About the Trust
The DGMT currently has six trustees supported by a staff of 11 based in Cape Town.
The Trustees are:
Jeremy Ractliffe (Chair of the Board)
David Orton (Chair of the Finance Sub-Committee)
Marianne MacRobert (Chair of the Grants Sub-Committee)
Shirley Mabusela
David Green
David McKinstry
Virginia Ogilvie-Thompson
A major role of the DGMT is to target organisations that work mainly with those people who have one or more of the following characteristics:
- Are so poor that their greatest need is food, shelter and some form of security i.e. the very basic necessities to survive. In reality these are the people that cannot access information, state funding or learn skills to help themselves until the basics are met;
- Come from an impoverished background, live below the poverty line but have the potential to acquire knowledge and develop to their full potential;
- Fall within a grouping that have been or are presently disadvantaged for a variety of reasons; and
- Have the potential to become contributors to the creation of the enabling environment that is the ultimate goal of the DGMT.
The DGMT itself is not a development agency but is intimately involved in the development process and works closely with service providers and development agencies targeting the above 4 categories of people and provides resources for their activities. It is also committed to ensuring that there is adequate monitoring and evaluation of the programmes and projects it funds with a view to promoting good examples and best practice.
The DGMT strives to include the following participants in any of its programme relationships:
- Other possible resource providers and funders;
- Service providers and development agencies;
- The state; and
- The communities themselves.