Policy

Whistle-Blowers Policy

Board Agreement 2025

Bylaws

 

Submit your Comments Here

Please feel free to Submit any comments, queries, or suggestions here any time.

 

Upcoming Meetings 

Click on date to download to calendar.

Q3 FY26 - October 3, 2025

Q4 FY27 January 9, 2026

 

 

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