P. Cutajar ongoing mentorship to 3 NGOs – ACT for Impact!

The mentorship started with each of the mentors, Sarah and Francesca Zammit Cutajar, selecting the NGOs to be mentored from the many expressions of interest received by the Academy. After a first introductory meeting in August, the two mentors were able to create a plan on how to support each NGO according to their needs.

Mentorship in Leadership and Business Development.

P. Cutajar CEO Sarah Zammit Cutajar committed to supporting both MSPCA and Learning360 Foundation in business development and leadership.

MSPCA is the oldest Animal Welfare Charitable organisation on the island, and the greatest challenge experienced by the organisation was issues with leadership and staff management. The set-up of the MSPCA consists of both staff and volunteers, and guidance was needed on how to keep both motivated, empowered and led towards positive targets. After a few meetings between Sarah and MSPCA Director, Mary Torreggiani, they were able to share some strategies on how to lead with effectiveness and bounce ideas for future directions.

Learning360 Foundation is an NGO committed to creating an inclusive and holistic learning hub that centres around educational practices. The growing need and demand for their services within the community pushed them to confront the need to expand their operations but lacking the necessary business knowledge to grow. Their mentorship was based on the need for help to map out the way forward. After a couple of sessions and after assessing their needs, Sarah invited a peer with extensive experience in the field of Foundations and fundraising. Francesca Diacono, Co-Founder of Learning 360 found this to be “a great conversation which helped us structure the way forward and provided a lot of food for thought.”

The mentorship to both organisations will continue in 2025, with great enthusiasm from the NGOs and more commitment from the Mentor, who found the experience “very rewarding from a personal point of view” and said she’s “very happy taking the time to be of service to them.”

Mentorship in Marketing and Communications.

P. Cutajar's Head of Marketing Francesca Zammit Cutajar selected Embrace Diversity Organisation as her mentee.

Embrace Diversity Organisation provides holistic and therapeutic sessions to kids and youths with disabilities to enhance their skills to their full potential. Embrace’s need was to develop its image and network, making more use of marketing as a tool to support its mission and create impact. With Francesca’s guidance, they developed a social media calendar and templates for posts, ensuring a cohesive and professional look for their social media. Additionally, they prepared an introductory video to showcase Embrace’s mission.

In 2025, they plan to collaborate on another video to present Embrace’s story and highlight the impact of their work, as well as work on the website development as a very important component in marketing efforts. A wonderful addition is Francesca's commitment to volunteering as an art teacher, which Embrace is thrilled about.

Embrace’s Director Gabriela Mendoza spoke about the ongoing support provided: “We are very satisfied with the mentorship so far. It has significantly improved our understanding of the marketing area and emphasized its importance. The templates have transformed the appearance of our posts, making them more visually appealing and consistent. Overall, we feel positive and motivated about the progress and new skills we've gained.”

Francesca herself said she was “happy to continue this mentorship next year as well, as I feel that we are moving in the right direction and can carry on progressing in their marketing efforts.”

Are you a business leader interested in becoming a mentor for our programme “ACT for Impact”? Visit our website and apply!

Are you an NGO interested in receiving mentorship? Contact us at info@academyofgivers.org