Development Ratings

General Manager, Michael Houghton, worked in Nepal for the Trust for 7 years, setting up the Centre’s systems and administration in preparation for its independent operation. He helps the local management develop fundraising capacity and performance monitoring and recording. He works part-time for NLT and part-time in consultancy for a commercial packaging firm. (All the three UK employees are part-time.) The local operations are run by medical, disability prevention and business management-educated staff. NLT Nepal employs 180 Nepalis (either directly or indirectly through income generating projects). NLT UK contributes to recruiting the expatriate volunteers to work in Nepal. Currently, there are 2 expatriate volunteers working on the medical and organisational work. Trustees include people with experience with other NGOs and in hospital management, as well as several church executives.

The UK offices are donated free to the Trust by a church. Reserves became very low in 2005 but have begun to recover in 2007. The policy is to transfer the maximum of funds to Nepal so reserves are likely to stay low. A reserves level of around 5% of annual income is planned by year end 2009. Currently the figure is 2.3%.

In 2007, 96% of expenditure was on LLSC. About 60% of this is medical care and 40% is spent on community development work. This involves income generation projects for leprosy-affected people in the community as well as awareness raising and stigma reduction programmes. The 4% balance is equally divided between each of child sponsorship, women’s projects, training and other programmes.

In 2007, income was as follows: 83% from charitable foundations, and 17% from individuals. Some institutional funds are channelled through foundations. Foundation donors include American Leprosy Missions, LEPRA, Leprosy Mission International, Four Acre Trust, and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (an arm of the Nippon Foundation).