Introduction:
The funds for the NGOs are critically
important to manage the smooth flow of their operations in different social
welfare sectors. Fundraising is a big challenge for the NGOs and a main reason
for their success too, if they have successful fundraising campaigns. The Relief India Trust believes that
several NGOs fail or come to a halt if they run out of funds or their future
incomings are not that productive.
A
diverse range of donors:
If a particular NGO is struggling with
making funds, then it must look for a more diverse range of donors. They must
go all out and take all their chances which they haven’t considered before.
Also remember that in such situation or even in your good times, every penny
counts and just take what you can get from different donor sources. There are
at times when you will go to a local businessman who will be interested in
supporting. The small business groups or the individual businessmen only
support when they are approached and asked for help.
Develop
a long term plan:
In your struggling days, you must develop a
comprehensive long term plan, but divide it into smaller chunks. It is
important as you will then raise funds for all your small chunks that are part
of your long term plan. This is what the ReliefIndia Trust
does, even when they
are going well with their funds. This is an idealistic approach and it will
help any NGO to come out of their tough time with lower funds in a very quick
amount of time.
Drop
the idea of charity:
According to Relief India Trust, an NGO must always have a professional approach
when it comes to generating funds by approaching different donors. The NGOs
must always approach donors in a professional manner with proper proposals and
taking appointments with them through email or by making phone calls. A
professional approach always helps as the potential donors gives more
importance to the NGOs who are more professional rather than having a
charitable approach in getting funds.
Working
in partnership:
If you are short of funds, but have got
other good resources in the form of material and human resource, then try
seeking partnership with other NGOs. Several NGOs welcome other NGOs who are
struggling with funds, but have other good things which they can exploit. This
approach will help the struggling NGO to come out of their hard times by using
the resources of the other NGO with whom they have collaborated. They can use
their contacts to generate funds which they can specifically have in their own
accounts. Agreements are made before such collaborations and the NGOs must try
to make the agreement in their own favor as much as possible. For such
partnerships and collaboration in working, usually the small or medium size
NGOs come forward who are struggling in different ways other than the
funds.