The Do More Foundation is a South African non-profit organisation established by RCL FOODS to improve the lives of young children by placing early childhood development (ECD) at the centre of social and community development efforts.
Rather than delivering isolated programmes, the foundation has adopted a collective impact approach, serving as a backbone organisation to coordinate partnerships among government, civil society, funders, and communities to strengthen ECD services at the local level.
Type of intervention: place-based, collective impact ECD model
The Do More Foundation’s Everyone Gets to PLAY model is a place-based collective-impact intervention that coordinates and strengthens ECD services within a defined geographic area. In Nkomazi, Mpumalanga, the foundation plays a backbone role, supporting collaboration, shared goals and coordinated action among multiple stakeholders.
An independent evaluation published in August 2025 examines the Everyone Gets to PLAY model in Nkomazi and how a long-term, coordinated partnership approach has supported early childhood development outcomes in the area.
What the intervention aims to achieve
The Everyone Gets to PLAY model aims to improve early childhood development outcomes by strengthening the local ECD ecosystem, rather than focusing on individual services or organisations in isolation.
In Nkomazi, the model seeks to:
- Improve coordination between ECD service providers, government departments and community actors
- Strengthen access to early learning, nutrition, caregiver support and play-based services
- Support local leadership and shared accountability for young children’s wellbeing
- Build a sustainable, locally embedded system of support for children from birth to five years
The model recognises that interconnected services and relationships shape young children’s development, and that lasting change requires collaboration over time.
What has been achieved so far
According to the independent evaluation, the Everyone Gets to PLAY model has contributed to meaningful progress in Nkomazi through a decade‑long public‑private partnership focused on early childhood development. The evaluation highlights how strong local coordination, trusted relationships and community leadership have enabled services to reach thousands of children.
The Nkomazi experience illustrates how a backbone organisation can help align efforts across sectors, reduce fragmentation, and support more coherent delivery of ECD services at the local level. The evaluation notes that change has been incremental, built through sustained collaboration rather than short-term interventions.
Who supports the intervention
The Everyone Gets to PLAY model in Nkomazi is supported through collaboration between the Do More Foundation, local and provincial government, civil society organisations, community leaders and funders.
The independent evaluation was conducted by an external researcher and draws on the experiences of partners involved in the initiative, highlighting the importance of trust, continuity and shared purpose in sustaining collective impact over time.
Company involvement and future opportunities
Foundations can contribute to early childhood development by playing a systems-enabling role, rather than funding discrete projects alone. For companies interested in ECD, the Everyone Gets to PLAY model points to opportunities to support:
- Backbone organisations that coordinate multi-sector partnerships
- Long-term, place-based approaches aligned with community priorities
- System‑strengthening efforts that complement government leadership
For companies seeking sustainable impact in early childhood development, engagement in collective impact models, such as the Do More Foundation’s work in Nkomazi, offers a pathway to scale outcomes while addressing the complex, interconnected needs of young children.
