TAGI’s NPO registration

We announced some time ago that The Angel Gown® Initiative has officially been registered as a Non Profit Organisation. We were super excited, realising the possibilities that comes with it! We did not, however, realise the mission it would become to eventually hold the actual registration papers in our hands.

At first this might sound like something not all that serious, I mean, why would I need the physical paper? I already have the NPO nr, and the paper does not prevent us from doing the great work that we do, right? Well… sure, physically it’s not stopping us, but boy oh boy… That certificate is the corner stone to letting us move forward. From opening a bank account, applying for grants and qualifying for certain types of donations, we must present this paper.

Now, when registration went through the DSD, Department of Social Development, informed us it will take 6 weeks to arrive in the Western Cape – I was never quite sure how it takes 6 weeks to be posted between Gauteng and the Western Cape, but patiently I waited. Eventually the time passed and when I phoned DSD they told me it has not yet been mailed to us. On further inquiries they told me point blank they don’t know when it will happen, but someone can come fetch it at the actual building.

And so the next mission begins… I had several friends willing to assist me, but they are only available over weekends, when DSD is closed, or their personal schedules are already too hectic as it is. And so I started asking my friends if any of them have trustworthy friends that could assist us and we got a huge break!

A friend had a friend that was vacationing abroad but was happy to ask her once she returns to SA. Her friend immediately said yes! I was overwhelmed and humbled at the same time that a complete stranger, without objection or excuses offered to help us in this way. Theresa-Marie Maree generously offered to go on one of her off days to fetch the papers on our behalf. I immediately sent her all the relevant paperwork with over night services. The next day, armed with a good book and lots of patience, Theresa-Marie went off to DSD. To our surprise it was pretty much an in-and-out situation and as she said when she sent me a pic of our papers ‘Tada!’.

I was so ecstatic and overjoyed! Then, as a donation to TAGI, she covered the postage fees and mailed our papers to us! We received it in good order and now the next step in TAGI’s growth can start – we are finally out of limbo!!!

We would like to give a big thank you to Theresa-Marie for offering up your personal time to help complete strangers. We are so happy to see that this level of goodness still exists in this world today. Thank you! And a thank you to Milla Bottomley for introducing us to Theresa.