Forum looks at ways to empower civil society organisations

MUSCAT,: The Ministry of Social Development organised the Financial Sustainability Forum for Civil Society Organisations with the aim of strengthening and empowering them to achieve financial and social sustainability, while keeping up with best practices in the financial and charitable sectors.
The forum provided a vital platform for exchanging experiences and insights, during which participants discussed practical strategies for enhancing the financial efficiency of organisations, ways to diversify funding sources and develop effective partnership models with banks and the private sector. They also discussed creating sustainable investment and social programmes that ensure the continuity of charitable projects and achieve a greater impact on civil society.
The forum included four dialogue sessions. The first session, presented by Dr Faten bint Said al Zadjaliyah from Dhofar Islamic, addressed the role of Islamic banks in supporting charitable organisations and enhancing their financial sustainability by offering specialised programmes and innovative solutions to address various challenges, including modern financial technology applications. She also emphasised that investing in charitable work is one of the key foundations for ensuring its continuity and sustainability.
The second session, presented by Dr Shamsa bint Hamad al Harthiyah, CEO of Dar Al Atta'a, addressed financial sustainability in the charitable sector. She stressed that financial sustainability is a key element in achieving this goal and that strategies to enhance sustainability include diversifying funding sources, establishing emergency funds, investing in digital technologies for fundraising, training staff in financial management and partnerships and adopting governance and transparency through the preparation of audited financial reports.
In the third session, Hussein bin Hamad al Khanbashi, a member of the Zakat Committee in the Wilayat of Al Seeb, reviewed the committee's experience in financial sustainability and the foundations it adopted to achieve its desired results. These included consulting with expertise, building community trust by highlighting institutional work and enhancing credibility, and adopting digital transformation programmes to facilitate beneficiaries' access to services.
The fourth session, presented by Ahmed bin Salem al Salmi, Director of the In-Country Value Added Department at the Oman Investment Authority, addressed the Authority's social investment policy, which is based on several principles: ensuring the implementation of clear governance frameworks, aligning projects and social investment plans with Oman Vision 2040, identifying budget allocation mechanisms according to the institution's priorities, encouraging partnerships, monitoring performance and evaluating the impact of projects on society.
The forum emphasised the importance of unifying visions and integrating efforts across various sectors to build a robust financial and social system that enhances the ability of civil society organisations to continue and contribute, ensuring the sustainability of their resources and maximising their long-term positive impact on community development.