The NOW Fund provides educational scholarships for disadvantaged scholars whose families do not have the financial means to access the high-quality education offered by Westerford. The scholarship fund was initiated in 2017 and is led by a volunteer group of Old Westerfordians. Funds are raised from OWs and their businesses, while the scholarships are managed by third-party organisations who are experts in scholarship management. 

The NOW Fund currently supports fourteen scholars at the school and has five alumni,all of whom are studying at university. It has raised just over R 4 million since its inception in 2017. 

We use expert third party organisations to manage the all elements of the scholarship from recruitment and selection to applications into tertiary institutions. For the last few years, this has been the Spirit Education Foundation and as we grow, we are likely to engage with other organisations too. 

The Spirit Education Foundation is a non-profit organisation providing opportunities for good quality education to economically disadvantaged high school scholars who have the potential and will to succeed. They mentor them in partnership with their families, providing psychosocial and academic support and additional resources where the need arises. They help and motivate the scholars to achieve to the best of their ability academically and in all other aspects of their high school education, encouraging the creativity, leadership and good self-esteem necessary to help build a prosperous and healthy nation. 

Currently, the Spirit Education Foundation mentors and supports over 150 scholars in more than ten schools in the Cape Town area. 

The Spirit Education Foundation is one of the three foundations under the Spirit Invest group of companies. Spirit Invest provides corporate leadership, governance, financial services and assistance to the foundation. This allows for a unique position regarding funding, as all donations are directly translated into scholarships.. 

NOW has two meanings. Firstly, it’s about creating New Old Westerfordians, and secondly, the time for taking action to increase access to excellent education is NOW! We’ve taken the acronym and made it our core call to action. 

They need to apply to one of our partner organisations first; then, they must apply to and be accepted at Westerford independently. 

Once they are accepted at Westerford and for a partners scholarship, they would then be eligible for a NOW Fund Scholarship. 

All our partners have relationships with a variety of under-resourced primary schools in the Cape Town area as part of their annual scholar recruitment. They assist Grade 6’s to apply various high schools based on the learner’s academic results, location and interests. 

Many of these learners have not traveled beyond their immediate area and would not have learned of the schools or scholarship opportunities without this engagement. 

What are the requirements for scholars to be accepted into these scholarship programmes

no more than R20 000 gross household income per month

60% or higher average across English, Mathematics and Natural Science in Term Four of Grade Six.

Achieve the academic benchmark in external academic testing.

An assessment of the 21st-century key skills: critical thinking, creativity, communication and responsibility.

The Spirit Education Foundation’s recruitment program runs through 6 phases. 

Initial application

Feeder school partnerships

Academic testing

Income screening

An interview

Acceptance

The interview and acceptance phases are done on a weekend-long camp. 

It is unlikely that we would remove funding from a learner unless there are very specific circumstances and all avenues have been explored. 

We specifically do not have a high academic requirement to allow learners the chance for a more holistic education without the additional stress of meeting academic requirements to maintain their scholarship. 

Social, academic and psychological support is offered to learners, and each learner engages with their partner organisation at least once a term to ensure that they are happy, healthy and getting all the support they need. 

The scholarship covers any costs required to enjoy a full holistic experience at Westerford High School. We want our learners to thrive and take all opportunities offered to them. 

Aside from school fees, the scholarship contributes towards 

Compulsory school uniforms

Textbooks and stationery

Contributions towards any sport, cultural or leadership camps the learners are selected for.

Contributions towards transportation to and from school or school events, if required.

Extra lessons for any academic subjects, if needed or requested

Annual camps

Data, if required for learning/school activities

For any other requests, the scholars complete a funding request form, and we make a decision on whether to grant the request. It is very seldom that a request is denied. 

Some examples:

If scholars participate in after-school activities and need additional transport support for late evening travel, we will assist. (EG, school plays, concerts, sports practice)

Contributions to school sports tours

One learner was keen to improve their grades from the mid-60s to an A-aggregate, so they asked for extra support even though this isn’t a requirement of the scholarship. Their results improved 15% year on year.

During COVID school closures, laptops and data were supplied to learners to ensure they stayed on track with lessons.

For the 2027 intake, the fund will raise R325 000 per scholarship. We either raise this full amount or have it pledged by reliable donors before the scholar starts high school to ensure we can cover their tuition and extras for five years. 

Westerford School fees are approximately R51 000 per year. Our partners receive a reduced fee from the school, and we use the difference to cover the additional costs for uniforms, transport etc. 

Should a donor choose an annual or monthly payments, we will discuss a reasonable inflation based annual increase. In the case of a full payment, the interest earned covers any additional costs.

Yes, we are a Section 18A exempt Non-Profit Company. 

Can I get a tax certificate for my donation?

Yes. We are a registered NPC and can issue tax certificates. 

I’d like my domestic worker’s child to attend Westerford on a NOW Fund Scholarship. How do I do that?

The committee has no influence on who is accepted as a scholar or by Westerford High School or at any of our partner organisations. 

You can assist your domestic workers’ child by applying for a scholarship when they are in Grade 6 and Westerford when they are in Grade 7. 

Does this help me get my child into Westerford in the future?

We have no influence on who gets accepted into Westerford, regardless of your donations to the fund. 

The NOWFund NPC banks with First National Bank and has two accounts. One for day-to-day usage where the donations are made, and one with a higher interest rate. 

Is the money safe?

Yes. Any transactions require the approval two of the NOW Fund committee members (generally the Treasurer and Chairperson). 

100% of the primary donations received are spent on the scholars. No operational fees are taken by our partner organisations or the committee. The only expenses are the bank, international transfer or SnapScan fees, depending on how the donation is made. 

Our operational costs are low and are covered through interest. Our operational costs include: 

marketing & design

accounting & legal services to meet reporting requirements for NPCs

For any fundraising events, the nett proceeds of ticket sales are donated to the fund. The committee aim to reduce any event costs as much as possible through arranging sponsorship, and the proceeds are not allocated to any year group. 

How are there no operational costs for the scholarship management?

The Spirit Education Foundations’ operational costs, including salaries and office space, are covered as a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of the Spirit Invest Group of companies. 

We have advised our other partner that we can only cover direct costs, so they have other donors who cover their operational costs. 

Our first scholar started at Westerford in 2018 and have 5 alumni all studying at university.

We have raised over R 4 million over 8 years, with approximately 200 Old Westerfordians contributing to the Fund.

We currently have three learners in Grade 8, five in Grade 9, and two each in Grades 10 - 12 - 14 learners in total. As of May 2025, we have secured five scholarships for 2026

Who are the members of the NOW Fund committee?

There are five committee members. 

Carryn Ortlepp (96) - Chair

Peter Narun (96) - OWA Lead

Janni Younge (Donald) (93)

Meghan Hector (2009)

Ryan Geddes (2000

Our core role is to raise funds, provide governance on the donations received, engage with our donors and advise Spirit on how many learners we can accommodate each year. 

We are governed by a Memorandum of Incorporation which guides our core conduct. Some of the guidelines include: 

The appointment of a chairperson & treasurer with the support of at least 75% of the members

At least three annual meetings

An ethical agreement about the management of the funds

That all scholarship management will be done through an expert third party.

If you wish to see this document, please contact us on nowfund@westerford.co.za

We do not have direct contact with the scholars to protect them and ourselves but we are able to arrange meetings with the support of the relevant organisation. 

We have agreed internally that this would only happen once the scholar has reached Grade 10 so they are firmly settled at Westerford. 

The scholars and their families have direct contact with the external organisations at any time they need. 

We receive academic reports and thank you letters for donors twice yearly in June and December. We share a summary of the letters to the larger donor group and the full letter and academic report of specific scholars with their individual donors if relevant. 

All the scholars and their parents sign a disclaimer once a year, allowing us to share specific details with donors. This includes their letters, photographs and academic details. They may refuse to sign this disclaimer with no risk to their scholarship. 

We don’t share the last names of scholars at all and avoid sharing the first names of scholars who are under 16 years old. 

We only share events or photographs that are directly related to school events and make no reference to their home life at all. 

In June or July each year, we are advised us which scholars have been accepted to both Westerford and their scholarship programme. From there, we allocate scholars to specific NOW Fund donors and share the scholar profiles with the specific donor. 

You are welcome to request to support a male or female scholar, but beyond that, we can’t offer any ‘criteria’ for our scholars. Bear in mind that many of these learners would not have had access to opportunities such as sports coaching, art classes, drama etc, so offering a ‘drama scholarship’, ‘sports scholarship’ or ‘music scholarship’ may not be possible. 

The OWA supports the NOW Fund in many ways, including admin, newsletters and marketing. The NOW Fund doesn’t report to Westerford but supports them in all their work. 

I’ve heard there is another fund called the Future Fund. What is that all about?

The Future Fund is run by the school itself with the intention of moving all Westerfordians into a more equal, fair future. Funds are used to ensure all Westerfordians have the opportunity to have a full and engaging school experience at Westerford. 

The NOW Fund was started in 2017 with a strict mandate to provide full scholarships to learners rather than ad hoc support for low or no-fee-paying scholars. Our commitment to donors has been that 100% of the funds would be spent in this way in partnership with the Spirit Education Foundation. 

Yes, they could find themselves alternative sponsors, or they could be a no or low-fee paying scholar. In that instance, they wouldn’t receive the psychosocial or extracurricular support provided for the NOW Fund scholars. 

Before December 2022, Snapscan did not allow for a reference to be listed, so unless donors advised of their donation, we could not allocate it accurately. This has been recently amended. Please let us know the amount and approximate date of your donation, and we will allocate this to your year group. (nowfund@westerford.org.za)

The intention here is some friendly competition between years and even decades of OWs. In time, we hope that each matric year sponsors one scholar. For example, 18 classmates from 1996 each contribute R250/month and are sponsoring a scholar for their full high school career. 

Indicate in your will that you would like to make a bequest, and we will liaise with your executor to ensure your wishes are granted. 

We are always looking to increase the number of OWs donating to the fund. By encouraging your classmates to contribute, you can make a big difference. 

We also have OWs who have offered their professional skills - like videography, copywriting or website design. If you are willing to help, please let us know, and we’ll add you to our list of potential ‘in kind’ contributors. Drop us a line on nowfund@westerford.co.za

Making an impact also doesn’t need to cost a lot. The 1996 matrics have made a group of 18 people who each contribute R250 per month to sponsor a full scholarship. Maybe gather a group of classmates to do something similar. 

Yes, we value our regular monthly donors greatly. Monthly donations range from R100 - R1000 at the moment; and you are welcome to select any amount that suits your needs. 

If I want to sponsor a full scholarship, do I have to pay all at once?

This is certainly our preference as it lessens the risk of a scholarship being stopped midway through a high school career. We also understand that this is not always possible, and quarterly (R12,5k) or annual donations (R55k) in advance are an option. (Rates as per May 2025)

Annual and quarterly donations should be paid in advance - so in the January that the scholar begins high school. 

Certainly, the scholar would then address their letter to your named scholarship and the NOW Fund. 

What lump sum would I need to contribute to sponsor one scholarship ‘in perpetuity’?

Each R 750 000 donated ensures we earn sufficient interest over five years to cover the scholarship for at least four scholars (4 - 6 scholars over 20 - 30 years. One scholar at the school at a time). A donation of R4,5 million would ensure one scholarship per year for a minimum of 20 years (20 scholars in 20 years - one new scholar each year). 

We have put the time frame in place due to inflation and fluctuating interest rates and would be able to keep you or your named contact informed if additional funds would be needed to continue the scholarship. 

All funds donated would be spent on a scholarship. When you make the investment, you may indicate if you want the capital amount spent directly, or to remain in our interest bearing account to partially cover additional scholarships. 

At present, we are raising funds per scholar per year. If we stopped raising money now and all pledges were met, all the scholars currently at the school could complete their education. We only confirm a fully pledged scholarship. 

Your US Dollars, AUS dollars, Euros and Pounds go a long way in South Africa - thank you! 

There is a SWIFT code in the bank details.

In the United States, we work with a 501(c)K registered organisation to collect funds. This means you would be eligible for a US tax certificate. For more information, please connect with us at nowfund@westerford.co.za. 

Please ensure you email us when you donate so we can allocate your funds to your year, and more importantly, thank you properly. 

Our external partners guide all Grade 11’s through a process to ensure they apply for all relevant tertiary scholarships and make as clear choices as possible for their future. They stay in contact with past scholars through their alumni society and hold regular gatherings in Cape Town. Most scholars become mentors within a few years of leaving high school, and some have, in turn, started contributing to these organisations themselves. 

We advise the external partners on how many scholars we can support in April of each year. Any funds raised after April are allocated to the following year. 

So, for the 2026 scholarships, we need to raise funds or have reliable pledges before April 2025. Aside from the pledged donations that are already allocated to specific 2025 scholars, any donations from May 2025 - April 2026 are allocated to scholars starting in 2027. 

Wonderful, thank you! All payments can be made into the following account. Please use your name & matric year as a reference.

NOWFund NPC

First National Bank 

Gold Business Account (Cheque)

6313 054 6039

Branch: 200 409 (Tokai) 

SWIFT: FIRNZAJJ