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.... [Read More]
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... [Read More]
Below are some of the standard systems followed and mentioned in the financial policy manual: Bank Receipts a) 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... [Read More]
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... [Read More]
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... [Read More]
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... [Read More]
Grant proposal writing is the “Go big or go home” of the fundraising world. When successful it can regenerate entire organisations and communities. When it goes wrong you have potential lost hundreds of hours of work and investment with very little to show for it. Our experience actually shows that in some cases receiving a... [Read More]
Problems in Writing Proposals The following are the common problems we face while trying to write a proposal: Confused about the format? There are as many proposal formats as there are a number of donors and each donor as a different format. Although the basic information requested by various donors is generally the same, yet... [Read More]
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 current use of the word implies something that continues for a long time. Steps to sustainability Before... [Read More]
Below are some steps for achieving programmatic sustainability Community involvement: involving the community is the key to have long term impacts from any projects. Make sure that your project involves the community at various stages, this will give them ownership of the project and there are high chances that they may continue with some project... [Read More]
