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Community Partner Organizations (CPOs)
Promote Africa strives to partner with established community organizations (preferably those that are registered as nonprofit organizations within their country) that provide trade and business skills training relevant to the production of African art. To ensure that the above requirements are being met in the context of handicraft production, Promote Africa gives preference to creating partnerships with community organizations operating in a cooperative model defined in Arts and Crafts Policies and Objectives SectionII.1C.*
*NOTE: If your organization does not operate as a cooperative, but believes that a partnership would mutually benefit both parties, then do not hesitate to contact us. For example, in the context of our peer-to-peer donation network, Promote Africa supports partnerships in which the requirements of community partner organizations are completely different.
As party to the partnership, each CPO produces a quality product that Promote Africa sells and markets internationally. These products will, ideally, be authentic African handicrafts with a compelling social narrative, be environmentally friendly (produced using recycled materials where possible), and ethically and legally obtained.
In exchange, we increase the revenue generated by CPOs by opening their products to international markets. In doing so, we enable CPOs to expand skills training programs, thereby training more artisans and improving the quality of life for the entire community. Finally, because communication between Promote Africa and its CPOs is critical to a successful partnership, Promote Africa requires that CPO representatives keep regular contact by phone and/or email.
If your organization sees fit to take advantage of the benefits offered by a partnership with Promote Africa, we would be thrilled to hear from you (see the Contact Us page). For specific requirements and procedures of becoming a Promote Africa Community Partner Organization, please refer to the Arts and Crafts Policies and Objectives and the Arts and Crafts Contract. The former document details the required elements and aspects of the CPO, and the latter document is the form that Promote Africa requires of all prospective community partner organizations.
BENEFITS/ADVANTAGES PROMOTE AFRICA OFFERS ITS CPOs
1) Income Advances – Promote Africa will pay the cooperatives an advance for any exportable product to be marketed and sold under the Promote Africa brand. Accordingly, each cooperative then distributes the agreed proportion of this advance to its artisans, allowing them to generate income to support themselves and/or accrue savings. The payment of advances and a fair wage according to fair-trade guidelines recognizes the valuable skill-set of the cooperative’s artisans. When Promote Africa sells its products abroad, artisans can take absolute comfort in knowing that their artwork is both competitive and attractive. The management team of Promote Africa believes that expanded market opportunities will empower African artisans and lead to continued improvements in their standard of living.
2) Donated Profits - Because of our charitable mission and 501(c)(3) non-profit status, Promote Africa donates 100% of profits back to its partner organizations. Donated profits are comprised of receipts from sales that exceed the price (for cost of materials & labor and desired profit) set by the CPO for its products. Promote Africa maintains the right to specify the use of these funds by the CPO but will supports the CPO’s investment decisions as long as receipts are used to pay artisans, expand production capacity or to provide skills-training to the communities they serve.
ASSISTANCE PROMOTE AFRICA EXPECTS FROM ITS CPOs
1) Obtaining Export Licenses and Other Permits - The process for obtaining export licenses and other permits varies by country, but Promote Africa encourages its CPOs to research this process in conjunction with Promote Africa and to coordinate completion of the paperwork. Promote Africa will provide critical information and resources during the licensing process, and expects the same of its CPO. In some instances, Promote Africa may find it beneficial to obtain an export license, whereas in other instances, it may be best that its CPO obtain the license.
2) Maintaining a Cooperative Mentality - Occasionally, leaders and artisans of our community partner organizations must be open to questions and requests from Promote Africa. For example, Promote Africa may require that its in-country volunteers and/or staff interview the artisans about their experiences and work for US tax reporting and for marketing the products. In addition, Promote Africa maintains the right to direct the implementation of donated profits to CPOs. As such, it is important that Promote Africa and CPOs maintain an open and receptive dialogue.
3) Providing Export Production Schedules - Promote Africa expects CPOs to document the labor inputs artisans devote per week to producing high-quality exportable artwork. To ensure a consistent inventory to keep retailers and consumers alike satisfied, Promote Africa expects the cooperatives to operate on a reasonable time scale. As such, Promote Africa will try to remain flexible while negotiating contracts with individual CPOs, but thereafter expects the CPO to stick to the schedules for production and delivery. Promote Africa considers this expectation to apply to the artisans indirectly through the CPO.
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