MOVE YOUR ORGANISATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Raising funds successfully from institutions
Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi
RAISING FUNDS FROM INSTITUTIONS: SESSION OBJECTIVES
• Identify six key steps to successful fundraising from institutions
• Address some key challenges organisations face raising money from institutions
• Develop a strategy for fundraising from institutions
• Learn how to manage relationships with institutional funders
• Find out how to avoid costly mistakes
WHAT FUNDING INSTITUTIONS LOOK FOR……..
• A good fit with their funding priorities
• A clear sense of the applicant’s mission and role
• Reasonable institutional capacity
• Strategic programs/interventions
• Sound project management strategies
• Value for money
• Innovation
WHAT INSTITUTIONS LOOK FOR……..
•Opportunities to make a fundamental difference
• Strategies to strengthen civil society as a whole
• Co-funding opportunities with other donors
• Proven understanding of the need/problem
WHAT FUNDING INSTITUTIONS LOOK FOR
•Good track record/reputation
• Evidence of good financial management
•Minimised risks
• Investments in credible leadership
• Reliable allies they can trust
SIX STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING FROM INSTITUTIONS
Step 1: Putting your house in order:
Institutional Assessment
Step 2: Researching prospects
Step 3: Making the approach
SIX STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING FROM INSTITUTIONS
Step 4: Developing a proposal
Step 5: Managing the assessment process
Step 6: Managing the funding relationship
PREPARING FOR FUNDRAISING: INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT
• Vision, Mission, Values
• Strategic thinking and planning
• Strategic positioning
• Governance and management
• Skilled and committed staff
PREPARING FOR FUNDRAISING: INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT
•Operational systems and structures
• Financial management
• Commendable track record
• Investments in marketing and public relations
• Friend-raising and nurturing contacts
STEP 2: RESEARCHING FUNDING PROSPECTS
• Know the different kinds of institutional donors in your area, i.e. private independent foundations, family foundations, public foundations/agencies, etc
•What do they fund? What is their scope?
STEP 2: RESEARCHING FUNDING PROSPECTS
• How much do they give?
•Who have they funded?
• Do they have restrictions on who/what they
fund? How are decisions made? Do they have
deadlines?
STEP 3: MAKING AN APPROACH
• Board contacts
• Letter of Inquiry
• Arranging a meeting
• Seeking an introduction
• Inviting program staff to events
• Friend-raising and nurturing contacts
STEP 4: DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL: SUGGESTED STEPS
• Cover letter
• Contents page
• Executive summary
• Brief context
• Clear, concise description of your organisation’sobjectives
• Identification of problem
STEP 4: DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL: SUGGESTED STEPS
• Proposed solution/intervention
• Needs assessment/feasibility (if applicable)
•Why are you best qualified to do this work?
DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL: SUGGESTED STEPS
• Name any collaborations/partnerships with other organisations
• State amount required for the project
• State amount requested from the funder
• State amount already raised or expected (name sources if you can)
• Input of applying organisation (where applicable)
DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL: SUGGESTED STEPS
• Project workplan
• Project budget and organisational budget
• Summary of project outputs
• Monitoring and evaluation strategies, including responsible parties
• Foreseeable barriers & solutions
• Sustainability of the project beyond donor funding (if applicable)
• One paragraph to summarise proposal
• Appendices
DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL: APPENDICES
Appendices should be numbered and
kept to a minimum, and can include the following:
�Names of Board Members and qualifications
�Names of key project staff and qualifications
�Any relevant feasibility studies/reports
�Literature on your organisation and signed financial statements/audited accounts.
STEP 5: MANAGING THE PROPOSAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS
• You might get a Proposal Clarification Letter – respond as comprehensively as you can
• Prepare for a site visit if it is part of the process – make a good impression!
• Respond to all enquiries yourself – even if you are working with a team
• Send any relevant documents you didn’t send the first time if it will help your assessment. Check with the officer first before you do so.
STEP 6: MANAGING THE RELATIONSHIP
• Keep all copies of the grants agreement in a safe, accessible place
•Make sure you know who your contact person will be, and let them know who is responsible at your end
• Send your reports on time. If there will be a delay let them know when to expect it.
• Take the time to write clear, credible reports
STEP 6: MANAGING THE RELATIONSHIP
• Be prepared to host a site visit – involve your team.
• Send updates to the donor such as newsletters or annual reports
• Leverage additional support from the donor such as technical assistance, introductions to other funders, endorsement of campaigns, etc
• Make sure that your relationships are institutionalised rather than personalised.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD FUNDRAISER?
• Integrity
• Passion
• A thorough understanding of the organisation, it’s culture and values
•Good contacts
• Understanding of the funding climate
• Track record and reputation for professionalism
• Effective networking
•Good writing skills
WHAT MAKES A GOOD FUNDRAISER?
• Confidence
•Maturity and tact
• Patience
•Good public relations and social skills
• Imagination
• Clarity of purpose
•Good presentation skills
• Sound negotiation skills
• Effective organiser
FUNDRAISING DON’TS
• Don’t send `unsolicited’ proposals
• Don’t send a shopping list and ask the donor to
`choose’
• Don’t run down your competitors
• Don’t make claims you can’t substantiate
FUNDRAISING DON’TS
• Don’t request for more than the donor’s stated maximum grant
• Don’t stalk the funder!
• Don’t submit your reports late, if you do, provide an explanation and apology
FUNDRAISING DON’TS
• Don’t submit audited accounts that have been qualified by auditors without a detailed explanation
• Don’t ask a junior officer to sign grant agreements on your behalf
• Don’t send off proposals or reports without proof reading them
• Don’t work alone – teamwork is vital
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