THE NGO HANDBOOK

[ HANDBOOK SERIES ]

[ United States Department of State ]

[ Bureau of International Information Programs ] About the Author

osaica Senior Consultant Hilary Binder-Aviles is the lead author of this handbook. Mosaica: The Center for Nonprofit Development and Pluralism is a Mmulticultural, nonprofit, capacity-building organization that provides tools to NGOs to build just, inclusive and thriving communities and societies. For the past 20 years, Mosaica has provided training and assistance in the areas of NGO startups, program/organizational planning and management, evaluation, governance, fundraising, advocacy, and community organizing. Mosaica’s special commitment is to groups that serve (Courtesy of Hilary Binder-Aviles) and represent populations whose voices are least likely to be heard when policies are made and resources are allocated. Binder-Aviles has extensive experience working with U.S.-based NGOs started by refugees and immigrants from Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Arab world. She has facilitated planning and coalition building for Iraqi, Yemeni and Egyptian NGOs. Binder-Aviles holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wellesley College and a master’s in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Mosaica founder Emily Gantz McKay and Vice President Hila Berl provided feedback, insights, and examples based on their combined decades of experience working with NGOs in the United States and in places of conflict, including the Middle East, the former Yugoslavia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. THE NGO HANDBOOK CONTENTS

Have you ever seen a problem and wanted to do something about it? Of course you have. The schools, police, government welfare offices, churches and families aren’t handling it. Others share your concerns and want to do something. That’s why you would start a nongovernmental organization, or NGO. This handbook will guide you through the steps of starting and operating an NGO.

Introduction 1 2 3

A Powerful Way Starting and Values, Vision Planning, to Bring About Sustaining and Mission — Evaluating and Change an NGO the Compass Managing [ 2 ] [ 6 ] [ 14 ] [ 22 ] 4 5 6 7

The Board Community Partnerships with The Funders — of Participation and Other NGOs and Foundations, Directors Empowerment Government Corporations, [ 36 ] [ 48 ] [ 56 ] Individuals [ 64 ] Bibliography [ 75 ] Introduction: A POWERFUL WAY TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) advocate for human rights and environmental protection, build youth leadership, work to end violence against women and children, assist the poor and much more. Starting an NGO can be a powerful way to bring about change.

(© 2000-2012 PhotoSpin, Inc.) GOs — nongovernmental are large, multinational organizations organizations — are independent while others are small, village-based of both the government and the groups. Some target particular issues business sector. Their mandate is to or sectors, such as women, youth, the Npromote the public interest and serve the environment, human rights, education public good rather than to make a profit or health. Others address multiple issues or advance the interests of a narrow group and sectors. of individuals. Their independence enables Whatever their area or scope, all NGOs them to monitor government performance exist to make people’s lives better or and advocate for improvements. solve a social problem. Most NGOs are NGOs that are respected by both the founded by people who are passionate government and the business sector can about their communities or causes. Yet help mediate conflicts or find solutions starting and running an NGO takes more to common concerns. Finally, their than passion. It takes knowledge, skills, independence from government, political resources and relationships. It also takes parties and religious institutions allows time, planning, patience and flexibility. them to create a shared vision for their This handbook provides a framework community. NGOs mobilize volunteers for building an effective, sustainable and other resources to achieve their vision. NGO. In these pages, you will find Whether you are thinking about information about how to develop the core starting an NGO, have already established components of an NGO — the values, one, or have been leading one for years, vision, mission and programs — and tips you are part of a global movement of for how to carry them out. We will also people channeling their power to effect cover the different kinds of relationships change. Over the past few decades, you need — with the community you NGOs have been at the forefront of serve, your partners, your funders, the major social movements to better people’s government and other stakeholders. lives. The number of NGOs in emerging Throughout the book, you will find best democracies has grown rapidly over the practices for running an NGO and advice past decades. In places such as the former on how to avoid and address common Soviet republics, NGOs are helping build challenges your NGO might face. democratic institutions and provide safety Ultimately, this handbook will help nets for poor and vulnerable populations. you build an NGO that is legitimate, The term “NGO” first came into use transparent and accountable, qualities after World War II when the United necessary for your NGO to be effective. Nations applied it to private organizations that helped heal the ravages of the war LEGITIMACY — millions of displaced people, orphans and high unemployment. But the concept When an NGO is seen as legitimate, of citizens organizing around issues goes the public believes that it addresses a back much further. Some scholars identify need in society and that its members put the first international NGO as Anti- that social need above their personal Slavery International, established in 1839. interests. Before you ask yourself: How Today, the U.N. recognizes an estimated do we sustain our NGO?, you need to 40,000 international NGOs, with millions answer the questions: Are we legitimate? more operating within countries. There and Does our NGO deserve to exist? are many different kinds of NGOs. Some An NGO deserves to exist when it has a

3 clear, relevant mission focused on meeting a critical community or societal need. KEEP IN MIND… But a good mission is not enough. To be legitimate, an NGO must also be well- NO ONE OWNS AN NGO governed, well run and effective. Throughout this handbook, we may refer An NGO that is controlled by one to “your NGO.” By that we mean the NGO individual will not be seen as legitimate. with which you are affiliated. An NGO is not If one person dominates an organization someone’s property. It serves the public with little input or oversight from others, good and must have a group of people that individual risks promoting his or who serve as the stewards of that public her personal interest over the public trust. This is typically the board of directors. interest. Without the active leadership and NGOs that are controlled by one individual management of several people, there are who is not accountable to a board or other no checks and balances to prevent misuse stakeholders will not be seen as legitimate or abuse of NGO resources. An NGO and will not earn the diverse support needs a broad base of leaders who solicit needed to sustain the organization. input from stakeholders to make sure their organization serves the public interest. ➠ The results: It is not enough to carry out projects and activities. An NGO ACCOUNTABILITY must achieve tangible results in Because an NGO exists for the public improving the lives of the people good, it must be accountable to — answer it serves. to — the public. Specifically, that means ➠ Good governance: Your NGO should answering to your stakeholders: funders, have a volunteer board of directors members, partners, the people you serve, that governs the organization ethically the community you operate in and and effectively. Governance is the set other NGOs. of activities through which a board Different stakeholders have different provides direction and oversight of the expectations. Your funders expect organization and its activities. their money to be used for the intended ➠ Fiscal responsibility: Your NGO must purpose, managed well and applied to make sure the contributions it receives meet project objectives. The people you are used to advance the mission, not for serve expect help with their needs and to the personal gain of specific individuals. be treated with respect. Partners expect In its governance role, the board you to be honest and follow through oversees the NGO’s finances. on commitments. These are just a few examples. NGOs need to engage and How do you hold your NGO listen to their different stakeholders to accountable? Too often, NGOs hold understand their varied expectations. At a themselves accountable only to their minimum, your NGO is accountable for: funders and donors and not to their ➠ The mission: An NGO’s mission is why communities. Your funders, of course, it exists. It is your public promise about require you to report to them, while your what you do and the difference you seek communities do not. In many countries, to make in the world. An NGO keeps government ministries that oversee NGOs its promise to the public by upholding require annual reports. But how do its mission. NGOs hold themselves accountable to the

4 communities they serve? They do that by Legitimacy, transparency and holding community meetings, conducting accountability go hand in hand. If surveys, and writing annual reports, an NGO is not accountable to its newsletters and other forms of outreach. stakeholders, it will not be seen as Not only should you regularly inform your legitimate. If an NGO is not transparent, constituency of your activities, you should it cannot hold itself accountable and seek their input and feedback. If NGOs neither can others. Further, being demand accountability in others, they accountable and transparent helps you must be accountable themselves. build trust with the community. Earning your community’s trust is key to being able to carry out your mission. When TRANSPARENCY community members lack trust in an When something is transparent, you can NGO, they are less likely to participate in see through it. That is how NGOs must its programs or seek its services. The more operate. Stakeholders must be able to see accountable and transparent you are, the into your organization and understand more trust you gain. And the more trust how its programs operate, how funds are you gain, the better able you are to serve used and how decisions are made. An your community. NGO practices transparency by providing It is up to you as an NGO leader to timely and accurate information about its uphold these principles, for they are the activities, finances, policies, procedures keys to your success. and decisions. By being transparent, you When one NGO makes headlines for create opportunities to learn how to do corruption or mismanagement, it makes your work better. When others have all NGOs look bad, and the whole sector information about what you are doing and loses legitimacy in the eyes of the public. how you are doing it, they can offer ideas On the other hand, when NGOs uphold for improvement. these principles in word and action, they build confidence and trust in the work of all NGOs. This handbook will help your REMEMBER… organization do just that.

OTHER TERMS FOR NGOs You may hear other terms used to describe organizations that work to advance the public good: ➠ Civil society organizations (CSOs) ➠ Nonp rofit organizations ➠ Char ities or charitable organizations ➠ Gra ssroots or community-based organizations ➠ Volun tary organizations In some cases, the terms suggest a particular type of NGO. For example, grassroots organizations are NGOs that members of a community form to help themselves.

5 STARTING AND SUSTAINING 1 AN NGO

(© 2003-2012 Shutterstock Images LLC)

66 olutions to large global challenges VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS often start with small, local actions. When you see a need or a problem Your NGO’s vision describes the long- in your community, you can make term changes you seek and how people’s aS difference by standing up and taking lives will be better thanks to your work. action. An artist may see youth in his Your mission is the unique way your neighborhood with nothing to do after organization contributes to turning that school and start an informal art program. vision into reality. It is necessary that you An educator may notice that young girls put your vision and mission into writing. from poor families don’t attend school When the leaders of an NGO share a regularly and set up a Saturday tutoring powerful vision and a clear mission, the program. A nurse may learn that women NGO has a much better chance to be in her community are uninformed successful. Without a vision, your NGO about basic health services and organize will find it hard to inspire others to join informational workshops. your cause. An ill-defined mission leaves But, no matter what kind of challenge or an NGO without focus and direction. opportunity you face, you can accomplish NGOs with unclear missions often more when you have more resources and dissipate their energy in many unrelated people supporting your goal than when projects or activities, leaving little impact. you act alone. This is why you start a Writing vision and mission statements nongovernmental organization (NGO). is one of the most important things you, Starting an NGO requires many kinds the founders of an NGO, do. Vision and of support. You need volunteers, people mission statements set the tone for your who provide resources and advocates who future work. In the beginning, set aside believe in your efforts. Launching projects time for your core leadership team to and activities demands multiple skills come together and define your NGO’s and forms of support. You need to make aims and means to accomplish them. plans, reach out to the community, recruit As your NGO gains experience, or as volunteers, raise funds, monitor projects new needs emerge in the community, you and evaluate results. Sustaining an NGO will likely need to refine your mission. over time demands an even greater level Imagine a lawyer who wants to help of commitment, skills, systems, support migrant workers in his city. He starts an and resources. NGO called Migrant Workers’ Support This chapter provides an overview Network (MWSN). Initially, his mission of the key components to start and is broad: Help migrant workers. Later, sustain an NGO. As we discussed in he realizes the mission is too broad and the introduction, when an NGO is his NGO lacks focus. So he narrows legitimate — accountable, transparent, the mission to: Advocate for the rights and connected to the community — then of migrant workers in detention. Now it deserves to be sustained. Sustainability he knows exactly where to channel the refers to the capacity of an NGO to NGO’s resources. But as time passes, he maintain its activities over time. Often, discovers other unaddressed needs that his when we hear the term sustainability, the NGO can meet, such as improving housing first thing that jumps to mind is money. and working conditions, so he decides But sustainability is about much more to redefine his mission again: Support than that. It starts with the organization’s migrant workers to live with safety, vision and mission. security and dignity in our community.

7 Periodic review and reaffirmation of the mission is part of an NGO’s ongoing TRY THIS… strategic planning process. If at any point your staff, board and key volunteers BUILD YOUR TRACK RECORD disagree about what your NGO should Even if you have a lot of good ideas, start be doing, or if your funders and partners small. Pick one or two projects that your show signs of losing confidence, that group can do well. If immigrants are your might signal the need to revisit your focus, try an after-work education project mission. for migrant workers or their children. By doing one or two projects well the NGO builds a track record of success and learns ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS what it takes to be effective. An NGO must be able to translate its mission into projects and activities that have measurable impacts welcomed by the workers and a public education campaign community. Projects must be thoughtfully about how migrant workers contribute to designed and carried out by qualified society. But its leaders wisely realize that people in order to effect lasting change doing all these at once would be biting off and receive long-term funding. more than they can chew. Instead, they When you are starting out, start small. pick one or two projects and do them well. MWSN has a basket of ideas for projects This way, the NGO can build up a track to empower migrant workers: an after- record of success and learn what it takes work education program, recreational to be effective. If you are uncertain about activities to build community, an art the best place to start, conduct a simple workshop for the children of migrant community survey or needs assessment.

The hypothetical NGO Migrant Workers’ Support Network aims to assist people such as this migrant worker in a Vidalia onion farm in Georgia. (© AP Images/David Goldman)

8 This young girl in India’s remote Rann of Kutch, in Gujarat, is the child of a migrant salt worker. Such a child might benefit from an NGO focused on helping migrant laborers and their families, like the NGO suggested in this chapter. (© AP Images/Prakash Hatvalne)

As your NGO matures, its projects and care facilities in the evenings. MWSN activities will evolve in response to the solved this by partnering with another changing needs of the community as well group to add child-care assistance to as your own lessons learned. You might the program. decide to expand some activities and cut NGOs must regularly evaluate how back on others or completely restructure well their projects and activities meet the your programs. community’s needs and interests. You MWSN has launched an after-work need to end programs that are no longer education program for migrant workers relevant or effective and focus on those and found that there was high interest that are, especially when money is scarce. but low participation. After conducting When your NGO can show that it is a survey, the NGO found the reason was meeting community needs and producing that the immigrants did not have child- measurable results, you will stand a good chance of securing the resources and support to be sustainable.

WHAT IS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AN NGO? THE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY: PLANNING, MANAGEMENT, The board of directors is the body EVALUATION responsible for governing the organization. The board makes sure an NGO’s mission is Sustainability requires systems for carried out legally, ethically and effectively. planning, management and evaluation. Ultimately, the board is accountable to the Regular planning must take place at community the NGO serves, its donors and multiple levels: project plans, fundraising other partners. plans, overall organizational plans, short-

9 WHAT IS EVALUATION AND more sophisticated systems as you need WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? them. When you begin to raise larger sums of money from multiple sources, then Evaluation is the systematic review and you can acquire financial management assessment of the benefits, quality and software and detailed accounting value of a program, activity or organization procedures. Having clear policies and as a whole. An evaluation asks: ➠ What worked? procedures and well-defined roles and ➠ What could have worked better? responsibilities for management will help ➠ Why did certain things work or not work? your NGO’s projects, activities and overall ➠ What difference did the work make for organization run smoothly. And when that our community? happens, your donors and supporters will ➠ What did we learn and how do we use have confidence their resources are being that knowledge? used well.

COMMITTED LEADERSHIP

term plans, long-term plans. Planning Building and sustaining an NGO takes systems enable you to organize your people with different kinds of knowledge work, respond to needs and anticipate and skills: project managers, proposal challenges. Management systems are the tools to establish clear responsibilities and procedures for handling everything from money and staff to projects and timelines. Finally, evaluation systems inform you of the results you are achieving. To be accountable, you need to report results not just to your funders and supporters, but also to the community you serve. Sometimes, new NGOs do not think about setting up systems. After all, most people start NGOs because they want to contribute to a cause, not because they want to create administrative procedures, develop budgets and write reports. But you must set down at least simple policies and basic procedures. At a minimum, you need to set up a database to track income and expenses, and establish fiscal controls such as who can approve payments and who can sign checks. The NGO Pragya, “wisdom” in Sanskrit, runs this As your NGO grows, you will have school bus that serves migrant worker more things to manage: projects, people, communities in Central Himalayan villages in India. money, relationships. You can develop (© Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Corbis)

10 writers, website developers, fundraisers NGOs that are dependent on just one and survey takers, to name a few. leader, or a small clique of leaders, But, above all, NGOs need leaders — have shortcomings that can affect their people committed to the organization and longevity and effectiveness. Some NGOs willing to spend time and effort directing have shut down when their founders its work. Typically, the leadership group departed because there was no one else consists of an executive director, senior with enough knowledge or commitment staff and the board of directors. An to keep them going. Others have lost the NGO’s leaders take on extra responsibility trust of the community when founding for making sure the NGO has a clear leaders refused to make space for new mission, effective programs and efficient leaders to come on. Still other NGOs management of its resources. have become irrelevant and ineffective When an NGO is starting up, it is because they failed to attract new and common for the founder to invite friends, diverse talent. family members and colleagues to join Your NGO should constantly work the board. However, as an NGO matures, to identify and recruit new talent, build the founder and board will need to bring their leadership skills, and move them into in new leadership from outside. The positions of responsibility. founder and founding board members of the MWSN might realize they need a RELATIONSHIPS WITH banker or business owner with financial STAKEHOLDERS expertise to advise on budgets, or someone from the faith community to ask churches Groups and individuals that care about to provide food and shelter to migrants. the same issues and interact with many Board members should make a list of the of the same people as your NGO are kinds of experts their NGO needs and stakeholders in your organization. They draw up a plan for recruiting them. New have a stake in your work. board members from outside can bring Relationships with a broad range of fresh perspectives and energy to the NGO. stakeholders — business and professional Sustainable NGOs continuously associations, donor organizations, faith cultivate new leadership at all levels — the institutions, coalitions, unions, political board of directors, staff, volunteers, and parties and informal community groups program participants and beneficiaries. — allow an NGO to thrive. Stakeholders provide your NGO resources — not just financial support but alsoin-kind support. For example, one of the MWSN’s WHAT IS A RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT stakeholders owns a printing business. The PLAN? stakeholder prints materials for MWSN at A resource development plan is one of reduced cost. Or a professional association the many types of plans an NGO needs with a stake in MWSN’s work may recruit to sustain its work. It includes your NGO’s professionals from a particular field to total funding needs for the year and mentor migrant workers. specific goals for the amount of money Building relationships with stakeholders you aim to raise from each of your different creates a network of allies who will sources. It also includes a work plan to meet champion your NGO’s cause and defend these goals with specific activities, tasks, its rights, and those of your community. responsibilities and deadlines. Imagine that MWSN has been working

11 to get the local government to consider faces financial problems, your NGO may passing legislation to protect the rights become insolvent and have to close. To of migrant workers. The organization is avoid that, your NGO should seek a wide more likely to be successful if it can get variety of funding sources, including letters of support from many stakeholders foundations, businesses, governments and — other NGOs, businesses, faith leaders individuals. An NGO may also generate and community leaders. income by selling products or services and Strong relationships are based on shared holding community fundraising events. goals, trust and mutual benefit. Regardless With diversified funding, if one source of of where your NGO is in its lifecycle funding ends, others can help make up — whether it is just starting or well for the loss. established — you need to invest time and Building a diversified funding base energy in building relationships with these requires the collective effort of an NGO’s diverse stakeholders. The relationships staff, board and volunteers. You will need will change over time, but they are always a fundraising plan that lays out objectives, critical to your NGO’s sustainability. strategies, tasks and timelines. Involve all your staff, board members, volunteers, and even community members in helping DIVERSITY IN FUNDING SOURCES to raise funds. Create a fundraising An NGO should not rely on a single committee to coordinate the work and funder, such as a wealthy business monitor progress. owner, or a single type of funder, such Building a diversified base of funding as foundations, for its survival. If your takes time. Keep in mind that many source of funding changes priorities or NGOs start without formal grants or

The Haitian NGO Fondation Seguin partnered with USAID to involve schoolchildren in a tree-planting program in Parc National La Visite, Haiti. Children from neighborhoods devastated by the 2010 earthquake help fight deforestation and learn about the environment. (Kendra Helmer/USAID/Haiti)

12 WHAT IS “IN-KIND” SUPPORT? for improving its weaknesses to promote the organization’s long-term viability. In-kind support refers to items donated to There are key decision points in an your NGO. They have monetary value, but organization’s lifecycle that are vital to your NGO does not have to pay for them. its sustainability. Whenever your NGO Common examples include donations of is considering launching a new project supplies and materials, equipment, and or activity, entering a new partnership, meeting or office space. In-kind support can or hiring new staff, stop and assess your also include donations of time and expertise, capacity to sustain the new endeavor. such as a graphic designer who designs your NGO’s website. You must keep track of Ask yourself: Does it fit our mission? Is in-kind support in your NGO’s budget. it needed and wanted by the community we serve? Do we have a good plan and can we manage it well? Do we have relationships with stakeholders who can long-term sources of funding. They support or partner with us? And, can we get volunteers and startup donations, raise the resources we need to start up and then seek funding from foundations, maintain the project over time? government agencies and the general An NGO is a powerful way to create public once they have results to show lasting change for your community. for their efforts. Some funders give seed Through it, you can mobilize others and grants to new organizations. Seed funders build something bigger than what you understand that new NGOs do not have can achieve alone. But it is a long journey long records of success and are willing to and a lot of work. It takes years and many take a risk on a good idea and the people kinds of skills, resources and relationships who will carry it out. When courting a to build and sustain an effective NGO. seed funder, write up a detailed proposal Remember our hypothetical example: The describing what you plan to do and how founder of the MWSN started with a core you plan to do it, as well as a description leadership team, clarified his mission, and of the qualifications of the NGO’s leaders. later diversified the leadership to bring in Many NGOs struggle in their first years new skills, expertise and relationships. with only one or two funding sources. The organization started by carrying out However, this is the time to build a diverse a small number of projects, set up systems base of funding for the future. to make sure they were well run, evaluated them to find out if they were making a difference, and began to raise money CONCLUSION from diverse sources. With these building A clear mission and vision; relevant blocks in place, the MWSN has a strong and effective projects and activities; foundation on which to grow. This means good planning, management and that more migrant workers will be able to evaluation; committed leadership; strong live with safety, security and dignity. relationships; and a diverse base of financial support are the building blocks that sustain an NGO over time. From the moment you found an NGO, think about sustainability at every step. For example, when you carry out strategic planning, assess your NGO’s strengths and set goals

13 VALUES, VISION AND MISSION 2 — THE COMPASS

(© Jon Feingersh Photography/SuperStock/Corbis)

14 n NGO’s values, vision and mission Unite, which was created to empower are its compass. They guide every young women to combat violence in their decision an NGO makes and community. every action it takes. Putting into Typically, an NGO’s founders hold Awriting your values, vision and mission is preliminary discussions of their values one of the first steps you must take when and vision without putting anything you found an NGO. These statements in writing. But later, after formalizing will direct the rest of your journey and your core leadership team, including a communicate to your stakeholders who board of directors and key volunteers, you are and what you stand for. your team needs to put into writing your An NGO is more likely to be successful organization’s values, vision and mission. when its leaders agree on its core values, This will build a sense of ownership share a powerful vision for change and investment in your NGO. After the and establish a clearly defined mission. statements are drafted, the board of Conversely, an NGO without clear directors must officially adopt them. values, vision and mission lacks a moral compass to guide its decisions. Without WHAT ARE VALUES? HOW DO WE a clear vision, it will struggle to inspire DEVELOP THEM? AND HOW DO others to join. Without a clear mission, THEY GUIDE YOUR NGO? it will lack focus and direction. Such an organization will likely find itself engaged Values are the principles an NGO in projects that have little connection to commits to uphold in all aspects of its the community it seeks to serve. work. Accountability and transparency In this chapter, we will explore how are two values all NGOs must share. an NGO develops values, vision and Your NGO should discuss and agree on mission statements to guide its work. others that are important to who you are. We will follow the steps taken to found Some NGOs identify values related to the the hypothetical NGO Young Women quality of their work, while others define their values in relation to how they work with others. Still others choose values that say something about their view of TRY THIS… the world. For example, Young Women Unite AN ACTIVITY TO CREATE A VISION might state its core values as: STATEMENT ➠ No n-violence — All women and girls Have your board, staff and key volunteers have the right to live in violence-free work in small groups. Give the groups large families and communities. pieces of paper and markers to discuss and ➠ Respect — All women and girls have depict their vision using words, pictures or the right to be treated with respect and a combination of both. Questions to spark dignity. the discussion could include: What will our ➠ Empowerment — All women and community look like? What will people’s girls have a right to make their own lives be like? What will they be doing? Then decisions and control their own lives. ask the groups to share their visions. Discuss ➠ Partnership — Civil society must them and identify the common elements. work together to bring about peaceful Task two to three people to craft a concise communities. No single NGO or other vision statement. entity can do it alone.

15 ➠ Community Leadership — Efforts to build peaceful communities should TRY THIS… be led by women and girls from the community. Ask each member of the leadership team Once an NGO’s leaders agree on their to trace his or her hand on a piece of paper. core values, they should use them to guide Then have each person write a value they decisions about: believe should guide the organization ➠ Projects and activities. For example, on each finger on the paper. Next, put Young Women Unite’s first project was people in pairs or small groups and ask a series of “Know Your Rights” work- them to share their hands. The members of each group agree on the five or six most shops for women, with messages and important values they have in common. approaches based on the NGO’s core Then ask each team to write out its list and values. This initiative focused on build- post it on a wall. After assessing each list, ing the participants’ critical thinking you likely will find a core set of values that and empowering them to speak out. everyone shares. ➠ Internal operations. An NGO’s employees should be treated in a way that reflects the organization’s values. Young Women Unite made sure it not to add them to the list, make sure always treated its staff, volunteers those who stated them are comfortable and constituents with respect. It also not including them. Try to agree on a final nurtured young women to move into list of four to seven core values. More than leadership positions in the organization. that will blur the focus of your NGO. ➠ External relations. Young Women Unite ended a partnership with another NGO WHAT IS A VISION STATEMENT? because it did not respect the ideas and HOW DO YOU DEVELOP ONE? AND opinions of young women. HOW DOES IT GUIDE YOUR NGO?

It is important to discuss each value A vision statement describes how you and define what it means to the group. want the world to be. It is a picture of Sometimes, people use different words to the world you seek to create. It tells how mean the same thing. One person might people’s lives, communities or society at say “nondiscrimination” while another large will be better as a result of your says “inclusiveness,” but they both mean NGO’s work. A vision statement is big that the NGO should serve and involve and bold, such as Young Women Unite’s: all segments of the community. Other We envision a society in which all times, people use the same word but mean people are safe in their homes, schools different things. Two people might list and communities; are treated with respect “leadership,” but one means the NGO and dignity; and have equal opportunities should strive to be a leader in its field to develop and activate their leadership while the other means the NGO should abilities. train leaders. It is a good idea to involve the There might also be values that only community you serve in drafting your one or two people identify. You should NGO’s vision. discuss these as well and include them in your core values if the group agrees that they are important. If the group decides

16 A real NGO called Young Women United in Albuquerque, New Mexico, supports the well-being of women of color, improving health and education and reducing violence. This eye-catching art is from a recruitment flyer that states the NGO’s mission, and contact and meeting information. (Courtesy of Young Women United)

An NGO’s vision statement is a things on its own. Making this vision a powerful tool for motivating staff and reality takes the combined efforts of many volunteers and inspiring others to join groups working together. you. For example, the staff of Young Women Unite has been working hard and WHAT IS A MISSION STATEMENT? is tired. The leadership team organizes HOW DO YOU DEVELOP ONE? AND a day where the board and staff come HOW DOES IT GUIDE YOUR NGO? together to share a meal and re-energize themselves. Each one reads the vision out An NGO’s mission statement concisely loud and talks about what it means to her. states the main purpose of the Similarly, when members of the board or organization. It answers the question staff are out in the community recruiting of why you exist. It describes who you volunteers, they talk about how the Young are, what you do and the end results you Women Unite’s vision and mission inspired seek. For some NGOs, it might identify them to get involved. a geographic region or specific target Different NGOs can share a common population you serve. vision for what they are trying to build. Mission statements have two parts. The It is likely that a number of them share first is the core mission statement — the a vision of a world where all people and one or two sentences that communicate families have access to quality housing, what you do and the long-term changes health care, jobs and education. But no you work to achieve. The second part single organization can achieve all these briefly describes the strategies or types of

17 activities you use to achieve your mission. ➠ When an NGO gets started and has Here is the mission statement for Young limited resources, it needs to think Women Unite: carefully about finding projects that are The mission of Young Women Unite fundamental to achieving the mission. is to build the capacity of young women Young Women Unite might decide that to end violence in our community. We do its target population needs information this by: about the issues surrounding violence ➠ Providing educational workshops and about their rights to do something in schools and community centers. ➠ Training peer educators to be youth leaders who teach others and speak out on this issue. ➠ Developing curricula and training for other organizations to conduct workshops in their communities.

Do some research to write a sharply focused mission statement. At the outset, the founders of Young Women Unite knew they wanted to combat violence in their community, particularly against women. But to determine their NGO’s exact mission, they needed to research what others in the community were already doing to address the problem. They found that one women’s group focused on intervening directly in domestic conflicts and another nurtured youth leadership, but no one ran educational programs to end community violence. The research helped Young Women Unite define their mission, which filled a gap in the community and complements the work of other NGOs. The mission statement Nepalese women from the Bakduwa Paralegal guides an NGO’s leaders in choosing Committee meet regularly in their remote village of what projects and activities to carry out, Joganiya, Saptari District. Such committees, active throughout Nepal to fight discrimination and especially during important points in an abuses, operate like NGOs. They were set up with NGO’s lifecycle. the help of UNICEF as part of an anti-trafficking program. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty)

18 it has the capacity to address other TRY THIS… community needs. NGOs are more likely to change the WRITING A MISSION STATEMENT second half of their mission statement Whether you are drafting your first mission — describing core strategies and statement or revising your existing one, activities — than the first half, which writing this document is not easy. You describes the NGO’s primary purpose. might start by having the NGO’s leaders NGOs commonly revise their strategies agree on the key words or concepts that and activities in response to shifting best communicate who you are and why community needs or changes in the you exist. Then you might assign a small environment. When Young Women group to put the key words and concepts Unite was founded, it focused on its together into one or two concise sentences. peer-educator initiative and “Know It is a good idea to prepare several different Your Rights” workshops, which brought options to choose from. Share them with down community violence in a few years. a few people outside the NGO to get Noticing its success, several other youth feedback. It might be helpful to study organizations contacted Young Women mission statements from other NGOs Unite to request similar workshops for as models. their members and volunteers. After reassessing their values, vision and mission, Young Women Unite’s leaders about it, so they start with “Know Your decided to expand their NGO’s work Rights” workshops. by training other NGOs to deliver ➠ When an NGO is growing, it is educational workshops. important to make sure new projects NGOs should revisit their values, vision and activities are closely aligned with and mission statements every three to five the mission. NGOs at this stage should years. As your NGO matures, it will need be sure to seek out and accept only input from stakeholders, including its funding that supports their mission. community members, project participants, ➠ When an NGO faces funding cuts partners and even funders. Find out if and must end a project or let staff go, your stakeholders understand your NGO’s think about which projects are most values, vision and mission. Do they think fundamental to your mission. they are still relevant and, if not, what changes do they suggest? In addition, REVISING YOUR MISSION

An NGO should periodically review and update its mission statement. The best TRY THIS… time to do this is at the beginning of a strategic planning process. As your NGO QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN REVIEWING matures, it will likely refine its mission to YOUR MISSION better capture what your NGO is uniquely suited to do. An NGO that began with ➠ Is the mission still needed? a broad mission may decide to narrow ➠ Have the community’s needs or it to provide clearer direction and focus. conditions changed? ➠ Or, an NGO that began with a narrow Doe s the mission statement reflect who mission may decide to broaden it because we really are and what we really do?

19 revisiting the values, vision and mission provides new members the opportunity REMEMBER… to shape and take ownership of these statements. It is common for an NGO to PUT YOUR VALUES, VISION AND make small changes and refinements to MISSION IN WRITING its values, vision and mission statements Often, the people who found an NGO every few years. However, an NGO that neglect to put their values, vision and radically changes its core principles often mission into writing. This is a fundamental will not be seen as stable, and supporters mistake. Later, as new members join the might lose confidence in it. organization, they might bring in different values. It is important for the NGO’s leaders to discuss and formally agree in writing on COMMUNICATING YOUR VALUES, the shared values that will guide the NGO. VISION AND MISSION Without the written statements, you risk running into serious disagreements. An NGO must communicate its values, vision and mission to all of its stakeholders: project participants, the broader community, and current and ➠ If you have a website, post your values, potential funders and partners. If they are vision and mission publicly and make going to trust you, work with you, support sure they are easy to find. Many NGOs you and hold you accountable, then they put them under “About Us” or “Who need to understand who you are and what we are and what we do.” you do. NGO leaders also need to make ➠ Provide orientation and training on the sure that the staff, board members and values, vision and mission to all board volunteers fully understand the values, members, staff and volunteers. These vision and mission, and reinforce them in are your NGO’s ambassadors. They their day-to-day work. Communication must be able to communicate your is at the heart of achieving this NGO’s values, vision and mission. understanding. ➠ When you meet prospective partners, allies, supporters or donors, start by ➠ When you recruit new people to join explaining your values, vision and your organization, share your values mission. Prepare a one-page sheet with and vision with them. Ask them how your formal statements and a folder they understand and relate to them. with information about your projects, Someone who does not share your flyers, and a few photos of what you do. values or believe in your mission should not be invited to join. In the business world, companies sell ➠ When you have board and staff tangible merchandise and services, for meetings, write your values, vision and example, a computer, a television, a table, mission statement up on large sheets of an airplane ride. As an NGO, you sell paper and place them where everyone your values, vision and mission. If you can see them. Start your meeting by cannot communicate them effectively, you reading them aloud, then use them to will not be able to get others to buy them. guide discussions and decisions.

20 ➠ Community Leadership — Efforts CONCLUSION to build peaceful communities should An NGO’s values, vision and mission all be led by women and girls from work together and feed into one another. the community. The mission flows from the vision, and they both need to be aligned with the OUR VISION values. Together, they tell a powerful story We envision a society in which all people about what your NGO stands for. are safe in their homes, schools and communities; are treated with respect and dignity; and have equal opportunities YOUNG WOMEN UNITE’S VALUES, to develop and activate their leadership VISION AND MISSION abilities. OUR VALUES ➠ Non-violence — All women and girls OUR MISSION have the right to live in violence-free The mission of Young Women Unite is to families and communities. build the capacity of young women to end ➠ Respect — All women and girls have violence in our community. We do this by: the right to be treated with respect ➠ Providing educational workshops in and dignity. schools and community centers. ➠ Empowerment — All women and ➠ Training peer educators to be youth girls have the right to make their own leaders who inform others and speak decisions and have control over out on this issue. their lives. ➠ Developing curricula and training other ➠ Partnership — Civil society must organizations to conduct workshops in work together to bring about peaceful their communities. communities. No single organization can do it alone.

REMEMBER…

AVOID FUNDING THAT DEVIATES FROM YOUR MISSION Your NGO should have a plan that sets out clear goals for advancing your mission and identifies projects that will accomplish those goals. Then, you fundraise for your priorities! When you find an opportunity for new funding or a new partnership, stop and ask: Does it fit our mission? An NGO that drifts away from its mission for the sake of funding can soon find itself running unrelated projects. As a result, the organization can become fragmented, its impact will be diminished, and its stakeholders may lose confidence.

21 PLANNING, EVALUATING 3 AND MANAGING

(© 2003-2012 Shutterstock Images LLC)

22 nce your NGO has a clear mission, you have to translate it into projects TRY THIS… and activities that the community needs, wants and values. Query FORM A STRATEGIC PLANNING Oyour community to make sure they COMMITTEE welcome your initiatives. When projects You need strategic planning. The best way are thoughtfully designed, carefully to carry out the task is to create a strategic planned, and rigorously carried out by planning committee made up of three to qualified people, they will have an impact. five board and staff members. This group If your NGO can show that its work will decide the approach to use, identify key makes a difference in people’s lives and questions, and develop a work plan with communities, your stakeholders — the tasks, responsibilities and timelines. community, donors and partners — will likely support you for many years. This chapter walks you through the steps to plan, evaluate and manage your development, new partnerships and NGO’s work. We provide examples drawn allocation of resources, especially staff from Youth Voices for Democracy, a time and money. It provides a basis for hypothetical NGO that educates youth monitoring progress and assessing results. about democracy and increases their NGOs use various approaches to community participation. strategic planning. Some spend months gathering input from a broad range of stakeholders, including the board, PLANNING staff, project participants, partner Planning keeps you focused on your goals organizations, funders and others, before and enables you to organize your work drawing up their strategic plan. Others and allocate your resources efficiently. bring board and staff together for a NGOs that plan do better than ones that one-day brainstorming meeting to do do not because they have clear direction the same thing. Regardless of how you and focus. With planning, you will do it, the planning process involves the anticipate problems and prevent them or following steps: solve them before they become crises. Here we discuss two broad types of planning: 1. Identify the key issues and questions. strategic planning and project planning. Strategic planning is an opportunity to step back and look at the big picture What is Strategic Planning? of your organization. Our hypothetical Strategic planning is a systematic way Youth Voices for Democracy might of assessing where your NGO is now want to answer the question: Do we and where it wants to be in the future. want to and are we ready to grow? It answers questions about what it will If so, how much and what type of look like, what it will be doing and what growth is manageable? Or Youth it will have accomplished five to 10 years Voices might have learned that several from now. A strategic plan starts from of its funders are planning to reduce an NGO’s values, vision and mission, their contributions. In light of that, the then lays out its direction, priorities NGO needs to refocus its operations on and goals. The plan keeps an NGO on projects that are core to its mission. mission. It guides decisions about project

23 3. Hold a meeting to discuss the findings trengths of the SWOT analysis and make S decisions about priorities, goals and objectives. Once you have done a SWOT, you will eaknesses be prepared to set relevant and realistic W goals for the organization. Based on what they learned from the SWOT analysis, Youth Voices has set goals for O pportunities strengthening its internal systems — improving management structures and providing more training for staff — and hreats for improving current projects. It also T has decided not to take on new projects over the next three years.

Use SWOT to analyze your Strengths, Weaknesses, 4. Prepare a final strategic plan. Opportunities and Threats. You need to write the results of your analysis and prioritizing in a final 2. Give your NGO a SWOT. document that serves as your strategic It is vital that you step back from plan. It does not have to be elaborate your day-to-day work and assess or lengthy. Most NGOs prepare your NGO’s strengths, weaknesses, simple one- or two-page documents opportunities and threats. This is called that present the NGO’s values, vision, a SWOT analysis. mission and main goals. Others are The quickest and easiest way is to more thorough and include the findings have board members, staff and key of the SWOT along with detailed volunteers conduct this analysis. These objectives for each goal. key players know a great deal about the organization and its environment. If time and resources allow, get outside perspectives as well, especially from project participants, funders, volunteers TRY THIS… and organizational partners. You can do this by using surveys, interviews, HOLD AN ALL-DAY PLANNING MEETING community meetings or focus groups. The best way to set your future directions A SWOT analysis helps you grasp and goals is through a planning meeting the key issues facing your organization where you bring the board and staff and make wise decisions about how to together for at least one day to make address them. Youth Voices wants to decisions. If circumstances permit, meet grow, but through the SWOT analysis, somewhere outside of your day-to-day it learns that its internal systems are workspace so you will not have distractions. weak and its staff is unprepared for At the meeting, you should review and expansion. So Youth Voices instead update the organization’s values, vision and decides to focus on building internal mission, then set broad goals for the NGO’s capacity for the next year to prepare projects, as well as for building the capacity for expansion. and infrastructure of the organization.

24 have a website, post the plan on it. WHAT’S THIS? If you send out a newsletter, include the plan in it. FOCUS GROUP A focus group brings together about 10 to 6. Carry out and monitor the plan. 15 people for a guided discussion about An NGO’s board, staff and key a particular topic. You could hold a focus volunteers all need to work together group with project participants to learn to make sure the final plan gets what they think is working well, what could implemented. The executive director work better, and what difference the project sees to it that all of the NGO’s projects makes in their lives. A focus group should and activities are aligned with the be led by an experienced moderator using plan and that staff understand its carefully developed questions and last one goals and organize the work around to two hours. it. The board of directors also needs to align its priorities with the plan. If the plan calls for a project that needs 5. Share the plan with your stakeholders. new resources and expertise, then the Send a copy to your funders and your board might need to set objectives for partners. You can hold a community raising additional funds and recruiting meeting to present the plan to your new board members with the needed constituency. Make a special effort to expertise. At a minimum, the board give project participants who provided should formally review the plan once a input for the plan the opportunity to year to assess progress. comment and make suggestions. If you Strategic planning helps an NGO

Somali organizers discuss strategy at a training session offered by Mosaica. (Courtesy of Mosaica)

25 What is Project Planning? TRY THIS… A project plan sets goals and objectives for a specific project, identifies the resources INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY YOU SERVE needed to achieve it, and lays out the key IN PLANNING tasks, responsibilities and a timeline. When you plan a project, form a community Whether your NGO is developing advisory committee to provide input and its first projects or continuing long- feedback on project plans. This advisory established ones, you must have in- committee can continue to meet regularly depth knowledge of the community as you implement the project to review you serve. In the past, NGOs and their its progress and provide suggestions for donors emphasized the needs part of the improvement. Because they know the assessment. Today, growing numbers of community well, a community advisory NGOs also are assessing the strengths committee can identify solutions to and assets that community members can problems you may run into. For example, contribute to solve their problems. In if your project faces a high number of conducting its assessment, your NGO drop-outs, the committee could identify should ask community members about the additional participants. knowledge and experience they already have, as well as things they are interested in learning and doing. remain relevant and responsive to the Suppose Youth Voices for Democracy needs of its community. It brings focus has held educational workshops and common purpose to its leaders. to teach youths about their rights NGOs should carry out strategic planning every three to five years. Some may find at the end of three years that things are going well, the environment WHAT’S THIS? is stable, and they just need to keep doing what they have been doing. NEEDS AND ASSETS ASSESSMENT Others might find that things have An NGO should carry out a systematic changed. Maybe the NGO has new staff assessment of the needs and assets of its and board members who do not share a target community (e.g., neighborhood common vision, or perhaps other NGOs or village) or target population (e.g., are doing similar work and competition unemployed youth or pregnant women for funding is greater. In this case, it with HIV). Form a team that includes both would be helpful for the NGO to go staff and community members to lead through the in-depth planning process the assessment. again and develop a new plan. A typical assessment involves surveying Sometimes, NGOs face major threats a sample of community residents or the or unexpected opportunities — e.g., target population. Also, find out if the data the loss of a grant or a change in the that you seek has already been collected by political environment — before they government agencies, international NGOs reach their three-year goals. When that or universities. You might also consider happens, an NGO may need to change partnering with a university to conduct the course quickly. survey. Once you have the results, the team Once an NGO has its strategic plan, can review them to identify priorities for it will need to do project planning. new projects or advocacy.

26 and responsibilities in a democratic society. Now, Youth Voices wants REMEMBER… to expand the project in a particular low-income neighborhood to support ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO THE youth involvement in the community. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT By carrying out a needs and assets While a formal strategic planning process assessment, Youth Voices can identify is an important time to assess the external not only the individuals to enroll in the environment, an NGO’s leadership should program but also the knowledge and skills always be monitoring what is happening they bring with them. The assessment in the community, region, country and might find that youth who are out of beyond. At their regular meetings, board school have no access to computers. As and staff should discuss what is going on a result, they have low computer literacy outside of the NGO: with the economy, and little familiarity with social media government, donors, etc., and discuss any tools that help youth access information, emerging threats or opportunities.

connect to other youth groups, and organize their neighborhood. At the same time, the assessment might find that youth are eager to learn and have ideas to improve their community. So Youth Voices might decide to open a new computer learning center as a first step. Projects based on a careful assessment of needs and strengths are likely to be relevant, useful and trusted by the target audience, raising their chances for success. Once you have determined the needs and interests of your target audience, you are ready to develop a detailed project plan. There are many different formats for this. Often, international donors have particular formats they want their grantees to use. Find out One of the goals of hypothetical NGO Youth Voices if this is so and make sure for Democracy is to provide young people with you use them. computers. This child in Peru benefited from the real NGO One Laptop Per Child project that A project plan needs to define what donated small laptops to schoolchildren in you want to accomplish for the target Arahuay, an Andean village. (© AP Images/Martin Mejia) population. In other words, what will

27 THE BASIC LOGIC MODEL

Certain If you have If you If you deliver If these benefits resources are access to accomplish the product to participants needed to resources, your planned or service you are achieved, operate your then you can activities, then intended, then then certain program. use them to you may deliver your participants changes in accomplish the amount of will benefit in organizations, your planned product and/or certain ways. communities or activities. service that you systems might intended. follow.

RESOURCES/ ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES IMPACT INPUTS

1 2 3 4 5

YOUR PLANNED WORK YOUR INTENDED RESULTS

(See Resource Appendix A on page 35 for a sample logic model for Youth Voices’ new Computer Learning Center.)

be different in the lives of people who the changing needs of the community participate in the project? The plan also and your own experience. For example, describes what your NGO will do and the after Youth Voices opened its new resources it needs to achieve these results. computer learning center, it found that One format for a project plan is called some participants wanted to build on a Logic Model. This helps you map out a their new skills and start an Internet radio project, starting with what you want to show. Youth Voices then added a new achieve and working backward to describe technology training component focused the activities you believe will produce on radio production. those outcomes. From there, identify the resources needed to carry out those EVALUATION activities. Although you read a Logic Model from Evaluation is the systematic assessment of left to right, it helps to work from right to the outcomes, quality and performance left as you develop it. of a project, activity or the organization When read from left to right, Logic as a whole. Evaluation is a tool for Models describe program basics over time answering the question: What difference from planning through results. Reading a did our work make in people’s lives and Logic Model means following the chain of communities? In other words, it measures reasoning or “If...then...” statements that what you achieved for the people you connect the program’s parts. serve. NGOs need to assess community Once you have developed a project plan needs and strengths regularly, and evaluate using a Logic Model or another tool, you the results of their projects. will need a more detailed work plan. An evaluation should ask: As your NGO matures, you will adjust ➠ What did we do that worked? your projects and activities according to ➠ What could have worked better?

28 and improving their lives. They can WHAT’S THIS? share stories about particular individuals whose lives have been transformed. Many WORK PLAN NGOs also keep track of the number of A work plan is a detailed description of people they serve. For example, Youth who will do what by when. It ensures the Voices counted the number of youth who activities are carried out in a timely manner. attended classes at the computer learning Written work plans allow staff and key center each month and the number of volunteers to organize their time efficiently youth reached through its “Introduction and hold each other accountable. In to Democracy” workshops. contrast, a project plan describes a project’s But for NGOs to be truly accountable goals and objectives, the sequence of to their stakeholders and to their mission, activities and resources needed. they must also quantify the outcomes, such as higher student test scores or higher numbers of students who demonstrated ➠ Why did certain things work (or not ability to apply what they learned in the work)? workshops to their jobs. ➠ What did we learn and how can we use The first step of evaluation is to define that knowledge to strengthen our work? the outcomes you want a project to Every day, an NGO’s staff and achieve. Do this at the design phase of volunteers see the people they serve a project. Going back to Youth Voices’ learning new skills, achieving their goals computer learning center and their

“You Choose!” is the catch phase during a voter education campaign in Bulgaria. During local elections a young activist in Veliko Turnovo hands out information to encourage voting in the community. (Center Amalite/USAID)

29 with the time and resources you have. REMEMBER… If you create a plan with many ways of collecting information at many points in EVALUATION: A TOOL FOR time, it may be too complicated and time- ACCOUNTABILITY consuming to implement. Once you agree An NGO’s public promise to its stakeholders on your approach, you should: — especially the community it serves, its ➠ Train all staff, volunteers and partners and its donors — is not just to participants who will be collecting data carry out activities, but to make a difference to use the collection tools properly. in people’s lives and in society. To be ➠ Set up a system for storing the data. accountable to your stakeholders, you Assign someone to set up and maintain should report the results of your activities to a file — in a file cabinet and/or on a them. Tell them what difference your NGO computer — for all the tests, surveys or made. You measure results by evaluation. notes from interviews and focus groups. ➠ Choose a small group of people to compile the data. This could include Internet radio training project, the desired collecting test results or putting all the outcomes for participants were to: survey comments into one list. ➠ Acquire the technological skills to ➠ Have a mix of staff, volunteers and produce an Internet radio show. possibly participants review the data ➠ Learn how to develop program content and identify the key findings. Did for a radio show. participants gain new knowledge and ➠ Apply these skills to produce a weekly, skills? Were they able to apply them? one-hour radio show about a topic of Why or why not? interest to youth in the community. ➠ Use the evaluation results to improve ➠ Have greater confidence to speak out on your project. If an evaluation finds issues that concern them. that participants are not learning a The next step is to determine how to measure the outcomes. Youth Voices could collect data in a number of ways. They could administer a test to assess REMEMBER… participants’ knowledge and skills at the beginning and again at the end of COLLECT THE NUMBERS AND the project to measure how much they THE STORIES learned. Project staff and volunteers Numbers are important. You need to track could write down their observations each the number of people you serve and the month, noting changes they see in each percentage that achieve your targeted participant’s skill and confidence. They outcomes. But stories are equally important, could hold focus groups at the beginning, so you need to collect them. After each middle and end of the project to ask workshop, get quotes from participants to participants for feedback. What are they capture what they learned. Contact a few of learning? How are they using what they them several months after the workshop to learn? What more do they want to learn find out how they have applied what they and what will they do with their new learned. Write that up in a paragraph you skills after the project? can place in a newsletter or proposal. But Your NGO’s staff and volunteers should always get permission to use their name agree on an evaluation plan that is feasible and story!

30 Members of Alternativa, an NGO advancing the rights of the Roma community in Biala Slatina, Bulgaria, participate in a World Bank Development 360 project. (Scott Wallace/The World Bank)

particular skill, consider revising the evaluation, including formulating the training curriculum or finding better key questions, gathering and analyzing trainers. Too often, the results are the data, identifying the key findings sent to donors but are not used to help and lessons learned, and developing the NGOs improve their programs. recommendations and action plan to ➠ Summarize the data and share your improve project performance. analysis. Evaluation helps you tell your If Youth Voices decides to use story to stakeholders. It provides you participatory methods to evaluate its with both data and anecdotes that radio project, participants themselves demonstrate how your work makes will help decide what to evaluate and a difference. what questions to ask. They will also When NGO leaders invest in evaluation be involved in collecting data, such as and involve everyone in the organization, designing and conducting a survey of it is a powerful tool for learning, community members who have listened improvement and growth. to the broadcasts to find out how much they learned. Or the participants might What is Participatory Evaluation? record their own observations about how Participatory evaluation invites project community members used the broadcast participants and stakeholders, such information. as family members and teachers of When stakeholders — especially youth participants, to help shape and community members — are involved carry out evaluation. Stakeholders in designing and carrying out an are typically involved at all steps of evaluation, the results are likely to be

31 more relevant and useful to the NGO and the community. REMEMBER…

THE BOARD ALSO HAS A ROLE IN MANAGEMENT EVALUATION Just as you need many kinds of plans, you To govern an NGO effectively, the board need many systems for managing your of directors should review evaluation NGO. Decide who has responsibility for findings across projects annually, at least. each aspect: money, people, projects and In reviewing results, the board needs to facilities. Because Youth Voices is a small discuss where the NGO’s work is having NGO, the executive director is responsible the most impact and the least impact. The for most of its organizational management board can then decide if projects need to while the staff is responsible for managing be changed to ensure the NGO meets the projects. As the NGO grows and hires overall goals in its strategic plan. additional staff, however, someone other than the executive director may take on specific management roles, such as for staff often have to take on additional finances or human resources. projects or administrative tasks. When Like any manager in business or Youth Voices prepares for a site visit government, an NGO manager is from a funder, the office needs to be responsible for planning, organizing cleaned, the files need to be organized, and monitoring tasks needed for an and several project participants should organization to run smoothly. But the be prepared to attend the meeting and context is different for an NGO. Its share their experiences. These tasks do work often is difficult to measure and not fall under anyone’s job description communicate. Its goals are ambitious and everyone needs to help. The but its resources are limited. It works to executive director should call a staff improve people’s lives and communities, meeting to review the tasks that need not make a profit. It faces multiple — and to get done and assign the additional sometimes competing — demands from responsibilities. This way everyone its stakeholders, many of whom have knows who is responsible for what. different expectations for what the NGO Good managers do not just delegate should do and how it should operate. An responsibility. They also make sure NGO is rarely fully staffed, so individual people have the authority, resources, staff members often fill multiple roles. knowledge and skills to get the job Funding limitations mean the staff works done. If the executive director of Youth without adequate training, equipment, Voices sets up a system for making sure supplies or facilities. bills are paid and reports to donors are In this environment, basic management sent out on time, she will assign specific tasks are both more critical and more responsibilities to staff members, train challenging for NGOs. them on the system, create a master calendar of deadlines, then monitor What are Management Tasks? their work. 1. Assigning people and resources to tasks. Staff should have written job 2. Motivating people. Some people who descriptions that define their primary work for an NGO are highly motivated responsibilities, but in small NGOs, by the organization’s mission. They

32 devote their careers to civil society 4. Ensuring communication and because they want to make a difference. coordination. Organizational managers This is often the case with an NGO’s look at the NGO as a whole. They first staff members who work long need to make sure that staff assigned to and hard to establish the NGO. As the different projects or areas communicate NGO grows and hires new staff, the with each other. In the fast-paced newcomers may not all share the same environment of an NGO, staff members commitment to the NGO’s mission. sometimes neglect to share information A good manager inspires the staff to or ask for help. To avert this, Youth believe in the organization’s mission Voices holds regular staff meetings and support its goals. A good manager to review the status of all projects. helps the staff see how their tasks, This regular communication has however big or small, contribute to the many benefits. For example, when the success of the NGO. staff members leading Youth Voices’ educational workshops learn about the 3. Monitoring activities to make sure new radio program, they encourage plans are accomplished. If plans are not their workshop participants to listen accomplished, the NGO manager must and suggest topics for future programs. figure out why and solve the problem. While reviewing the reports prepared What is Participatory Management? by project staff, Youth Voices’ executive As an NGO manager, you also will have director finds that one staff member’s to create structures for management and reports lack information required by decision making. A number of approaches the funder. In discussing the problem are available to you. The participatory with this staff member, she learned that approach involves staff in programmatic the employee never received a copy of and management decisions. A manager the requirements and that the project asks staff for input, then makes the did not have a system for collecting the decision alone. In the team approach, needed data. After discovering what the senior staff make decisions collectively. problem was, the executive director was In the fully democratic approach, all staff able to find a solution. Good managers and managers discuss and reach consensus identify problems and make corrections on major decisions. However you manage before they become crises. your NGO, you should find ways to involve staff and create a formal structure through which they can add their input. This will help build a sense of ownership REMEMBER… and investment in the NGO, its work and its future. SOME NGOs HAVE FEW OR Above all, good managers understand NO PAID STAFF that people — whether paid staff, In NGOs with no paid staff, board members, volunteers or board members — are an or other volunteers supervised by the NGO’s greatest asset. An NGO’s ability board, must manage the organization and to deliver high-quality work depends its programs. Even when an NGO hires directly on the skills, energy, commitment paid staff, board members may continue and talents of the people who carry out some management responsibilities such as the work. NGO managers need to invest maintaining the organization’s finances. in their people. This means making sure

33 that staff members get training to do their jobs effectively and opportunities to grow REMEMBER… professionally. It can be hard for executive directors, MAKE SURE YOUR STAFF UNDERSTAND especially those who are founders of an THE NGO’S VALUES, VISION AND MISSION NGO, to delegate tasks to others. But for an NGO to succeed, its staff members Sometimes NGO executive directors are need to grow. Executive directors and good at communicating the NGO’s values, other managers must be willing to entrust vision and mission to partners and funders, tasks to others. but their staff do not fully understand Finally, as an NGO manager, you need the organization’s purpose. NGO leaders to create a positive work environment should continuously show staff — through in which all staff and volunteers are training, staff meetings, and one-on-one conversations — how they contribute to the treated with respect and recognized NGO’s values, vision and mission. for their contributions. You can recognize individual staff members’ accomplishments with something as simple as a “thank you” at a staff meeting. will have more confidence that their When a team has worked particularly resources are being used wisely and for hard on a project, you might take them the proper purposes. to lunch and feature their efforts in your newsletter. Spending small sums in your CONCLUSION NGO budget for staff and volunteer recognition is appropriate. People Good planning, evaluation and who work for an NGO need to know management are the foundation that their commitment and competence are supports all of your NGO’s projects recognized and valued. and activities. When you take time to Good managers and good management plan, your projects are more likely to practices are crucial for an NGO to address community needs. When you pay sustain itself over time. Even the smallest attention to management, your projects organizations need to set up basic systems will be effective and efficient. And when for management. Suppose you raise your you invest in evaluation, you will be first $500 at a community fundraiser. able to document your results and see You should immediately record who gave where you can improve. In each of these you the donations, keep track of how you areas, an NGO needs to define roles and spend the money, and maintain a file with responsibilities and set up suitable systems. all of your receipts. As your NGO grows, you will have more things to manage: projects, activities, people, money, relationships. You can develop more sophisticated systems as you need them. Once you begin to raise larger sums of money from multiple sources, you should invest in financial management software and develop detailed accounting procedures. When donors and supporters see that an NGO is well managed, they

34 Resource Appendix A LOGIC MODEL FOR YOUTH VOICES COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER

RESOURCES/ ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES IMPACT INPUTS $100,000 – Computer Thirty youth Immediate/ • Computer lit- covers all project training classes will complete short-term (after eracy becomes costs for youth ages six months 6 months): widespread in 18-25 years of computer the neighbor- • 90% of youth Major costs: training (eight hood served by demonstrate hours a week). Youth Voices. • 25% of NGO skills in director’s time Windows, MS • Knowledge Word, and Excel • 1 part-time and use of by completing computer social media defined tasks instructor tools become and passing widespread. • 15 computers standardized and related tests developed • Overall higher equipment (half by Youth Voices. level of youth donated) • 85% of youth engagement • Operating demonstrate around costs (space skills in usage neighborhood rental, utilities, of social media and community supplies) tools, including issues. Facebook and Twitter, by completing defined tasks. • 80% of youth set up their own email and create their own Facebook page.

Medium-term (within one year): • 70% of youth who complete the training become involved in an existing community project. • 50% of youth organize their own initiative to address a community problem.

35 THE BOARD OF 4 DIRECTORS

(© Kai Chiang/Golden Pixels LLC/Corbis)

36 he board of directors is the body responsible for governing an REMEMBER… organization. It makes sure that the NGO has what it needs to carry out YOU NEED A BOARD FROM itsT mission, and that it does so legally, THE BEGINNING ethically and effectively. Ultimately, When you start an NGO, one of the first the board is accountable to the NGO’s things to do is recruit a few people to be the community, donors, partners and other founding board of directors. The founding stakeholders. board can help you get work done, such In this chapter, we will follow the board as writing your first proposals or attending of the hypothetical Clean Streets, Healthy meetings with potential partners. More Children, an NGO that deals with urban importantly, this group gives you feedback sanitation and children’s health. We will on your ideas and advice on how to move see how the board helps its NGO navigate forward. As you build the NGO, you need through challenges and threats. people to challenge your ideas or proposed actions. A board provides the checks and If your NGO is just starting out, your balances that keep your NGO accountable board need not engage in the full range and legitimate. of governance responsibilities discussed here. But you do need to assemble a founding board, typically three or four people to help you set your NGO’s values, of Clean Streets, Healthy Children’s vision and mission and build up your largest funders withdraws its support, relationships. Every member must know the board decides how to handle the good governance practices so the board loss. The board takes a hard look at the can fulfill its prime mission of making strategic plan and identifies the projects sure the NGO remains transparent, that are critical to the NGO’s mission accountable and legitimate. and those that are expendable.

2. Making sure the NGO has the THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE resources it needs. Boards raise BOARD OF DIRECTORS money, collect in-kind contributions 1. Setting the NGO’s values, vision, and recruit volunteers. Boards set the mission and goals. The board provides fundraising goals and work with staff the overall direction to an NGO. The to meet them. It is up to each NGO to founding board usually sets the values, determine its requirements in terms of vision and mission at the time of its staff and resources. It is the board’s establishment. The board reviews the job to make sure the NGO has what it guiding principles every few years and needs to carry out its mission. In Clean makes sure that the NGO’s long-term Streets, Healthy Children, the executive goals are aligned with the principles director generally writes the funding through a strategic planning process. requests to prospective donors, but the If an NGO engages in advocacy, the board organizes fundraising events and board should set advocacy priorities schedules meetings with individuals and and positions. businesses to ask for contributions. When an NGO faces a threat or opportunity, the board makes decisions about what to do. For example, if one

37 3. Making sure finances are well managed. Financial oversight is WHAT’S THIS? one of the board’s most important responsibilities. Making sure that CONFLICT OF INTEREST money is spent wisely and appropriately A conflict of interest arises when the keeps your NGO accountable to your personal or private interests of a board funders and community, so boards member are at odds with the interests of must regularly review financial reports. the NGO. Such a conflict may prevent a The staff of Clean Streets, Healthy board member from making an objective Children prepares the annual budget, decision. Your NGO needs an explicit but the board approves it. Board conflict of interest policy that requires board members who cannot attend a budget members to disclose any conflicts of interest or finance meeting need to get copies of and remove themselves from the related the documents, review them and send discussion and decision. questions before or after the meeting. Let’s say Clean Streets, Healthy Children All board members are responsible wants to speak out publicly against a for the board’s decisions and actions, company that is dumping waste into the regardless of their attendance at water supply. One of the board members every meeting. has a business relationship with the polluting company and does not want to jeopardize his relationship with it. This 4. Ensuring that an NGO’s work is board member needs to disclose the effective. Your board regularly reviews relationship and withdraw from related your NGO’s projects and activities — discussions and decisions. through updates from the executive director and evaluation reports. It then assesses whether the projects and activities are advancing the NGO’s ➠ Announce the job opening. mission and goals. In the event of a ➠ Review resumes to identify the negative assessment, the board may strongest candidates. need to make a decision to end or ➠ Interview these candidates. restructure a project, or start a new ➠ Make a decision about the best project that better meets community candidate based on the NGO’s needs. needs. To be effective monitors, all Once hired, the executive director board members must be familiar with reports to the board of directors. all of the NGO’s activities. They should The board provides feedback and visit projects to meet the staff and see regular performance assessments, how the community is benefiting. including a formal annual evaluation. If the executive director does not 5. Hiring, supervising and evaluating the meet objectives or manage the NGO executive director. The board hires the effectively, the board has a duty to executive director. It does not take a dismiss that person. The board must short cut and appoint the first available make this decision carefully based on person. It goes through a multi-step, the best interests of the NGO. The transparent process that identifies the board should never dismiss an executive best candidate for the job. director based solely on the preferences ➠ Develop a job description with clear of one board member. objectives.

38 6. Establishing policies and procedures. The board approves all of the NGO’s WHAT’S THIS? policies and procedures, covering the gamut from personnel and fiscal issues SELF-DEALING to conflicts of interest. Staff might Self-dealing is when a board member acts prepare the policies but the board must in his or her own interest rather than in approve them. the interests of the organization. A board member who advocates for the NGO to use 7. Serving as ambassadors for the NGO. his sister-in-law’s printing company even Board members should always look though it would cost the NGO more would for opportunities to develop new be engaged in self-dealing. The extremes relationships and find new resources of self-dealing involve illegal actions such for the NGO. They advocate for it as stealing or steering funds to others in and its community and represent the exchange for a kickback. organization at community events. Boards must set policies to prevent self- Board members for Clean Streets, dealing and take immediate action when Healthy Children are also active in self-dealing occurs. national and international professional networks. When they attend meetings or conferences, they bring their NGO’s practices are allowed, the NGO will brochures and have their talking rightly be seen as corrupt. points ready. To prevent unethical behavior and Board members are the NGO’s corruption, an NGO’s leadership must ambassadors. They attend community establish fair and open dealing as a meetings and events, listen to core value. Practices must be put in community concerns and make place to discipline or terminate anyone themselves active and visible in the found in violation. If the board learns community. In this way, board members that the executive director has engaged build trust with the community. in corrupt practices, it should let this person go immediately. If one board 8. Ensuring the NGO meets ethical member sees other members acting standards. The board of directors unethically, that board member must ensures that anyone associated with report their behavior to the board the NGO behaves ethically and avoids chair for immediate action. All board corruption at all costs. An NGO must members are responsible for ensuring be honest, fair and transparent in its the full board behaves ethically. interactions with all stakeholders, internal and external. For example, it THE BOARD’S ROLE WHEN AN NGO would be unethical for Clean Streets, IS JUST STARTING UP Healthy Children to have a partnership with another NGO to run a joint In new NGOs without paid staff, board project but not reveal information that members take on roles and tasks that it received a grant to support the joint would otherwise be carried out by paid project. Or, it would be unethical for staff, including: the executive director to pay a staff ➠ Designing the NGO’s first projects and member a salary different from the getting them started. salary written in the budget. If such

39 ➠ Attending meetings with stakeholders to build relationships. TRY THIS… ➠ Creating the management infrastructure for the organization — such as setting WHEN BOARD MEMBERS DISAGREE up an accounting system or a system for Sometimes board members disagree with organizing volunteers. each other on a decision, a policy or the ➠ Carrying out the project — such as best course of action. When this happens, teaching a computer class or leading a take time to discuss why. Try to understand civic education workshop. the perspectives and reasoning behind Board members of start-up NGOs the different points of view. This will lead need to remember that, in addition to a better, richer discussion about the to carrying out the NGO’s work and advantages and disadvantages of different managing the organization, they still approaches, and ultimately a better decision need to pay attention to their governance for the NGO. If, even after discussion, board responsibilities and should set aside a members still disagree, you may have portion of board meetings for oversight to take a vote on the issue and have the activities. majority rule. Once an NGO gets its first grant and hires paid staff, the role of the board will begin to change. Not only will the typical meeting, the executive director of board be less involved in the day-to- Clean Streets, Healthy Children might day work of the NGO, it will also have report to the board that she met with a new governance responsibilities. It will prospective donor for the NGO’s new need to develop personnel policies and public awareness campaign. The executive supervise the executive director, for director shares concerns that the donor example. Making the transition from an wants to restrict what the NGO can say in all-volunteer NGO to a funded and staffed the campaign in return for funding. The one can be very challenging for NGO board discusses the offer, decides whether boards. When board members understand to accept it, and establishes a policy for how their role is changing, they will be handling funding offers that come with better able to navigate the transition. conditions. A board of directors makes only official decisions, such as to approve priorities, HOW DO BOARDS CARRY OUT new projects, budgets or policies. It can THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES? take official action only at meetings that Regular meetings are a must for a board have enough board members present. That to exercise its oversight responsibilities. detail needs to be specified in the NGO’s Some boards meet monthly — especially charter. An individual board member if the NGO is just starting up, growing cannot make decisions for the NGO. At rapidly or going through a crisis. For each board meeting, someone should take NGOs that are running smoothly thorough notes, called “minutes,” which and not having to deal with threats become the official record of a board’s or opportunities, quarterly meetings discussions and decisions. are adequate. Board members should Board members should make every review project and financial updates at effort to attend all board meetings. This their meetings, as well as discuss any is necessary for them to keep informed new issues that require a decision. At a and make sound decisions for the NGO.

40 If a board member has to miss a meeting, HOW DO YOU BUILD AN EFFECTIVE he should follow up with a fellow board BOARD AND DECIDE WHO SHOULD member to find out what happened and BE ON IT? ask questions. Many boards set up committees to Building a board takes time. Time to find carry out specific tasks between full board people with the right mix of knowledge, meetings. This makes board meetings skills and relationships and time to more efficient. For example, when the train them to fill their roles. Few board board of Clean Streets, Healthy Children members will come to your NGO fully needs to review and update a policy, it equipped to perform all the functions creates a committee to analyze the issue required of them. Think of your board as and bring forth recommendations for the a team — each player has his or her own board to act on. position. Working together, they get the For a new or small NGO, it makes job done. Regardless of what position each sense for the whole board to work together. As the NGO grows, the board may form committees to deal with an expanding number of issues. Committees are a way to strengthen teamwork on the board and provide opportunities for its members to build their skills and leadership. NGOs provide all new board members with a thorough orientation to the organization — its mission, history and projects. NGOs make sure board members are equipped with the knowledge and skills to do their jobs, providing training when necessary. Finally, NGO boards elect a board chair who provides leadership that motivates all board members to do their best for the NGO. A good chair creates a positive environment and good working relationships Taking notes of board meetings, called “minutes,” among board members. is important for transparency as a record of the board’s discussions and decisions. (© 2003-2012 Shutterstock Images LLC)

41 plays, all board members must believe in to launch a public awareness campaign the NGO’s mission and be willing to work about the connection between waste hard to advance it. and child health. The board would Founders of NGOs often start by definitely benefit from having new inviting friends, family members and members with backgrounds in colleagues — people they know and trust communications and social media. A — to serve on the first board of directors. board consisting solely of sanitation and Once the NGO is established, people health experts would be unable to guide with new skills, experiences and points of the NGO through a communications view need to be brought onto the board. campaign or review a contract with a Greater diversity helps a board govern a consultant to ensure it was appropriate. more complex organization. To build a more diverse board, make 3. What kinds of connections and a list of the kinds of expertise, skills and relationships does our NGO need relationships the NGO needs and where now and in the future? Clean Streets, you can find people who have them. As Healthy Children has decided it wants you do so, consider these questions: to build a long-term partnership with a local university to bring engineering 1. What expertise, skills and relationships and environmental science students do we need for a well-rounded board? into the NGO’s projects. The board Many NGOs look for new board realizes that it could benefit immensely members with expertise in their sector, by recruiting a new member from the such as health, human rights, education, university. The board draws up a list or microfinance. This is important, but of their contacts at the university and don’t forget to recruit board members arranges meetings with them to start with expertise in management, the process of identifying prospective communications, community outreach candidates for the board. and finance. If Clean Streets, Healthy Children 4. What personal traits and characteristics has a well-rounded board, it will should a new board member have to fit make better decisions. Suppose it is in with the rest of the board? This is an entering into a new partnership with an important question to answer before international NGO to help engineering making your selection. If your board students carry out community sanitation projects. The board needs to review and approve both the partnership agreement and the budget. REMEMBER… Board members with expertise in public health and sanitation can make sure the FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS project approach is sound, while board HAVE TO REPORT TO THEIR BOARDS members with management expertise Sometimes, the founder of an NGO decides can oversee budget issues. to be its executive director and recruits the first board of directors. Founding executive 2. W hat specific knowledge and skills will directors still are accountable to the boards help our NGO achieve its goals over the and must report to them. Founding boards next three to five years? Let’s suppose demand regular reports from the executive Clean Streets, Healthy Children plans directors and evaluate their performances.

42 meetings are casual and informal, you should make sure new members TRY THIS… are comfortable with that style. If the NGO is growing or changing rapidly, CHECKLIST FOR A WELL-ROUNDED you need to find members who make BOARD decisions quickly and are flexible. Before you begin your search for new board As you recruit new board members, members, go through the checklists below keep in mind that, above all, they must to identify the right candidate. be committed to the NGO’s vision, values Knowledge and skills: and mission. Make it clear to them that ➠ Organizational and project management they will need to devote time to NGO ➠ Fundraising governance and planning, and acquire ➠ Budgeting and fiscal management new skills to support the NGO. ➠ Human resources Once your board has identified what it ➠ Planning and evaluation wants in new members, agree on a process ➠ Marketing and communications for recruiting them to join the board. ➠ Leg al issues Networks and relationships: ➠ HOW DO BOARDS AND STAFF Other community groups and networks ➠ WORK TOGETHER? Local business community ➠ Cor porate sector The key is for boards and executive ➠ NGO sector directors to work together cooperatively. ➠ Government sector Both are responsible for setting directions ➠ Pr ofessional associations and priorities, building relationships and bringing in resources for the organization. The main danger is that they will step role. The job description states that on each other’s toes without clearly the executive director is responsible differentiated roles. for hiring, supervising and evaluating Here are a few tips for building a good all other staff. relationship between your board and executive director: 2. Support one another to fulfill respective roles and responsibilities. Boards need 1. Make sure that board members and information about the day-to-day the executive director understand their operations and challenges of the NGO respective roles and responsibilities. to do their governance job. Executive Develop written job descriptions for directors have this information and each. Keep in mind that: need to share it willingly with their ➠ The board of directors sets boards. Suppose a board member of organizational policy, authorizes Clean Streets, Healthy Children has programs and approves expenditures. a relationship with researchers at a This is the governance role. The job university. The university wants to description states that the board partner with the NGO to carry out a supervises and evaluates the executive research project. The board discusses director, who reports to the board. the project and reaches the conclusion ➠ The executive director implements that such a partnership would raise the policies and programs the board the NGO’s visibility and provide sets out. This is the management opportunities for further collaboration.

43 Before making a decision to move forward, the board should consult with REMEMBER… the executive director, who might have concerns about the NGO’s capacity BOARDS MUST PUT THE INTERESTS OF to take on a major new effort. In this THE NGO FIRST case, the board might decide not to Expanding the board beyond the founder’s authorize this new initiative or it might relationships will help avoid conflicts of go back to the university, present the interest that might arise by having family or concerns, and see if the university could friends on the board. If the NGO needs to provide the resources for additional make a difficult decision, a family member staff and training. Close consultation or close friend might not be willing to between the board and the executive disagree with the founder. If the founder is director provides a solid foundation for no longer the best executive director for the decisions they take together. NGO, a friend or family member might not Likewise, an executive director be willing to replace the founder. needs the board’s guidance and input to manage the NGO well. Let’s say that Clean Streets, Healthy Children has of the newly hired project manager. begun implementing the new research While it is the executive director’s job project, and now, the executive director to address these concerns, she might has concerns about the performance want to consult with the board to gain

Involving community members in planning ensures an NGO’s responsiveness to their needs. Here Melinda Gates, co-founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, meets with health and sanitation committee members in Kathgara village in Uttar Pradesh, India. (© Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Barbara Kinney)

44 a different perspective before making any decisions on how to deal with REMEMBER… the matter. INVOLVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON 3. Build collegial relationships between THE BOARD the board and NGO staff that respect A good way to make sure an NGO is the authority of the executive director. responsive and accountable to the Board and staff members should community is to have community members know each other and understand that on the board. If your NGO focuses on a they play for the same team. You can particular neighborhood, recruit people facilitate this relationship by having who grew up there to serve on the board. staff periodically attend board meetings If you focus on young mothers, get several and inviting board members to visit of them on the board. They will bring in projects and get to know staff. But firsthand community knowledge and board and staff members must also relationships that will make your work more effective. Make sure you provide newcomers recognize that the executive director with the training and support to carry out supervises and directs the staff. Board the board’s governance responsibilities. members should never attempt to give instructions to staff or bypass the executive director to obtain information from them. needs. The community in turn rewards Above all, boards and executive you with their trust. The board of directors need regular and open directors works in tandem with the NGO communication. When a problem appears, to build trust with the community. Here is you need to raise it, discuss it, and try what your NGO and board need to do to to resolve it before it becomes a crisis. build trust: Understand that there always is tension in the relationship. The executive director 1. Educate the community about your may at times feel like the board is trying NGO. The staff and board members to manage the NGO, and conversely are all your NGO’s ambassadors. the board might feel that the executive They educate community members director occasionally makes decisions about what your NGO does, how it that are not hers to make. Such tension is works, what its limitations are, and a natural and important part of holding the resources it needs to function. each other accountable. As long as Have your ambassadors tell about your everyone talks openly and honestly, with projects, staff, board members, funders the understanding that each has a job to — especially why the funders support do, you can find the appropriate balance your NGO. Lastly, your ambassadors for your NGO. must let your community members know that your NGO is accountable to them and they have a right to demand HOW NGOs BUILD TRUST WITH information, ask questions and give THE COMMUNITY input. One of your NGO’s most important assets is your good reputation within 2. Hold your NGO accountable to the the community. You earn it by running community. Remember, NGOs exist projects that respond to the community’s for the public good, and they must

45 answer to the public. All NGOs need to to all NGO staff and volunteers. The set up mechanisms to hold themselves board adopts policies that prohibit all accountable to the communities they forms of discrimination (for example, serve. Involving community members in based on ethnicity, religion or clan planning and evaluation and reporting affiliation). The board can also dedicate back to them are two ways to do this. resources to train and monitor staff

3. Behave ethically. All board members, staff and volunteers have a duty to behave ethically. It is the role of the board to enforce ethical standards by taking corrective action when the standards are violated. The board’s goal is to ensure a high level of professionalism by making sure that your NGO’s actions are open and in the best interest of your community.

4. Be transparent. Your NGO must provide community members access to information about your organization. Never hide information about: ➠ How your organization works, the projects it runs, or who it serves. ➠ How people are selected to be on the board or hired as staff. ➠ How major decisions are made and priorities are set. ➠ Where your money comes from and what it is used for. Nonprofit organizations rely on the resources (e.g., time, money, skills and energy) of the community to do their job effectively. The community has a right to know what you are doing, how you are using their Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), or the “Save resources, and what results you Childhood Movement,” is an example of a are achieving. successful NGO. It began in the 1980s with a handful of people committed to ending child labor and trafficking. BBA’s marches against child 5. Treat all community members with trafficking, like this one in New Delhi, India, fairness, dignity and respect. The board spread across India and the world. (© AP Images/ needs to communicate this principle Manish Swarup)

46 and volunteers to ensure they do not show favoritism. REMEMBER…

6. Respect confidentiality. Your NGO’s GOVERNANCE VS. MANAGEMENT staff and board members may learn In its governance role, the board reviews sensitive information about individuals, and approves the budget. Once the budget such as their health status, financial is approved, the executive director executes situation, or family secrets. NGOs must it. If the board approves $5,000 for printing, put policies in place to protect this it should not later question the executive information and sanction those who director’s decision to spend $3,000 on a breach confidentiality. This is one area new brochure. A board member can offer where you should not be transparent! suggestions for a cost-effective alternative, but, ultimately, it is the executive director’s 7. Solicit community input and feedback. responsibility to decide how funds are spent. This can be done by creating formal community advisory committees, as described above, as well as by involving community members in planning. You CONCLUSION can also conduct regular surveys that invite people to tell you what you can Whether an NGO is just starting out or do better and hold regular meetings well established, the board of directors with project participants to listen to plays a critical role in keeping the their views. organization accountable, transparent and legitimate. In the beginning, that means In the end, trust is the critical factor in working with the founder to set out the an NGO’s success. Its founders, staff and organization’s vision, mission and goals volunteers build it. The board establishes while holding the NGO accountable to and implements policies and practices that its community. As an NGO grows and create it. When the community trusts you, matures, adding projects, staff, resources, they will: donors and partners, the board assumes ➠ Seek out your services and participate greater responsibility for oversight and in your projects. accountability to an expanding set of ➠ Volunteer and support your organization stakeholders. For any NGO, finding the in other ways. right board and making sure its members ➠ Speak well of your NGO’s work, staff are equipped to do their jobs is critical and leaders. to success. ➠ Give you honest feedback to improve your organization and its projects, and refrain from harmful accusations.

Remember, you will never be able to make everybody happy. There will always be someone whose expectations you cannot meet. But as long as you stay true to your mission and behave ethically, you will gain the trust of most people in your community.

47 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION 5 AND EMPOWERMENT

(© AP Images/Tony Avelar)

48 eople and communities are the heart of why an NGO exists. Regardless REMEMBER… of the issues they address, all NGOs were created to make people’s lives DEFINE YOUR COMMUNITY Pbetter and communities stronger. Yet NGOs define community in different ways. NGOs can be more than humanitarian For some, community means a geographic organizations to ease suffering. They can area — a neighborhood, a village, a also be empowerment organizations to city or a region. For others, community spur people to realize their aspirations refers to members of a particular ethnic for better lives and communities. To minority, language group, age group or achieve this potential, NGOs need to give gender identity. And others might define community members the knowledge, skills their community as anyone affected by and confidence to address their own needs a particular issue, such as HIV or youth and advocate on their own behalf. unemployment. Your NGO needs to define A good way to begin is for your NGO the community you seek to engage to open doors for community members and empower. not only to participate in projects, but also to help plan, manage and evaluate them. Your NGO can facilitate broader civic Health for All, approaches community participation in a number of ways, by: participation and empowerment. ➠ Investing in leadership development and supporting new leaders to define CULTIVATING NEW LEADERS problems, identify solutions and establish action plans. NGOs need to cultivate new leaders ➠ Organizing “visioning” sessions within their communities, whether they that invite community members to are geographic or based on addressing a share their dreams for their lives and shared problem. You do this by building communities, then combining them into people’s skills and providing them with a collective vision. opportunities to step into leadership roles. ➠ Coaching community members to By cultivating new leaders, you ensure be their own advocates and voice that your NGO’s work will go on after the their concerns to elected officials and founders are gone. Equally important, you government decision makers. create a situation in which people affected ➠ Advocating for the creation of by a problem are part of its solution. structures and mechanisms that make The leaders you cultivate will amplify government and elected officials your NGO’s work in a number of ways, accountable to citizens. by: ➠ Mobilizing people to vote. ➠ Educating others in the community Participation and empowerment are about the issue. mutually reinforcing. When people ➠ Serving as the messengers in public participate, they learn new skills, gain education campaigns. confidence and develop their own voice ➠ Advocating with government or elected and ability to control their lives. And officials and by attending meetings or when people feel empowered, they giving testimony. are more likely to participate. In this ➠ Mobilizing others to get involved, speak chapter, we’ll illustrate this by showing out and take action. how another hypothetical organization,

49 Health for All has been providing health-education workshops targeting low- TRY THIS… income women and has been successful in helping them adopt good health practices. LOOK FOR YOUR COMMUNITY’S Now, Health for All wants to start a NATURAL LEADERS Women’s Leadership Project to train low- All communities have “natural leaders” income women to become community — individuals whom others seek out for leaders on health issues. advice, look up to, and listen to. They might The NGO is going to recruit a few be elders respected for their experience women who participated in the workshops or young people able to motivate others. to begin meeting weekly. The NGO will Some may have formal education; others focus discussions on what it means to be a may not. If you don’t already know who they leader, what kind of leadership is needed are, ask your community members when in their community and what kind of you conduct a needs and assets assessment. leaders the women want to be. The project Then, invite these natural leaders to will hold training workshops designed to participate in a leadership program. build basic skills, such as how to: ➠ Analyze a community problem. ➠ Develop solutions. programs guide participants through ➠ Plan events and projects. the process of picking an issue to tackle, ➠ Manage tasks, timelines and resources. identifying solutions, then carrying ➠ Run a meeting. out an action plan. Health for All’s ➠ Speak in public. Women’s Leadership Project will guide its ➠ Deal with conflict. participants to: ➠ Identify an issue, such as why so many While providing formal training is women in the community have been important, remember that people learn getting sick from preventable illnesses. by doing. The most effective leadership ➠ Analyze the root causes. For example, funding for the government primary care clinic was slashed, with the result that many women are being turned away. Also, government-funded health- REMEMBER… education campaigns have been cut. ➠ Identify and prioritize what they want START BY INVOLVING COMMUNITY to change. They decide they not only MEMBERS IN YOUR NGO want funding restored, but also the When the people you serve are involved clinic to develop better outreach and in your NGO, your NGO will be more education for women with low successful. Not only will your projects be literacy levels. more relevant to their needs, but you will ➠ Pinpoint who they need to influence — build collective ownership for your NGO’s the person with the power to restore mission. Your community members will be funding — and decide what kind of more willing to support your NGO and its message is most likely to persuade work in the future. In addition, by investing that person. in the skills and leadership of the people you serve, your NGO will expand the pool of talent to help carry out your mission.

50 Here members of the Anti-Poverty Campaign, a Tokyo-based NGO, tap their community support across the seas, as this Los Angeles, California, demonstration shows. (© AP Images/Hector Mata)

➠ Finally, the women leaders mobilize graduates of the leadership project to other women in the community to sign help design the campaign, craft the a petition, send letters, or stage a vigil messages, and advocate with public in front of the regional office of the officials. health ministry. ➠ Supporting them to become engaged in other community projects and After new leaders “graduate” from your coalitions. Health for All can introduce training, find ways to continue nurturing newly trained leaders to other NGOs and supporting them. You can do this by: and coalitions where they might get ➠ Hiring them as staff. If Health for All taken on as staff or volunteers. In this secures additional funding to expand way, Health for All’s leadership project its health-education projects, it can hire benefits the whole sector. leadership-project graduates to conduct ➠ Creating opportunities for them to outreach, coordinate workshops or even implement their own ideas. If the new provide training. leaders have an idea for a project — ➠ Engaging them in advocacy. If Health such as a public awareness campaign for All decides to advocate for greater on the importance of prenatal care public funding for maternal and child for pregnant women with HIV — health clinics, for example, it can invite then Health for All might help them

51 raise funds to launch the project. The confidence they glean from this project WHAT’S THIS? might propel some of them to found their own NGO, which would be an CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ally of Health for All. Civic engagement encompasses a range of activities that allow citizens to express their views and take action to effect change. PROMOTING WIDE CIVIC ➠ Helping in neighborhood meetings, ENGAGEMENT clean-ups, or cultural festivals. Your NGO can promote civic engagement ➠ Volunteering with an NGO or other in ways other than grooming new community group. leaders. After all, not everyone is cut out ➠ Attending city council meetings or giving to be a leader. Your NGO can create testimony at public hearings. ➠ opportunities for people who are not Participating in meetings or forums to leaders to contribute to bettering their discuss community issues. ➠ Writing letters to the editor. communities. Generating broad civic ➠ Taking part in rallies, marches, or vigils. engagement will ultimately help your ➠ Voting. NGO accomplish its mission. The ways that NGOs can promote civic engagement range from simply creating opportunities for people to articulate visioning sessions with different segments their vision of the future to mobilizing of the community, such as youth, elders, them to get out and vote. NGOs can be adult women, or men, or in different instrumental in getting people to realize neighborhoods of the city. In the sessions, that they have a voice and a vote! you could ask participants questions such as: If everyone in your community had Inviting Community Members to health care, what would it look like? What Shape a Vision would be different? For people who have never had a say Health for All’s Women’s Leadership in shaping their future, a powerful way Project could bring together women from to begin is to invite them to share their a low-income neighborhood to create hopes and dreams for their lives and their a collective vision for a community communities. Health for All could hold that fosters women’s health. Visioning processes often ask questions such as: In your vision for the future, what would women’s lives be like? What would REMEMBER… the community look like? What kinds of resources would it have to support TO EMPOWER OTHERS, NGO LEADERS women’s health? NEED TO STEP BACK AND LET GO If your NGO is going to build new leaders Organizing Projects for People’s and empower them to lead efforts to effect Participation change, then the NGO leaders and staff Helping people to form a collective vision must be willing to step back and let others for their community is the first step to lead. To be empowered, people must get them to see that they have a voice in be responsible for their own successes shaping their future. The next step is and failures.

52 to help them see that they can make a Engaging Community Members difference. NGOs can organize various in Advocacy activities in which people can make You need to involve community members changes — large or small — to improve in speaking about the issue your NGO their communities. deals with. The people who are most Health for All, for instance, could affected by an issue are the most credible sponsor mural projects in the neighbor- messengers to government officials and hood, inviting youths to paint the walls other decision makers. with scenes of a healthy community. In countries with sufficient margins of Health for All could also organize freedom, NGOs can organize people to neighborhood clean-up days, where people sign petitions, write letters, make phone come out to clean their streets and parks. calls and provide testimony. Your NGO The NGO’s board members could help by needs to support them by furnishing appealing to businesses to donate supplies information and other tools to be for these activities. effective. Your NGO could also seek to make For example, if Health for All advocates the government a partner to support such with the health ministry to improve efforts. This would provide opportunities sanitation in the region, it could recruit for officials and lawmakers to build and train community members to speak goodwill with the public and strengthen out on the matter. Community members your NGO’s ties with the government. could help shape the key messages for We’ll talk more about NGO-government an advocacy campaign, then present relations in the next chapter. testimony and facts to government

A mother and her child at a Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) march outside parliament in Cape Town, South Africa. TAC advocates for access to comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services. Through such efforts, South African NGOs have brought better health care to HIV positive citizens. (© AP Images/Obed Zilwa)

53 ➠ The use of community advisory WHAT’S THIS? committees or citizen oversight commissions by government ministries ADVOCACY to receive community input and answer Advocacy is the act of promoting a position community questions. with the decision makers who have the ➠ G reater transparency in the decision- power to effect change. You can advocate making process and access to with government officials to get a new law information for citizens, such as passed or an existing one changed. You requirements to publish voting records can advocate with officials of a government or make certain documents available ministry to change their rules or practices. for public scrutiny. Many NGOs advocate for increased funding for a particular problem or issue, such as NGOs can educate officials to primary health care or education. NGOs recognize the value of such structures can also advocate with business leaders for and mechanisms in helping them to meet greater corporate social responsibility. their mandates and generate greater public support through increased accountability. At the same time, NGOs need to educate officials about the impact of poor their communities that officials are sanitation in their communities. It would accountable to them, and citizens have a be especially powerful if a few community right to hold officials accountable. To do members told personal stories of how the so, the communities need information and health of their children has been affected. access to officials, both of which NGOs Health for All staff could work with can provide. community members to draft their talking Health for All, for example, is leading points and coach them on delivering them. a coalition of NGOs to press the health In countries where the political environ- ministry to create a citizen advisory ment discourages community activism, committee to provide input and feedback your NGO needs to carefully consider its on the ministry’s health programs. advocacy strategies. You want to make sure that your community is well-informed about any risks of government reprisals.

Advocating for Governance Structures TRY THIS… that Support Engagement HELP PEOPLE TELL THEIR STORIES In countries where civic activism is legally permitted but not widely practiced, an Advocacy is about telling stories that help appropriate role for NGOs would be to decision makers understand the impact of advocate for the creation of mechanisms a problem, law or policy on people’s lives. of civic engagement. NGOs could work NGOs can encourage community members together to advocate for: to step forward and share their stories — ➠ The adoption of requirements that local whether as testimony at public meetings or as part of the NGO’s general education and elected bodies hold open meetings for awareness-raising efforts. You can do this citizens to voice their views on new by recording people’s stories in writing and laws under consideration (i.e., public on video and posting them on your website hearings). and other media.

54 The NGOs see a role for themselves in recruiting and training community REMEMBER… members to serve on the committee. Health for All encourages graduates of CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SERVES its Women’s Leadership Project to apply THE PUBLIC GOOD AND HELPS GOVERNMENT DO ITS JOB BETTER for seats on the committee. The NGOs want to make sure that the committee is In dealings with appointed and elected structured in a way that it is outside officials, NGOs need to hammer home the control of the government or a continuously the message that citizen input particular NGO. and oversight will ultimately result in better government services, and help the officials Mobilizing and Educating Voters fulfill their mandate. Further, this will show Finally, NGOs can promote voting as a the officials that broad civic engagement is a way to tap into citizens’ own resources to form of civic engagement. The political improve communities, thus complementing system permitting, NGOs can register what government can accomplish on voters, educate them about the importance its own. of elections, sponsor forums for candidates to meet community members and mobilize voters to turn out on Election Day. to a narrow problem that directly affects them and their families. They may need CONCLUSION time before they are ready to speak out on Strengthening community participation large policy issues. and empowerment is key to an NGO’s There is no one right way to efforts to bring about sustainable change. promote community participation and Your NGO may have exemplary planning, empowerment. You can start small, try management, and governance practices, different approaches, and learn as you but if you are not building a strong base go. Remember, regardless of your NGO’s of community leadership and engagement, specific mission, the more that individuals your NGO might not outlive its founders. understand their rights and responsibilities As with other aspects of an NGO’s as citizens, the more effective your NGO work, you need to build your own capacity will be. to support and sustain community participation and empowerment. You need to start by educating your own staff, volunteers and board members about what NGOs can do to generate civic engagement. Educate yourselves about the political process, understand the power dynamics, identify the role your NGO wants to play and build relationships with government. You also need to listen to your community. What are they ready and willing to do? Where do they want to start? Some people may want to limit their engagement to their own neighborhood or

55 PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER 6 NGOS AND GOVERNMENT

(© 2012 Thinkstock)

56 n NGO cannot achieve its vision for a better society on its TRY THIS… own. Community needs are too numerous and society’s problems CREATE A MAP OF NGOs Aare too complex. Your NGO needs As you become familiar with your to work with other NGOs and your environment, get to know the other NGOs government to accomplish your goals. that work in your community or on your Through partnerships with other issue. Draw a map of your community and NGOs, and the public sector, you gain mark the locations of other NGOs. Identify access to new resources, including what they do and the type of relationships funding and in-kind support as well as you would like to build with them. This information, expertise and skills. When exercise will highlight knowledge gaps that an NGO is just starting, it might find you need to fill. rent-free space for its activities through relationships with other NGOs, a local government office or a university. RELATIONSHIPS WITH NATIONAL Partnerships with other NGOs might AND LOCAL NGOs allow you to reach new target populations with your public education messages and Other NGOs can be sources of broaden your base of popular support information and ideas, partners for for your mobilization efforts. In short, projects, and allies for your cause. partnerships can be an important vehicle Get to know the ones working in your for young NGOs to build visibility and community — their issues, target capacity. populations and services. They can be Partnerships take different forms, especially helpful when you are just ranging from informal and casual to starting up and trying to define your formal and structured. You can have mission and carve out your niche. Later, relationships where you talk to each other as you plan new projects and activities, regularly to share information, ideas and you will want to know who is doing experiences. You can also have highly similar work so you can coordinate your organized, collaborative relationships efforts and avoid duplication. Make it a where you design projects, raise money point to get to know other NGOs in your and run the projects together. area, even if they are pursuing different When you are developing your near- missions. They probably care about your term project plans and long-term strategic issue and may become strong allies. plans, think carefully about who you want You also need to know who is working to build partnerships with and what form on your issue in other cities and at the the partnerships should take. national and international levels. NGOs In this chapter, we use a hypothetical can learn from each other by sharing NGO, Citizens Fighting Corruption, experiences and lessons learned. If which focuses on rooting out local Citizens Fighting Corruption wants to corruption, to explore how different address corruption at the municipal partnerships are built, and the benefits procurement office, it could learn about and challenges they present. strategies used by groups in other cities and how effective they were. NGOs working on the same issues in different places can work together

57 A year after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a member of the Japanese NGO Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) walks past ruins of a school in the city of Kamaishi. The AAR partnership with the International Rescue Committee helps distribute assistance to people still struggling with effects of the disaster. (Courtesy of International Rescue Committee)

to address the root causes that cross conferences, training opportunities and geographic boundaries. When anti- funding opportunities. Telephone calls, corruption groups from various localities meetings and email are good ways to get their heads together, they might realize keep in touch. Another way to build that what’s really needed is a national law. trust is to support one another’s work by That would open the possibility for them publicizing and attending each other’s to coordinate their efforts in a nationwide events, volunteering for each other’s campaign to pressure legislators to pass activities, and providing letters of support such a law. for grant proposals. But make no mistake, effective Citizens Fighting Corruption has partnerships take time to build. NGOs conducted a survey about perceptions of often see each other as rivals, competing corruption. After compiling the results, for resources, support, visibility and even it invites other NGOs to a briefing to public praise. To begin to see each other share and discuss the results. That opens as partners, you need to get to know each communication channels with other other and build trust. You can start by groups that have the same concern about contacting another NGO for a meeting to corruption. Likewise, Citizens Fighting get acquainted. Corruption makes every effort to accept Once you know each other, you can invitations from other NGOs to expand its share information about activities, network of allies.

58 COORDINATING EFFORTS WHAT’S THIS? As NGOs build trust with each other, they can coordinate their efforts more closely. INFORMATIONAL MEETING Before you combine your efforts, however, At an informational meeting, members make sure you agree on certain things: from your NGO and another can share ➠ A shared vision. While each NGO information about each other’s vision, should have its own distinct mission, mission and values. It’s an opportunity to a shared vision will help like-minded identify shared goals and explore whether groups set common goals and deliver you might have opportunities to work a common message for change. For together. Sometimes, an informational example, if anti-corruption NGOs meeting results in concrete ideas about working in different parts of a coordination or collaboration. Other country come together to develop a times, you may simply agree to stay in shared vision for what a corruption- communication. free government looks like, they can establish a national platform that will provide a clear direction and sense of ➠ Coordinated outreach and education. purpose for all. Create a division of labor among ➠ Common goals and a coordinated cooperating NGOs as to who shares strategy for achieving them. Citizens information or conducts trainings Fighting Corruption and its related with different target audiences. This is NGOs know all too well that they face needed to avoid duplication of effort. potent opposition from the beneficiaries Citizens Fighting Corruption is working of corruption. By forming a united with another NGO that focuses on fair front with like-minded NGOs, Citizens elections. Both want to educate voters Fighting Corruption reduces the to recognize election fraud and blow the opportunities for corrupt elements to whistle on it when they see it. The two play NGOs off each other and nullify NGOs realize that they can increase their efforts. their effectiveness by pooling their knowledge and skills in joint education workshops and campaigns. Those steps enable them to expand their work into WHAT’S THIS? new neighborhoods. Coordination does not mean you do everything together. It does mean ALLIES you talk and decide what you will Your allies are the individuals, organizations do individually and what you will and institutions whom you can call on to do jointly. Keep in mind that each support your NGO, your community and NGO is autonomous and has its own your issues. If your NGO faces a funding cut internal priorities and decision-making that might force you to close your doors, processes. your allies will speak up that your work is important and deserves to be supported. If you are an advocacy group, your allies will sign your petition, give testimony, or show up for your rally.

59 RUNNING COLLABORATIVE WHAT’S THIS? PROJECTS

Sometimes NGOs develop close AN ADVOCACY COALITION collaborative bonds by designing and An advocacy coalition is a group of NGOs, carrying out projects together. Through sometimes joined by other civil society collaborative projects your NGO can: groups, who come together to advocate ➠ Reach more people and broaden your for changes in laws, government policies or constituency. regulations. Coalitions can come together ➠ Carry out new kinds of projects for a very specific objective — such as to and expand your range of skills and pass a particular law — or to work together expertise. on a range of advocacy strategies. ➠ Attract new resources. If you have limited management capacity or project experience, you may not qualify for Let’s say Citizens Fighting Corruption grants from large foundations or the sets up informational meetings with other public sector. Partnering with an NGOs working in the same neighborhood. experienced organization could make It gets to know an arts and culture NGO, your NGO eligible for such funding. and the two start talking about how they

Could this be the beginning of an advocacy coalition? During an Occupy Wall Street movement protest in Philadelphia, participants meet to discuss social and economic issues that fueled the protest. NGOs may start with a perceived need, but require an organized plan and follow-through to achieve results. (© AP Images/Alex Brandon)

60 can reach people with low literacy levels. They decide to work together to create TRY THIS… street theater performances with anti- corruption messages. In working together, COLLABORATE TO BUILD YOUR the anti-corruption NGO learns about CAPACITY staging theatrical performances and the When you are starting up and have little arts and culture group learns about the experience and few resources, finding an corruption issue. established NGO to collaborate with is a It’s good to start with something easy. good way to build your capacity to design For example, your NGO could partner and run projects. Your NGO has to have with another to co-sponsor a one-time something of value to offer an established training event that benefits everyone. NGO in return for taking you on as a junior Afterward, the NGOs can assess what partner. For example, your NGO might have worked well, what did not, how each a very good relationship with a community benefited, and whether you want to work that the established NGO wants to serve. together again. The experience your NGO gains through collaboration improves your chances to win funding grants on your own in the future. FORMING ADVOCACY COALITIONS

NGOs that seek to change laws and government practices are more likely to be procurement office. It is looking to successful when they join forces. Effective form a coalition of diverse stakeholders, advocacy requires large numbers. The such as NGOs from the health care, more people you have on your side, the education, and housing sectors. They all louder your voice is, and the stronger the seek contracts from the city government pressure you are able to bring to bear. If and are concerned about corruption in a coalition already exists, join it. If none the process of granting them. Citizens exists, think about starting one. That Fighting Corruption sees that by unifying will make your NGO a leader among these NGOs into a broad coalition, they its peers. Such a step will take time and can all speak with one voice and increase commitment. You may have to recruit pressure to reform the government staff and board members who can invest procurement office. the time and energy to do it well. In order for the coalition to succeed, Let’s return to Citizens Fighting Citizens Fighting Corruption needs to Corruption and its struggle to root out make sure there is agreement on the corruption in the local government following points: ➠ A shared commitment to the coalition based on shared values and vision. ➠ Clear roles and responsibilities for each REMEMBER… partner. ➠ A defined decision-making structure. USE YOUR BOARD MEMBERS TO BUILD ➠ Open communication and transparency. RELATIONSHIPS Have clear understandings about what Your board members are your NGO’s information you will share and will not ambassadors. Use their networks of share and how you will share it, such as contacts to identify and build partnerships through regular email, phone calls and with other NGOs. meetings.

61 ➠ An agreed-upon process for dealing with conflict or disagreements. TRY THIS…

ESTABLISH GROUND RULES RELATIONSHIPS WITH INTERNATIONAL NGOs When NGOs begin to coordinate their work, it is important to establish ground rules Relationships with international for this. Even though you are not creating NGOs offer your small NGO access a formal structure, NGOs should agree to information about global standards on basic rules to conduct joint meetings, and practices that affect your work. The communication, and any projects you international organizations are important do together. members of your support network who will speak up and defend you when necessary. Through contacts with have your detailed knowledge of local international NGOs, Citizens Fighting issues and your relationships with local Corruption learns about international stakeholders. You have a lot to offer. conventions, model laws from other Remember that. countries and advocacy strategies that have been effective elsewhere. Taking on RELATIONSHIPS WITH corrupt politicians, government workers GOVERNMENT and business owners can be a dangerous undertaking. The more relationships the NGOs need to build relationships with NGO has with anti-corruption activists the government — elected and appointed nationally and internationally, the more officials — to accomplish their mission. people there will be looking out and At times, the relationships may be demanding protection should Citizens confrontational; at other times they may Fighting Corruption be threatened. be cooperative. Building relationships with The role of NGOs is to hold international NGOs can be challenging governments accountable. Sometimes, for local NGOs. The international NGOs, an NGO may monitor a particular with their size, resources and visibility, government agency or elected official to often dictate agendas. But they also need make sure they are doing their jobs and small NGOs. International NGOs do not spending public resources appropriately. If they are not, that’s when NGOs need to speak up and demand changes. Let’s say the advocacy coalition formed TRY THIS… by Citizens Fighting Corruption was successful in getting the government SHARE RESOURCES procurement office to adopt an When your and another NGO see that you anti-corruption plan and appoint a are working toward the same vision and commissioner to oversee it. The next goal goals, it makes sense to pool your expertise for the NGO is to monitor implementation and materials, such as training curriculum, of the plan. tools, fact sheets, contact lists, etc. NGOs can also train each other’s staff in areas where they have knowledge, expertise and skills.

62 NGOs also need to cooperate with governments in providing outreach, REMEMBER… education or services. NGOs and governments can work together to develop GOVERNMENTS NEED NGOs solutions to community needs, run joint Governments need NGOs to accomplish projects, or carry out public awareness their missions as well as vice versa. Because campaigns. For example, through they often have very deep relationships meetings with the new anti-corruption in the communities they serve, NGOs can commissioner at the government reach people governments can’t. With procurement office, Citizens Fighting the ability to operate with high levels Corruption saw a need to educate other of flexibility and creativity, NGOs can fill NGOs about the government’s new gaps where governments have difficulty contracting procedures, which were reaching. formulated to prevent corruption. As a gesture of goodwill, Citizens Fighting Corruption offered to do this with its relationships with people in government own funding and not ask the government and make them your allies, you can for funding. accomplish a lot together. But you also Building a cooperative relationship need to maintain balance and perspective with a government ministry takes time. so you can speak up when the government You need to find allies — people in the does not do its job. And sometimes ministry who have influence and share collaboration with government may not your values, vision and goals. Then you be in an NGO’s interest if the government need to work to build trust with them. does not have citizens’ trust or if the NGOs must think carefully and government is oppressive or corrupt. strategically about their relationships with government ministries and elected CONCLUSION officials. When you build strong Strong relationships are based on shared goals, trust or mutual benefit. Regardless of where your NGO is in its lifecycle — WHAT’S THIS? just starting up or well established — you need to invest time and energy in building AN NGO’S MONITORING ROLE relationships with other NGOs and your governments. Your relationships with When an NGO monitors government, it them will certainly change over time, but watches and documents its practices to they are always critical to your NGO’s bring attention to problems and identify sustainability. solutions. Sometimes, an NGO’s monitoring work focuses on a specific problem and leads to the recommendation of a new law or policy. Other times, an NGO monitors how well a law or policy is implemented. To be effective and credible, NGOs must ensure that the staff and volunteers who carry out the monitoring are knowledgeable, well- trained and impartial.

63 THE FUNDERS – FOUNDATIONS, 7 CORPORATIONS, INDIVIDUALS

(© 2003-2012 Shutterstock Images LLC)

64 n NGO needs money to pay speaking, it takes a long time before salaries, buy supplies and fund an NGO can raise the bulk of its funds programs. As a small, poorly from individuals. The important thing to funded NGO, how do you find the remember is that your organization should Aresources to do all these things? You do never depend on one source of funding. them by building relationships with three Build a diversified base of funding so that sources of funding: if one source goes away, you will have ➠ Foundations others to sustain your mission. ➠ Corporations/businesses This chapter introduces the hypothetical ➠ Individuals NGO WE CAN! Federation of People Ask yourself whether government with Disabilities. Its mission is to empower funding will compromise your NGO’s disabled people to become contributing, credibility or undercut its effectiveness respected members of society through because of conditions attached to the literacy and job-training projects, as grant. Your NGO must weigh the well as advocacy. This chapter presents particular opportunities, benefits and examples of how WE CAN! goes about disadvantages associated with government building relationships with foundations, funding. corporations and individual donors. As for foundations, corporations and individuals, each has advantages FOUNDATIONS and disadvantages as funding sources. Foundations and corporations are easier Like NGOs, foundations exist to improve to approach than individuals, give society and make positive changes in larger grants, and often provide funding people’s lives. Rather than directly serving for a long time. Down the road, your or advocating for people, they provide organization might be able to raise a lot funding to NGOs to do this work. of money from individuals, but, generally In another similarity to NGOs, each foundation has its own mission and priorities. Some are set up by wealthy families who want to give back to society. WHAT’S THIS? The family controls the mission and priorities of its foundation. A family RESOURCES with a handicapped child may channel its grants to NGOs that serve people Resources are all of the things an NGO needs to carry out its mission, including with disabilities. Or a family that started money, people, meeting space, equipment, out as impoverished immigrants before materials and supplies, skills, expertise and accumulating great wealth may direct relationships. You need to raise money to its foundation to fund groups that help pay for resources. It’s important to recruit immigrants or migrant workers. volunteers, but NGOs typically need paid Other foundations are set up staff to run projects. and funded by corporations. These For other things, you can try to get in- foundations seek opportunities to enhance kind donations. When a business, another the visibility and public image of their NGO or individual donates items such as parent corporations through acts of good meeting space, computers, or food for a neighborliness. community meeting, these are called in- kind donations.

65 How Do You Find Foundations? ➠ Does the foundation make the type of ➠ Ask your colleagues. Talk to your peers grant you are looking for? One detail at other NGOs and other partners. you should look at is the foundation’s People who work in government or average grant size. Some make only universities, for example, might be familiar with different foundations. ➠ Ask your current funders. If your NGO already has foundation support, ask your current funders for suggestions. Many will be more than happy to give advice. ➠ Use the Internet. You can look for foundations online. In addition to the Foundation Center, try this website: www.fundsforngos.org. You can also do a search on “foundations that support x in x country.” ➠ Check the websites, annual reports and other publications of NGOs similar to yours for listings of their funders.

Once you have identified a foundation, review its website to determine the following: ➠ Does the foundation fund in your geographic area? Some funders focus on a whole country, some on small regions or even specific cities. ➠ Do the foundation’s priorities align with your work? Some funders have broad interests that span a variety of issues, while others have a narrow focus. In addition to looking at a funder’s stated priorities, look at the NGOs and Foundations need strong leadership and vision, projects it has funded. This information such as that provided by co-founders of the Bill & should be on the funder’s website and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates couple visit one of their projects at a cassava processing plant will help you determine if your NGO is in Karsana, Nigeria. (© Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) a good fit.

66 ➠ Invite foundation representatives to WHAT’S THIS? come see your work in action. Check the funder’s website to find out their FOUNDATION preferences on direct personal contact. A foundation is an entity that is established Some funders encourage NGOs to for the purpose of giving money to promote contact them, while others discourage a social good. Foundations make grants it. If the guidelines do not say anything, to support scientific, educational, cultural, you can call the funder or send an email religious, or other charitable causes. Not all or a letter to introduce yourself. foundations have the term “foundation” in ➠ If you have a printed or electronic their name, and not all organizations that newsletter, send updates to prospective have the word “foundation” in their name funders. give grants. When funders are familiar with your work and know its quality, chances very large grants, bypassing requests are better that they will support your from small, startup NGOs. Others do organization. the opposite, funding small, grassroots Finally, remember that while NGOs. Some fund new, experimental relationships are important, they are not projects, while others fund only projects all you need. To get funded you must be that have produced proven results. doing good work that meets identified Once you have identified foundations community needs and demonstrate to target, make sure you find out the application procedures and deadlines. Does the funder want a brief letter of introduction first or should you send TRY THIS… a full proposal? Does the funder have deadlines or does it review letters and IF YOUR NGO IS NEW proposals at any time? Finally, find out What do you do if you are a newly founded the names of staff in charge of your NGO and do not yet have experience activity or geographic area. If that managing projects or funding and cannot information is not on the website, you yet demonstrate a record of results? Here’s can call or email the foundation to ask. what you can do: ➠ Show that you have documented the How Do You Get Foundations to need for your NGO and its proposed Fund You? projects. Getting a foundation grant is not easy — ➠ Show that you have a clear, well-thought- especially your first one! It takes time to out plan for addressing the needs with identify and research foundations, to build measurable outcomes of success. a relationship and to develop a strong ➠ Show the qualifications of the founders, proposal that meets the foundation’s board members, and staff — even if the guidelines and criteria. NGO is new, the people who founded it Your NGO will be more likely to get have experience! funding if you have built a relationship Remember, as noted in Chapter 6, you with the foundation. How do you do this? can also build your capacity and experience ➠ Ask others who know the foundation to by partnering with a larger NGO first, then introduce you. approaching foundations on your own.

67 Corporations generally give to NGOs TRY THIS… through one of the following channels: ➠ A corporate foundation that operates ASK FOR FEEDBACK IF YOUR REQUEST independently from the corporation. IS DENIED ➠ A corporate contributions program If your request for funding is denied, you managed within corporate can contact the foundation and ask for headquarters. feedback on your proposal — some will ➠ A marketing office, through which a be willing to speak with you, while others corporation can sponsor events. Event will not. Sometimes, your first proposal sponsorship is considered advertising serves as a way to introduce your NGO. rather than a charitable contribution. So if you are turned down the first time, ➠ Corporate field managers who can don’t be discouraged. Keep trying to build make small gifts — cash or in-kind a relationship. It sometimes takes several donations — to local NGOs at their submissions to get a grant. own discretion.

WE CAN! has identified a corporation measurable results. And, you should that manufactures products and be able to communicate this in a clear, technology that benefit people with concise and compelling proposal. disabilities. This raises a number of possibilities. If the corporation has its own foundation, WE CAN! might submit CORPORATIONS a proposal to the foundation to fund The private sector, local businesses, and its life-skills training program. Or, WE national and international corporations CAN! could approach the corporate can provide support and resources contributions program and request an to NGOs. They can be partners in-kind donation of, say, mobile phones in developing solutions to societal that the corporation adapts for people problems and allies in advocacy efforts. Nevertheless, NGOs should proceed with caution in seeking support from the business community. Make sure the REMEMBER… potential corporate partner’s business and image are consistent with your values and DO YOUR HOMEWORK that the relationship truly benefits the Learn as much as you can about your community you serve. potential funders before approaching them. All foundations and corporate How Do Corporations Support NGOs? giving programs have their own missions, Just as NGOs scan their environment for priorities, application guidelines and opportunities, corporations also watch procedures. Some of the information you for opportunities to give back to the need might be in a funder directory. If the community — contributing not just money foundation or corporation has a website, but time and expertise. Such contributions you will find this information there. Don’t enhance a corporation’s public image. be afraid to talk with funder staff. Make sure In addition, governments in some that you have the right contact and “do countries have tax incentives to encourage your homework” so you can ask informed corporations to donate to NGOs. questions.

68 Funding comes from international NGOs, agencies and governments. At this “Rural Women Speak Out” event sponsored by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women at the U.N. Church Center in New York City, representatives from NGOs, local leaders, U.N. agencies and others meet for roundtable discussions. Events like these are good places to gain new contacts. (UN Women/Ryan Brown) with limited vision. Lastly, if WE CAN! mobile phones, snack foods or tennis is working with other disability NGOs shoes are most common? The corporations to organize a job fair, WE CAN! might that produce these goods are connected to invite the corporation to sponsor the your community, which provides a market event. In return, WE CAN! could put the or a workforce for those corporations. corporation’s name on the event banner Find out how those corporations support and program. NGOs and how you might access that support. How Do You Find Corporate Funders? Ask your colleagues at other NGOs to You certainly know the national, regional share their corporate contacts, especially and international corporations present the names of individuals who are likely to in your country, city and community. be helpful. Remember, if you ask others Perhaps you buy their products or, if to share information, you must be willing they have a factory or office in your to do likewise. NGOs need to work community, you know people who are together to bring added resources to employed by them. Look around your further your objectives. community at the various products that people buy and use. What brands of

69 ➠ We provide education and training WHAT’S THIS? that enhance the skills of your future workforce. FOUNDATION DIRECTORIES ➠ We hold public events (such as health The Foundation Center, which is based and job fairs, cultural celebrations, art in the United States, has been collecting exhibits and performances) that provide information about U.S.-based and opportunities for corporate visibility. international foundations for decades. ➠ The community we serve is a potential The Foundation Center’s materials are market and we can help corporate accessible online. Go to the website sponsors learn more about it. www.foundationcenter.org and click on ➠ A relationship with our NGO has “Find Funders” for information about educational value to your corporation’s international funders. employees and the public.

How Do You Get Corporations to Fund You? Just as with foundations, you must build personal relationships with key employees of corporations. However, your messages to corporations will be different from your messages to foundations. Corporations tend to take a business approach to giving and want to see a “return” on their “investments.” Your NGO must show that return. For example, WE CAN! quantifies the number of people with disabilities it has trained to find jobs and live on their own. WE CAN! demonstrates long- term impact through surveys. For example, it heightened public recognition that people with disabilities are contributing members of society. NGOs also need to show how corporate support of NGOs There are many kinds of fundraising events. The enhances a company’s image and business Empty Bowls Project, a grassroots program to raise goals. WE CAN! stresses the following money for people in need, organized this event at points in making its pitch to corporations: a church. Potters donate handcrafted bowls, which are given to invitees who buy tickets for a soup and bread meal. Proceeds go to charity. (© AP Images/The Tribune Democrat/John Rucosky)

70 All cultures and faiths have long TRY THIS… traditions of giving. But the concept of giving to NGOs is recent. To build a SEARCH THE CORPORATION’S WEBSITE base of support of individual donors, you When you go to the home page of a start by educating people about the NGO corporation, you should look for a link such sector and your NGO’s work. Work out as one of these: a solid plan and thoughtful approach. ➠ Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR Try gathering staff, board, volunteers and ➠ Human Rights community members to discuss traditions ➠ Labor Rights of giving in your community and identify ➠ Com munity Initiatives when, where, how and why people give. ➠ Community Relations ➠ Giving Back How Do You Involve Individuals? ➠ Touching Lives Individual donors can be anybody — These kinds of links offer basic people from your own geographic, ethnic information about the corporation’s giving or faith community, and those outside it. practices. They might be friends, neighbors or co- workers of the board members, volunteers or staff. If you look around, you will see Corporations are eager for good that you are surrounded by people who publicity, and WE CAN! shows it can support you and will be willing to give deliver that. WE CAN! has convinced a something, if you ask. corporation to fund the construction of a Bring together a group of board training center for people with disabilities. members, staff, volunteers and project What persuaded the corporation to decide participants. Make a list of people you favorably was the NGO’s promise to put already know who believe in your work the corporation’s name on the center. and could make a contribution, however Keep in mind that some funders like big or small. Think about members of to be the first to invest in “the next big your community who have been helped by thing.” Present your request for support your services, who have volunteered their as an opportunity to invest in an exciting time, made in-kind donations, or offered new idea that has great growth potential. guidance, such as a university professor or Then, when that potential materializes, business owner. the corporation can rightfully claim its portion of the credit.

INDIVIDUALS

Individuals can be a major source of WHAT’S THIS? support for NGOs — not just in countries with strong economies or among people CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY with high incomes. Increasingly, across the Corporations now widely embrace the globe and across income levels, individuals concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. are supporting the NGOs that make a This is essentially a set of principles through difference in their lives and communities. which a corporation pledges to be a good Individual donors account for much of the corporate citizen by promoting the public private money donated to NGOs. interest and giving back to communities.

71 can do this through letters, emails, TRY THIS… text messages and websites, giving detailed instructions on how to make A WRITTEN POLICY ON DONATIONS contributions. Hang a poster in This is useful for a number of reasons: your office! ➠ A written policy is a document that Make sure your fundraising campaign staff, board and volunteers can use in all is well matched to your audience. You circumstances, minimizing confusion. do not want to try to sell baked rolls to a ➠ When new staff, board or volunteers join person who is fasting or on a diet. Your your NGO, a written policy helps them appeal for funds must suit the way of life learn about the organization. and traditions of your audience. Set a goal for how much you want to ➠ If you have to reject a gift but want raise from individuals and announce it. to keep the relationship with a donor, a written policy makes handling the Tell people you will be able to accomplish awkward situation easier. X if you raise Y amount of money. Keep track of all the people you meet and who attend your events so you can keep inviting them! Keep a record of who Make a list of people who do not know makes contributions so you can thank about your work, but might be interested them. Saying “thank you” shows people in it if they did. To compile this list, go that their help is appreciated. Most people beyond listing individual names and who give money want only three things: consider categories or networks of people ➠ To receive a personal “thank you” soon who are potential contributors. after their gift is given.

How Do You Get Individuals to Give? Asking for money isn’t easy. It’s much easier to ask foundations and corporations WHAT’S THIS? than individuals. Foundation and corporate websites indicate whether GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING they support your mission and would be receptive to your application for a grant. The term “grassroots” refers to the With individuals, you need to take a communities and people directly affected by an issue or problem. So, the term more nuanced approach that does not “grassroots fundraising” means raising put them in an uncomfortable spot. money from these communities and people. For example: Many organizers think, “How can my ➠ When you hold an event — such as organization raise money from individuals? a graduation for project participants, We don’t know any wealthy people!” Most a community celebration or an open community-based organizations have house for a new center — invite all of broad support from lots of people who are your stakeholders. At the end of the willing to give a little something, if asked. event let them know that contributions This is the heart of grassroots fundraising. are welcome. Even people with very modest incomes can ➠ At l east once a year, announce to give a little bit or can help in an activity to the community, stakeholders and generate funds. Many small contributions supporters that your NGO is carrying put together become large amounts. out a fundraising campaign. You

72 TRY THIS… KEEPING DONORS All donors — foundations, corporations PRACTICE ASKING! and individuals — value honesty, Asking for money can be intimidating, transparency and respect. The best, especially when you do it face-to-face. A shy longest-lasting and most productive person probably needs a bit of training in relationships are based on trust. How do fundraising to learn how to do it gracefully. you earn that trust? Make sure your NGO is equipped to provide ➠ Be as accurate, truthful and clear as you this training. can be. This protects your reputation and that of the sector as a whole. ➠ Make sure that all your written ➠ To know that the money is being used materials and all the people who speak as planned. on behalf of your organization are ➠ To know that their gift has made a accurate in what they say. difference. ➠ Be prepared to explain how you spend your NGO’s money. Have clear, accurate and up-to-date financial INVOLVING YOUR COMMUNITIES reports. As you make fundraising plans, think ➠ Make sure you understand and adhere about how to involve your community. to the conditions stipulated by your Don’t assume that they are not able to donors. Are you allowed to use the make financial contributions or participate money as you see fit or is there a in fundraising activities because they have requirement to spend it over a specific low levels of income and formal education. period of time or to implement a certain Often, those who benefit from an NGO program or activity? Are there specific are among the most willing to support it outcomes that the donor expects to see? and give whatever they can. Are you required to mention the donor’s WE CAN! is forming a fundraising name in materials produced using the team of project participants, their family donation? Make sure there is agreement members, and volunteers. They have decided to make desserts and sell them to support the NGO. Remember that you need to spend money to make money. So, WE CAN! buys the flour, eggs, sugar and REMEMBER… other things to make the desserts. They NGOS NEED TO LOOK AT THE might not make a profit the first time. But CORPORATION’S TRACK RECORD in grassroots work, friend raising is almost as important as fundraising. While WE Just as a prospective corporate funder will CAN! volunteers are selling the desserts, look at your NGO’s track record, you should they’ll tell people about their wonderful look carefully at the corporation’s track organization and make new friends who record in your community and beyond. might support the NGO in the future by While all corporations want to enhance their giving money or volunteering. public image, you might not want to be associated with a corporation that is trying to repair its image after having caused harm to people or the environment.

73 on the conditions before you accept a donation. REMEMBER…

IT’S ALL ABOUT TRUST! FUNDRAISING MANAGEMENT You must win trust in order to raise funds. Building relationships and securing It’s that simple. Whether donors are funding from foundations, corporations community members of modest means and individuals is a lot of work. You or institutions and individuals with deep need to involve staff, board, volunteers, pockets, they must believe in the value project participants and other community of your NGO’s work. You earn their trust members. Consider a division of labor through your integrity. in which the executive director or other staff develop the proposals to foundations and corporations, while board members CONCLUSION and volunteers handle raising funds from individuals. Board members are often When your NGO is just beginning to raise able to make convincing appeals because money, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. they are not paid for their NGO service. There is a lot to learn and a lot to Funders may think that if these people do. Build a team of people to develop volunteer their time and energy, the fundraising plans, carry them out and organization must be worthy. learn together. As with other aspects Develop systems and procedures to of your NGO’s work, evaluate your track all aspects of fundraising, such fundraising efforts. After you have your as objectives, tasks, timelines and first meeting with a funder, evaluate what responsibilities. Keep records of: you did well and what you could have ➠ Your fundraising prospects. For done better. If you hold a fundraising example, create a file for each one that event, assess how well it met your includes contact information, notes on objectives and what can be improved. conversations you have had with them, The most important rule of fundraising is materials you have sent and proposals that you have to ask! The worst that can submitted. happen is a foundation, corporation or ➠ Funds received from foundations individual will say no. If they do, find and corporations. Once you receive out why. a grant from a foundation or a contribution from a corporation, pay careful attention to requirements for documenting project activities, managing the money and submitting reports. ➠ Contributions from individuals. Keep a list of donor names, their donation amounts and their contact information. Make sure to thank them so you can go back to them next year and ask for another contribution.

74 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Numerous tools useful for research, development and operation of nongovernmental organizations are available. Many of these are online. Here are a few of those resources.

Mosaica NonProfitExpert.Com http://www.mosaica.org World NGO Resource Page Mosaica: The Center for Nonprofit http://www.nonprofitexpert.com/world%20 Development and Pluralism provides ngos.htm organizational development tools, This compendium of resources offers including training, to multicultural guidelines on all aspects of NGO NGOs. Materials are available in Spanish, operation, including sources of funding in Bosnian-Croatian, Hebrew, Arabic and the United States and advice on filling out Farsi/Dari. grant applications.

NGO Cafe PEPFAR http://www.gdrc.org/ngo/ http://www.pepfar.gov/ This website was created by the Global The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for Development Research Center (GDRC), an AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) partners with independent, nonprofit think tank focused governments and private organizations, on broad-based global development. It including NGOs, to help save lives and offers a venue “for NGOs to discuss, bring treatment to those infected with debate and disseminate information on HIV/AIDS by supporting education and their work, strategies and results.” public health efforts internationally. It is part of the President’s Global Health NGO Connect Initiative. http://www.ngoconnect.net/resources NGO Connect has assembled a wide President’s Global Health Initiative range of resources for NGOs, including http://www.ghi.gov/ information on best practices, a searchable The President’s Global Health Initiative database that includes case studies, managed by the U.S. Department of project reports, toolkits and links to State focuses on better integration and recommended websites. Some materials coordination among programs supported are also in Arabic, French, Russian by the U.S. government with countries, and Spanish. donors, NGOs and communities. The emphasis is on building sustainable programs, gender equality, healthy children and HIV/AIDS.

75 The Foundation Center U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grants http://foundationcenter.org/ http://www.fws.gov/international/grants- This foremost source for information and-reporting/ about philanthropy worldwide, The The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Foundation Center, publishes books, (USFWS) actively engages in building maintains an online database and runs capacity of and supporting wildlife workshops to inform and facilitate conservation NGOs. Wildlife Without connections between foundation funders Borders has 10 grants programs that and prospective grantees. It operates fund international wildlife conservation library/learning centers in five U.S. cities projects. and maintains the Foundation Directory Online. Subscription required. WANGO http://www.wango.org/ The Foundation Directory Online The World Association of Non- http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/ Governmental Organizations aims to Developed by The Foundation Center, this give “support needed for NGOs to database connects grant seekers with grant connect, partner, share, inspire, and makers by providing information about multiply their contributions to solve more than 100,000 U.S. foundations and humanity’s basic problems.” corporate donors. It includes details of more than 2.4 million recent grants and thousands of key decision makers, and is updated weekly. Subscription required.

USAID Partnership Opportunities http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/ partnership-opportunities/ngos The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) works with NGOs large and small throughout the world, funding programs that deliver humanitarian assistance, build infrastructure, develop and support public health programs, implement environmental conservation programs and many other projects.

76 The NGO Handbook A Handbook Series Edition

Published in 2012 by: Bureau of International Information Programs United States Department of State

BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS Coordinator:...... Dawn L. McCall Executive Editor: ...... Nicholas S. Namba Publications Director: ...... Michael Jay Friedman Editorial Director: ...... Mary T. Chunko Production Chief: ...... Michelle L. Farrell Editors: ...... Lea Terhune, Phillip C. Kurata Art Director: ...... Min-Chih Yao Photo Researcher: ...... Ann Monroe Jacobs

Front Cover: (F rom top, left to right) UN Women/Ryan Brown; © 2003-2012 Shutterstock Images LLC; © AP Images/Tony Avelar; © Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; © 2012 Thinkstock; © 2003-2012 Shutterstock Images LLC; © Jon Feingersh Photography/SuperStock/Corbis UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS