Tostan Inc.

“The form 990 was prepared by the outside accountants. A draft of the return was reviewed by senior management and finance committee. The final form 990 was provided to the board of directors before filing with the irs.”

“All employees and board members are asked to annually submit any conflicts of interest in writing. New hires will be asked if there is a conflict and notice will be given to the senior management immediately and board yearly. If a conflict arises, the board of directors determine whether the conflict exists and, if so, the board votes to authorize or reject the transaction or take any other action deemed necessary to address the conflict and protect tostan's best interests. Board members have a duty to disclose any possible conflict of interest. The board of directors determines whether a conflict of interest exists and, if so the board votes to authorize or reject the transaction or take any other action deemed necessary to address the conflict and protect tostan's best interests. Votes will be by a majority vote, without counting the vote of any interested director, even if the disinterested directors are less than a quorum provided that at least one consenting director is disinterested. An interested board member, officer, or staff member will not participate in any discussion or debate of the board of directors, or of any committee or subcommittee in which the subject of discussion is a contract, transaction, or situation in which there may be a perceived or actual conflict of interest. However, they may be present to provide clarifying information in such a discussion or debate unless objected to by any present board or committee member. Anyone in a position to make decisions about spending tostan's resources (i.e., transactions such as purchases contracts) - who also stands to benefit from that decision - has a duty to disclose that conflict as soon as it arises (or becomes apparent); s/he will not participate in any final decisions.”

“The board committee reviews comparable salaries before making any recommendations for senior staff salaries. The process is documented. A review was last conducted in january 2018. The board committee also reviews comparable salaries before making any recommendations for the key employees salaries. The process is documented. Tostan's compensation policy is to pay at the 25th percentile of the market for senior management and towards the 75th percentile for around 589 african staff members in the field.”

“The organization makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“Guinea-bissau: tostan worked with 120 communities, with a total of 8,895 participants. Mali: tostan worked with 30 communities, with a total of 3,228 participants. Senegal: tostan worked with 151 communities, with a total of 6,996 participants. The gambia: tostan worked with 60 communities, with a total of 6,453 participants. In guinea, tostan partnered with 72 communities through post-cep programming (peace and security project and strengthening democracy and civic engagement). Total number of community empowerment program participants in these countries: 25,572. Total number of african communities hosting tostan's cep-related programs in 2022: 341. Across all cep-related programs, 78% of participants were women and girls. Cep communities engaged an additional 3,360 communities (see organized diffusion, below). Tostan also worked with community partners to conduct a wide range of additional programming activities, reaching many hundreds more communities. Please see below for a summary of tostan's main programming efforts across all programs in 2022. The tostan community empowerment program (cep): our unique three-year program empowers community members in five west african countries with the skills and knowledge they need to lead their own development. The cep is a non-formal education program, based on human rights, and is implemented in more than a dozen local languages. It combines modern education techniques with traditional african oral teaching methods and is underpinned by a respectful approach to local beliefs and culture. Impact areas: our work uses a holistic approach for community-led development, and our impacts are found across five key areas: governance, education, health, environment, and economic growth. Each result area is elaborated upon below: governance: cep participants learn about democracy, human rights and responsibilities, leadership, decision-making and problem-solving. Each community democratically selects 19 members to form a community management committee (cmc) and receives training in the skills necessary to implement projects in their communities. These committees constitute a strong leadership presence in tostan communities, contributing to the growth of good governance and democracy. They work to increase democratic participation by encouraging residents to register their children at birth, to vote and run for office as well as participate in national elections. The participation and leadership of women in cmcs is highly encouraged, and in 2022, 100% of cmcs in guinea, guinea-bissau, mali, gambia and senegal had a majority of female members. These women emerge as community leaders, activists, and role models, showing young girls and boys alike that women can succeed in leadership roles and work alongside men as equals. Education: cmcs organized during the cep lead initiatives that ensure girls and boys are enrolled in school. When a family is considering removing their child from school, cmc members meet with them to discuss other possible solutions. Child/forced marriage is one practice that is a key factor in determining whether a girl will stay in school. Following their participation in our holistic program, hundreds of communities across the countries in which we work pledged to abandon child/forced marriage in 2022, bringing the total number to 10,025. As a result, thousands of girls are likely to have the opportunity to stay in school for longer, rather than be married at a young age. In the final module of the cep, the aawde, participants learn to read and write in their local language as well as send and receive sms text messages through the mobile phones for literacy and development (mpld) module described below. The module encourages participants to practice and share their newly acquired literacy skills. In 2022 tostan continued building opportunities and partnerships around its reinforcement of parental practices (rpp) programming, which builds on knowledge gained during the cep t”

“Child protection: through our cep module on child protection, cmcs are trained to address the deep social norms and practices that negatively affect children. The child protection module training is for cmc members in communities that have implemented the cep. The module helps build consensus around human rights and children's rights while building awareness of the various moral, social, and legal norms that affect children. Instead of focusing on immediate relief, the module helps communities address the deep social norms and practices that are at the source of these issues affecting children. It emphasizes the importance of education and introduces ideas for how communities can work together to protect their children. The child protection module strengthens the capacity of communities to provide protection for children and prevent violations of children's rights by reinforcing the capacities of communities and their surrounding villages to identify at-risk children, reinforcing the capacities of communities to prevent the trafficking or migration of children to urban centers, reinforcing the capacities of communities to help children in difficult situations such as sexual abuse, incest, forced marriage and fgc, and fostering the creation of dynamic and functional commissions for child protection in all communities. All communities who participate in the cep, specifically the cmcs, are trained in the child protection module. After the training, cmcs establish commissions for child protection (ccps), which lead the community in advocating for children's rights and transforming existing social norms that sustain harmful practices. Thousands of children have been registered at birth by cmcs, improving their access to school and legal recognition. In addition to leading these community-wide projects, cmcs also intervene directly in cases of child abuse. Early childhood development: in order to address this issue, tostan developed the reinforcement of parental practices (rpp) module beginning in 2012. The module aims to reinforce knowledge gained in the cep that encourages parents and other community members to create an environment for children's development. As a result, the module will help improve children's early development and learning, allowing them to perform better and stay in school. Research has shown that certain social norms and traditional practices in senegal can hinder the brain development of infants. For example, the belief that infants must be protected from dangerous spirits: to protect them certain parents avoid looking newborn babies in the eye and speaking regularly and directly to them. However, recent discoveries about brain development in young children have shown importance of stimulating interactions between parents and their children. During the rpp module, facilitators share with community members simple techniques that enrich interactions between parents and their young children and are all linked to children's basic human rights to education and health. These techniques include speaking to their young children using a rich and complex vocabulary, asking their children questions and helping them respond, playfully copying their children, telling them stories, and describing objects in detail to them. Primary caregivers in each community are trained to teach others the same skills after tostan leaves. Since tostan first piloted the reinforcement of parental practices module in 30 communities in 2012, the organization has grown the program to reach 430 communities in senegal. In 2022, tostan continued activities to implement a new version of the rpp in 30 communities in the department of medina yoro foulah. Tostan's extensive experience supporting positive social norms on parental practices will be combined with science-based "tips" developed by tostan partner vroom to promote infant brain development which will be adapted and shared with communities in senegal in 2022. The organization also worked wi”

“In 2022 in senegal, in the context of covid-19 and supporting community resilience, tostan partnered with mastercard foundation to provide three types of financial support to communities: 2,120 microgrants provided to households, community development grants provided to 121 community management committees, and economic innovation grants provided to 5 federations of cmcs. Mobile phone for literacy and development (mpld) module: the module focuses on using mobile phone technology, specifically sms text messaging, as a tool to reinforce literacy and numeracy skills, and is now an integrated part of the cep. Mobile phones and their networks are becoming increasingly more prevalent in the communities with which we partner. We found that using mobile phone technology is a relevant and innovative way to reinforce literacy and numeracy skills learned in the cep. Tostan facilitators teach participants the practical uses of standard mobile phone functions and how sms texting can be used as a tool to practice their literacy skills. The mobile phones are used to reinforce literacy, organization, and management skills, as well as to build consensus around local development initiatives. Sms texting becomes a sustainable and relevant option for reinforcing literacy and numeracy as access to mobile phone technology increases. Mobile phones and sms text messaging can be used as a tool to accelerate positive social transformation. They connect women with each other and with their communities; amplify the voice and influence of youth and marginalized groups in a community's decision-making process; organizing advocacy work; and accelerate large-scale social movements. All communities benefiting from the cep (see above) are benefitting or will benefit from tostan's mpld programming during the 3-year cep period. The peace and security program: the peace and security program reinforces conflict prevention and management skills learned during the cep through additional classes over six months and establishes a community-led structure to lead and strengthen peace-building and human security at the community level. Skills learned include improved communication and problem-solving skills as well as the peaceful resolution of community and familial conflicts. In 2022, 72 peace and security committees were set up in mali and guinea through this programming. The prison project: aims to help detainees reintegrate back into their communities through participation in a modified version of the cep. Participation builds their knowledge of human rights and equips them with practical skills to start income-generating activities. We also facilitate family meditations to help integrate former detainees back into their communities upon release. An international agreement addressing prison conditions in africa allows prisons to form partnerships with organizations and ngos like tostan to provide rehabilitation services. These services encourage successful reintegration of prisoners into society upon their release. As part of the modified version of the cep we implement in prisons, facilitators lead class discussions on topics including human rights education, problem solving, hygiene, health, and literacy, as well as provide family mediation and skill trainings in project management and income-generating activities. Upon release, participants also have access to start-up funds for the establishment of small businesses. The revenue generated from the skills trainings and economic activities of the prisoners who are still imprisoned make these funds possible. In 2022 the prison project (pp) worked in nine senegalese prisons. In 2022, detainees participated in cep sessions on democracy, human rights and responsibilities, problem solving, health and hygiene, and practical skills in literacy, numeracy, project management and income generating activities. Several initiatives to improve living conditions were led by detainees including cell cleaning days; sports competitio”

“C. Global influence and recognition: tostan is increasingly seeking ways in which to exchange with and influence the global community that supports the emergence of community well-being. Through participation in global and regional conferences as well as membership in networks of thought-leaders and partners in 2022, tostan was able to participate as a leader in the global conversation on creating partnerships that support community-led wellbeing, and to include and amplify the voices of many local partners to that end. In 2022 tostan continued its presence in a range of global networks and communities, and hosted a range of webinars with community members, partners, and global thought leaders. The organization and its leadership and programs have continued to be featured in the press, and referenced in academic publications. The organization also participated in a wide range of conferences at local and global level. These articles and events are documented and available via tostan's website. 2022: a major new strategy takes shape 2022 marked the final year of an impactful strategic period advancing community well-being, with many strategic goals being met and many innovations taking place as well. In 2023 tostan will produce a report documenting its learning journey across the 2016-2022 strategic period. 2022 also presented an opportunity to consult our global community of supporters and partners to co-create tostan's new strategy: an ambitious roadmap towards 2030. Developed through a deeply inclusive process, we worked with community members and partners from across 12 countries over 12 months to define our collective goals. We collaborated with partner communities, local and national government, and supporters from around the globe to co-create tostan's strategy 2023-2030: in partnership for community well-being, which will contribute to community well-being on a deeper, wider, and more holistic scale. Our 2023-2030 strategy is ambitious, expansive and aligns the goals of tostan, the communities we partner with, and the wider global community mobilizing towards the sustainable development goals. The result is an eight-year strategy with partnerships at its heart, aiming to catalyze a movement for community well-being in entire regions of five west african countries and beyond. Tostan looks forward to continued programming and new innovations and to providing further updates in the future.”

“The organization also has additional staff of 701 located in africa.”

“Professional fees: program service expenses 1,002,533. Management and general expenses 395,533. Fundraising expenses 549,636. Total expenses 1,947,702.”

“Exchange rate gain/loss -735,389.”