November 2000

• Improving transparency and accountability
• How to build a positive image for your organisation?

Three opportunities, but how do we create many more?

Books on Sale

Check it out! Useful hyperlinks

You'll find mcas-e-news in your e-mail box once a month.
Questions? Comments? We hope you will join our fraternity and send your feed back to mcas@fundraising-India.org. If you don’t want this free newsletter please write ‘unsubscribe’ on the subject line and send back to us. If you are getting more than one copy, please let us know.

(Back to top)

Donors also have concerns...

• How will my rupee be spent?
• What percentage will go on administration?
• How many children will benefit?
• Is my rupee really necessary?
• What are other sources of income?
• What has really been achieved?
• How will the work expand in the future?

• Communicate our activities to the public through mass media (articles, news items, issue reports…)
• Communicate our activities to donors and well wishers (newsletters, annual reports)
• Arrange for independent evaluations and make known findings as widely as possible
• Invite all to visit (meetings, open days, festive events)
• Seek volunteers and involve them as much as possible

• Establish baseline information, monitor, document and make achievements known
• Set high standards of personal and professional integrity and commitment
• Present financial information in a way that clearly explains income sources, expenditure patterns and the link to programme and services (The average audited reports is most unsatisfactory.)

• An important global study by Johns Hopkins University (www.jhu.edu/ThirdSectorProject) on the size of sector has been running since 1989; Indian research is under way based with PRIA, New Delhi (www.pria.org)
• The National Council for Non-profit Boards - NCNB in the US is setting and promoting governance standards (www.ncnb.org)
• Charities Aids Foundation UK, produces annual data on the voluntary sector (www.charitynet.org)
• CAF India has been contracted by the Planning Commission to validate 2000 organisations (cafindia@vsnl.com)
• We - mcas are conducting research and training in to the quality of annual reports. (mcas@fundraising-india.org)

(Back to top)

Our actions are based on mental pictures. These ‘pictures’ can be positive, negative or neutral. In advertising, copywriters and visualisers build pictures or perceptions of products and services. Derivatives are ‘positioning’, ‘slant’, ‘hype’ etc. Communication Science explains various techniques people use to influence or persuade others to buy an idea, service or a product.

For a voluntary organisation it is very important to communicate effectively to create a good impression. A couple of months ago, at a Communication Workshop, we put this question to the delegates: What, according to you, are the best ways to achieve a good image for your organisation.?

Here are some of their responses:

• Promoting a good cause can get the attention of people, especially of those who always wanted to do something for that cause.
• The credibility of an organisation is built up over time by genuinely expressed deeds.
• Commitment to the cause and persistence to go through troubled times.
• Good conduct, enthusiasm, confidence, spreads a positive image.
• Focussed activities are easy to understand and appreciate.

How do people make pictures in their minds if they do not have direct contact with your organisation? So on every occasion invite people to visit your organisation.

The corporate motto… ‘customer is king’ also applies here – develop a donor/ well-wisher oriented strategy throughout your organization:

• The actions of the people who represent the organisation are important: their communication abilities; telephone response, warmth expressed through letters, interpersonal relations inside and outside the organisation etc.
• Also through well designed letterheads, brochures and other communication materials.

• Be meticulous in planning and be proactive
• Apply management techniques based on principle-centered leadership.
• Budget realistically and finish projects to deadlines.
• Encourage fresh ideas and give opportunities for others to grow through a participative style of management.

• Damaging remarks Public senses are very sharp. A casual negative remark in a public place can cause irreparable damage.
• Intra organisational conflict Staff infighting can go public and will affect the general image of the organisation.
• Being dormant If you need support from the public you must not only do good but also appear good to others.
• Hidden agendas You must invite people to come and see what you are doing. If possible involve the public and volunteers to help in your cause. This will help you to be more transparent.
• Lack of local public funds People help only those who help themselves. Avoid too much dependency on grants and foreign funds.
• Elephantine memory Once we have created a bad image, it will be very difficult to erase the impression.

If you have any more comments to add, please write to us: mcas@fundraising-india.org

(Back to top)

An excellent way to gain new ideas, meet people and learn skills is to attend conferences and workshops. We at mcas have been pleased to participate in three programmes during the past month where members of the voluntary sector assembled to gain knowledge. Taking these events in chronological order, SEVA SETHU 2000 stands first.

We commend the vision and commitment of Rtn Manohar Row (gmrow@vsnl.com ) of Bangalore Cares, who made the event happen. This, according to Mr Row, is a precursor for more events that will happen in the coming months. One idea is to conduct sector specific meetings at various locations in Karnataka. SEVA SETHU itself may continue as a biannual event considering the positive response from all.

The second programme was a workshop conducted by us on Publishing Good Annual Reports (Oct. 18^th – 20^th). Our target was to accommodate a maximum of 25 participants. In the process, we had to turn down almost 10 organisations for late registration. We had 27 delegates representing 21 organisations See list below. Responding to the need, we have decided to repeat this in April and if any one is interested, please reserve your seat in advance.

In February we will be conducting a workshop on Publishing Brochures and Fundraising Appeals. Please get in touch with us at training@fundraising-india.org for early registration.

The last one in the chronology happened last week (Nov. 8^th – 11^th) at Vishwa Yuvak Kendra in New Delhi. It was the 12^th South Asian Fund Raising Workshop organised by the South Asian Fund Raising Group (SAFRG) safrg@vsnl.com . More than 120 organisations from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka besides India participated in the workshop.

… as one of the speakers at SEVA SETHU 2000 commented, "The future of the voluntary sector depends on skilled and competent professionals. There is no room for mediocrity." Encouragement was shared and skills acquired at all these opportunities – but such opportunities are few and far between. How do we create many more and find more people to join the voluntary sector; and how do we reach out to the hundreds if not thousands of voluntary organisations, which have not yet understood the importance of public communication. Think about it and give us your suggestions mcas@fundraising-india.org

Action Co-Op, Medak; ALERT India, Mumbai; ASM-PLAN', Suryapet Project, Vijayawada; AWARE, Hyderabad; College of Social Work, Hyderabad; CP Ramaswamy Aiyar Foundation, Chennai; CPR Environmental Education Centre, Chennai; Dinasevana Sabha Petraniketan, Mysore; Helping Hands, Malappuram, Kerala; Institute of Ophthalmology, Joseph Eye Hospital, Trichy; M S Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation, Madurai; People's Watch, Madurai; Prerana, Raichur; Samveda Training and Research Centre, Davangere; Save the Childern (U.K), New Delhi; Social Action for Needy People, Uppal, AP; The Bombay Community Public Trust, Mumbai; Uphaar, Coimbatore; Village Reconstruction Organisation-India, Hyderabad; Women's Organisation for Managing Economic and Educational Needs (WOMEN), Hyderabad; YRG Care, Chennai

(Back to top)

A Guide to Resource Mobilisation for Voluntary Organisations in India
(Includes information on support organisations, publications, websites, techniques, experiences – a very valuable collection of information.)
Published by South Asia Fund Raising Group, New Delhi
Price: Rs180 Pages: 80 Published: June 2000

Directory of Voluntary Organisations in Karnataka along with Supplement 2000
Published by Bangalore Cares
(includes information on over 500 voluntary organisations in Karnataka)
Price: Rs250 Pages: 245 Published: December 1999

For all titles add Rs50 for handling and postage charges.
Send DD in favour of… ‘Murray Culshaw Advisory Services’ … payable at Bangalore.

(Back to top)

Workshop on Winning Proposals 16 - 17 November, 2000. Mumbai. Check out for future programmes at www.IndianNGOs.com

Training and Producing Better Brochures: 14 - 16 December 2000. Hyderabad. Email your queries to cdchyd@hd1.vsnl.net.in Last date: December 8, 2000.

Read the entire story at: http://afr.com/australia/2000/11/10/FFXWUMEWBFC.html
___________________________

* * * CAREER SEARCH ONLINE * * *

To instantly reach the thousands of members of the CharityChannel audience with your position opening, submit your organization's position search to Career Search Online at <"http://CharityChannel.com/CareerSearch/>.

(Back to top)

 Please post us relevant upcoming events for and by the voluntary sector in your region. We shall publish it in forthcoming newsletters.

Send all queries to mcas@fundraising-india.org This newsletter has a present circulation of 1,000. If you find the information useful to friends or any other organisations, please forward this newsletter to them.

(Back to top)