The Big Why

We contribute to South Africa’s development by empowering local grassroots organisations to invest in individuals from childhood through to employment, preparing them to thrive economically, support their families, and contribute to their communities.

Empowering individuals to transform lives and communities

We live in a country where up to 50% of children in their First Thousand Days of life don’t receive enough of the love, stimulation, safety, healthcare and nutrition that they need to thrive, where 80% of the top academic results come from only 20% of the country’s most-resourced schools, and where 46.6% of South Africa’s working age population is unemployed.  Through our three focused programmes – Early Life, Education, and Employment we create opportunities for individuals to re-write their own narratives.  Success for us means that each person, no matter their background, can access the tools, resources, and support needed to build a secure financial future. When people are financially stable, entire communities benefit and that’s the success we’re working towards.

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Our Vision Our support acts as a scaffold, offering a robust framework of tools, resources and relationships to those already at the forefront of change. It epitomises a “hand up” rather than a “handout”. Building away from ourselves, we work to see communities harness their innate strength and resilience to forge meaningful transformation that lasts. Supporting Grassroots Transformation Our Vision Grassroots are the lifeblood of profound, enduring, and deeply rooted change. By arming community champions with the resources they need, we catalyse tangible transformation. This entails forging partnerships with church networks, fellow NGOs, schools and organisations, and governmental bodies to cultivate ecosystems capable of propelling scalable change. Together, we amplify voices, cultivate agency, and sow the seeds of lasting impact from the ground up. Supporting Grassroots Transformation Our Vision For us, transformation is about more than just altering circumstances. We aspire to forge bold new trajectories, demonstrating what is achievable within our South African context and paving the way for a world where equity, opportunity, and dignity prevail. Our mission is clear: to enact true and enduring transformation that leaves an indelible mark on generations to come. Supporting Grassroots Transformation

How common good started

We were founded in 2005 by  Common Ground Church, and are an independent and registered non-profit and public benefit organisation. We believe faith communities have a unique and pivotal role to play in seeing societal renewal. Common Good continues to support churches to live justly, creating a groundswell of mercy and justice in action.