5 Steps to Fundraising Success for Small and Grassroots NGOsStep 1: Know your organization’s needs Step 2. Research donors that are a match for your NGOStep 3. Network and reach out to these donors before sending a proposalStep 4. Develop a great applicationStep 5. Follow up and persist … [Read more...] about How to raise fund for an NGO?

Peer-to-peer fundraising or P2P fundraising is getting a lot of attention by nonprofits these days. Although crowdfunding and P2P are being used interchangeably, it is important to note that the two are different. P2P fundraising is a specific type of crowdfunding, wherein you can leverage your supporters and advocates to raise funds for your non-profit. It helps you reach a large number of audiences and donors, with added advantage of increased network, as it is the network of your supporters … [Read more...] about Is the Peer-to-peer Fundraising is beneficial in Nonprofit World?

Core funding is usually defined as financial support that covers basic “core” organizational and administrative costs of an NGO, including salaries of non-project staff, rent, equipment, utilities, and communications.Core funding is sometimes called indirect funding, cost recovery, administrative cost, overhead, or unrestricted funding. Core funding should be understood as covering expenses that are required to keep the NGO functioning independent of any projects being implemented.Why is core … [Read more...] about What is Core Funding and How to Get it?

Many-a-times, nonprofits need to make a lot of efforts to reach out to a corporate, to make them listen to what they have to ask for, and to tell them why they stand out by the good work they do.Being able to schedule a meeting with them is a good indication for the potential collaborations or seeking corporate funding or sponsorship for your organization.So here are a few tips to help you prepare for the face-to-face meeting.AppointmentsYour first meeting with a corporate can make you nervous. … [Read more...] about How to make a first contact with corporate donors?

Non-profits need resources to run themselves. These resources are not limited to financial resources. If properly planned and sought, non-financial resources can also play a crucial role in the growth and development of a non-profit organization. What are these non-financial resources that NGOs must look out for? How can they raise these resources? Some of these questions are answered here:What are non-financial resources?There are many. Some examples are:In-kind gifts and … [Read more...] about How NGOs can raise non-financial support for their cause?

The First Steps towards developing a Proper Concept NoteIf you have a project idea in mind and you know the right donor agency to apply, then it is fairly easy to come up with a proper concept note. So the first step here is your project idea!You should then start searching for your donor agencies that can possibly fund your idea. It is easier to write the concept note after you have identified your donors because there are vast differences in their systems of accepting your project idea. Like … [Read more...] about How to Write Concept Notes?

Many small, grassroots, and start-up NGOs eagerly look for their first grant to grow their program. But after sending out dozens of request for funding by post and email to scores of donors they either never hear back or are rejected.Here are some of the main reasons you get ignored or rejected:Donors get a high volume of applications and can only fund a fraction even of those who meet all their requirements.When we researched funding by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF), we found that in 2015 they … [Read more...] about Why Do Donors Hate Me?

Here are some ways in which volunteers can help you in raising funds for your organization:1. Bringing in passion and enthusiasm:Volunteers are passionate people who are contributing their time towards a cause. This makes them special. They like to associate with your organization because of their passion, now it is up to you how you channel and tap their energies. They usually bring a lot of new ideas to the table. Make sure you are able to put these to use. You might have a fundraising map or … [Read more...] about How can Volunteers helps in raising funds?

Multilateral agencies like the UN, the World Bank and others provide multilateral aid to developing countries. The significance of this type of aid is the very large scale under which it operates and provides support for addressing issues related to poverty, economic development, human rights, healthcare, peace and development and other areas.According to the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, “Working with multilateral organisations can bring…benefits” such as … [Read more...] about How to get involved with Multilateral Donors?

Bilateral donor funding refers to the donor country’s Government aid to recipient country in a Government-to-Government or a Government-to-NGO/Civil Society partnership. It is part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) policies of the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which are working towards economic progress and trade. They play a major role in providing development funding to Governments and Civil Society mostly in developing … [Read more...] about How can NGOs apply and get grants from Bilateral Donor Agencies?

A fundraising strategy helps you to identify financial needs of your organization and accordingly outline the activities required to meet those needs. It typically helps you to plan the fundraising process for a period of 3-5 years by setting necessary deadlines and responsibilities.The primary purpose of a fundraising strategy is to prioritize activities to ensure fund flows through varied sources to help the organization in sustaining its activities. The best way to start writing the … [Read more...] about How can I write a fundraising strategy for my NGO?

There are several sources for you to avail funding for your organization, and to make the most of this opportunity, you will have to understand the various types of donors, their priorities and their core values. Most donors can be classified in to the following categories:Foundations: Foundations are non-governmental entities that are established to provide grants to smaller organization, research institutions and NGOs. Most NGOs rely heavily on foundations mainly because they provide grants … [Read more...] about What are the different types of donors supporting NGOs around the world?

A high donor retention rate means less resources spent, and more received. So, NGOs need to work on donor acquisition and retention strategies too. Here are some simple but very effective tips for NGO to achieve good retention rates.Know your donors:Knowing the donors and their intent towards investing in social causes is the first step for true engagement. Some donors might want to engage themselves, my means of volunteers, and participation in the various events of the NGO; while others might … [Read more...] about What kind of tricks can be done for donor retention?

When you contact or meet a donor for the first time, what are easiest ways to ruin your shot at getting funded? First impressions count, and avoiding these mistakes will help you put your best foot forward.Mistake #1: Not introducing yourselfDo not send an email to a donor without any introduction. Donors see many emails that only contain a funding request similar to this one:“Can you fund our work with children in Uganda?”Without so much as an introduction or explanation.Explaining who you are … [Read more...] about How to Impress a Donor?

Here is what the sector experts and trends as observed over the last few years reflect.Sectors attracting more funding:With global changes taking place around the social, political and environmental issues, and giving preferences of individuals and donor agencies, the sectors that attracted more funding over the years are bound to shift. The last two decades saw a huge amount of funding in the health sector, HIV/AIDS and related areas, and then gradually education, skill-building and livelihoods … [Read more...] about What areas of work will attract Large Funding for NGOs?

Fundraising is one of the most important tasks for an NGO. Donors’ funding will ensure that your planned activities take place and that your organisation can pursue its main long-term goals. As such, to select the right candidates for a fundraising team is of utter importance. The main aim of this short guide is to advice NGO members on how to advertise a fundraising job vacancy, how to shortlist and select the right candidates, and how to manage the created team to improve the overall … [Read more...] about How to Identify, Manage and Motivate Fundraisers for Your Organization?

Over the last few years, social media has emerged as an important medium of communication globally for reaching out to a vast audience. Currently there is a plethora of social media sites and applications that are being used by diverse organisations. The main purpose of using social media is to connect to a large audience spreading across the globe, within fraction of a second and spread your message.Just like any business house or academic institute, NGOs can also take advantage of social media … [Read more...] about How Social Media is helpful to Enhance NGO Visibility?

USAID has field offices in many developing countries for providing technical and financial aid for above stated purposes. So, it follows a decentralized approach for tackling the development issues globally. Partnering with NGOs:USAID partners with NGOs to achieve its strategic goals and objectives for providing assistance across the world. It partners with international and local NGOs, networks and groups, and civil society organizations in various ways, for the belief that the complex … [Read more...] about How does USAID support NGOs?

Marketing mix is used as a tool by the managers to design marketing plans and to achieve desired results. It comprises of 4 Ps: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. Drawing a parallel with NGOs:The Product for an NGO is the cause or idea it supports or a core programme or project. Price is the budget to be asked to the donor, the project or program cost. Promotion refers to all the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different stakeholders about the … [Read more...] about How Marketing and Communication Strategies can help NGOs achieve Fundraising Success?

Below are some of the standard systems followed and mentioned in the financial policy manual:Bank Receiptsa) All receipts are to be acknowledged by issuing an official receipt. The date of receipt, its accounting and the date of deposit of the check/draft to the bank account should be the same. The relaxation can be only in view of banking hours or bank holidays.b) The bank deposit slip should be attached with the Receipt Voucher.c) No receipt should be issued on the last day of the month if the … [Read more...] about What should one keep in mind while managing NGO finances?

Before developing your program idea into a concept note, it is worthwhile to invest time and energy into conducting proper research. Research plays a vital role in enriching your concept note and brings depth to your writing too. Typically, you might need to put in some research on the following aspects:Context setting and needs assessment: It would mean using primary and secondary research to build the context, to define the problem and to establish the need for the solution that your program … [Read more...] about How to research ideas before writing the Concept Note?

What is core funding?Core funding is usually defined as financial support that covers basic “core” organizational and administrative costs of an NGO, including salaries of non-project staff, rent, equipment, utilities, and communications.Why is core funding important?Core funding is important for the long term financial sustainability of an NGO and its effective functioning. There are many important long-term benefits of core funding to consider:Improving project quality.Help reduce staff … [Read more...] about How to Get Core Funding?

Donor relationship management (DRM) is the process in which an organization strengthens the relationship with donors to enhance donor engagement and donor retention.Most often NGOs hire fundraising officers or consultants to take care of resource mobilization, but neglect the area of donor retention or relation building. You don’t have to hire any expert to manage your relations with Donors, all you need is a clearly defined plan and possess effective communication tools. With the advances in … [Read more...] about What is Donor Relation Management?

Most often fundraising efforts of organizations go futile because of improper planning and lack of effective fundraising strategies. No matter how effectual an organization is in implementing field projects, they generally have to struggle when it comes to raising funds.Section 1: Tips for enhancing conventional methods of fundraisingPlan well in advance: Planning is the key and that’s why do not wait till your project comes to an end. Start planning at least a year in advance, so that you have … [Read more...] about What are the tips to boost funding efforts?

Here is a video that offers some tips that have worked for some organizations and will surely help you to maximize your funding efforts. To help you in various methods of fundraising we have divided the guide into two sections; the first section deals with tips to help with conventional fundraising methods while section two deals with tips to enhance online fundraising. … [Read more...] about What are some online and offline fundraising tips for NGOs?

Here is how to form a strategic plan for your NGO:Decide who will facilitate the discussions and who will participate. Ensure all key stakeholders participate in the process, as that is the best way possible to devise a strategic plan.The analysis must begin with an attempt towards understanding the internal environment, which means identifying strengths and weaknesses of the organization. What are the core strengths, core competencies of your NGO? Why are donors giving to your NGO? What makes … [Read more...] about How NGOs can form a strategic plan?

What Is a Communications Plan?A communications plan is a document that guides the external communications efforts of an organization. It helps an NGO strategically focus its communication and outreach efforts around a certain set of goals – usually the mission and objectives of an organization. A communications plan is necessary to help an NGO effectively promote its work in the public and donors eyes.Communications plans help NGOs accomplish this in a number of ways. First, a plan assists an … [Read more...] about How to Create a Communications Plan for Your NGO?

Here is a short and simple guide about the process and steps to plan one:Planning the campaign: Every successful activity has undergone meticulous planning first. So plan your campaign well in advance to make it successful. Plan the campaign timing, duration, and other details. Plan for human resource, which would mean both picking a team with suitable and enthusiastic people from your organization, and involving volunteers also. One can really say that in case of crowdfunding effort, ‘the more … [Read more...] about How can NGOs participate in Crowdfunding?

This article we will help you learn the basics of Donor Relation Management.What is Donor Relationship Management?Donor relationship management (DRM) is the process in which an organization strengthens the relationship with donors to enhance donor engagement and donor retention.DRM is a comprehensive approach that considers a lot of factors, taking note of which facilitates long term donor engagement leading to sustainable resources and funding opportunities.Methodology for effective DRMEngaging … [Read more...] about How to build long-term relationship with donors?

Here are some tips on how to manage fundraising.1. Building TrustIn all aspects of grant management, problems can be avoided with clear and regular communications with grants officers. Put everything in writing!2. Observe project start and end dates for spendingDon’t make payments or enter into commitments before the agreed contract start date. All invoices must be dated between the official start and end dates. It is OK to spend right up to the of the end of contract date as long as the invoice … [Read more...] about How can small NGOs manage their fundraising?

Researches and user studies show that Twitter users raise much more funds online than those NGOs who don’t use Twitter. Apart from fundraising, it can also result in increased awareness about a cause, more active volunteer engagement, brand-building, and so much more. So here are the steps to get started with Twitter and make the best use of this platform:Define who you are:The first thing to do after opening an account on Twitter is to customize your account. Your account will define who you … [Read more...] about How to get started with Twitter?

All grant making organisations have their own ways of working, but almost all of them approach the grant making decision process in a relatively similar way. All funding organisations want to know certain pieces of information such as how your organisations values align with theirs, your track record and the impact that your proposed project will make on the community. This short guide will provide you with an insight into how grant makers reach decisions and how you can position your next grant … [Read more...] about What do funders look for in a grantee?