KINGSTON, Jamaica — Civil‑society leaders from four parishes are rolling out sharper budgets and sturdier project plans after completing the “Financial Literacy for Community Champions” road‑show, a four‑day training blitz staged by the JN Foundation in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and Canada’s Local Engagement and Action Fund (LEAF).
Launched on April 28 at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston and travelling to Manchester, St Ann and St James through May 1, the workshops drew more than 50 representatives each day. Sessions blended hands‑on budgeting drills, risk‑assessment exercises and proposal‑writing labs—an approach participants say will pay immediate dividends.
Bucknor Concerned Citizens Benevolent Society member Jeanetta Thomas left Kingston with what she called “a crystal‑clear budgeting toolkit,” while Portmore’s Youth Action Co‑Lab representative Mario Galbert noted that the curriculum “moved far beyond theory—every concept was paired with real‑world scenarios our organisations face weekly.”
The programme is part of a broader push to ensure community‑based organisations (CBOs) can meet donor scrutiny, maintain transparent books and forge stronger banking relationships. JN Foundation General Manager Claudine Allen said a national appetite for such skills is undeniable. “Financial literacy gaps still limit how far many groups can take their ideas,” Allen explained, adding that the foundation’s first full‑length CBO‑specific finance course is slated for September under the JN Financial Academy banner.
CDB community‑development specialist Richardo Aiken underscored the bank’s aim to anchor its infrastructure projects in stronger local capacity. “Roads and buildings matter, but programmes endure only when communities can manage funds and measure impact,” he said. LEAF’s field‑support programme manager Stepphanie Coy echoed that view, pointing out that each civil‑society grant the fund awards now carries a CA$2,000 allotment for capacity‑building of the recipients’ choosing.
The urgency is backed by data. Jamaica’s 2022 Financial Literacy Baseline Survey found that just a third of Jamaicans grasp core financial concepts. A 2024 CDB beneficiary assessment added that many Caribbean non‑profits list money management as their top development need. Workshop organisers contend that closing that gap is critical to sustaining everything from after‑school initiatives to climate‑resilience projects.
With fresh spreadsheets in hand and new peer networks in place, attendees are already planning follow‑up clinics in their home parishes. As Thomas put it while packing her notes: “Now we can turn good intentions into accountable, fundable plans—and that changes everything.”
