Government grants: EUR 6,739,688
For all our grants, the federal and other authorities approved in advance a carefully outlined multi-year plan. These plans clearly describe all our activities and the desired outcomes. Every year we report every euro we receive to the government. 2019 was year three of our multi-annual federal programme. It started in 2017 and runs until 2021.
Our public resources in detail:
- Federal government grants: EUR 6,261,909
- Grants from regional authorities (municipalities, cities, provinces, regions and employment subsidies): EUR 477,779
Other revenues: EUR 3,257,578
In return for public funds, our organisation must guarantee a percentage of its own income. In addition, we carry out a number of our projects exclusively with our own resources. In addition to our grants, we therefore try to collect as many resources as possible from other sources of income. In this way we remain healthy and independent. Our annual challenge is to collect at least 35% of our total income from equity. With 33% equity capital, we almost reached this goal for 2019.
Our own resources in detail:
- Revenue from donations and sales: EUR 373,879
- Multi-annual agreements: EUR 2,800,949
WSM received funds from agreements with:
- ACV-CSC, CM-MC, Femma, kwb, KAJ, beweging.net, MOC, BRS, vdk bank and others: EUR 1,469,224
- Funds and union confederations, regional mutual health funds, regional suborganisations: EUR 1,106,006
- 11.11.11, Flemish umbrella organisation of North-South organisations: EUR 203,256
- CNCD/WBI, the French-speaking umbrella organisation for North-South organisations: EUR 22,463
Investments in partner countries: EUR 7,330,602
With this figure, which represents 72% of the total, we are continuing the fight against poverty and inequality together with 88 social organisations such as trade unions, mutual health organisations, women's and youth groups in 23 countries.
Together supporting WSM's vision: EUR 1,848,957
Decent work and social protection are the keys to ending poverty in a sustainable way. This is our vision and we want to convince as many people as possible of this, both in Belgium and at a number of international institutions. We do this through awareness-raising, education and political work.
Quality assurance and transparency of our operations: EUR 742,260
Quality, transparency and correct communication are important priorities for us. In 2019, we spent 7% of our resources on the general management of our organisation. This includes the financial department, human resources policy, permanent quality support and general coordination. Together they guarantee the quality of our work.
Securing funds: EUR 245,285
We spent 3% of our funds on fundraising from our structural and private donors. In doing so, we developed new actions and guaranteed qualitative reporting to all our donors.
In 2019 we note a further increase in expenditure on our South and North operations (+ 8 percent compared to 2018): in this third year of the programme financed by our federal government, more was invested in activities in Africa, Asia and Latin America and in activities in Belgium. Moreover, this increase in expenditure is also related to a programme in Mali launched in 2018 and financed by Enabel; and two programmes financed by the Brussels-Capital Region in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in India. Furthermore, collaborations with new partners allowed us to spend an additional EUR 100,000 on the South operations. For example, we were able to carry out a study in Central Africa. And for the Clean Clothes Campaign, we were able to launch a multi-year programme with European funds.
Total revenues in 2019 amounted to almost ten million. An increase of about six percent compared to 2018. This growth was mainly due to an increase in subsidies, as can be read above. Our structural income also increased compared to 2018 due to new (albeit one-off) collaborations. Donations and legacies fell by just over two percent compared to 2018.
Compared to the budget that we prepared at the beginning of the year, in which we had foreseen a negative result of EUR 232,000, we closed the financial year 2019 with a negative result that was lower than expected (- EUR 169,838 ). We were able to do so using the transferred positive result with the approval of our Board of Directors and therefore, as stated above, we invested more in (our own and other) activities and used our own resources for this purpose. In addition, we also invested in the search for other budget lines, including tapping into additional European funding. We want a greater diversification of income sources in order to be less dependent on a few large donors.
WSM is a member of VEF-AERF, the Belgian organization for ethics in fundraising.
The Association for Ethics in Fundraising guarantees the moral quality of fundraising and the transparency of its members' accounts. It verifies that an organisation acquires its resources in an ethically responsible manner. The VEF conducts an annual check of its members' figures. In 2019, we again achieved a good result in the VEF audit. We handle your money with care and spend your donations well, that's what we want to show you with our VEF membership.
Finally, the annual financial statements are submitted to the National Bank of Belgium and the clerk's office of the Commercial Court.
WSM strives to be a learning organization. We therefore strongly focus on the cycle of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME). We systematically monitor our operations and make adjustments where necessary. Our 'PME manager' ensures that the PME processes receive sufficient attention in our organization, because we owe it to ourselves and to all governments, organizations and people who work with us.
We also regularly collaborate on this with HIVA, the KU Leuven research institute for work and society. They help us:
Programmes are evaluated by recognized evaluators mid-term and at the end of each period. The summary of each evaluation and WSM's response to the evaluator's recommendations are systematically published on our website. Full evaluation reports are available upon request at the PME administrator of WSM.
2022 – Management Response final evaluation programme WSM/DGD by Focus Up
HIVA and WSM published a joint brochure about the importance of synergy in development cooperation: WSM - a partner in synergies for development (pdf)
We promote equality and respect, and ensure the correct use of resources.
WSM signed an Integrity Charter, as did all other NGOs in Belgium. It means that WSM is committed to taking the necessary measures to enable prevention, detection and response / sanction in case of violation of integrity in the context of our activities.
WSM staff signs an Ethical Code emphasizing values and norms.
You are a volunteer who is involved in WSM actions, you are an employee of one of our partners in Belgium or on the continents, or you are a person who participated in a WSM activity - and you are a witness or victim of an integrity violation by WSM employees, you can address your concerns, questions or complaint to the reporting points:
In general:
On the continents:
The reporting and handling of complaints is confidential, independent and takes the notifier into account. We can only properly handle a complaint if it is not anonymous.
Personal data is not shared with anyone unless with the consent of the notifier. Other people may be involved at a later stage, if the further handling of the complaint requires this.
After submitting your complaint, you will be kept informed of further treatment.
Integrity and respect are important core values for us. These values guide our actions and are endorsed by everyone who formally works for our organization (employees, volunteers and administrators). That is why WSM signed the Integrity Charter (pdf - in French/Dutch)
Gender equality within our organization is important and we take the necessary actions to reach our goals in this matter. That is why WSM signed the Gender charter (pdf - in French)
