By-law is a rule established by an organization to regulate its activities and manage internal affairs. Well defined and clear set of by-laws provide a clear structure to the NGOs and facilitates in smooth functioning. Along with providing consistency in working, by-laws also help in developing networks with local organizations and government entities. It is important for your organization to have a set of by-laws as they will guide you in operating and managing all your activities. Just like … [Read more...] about How to develop Bye-laws for my NGO?

Articles of Incorporation provide legal description to your NGO by establishing the existence of the organization as per government rules. The articles of incorporation define the purpose of your organization, along with describing the operational processes and membership details. The number of articles required will largely depend on the country laws. While drafting the article of incorporation, check with the government authorities about the various forms that you require to fill. Depending on … [Read more...] about How to write the Articles of Incorporation 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 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?

The NGO board comprises of individuals who are appointed to provide oversight to the organization. As you proceed towards establishing the NGO, you will require advice from people who are experts in their respective field of work. To start with you can establish an initial board of comprising of 4- 5 individuals who are passionate about your cause and are willing to support your organization.The role of the initial board members will be to:Establish the organizations value, mission and vision … [Read more...] about Why is it necessary to have a Board of Members in an NGO? What are their functions?

NGOs are diverse entities and their features are mostly shaped by the socio-economic, cultural, political and legal situation of a country. However, generally speaking, we can list out the following features that are common among NGOs in most of the countries around the world.Non-Profit in functioning: An NGO is not meant for making profit for personal gain. In case a NGO conducts some revenue generating activity, the profit earned should not be distributed amongst the board members, instead it … [Read more...] about What are the main features of an NGO?

There are a set of core values that every NGO should adopt when thinking of setting up an NGO. NGOs are voluntary organizations dedicated for a cause and it is essential that they follow a belief system that reflects their approach.Following are some of the core values, NGOs should adopt when establishing an NGO:Service beyond self: The very purpose of NGOs is to serve others. Integrating this value in the overall working of the NGO not only makes them socially acceptable, but it also makes them … [Read more...] about What are the core values one should follow when establishing an NGO?

Transparency and accountability are core values deeply embedded in an NGO. Since NGOs exist for carrying out voluntary work, it is expected that their actions demonstrate honesty, responsibility and answerability.According to Transparency International, "Transparency is about shedding light on rules, plans, processes and actions. It is knowing why, how, what, and how much. Transparency ensures that public officials, civil servants, managers, board members and businesspeople act visibly and … [Read more...] about Why are the concepts of transparency and accountability important for NGOs?

Board members play a crucial role in the functioning of an NGO, and therefore, one should be careful while appointing them. It is a good practice to develop a systematic process for their appointment and selection.The board recruitment plan should clearly indicate the following:Number of board membersCriteria for selection of Board membersKey QualitiesTenure of a board memberTerms of Reference for the job.You can develop the recruitment plan to suit your organization's objectives. For instance, … [Read more...] about How can I form an NGO Board?

The one ingredient that is essential for your organization to create long lasting impact is Sustainability. The term sustainability has gained significant popularity in policy-oriented research, business development and social sector over the last few decades. Sustainability, a word frequently used across several disciplines, has become part of our everyday lexis. Origin of the word Sustain dates back several centuries, from two latin words sus which means- up and tenere meaning to hold. The … [Read more...] about What are some ideas for developing organizational sustainability for my NGO?

A concept note is the shortest expression of your project idea on a paper. It is a brief written note, giving an introduction to your project and your organization. If your NGO is seeking to raise funds for a project, then the first thing you would do is develop a short note of this project, explaining what it is and why it is required.Most donor agencies interested in providing funding support to NGOs prefer to receive an outline from them about the prospective project. As proposals are lengthy … [Read more...] about What is a Concept Note and why NGOs are required to develop it?

The Vision statement describes the goal that an organization aspires to accomplish in the long run. In other words, the vision statement is the summary of changes/impact you would bring into the lives of the community you work for. The vision statement should be expressive and well drafted so that it appeals to people and at the same time also gives direction to the NGO. While drafting the vision statement keep the following points in mind:Use simple language that can be understood by people of … [Read more...] about How to develop the Vision and Mission for my NGO?

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?

Most donors will provide core funding, but some will only pay for project cost, shifting the burden to other donors and the NGO. Some donors allow core funding to be included as specific budget lines (e.g. a portion of the rent, utilities, etc.) and on top of that add an overhead percentage (e.g. 5%, 10% or more of the total budget). … [Read more...] about Do all donors provide core funding?

Significance of a great project title:It gives a glimpse of the project described in the proposalIt informs the donor about the project aim, location, focus and beneficiary (or need)A great title captures the donors’ attention with its uniquenessIt makes your proposal memorable and keeps it on the top of donors’/ selectors’ minds when making the decision.All these qualities can bring your project proposal a notch higher than the rest, given that your proposal is already among the best ones in … [Read more...] about What type of Project Titles Could impress a Donor?

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?

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?

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?

Below is a list of methods through which NGOs can become accountable and transparent.Registration: Make sure your NGO has a legal status and is registered under a relevant legal framework. Registering your NGO will not help you in enhancing your accountability but would also enable you to interact with government agencies and diverse donors. Your chances of getting financial support and assistance will also increase.Accreditations and certifications: This refers to an external agency certifying … [Read more...] about What are the methods NGOs can adopt to become transparent and accountable?

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?

The term "Non-Governmental Organization" (NGO) first came in to use in the year 1945. The term was coined during one of the conferences of The United Nations, as a measure to distinguish organizations from inter-governmental and member organizations.Though the term NGO received recognition only after 1945, studies suggest that several organizations were actively engaged against slavery, racism and women suffrage during the late eighteenth century.NGO is a broad term encompassing organizations, … [Read more...] about What is an NGO?

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?

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?

In some project proposal formats, you may have come across ‘staff time’ or the number of ‘man-hours’ required in the project. Large donors are very meticulous about these details and require minute calculations for the money they are going to give to organizations. So they expect budgets to be clear to the last detail.Salaries are a very sensitive part of the project budget – even for the donors. More and more funders are resisting allocating money for salaries and overheads. As they tend to … [Read more...] about How to calculate staff time in a project budget?

As project activities influence the budgeting of your project, it is important to gain greater clarity about them. If you know the specifications of your project activities, then budgets can be developed more easily and more frequently. We will understand this from the following example.Let us say that you, as an NGO in Nepal, are proposing a project about building the capacity of civil society leaders in the country. One of the activities you will mention under this project is:‘Organize … [Read more...] about How can I use Project Activities to prepare my project’s budget?

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?

You can draft the proposal using this template and then customize it to suit donor guidelines. For helping you develop your proposal, suitable examples have been used to describe the content of each section.Title Page: The title page typically contains the project title, along with contact details of the organization and the donor. Remember that the title of the project should be catchy and should capture the essence of the project proposal. The project title should provide a general idea of … [Read more...] about How to I Write a Master Proposal?

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?

Accountability basically refers to an organization being answerable to a third party. It refers to the obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner.Aspects of AccountabilityAs an NGO you are accountable to donors, project partners, local communities and considering these, experts have suggested four aspects of accountability for an NGO.Upward Accountability: This refers to the … [Read more...] about How can we make our organization accountable?

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?

Foreign embassies under various development cooperation programs organize small grants funding for NGOs in many countries. They can be a significant source of funding to address various socio-economic issues. Besides, their funding programs are usually small in scale but most flexible to implement. In this guide, we take a quick look at top foreign embassies and their grant programs and how your organization can learn more information on identifying and apply to such funding opportunities.US … [Read more...] about Which Foreign Embassies should approach to apply for grants?

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?

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?

The principles of good governance hold true in the dynamic environment the NGOs face today as the issues of accountability, transparency, responsibility, disclosure practices and organizational relationships among the board and stakeholders have come to the forefront in the case of NGOs.It is thus advisable for NGOs to follow good governance practices, to strengthen its own internal structure, to avoid any crisis arising out of poor governance, and to establish the public image and credibility … [Read more...] about How to establish Effective Governance in Your NGO?

Proposals are lengthy documents with various components, comprising of the background information, current situation analysis and the future projections. NGOs are expected to write every part of the proposal carefully with in-depth research, knowledge and detailed planning. In this free guide, we cover information about the various elements of a standard proposal to help NGOs apply for their grant funding.1. Cover PageA cover page is sometimes also referred to as the title page and as the name … [Read more...] about How to easily Write the Various Elements of Your Project Proposal?

Recent trends show that an increasing number of people are getting interested to work in the development sector. International NGOs offer the best opportunities for such people. NGO domain is a very vast and varied one, and one needs to find out which cause he/she relates with, which domain in particular would one want to work in, before exploring this arena to work.Undoubtedly, the international NGOs offer a huge scope for learning and gaining experience in the sector. Also, if someone wants to … [Read more...] about What career options are there in International NGOs?

In these unprecedented times when COVID-19 continues to spread and to impact almost every individual and organization across the world directly or indirectly, non-profit organizations or non-government organizations (NGOs) are also deeply affected now and in the times to come. As it is not yet clear what the current pandemic situation holds in future, it is important to balance the scale between panic and carelessness. Preparedness is key.Before we discuss how you may ensure the above, here are … [Read more...] about How to manage an NGO in the time of COVID-19

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

Lot of passionate individuals, or groups of people wish to contribute their lives for a good cause, and many of them either join a charitable organization, or start their own. But, establishing and running an organization is not an easy task. One must first be confident and convinced, must have enough support in terms of technical, programmatic, and legal support to start a nonprofit.If you are a nonprofit organization, and you wish to acquire a 501c3 status in United States, let us understand … [Read more...] about How to set up 501(c) 3 non-profit in United States and what are its advantages?

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 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?

Non-profits have so much to worry about these days, like finding funds, acquiring and retaining donors, core work, projects and activities. Being occupied with so many things at once does not let the non-profit organizations ‘think’ like an organization sometimes. People working at non-profits end up feeling that they have much more to look for outside the organization, rather than inside it. Management pioneers have stressed on the need to develop strategic thinking, developing and nurturing … [Read more...] about What is Succession Planning?

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?

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?

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?