Accountable by design
Governance & accountability
We adopt governance standards larger than our size requires, and we account publicly for every dollar. An independent Grants Committee scores every application; the Board ratifies.
The Grants Committee
No Board member scores an application. The Committee recommends; the Board ratifies.
Independent Chair
A respected professional with no Board role. Leads reviews and casts tie-breaking votes.
Finance Reviewer
An accountant or banker. Assesses budgets, viability, and financial need.
Enterprise Reviewer
An established entrepreneur. Scores business plans and market feasibility.
Education Reviewer
An educator or administrator. Scores scholarship applications and academic readiness.
Community Representative
A rotating seat, including a Family Island voice, grounding decisions in real community needs.
Partner seat
Founding Patrons may nominate a staff member to serve as a reviewer or mentor, putting your people inside the impact.
How applications are scored
A published, weighted rubric. No discretion without documentation. Every application is scored independently by at least two reviewers, shortlisted candidates are interviewed, and decisions are documented and ratified by the Board. Unsuccessful applicants receive feedback and may reapply.
Universal integrity standards
Applied to every award, so partner funds are protected from day one.
- Are you a Bahamian citizen with valid government-issued identification?
- Can you confirm you have no immediate-family relationship to any member of the Board of Directors or the Grants Evaluation Committee?
- Do you consent to due diligence (verification of identity, enrolment, business status, and references) before any funds are disbursed?
- Do you accept the accountability terms: one award per cycle, funds used only for the stated purpose, receipts retained, and a progress report six months after the award?
- Do you declare that the information you provide is true and accurate? False or misleading statements result in disqualification.
Board & governance structure
Founder and Patron: Senator the Honourable Latrae Rahming. The independent Grants Committee reports to the Board.
Chairperson
Leads the Board and external partnerships.
Deputy Chair
Governance, policy, and risk oversight.
Secretary
Records, compliance, and correspondence.
Treasurer
Funds custody, budgets, and audited accounts.
Director, Education
Scholarship programmes and school partnerships.
Director, Enterprise
Business grants and the mentorship pipeline.
Director, Community
Family Island outreach and the volunteer corps.
Standards we hold ourselves to
- OECD DAC evaluation criteria
- Outcomes assessed against relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.
- Independent Sector principles
- Conflict of interest, financial oversight, and disclosure drawn from the Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice.
- Published transparency
- Criteria published before each cycle, awardees listed publicly, and financials independently reviewed.
Annual audited or independently reviewed financial statements. A public annual report listing every award and tracking cost per outcome. Board terms of three years, renewable once, with a majority of women members.