July 2002

Editorial

A career in development? Why not?

The term career minded might seem incongruent with our notions of what a fundraiser or voluntary worker should be. The common perception all too often is that people who serve in voluntary organisations have either already secured their futures and now want to use their retirement to help others; or that they have moneyed spouses to support them. While this may be true of a percentage, it would be false to assume that developmental work cannot be a well-paid career option.

Certainly, people must not approach voluntary service as an opportunity to create personal wealth. But surely working in the sector could be a viable career option that young, passionate people could choose early, with the confidence that they could ensure reasonable futures for themselves!

Developmental challenges have increasingly begun to demand higher organisational, leadership and entrepreneurial skills. And while we do have some dedicated communicators and fundraisers in the voluntary sector, a younger breed with professional experience has begun to make an entrance. Growing specialisation and a clearer definition of roles within the sector has heralded the emergence of the bona fide development professional.

It is only fair that these professionals be compensated as professionals. The voluntary sector may not be able to match corporates for salaries and perks, but then it doesn't have to. What it must do, though, is to grasp the value of professionalism even if it means paying better salaries. The heart of the matter is not monetary. It is attitudes. The idea is not to give people a cushy alternative to the corporate bullring. Rather it is to encourage gifted people who are already passionately inclined to serve.

Surely it is fitting that those who seek to give others' dreams flight, are allowed to nurture their own too!

Editor

Top

Interview

'Professional development qualifications are a vital need!'

David Bonbright, director of NGO enhancement programmes at the Aga Khan Foundation, visited mcas last month. He spoke to Fundraising-India about the challenges facing professional fundraisers and what he is trying to do to change it.

FI: Can fundraising be a viable career option?

DB: Yes, development managers must be able to chart a career for themselves, the way professionals in the corporate sector do. But to do this they must have a development management education option that enables them to build recognised professional qualifications with currency in the job market. Unfortunately the training available right now is supply driven, projectised and subsidised. It lacks market discipline and cannot be scaled to meet the need.

FI: In what way can this need for professionally recognised development education be addressed?

DB: We are looking at building development management qualifications (DMQ) in the form of modular e-courses. Each module will be designed to generate tangible, measurable results in terms of knowledge, skills and values that can be objectively assessed.

FI: Are these courses a voluntary sector parallel to the management courses designed for the corporate sector?

DB: The voluntary sector continually engages the government and the business sectors in its work. Today, many of the management concepts that corporates have successfully adapted, refined and used, actually originated in the voluntary sector. Now, we must learn skills in leadership and management from the corporate sector, translate and adapt them to our situation and use them here. We need to become more output-driven, utilise people better and deliver more effectively. Our human resources policies are generally inferior to those in the corporate sector and that must change.

FI: Will this help change the way people outside the sector perceive it?

DB: The image of the sector needs to be improved. We must communicate the value of the work we do in a non-righteous, non-arrogant manner. If organisations effectively communicate the value of the work they're doing, the image of the sector will automatically improve.

FI: How easy or difficult is this going to be to initiate, considering that the voluntary sector doesn't embrace change very quickly?

DB: The reality is that the going is tough. Things are difficult. But there are two things you can do in such situations. You can either learn the lesson and move on or get stuck. Even in your organisations, when things get too tough or too bureaucratic, find small practical things you can do and carry on. You don't have to do it alone; find others who will help you.

Top

C&F Tip of the Month

Smart gifts both thank and remind

Try to explore new and innovative ways of showing your gratitude to your donors. Especially in the case of repeat and major donors, it is a wonderful idea to send them a small gift that will both show your appreciation as well as serve as a reminder to them of your organisation. These can be simple and yet useful things such as traditional recipes, a pocket/table-top calendar, handy kitchen tips, product discount offers, greeting cards and craft ideas for children.

While the cost of these articles may be minimal, they will convey to your constituents the fact that you value their support! Give it a shot and see for yourself!

Top

News in Brief

What's happening in communication & fundraising?

Infosys chairman sells shares worth Rs 12 crore for charity

Narayana Murthy, chairman and co-founder of Infosys, recently sold 36,500 of his shares in Infosys, to contribute to charity. The total value of this sale is in the region of Rs 12 crore. Social responsibility has always been high on Mr Murthy's priorities and both his wife and he have already contributed close to Rs 8 crore towards the creation of 100 Nirmala Bangalore sanitation systems and HealthNet Infrastructure under the Bangalore Agenda Task Force.

Dream a Dream taps MNC with novel fundraising scheme

Dream a Dream, a Bangalore-based organisation that brings individuals together to create positive social change, has conceived an innovative fundraising strategy with the cooperation of a well-known multinational company. As per the arrangement, all employees of the company who come in to work late, pay one rupee for every additional minute of their delay. The company collects this amount and makes a consolidated donation towards the work of Dream a Dream. What is so fascinating about this strategy is that it works to the clear benefit of both parties! That's something other organisations would do well to emulate!

The good that goes around comes around!

Mesco Trust has evolved a good strategy to fund its work by turning its former recipients into benefactors. Mesco helps lesser privileged children to get an education and to create a future for themselves in which they would be able to give their own children good education and a secure future. Through its Education Adoption Scheme (EAS), it has helped about 350 children in the last 10-12 years to get an education, from the secondary to post graduate levels. Most of these students have since gone on to create successful careers for themselves.
Last month, Mesco invited these ex-EAS students to come together at a common forum. About 70 students attended the meet where the Mesco president, Dr Qureishi, urged some of them to join various portfolio committees and use their position of strength and security to help others similar to themselves. About 24 ex-students took up the gauntlet and are now actively committed to sharing the cheer in their own lives with other needy children.

Anti-piracy campaign creates fundraising prospect

With software companies in India intensifying their assault on piracy, there may be new fundraising opportunities for the voluntary sector. The Financial Times recently reported an anti-piracy campaign by Microsoft which benefits charities by donating half the value of goods forfeited through anti-counterfeiting activities towards helping children in under-privileged local communities. Similar revenue recovery schemes in Europe and in the UK have resulted in as much as $23m being donated to charity in a year. Surely the Indian voluntary sector can take the cue and tap this potentially huge funding possibility!

Credibility Alliance builds momentum

The Credibility Alliance held a meeting in Mumbai between 4 and 5 July 2002 to further discuss the ideas emerging about establishing norms for the voluntary sector. As many as 75 representatives of voluntary organisations attended the meet and a set of minimum norms was further modified. Guidelines for human resource policies and procedures, accounting practices and annual reports, were also presented and discussed. The setting up of a council to promote and continually improve norms and guidelines was also discussed and recommended. It is hoped that the momentum will be maintained through further meetings with organisations in different parts of the country and through a comprehensive website. Meanwhile some organisations have already begun to implement the norms and guidelines though compliance is strictly voluntary. For further information contact info@credall.org.in

New book on giving and fundraising in Pakistan released

LEAD Pakistan, an organisation committed to creating long-term financial sustenance for the voluntary movement in Pakistan, has authored a report on Pakistani philanthropy and fundraising. Investing in ourselves - Giving and Fundraising in Pakistan identifies and documents innovative fundraising techniques employed by Pakistani NGOs and it is hoped that this report will increase the capacity of NGOs in the region to mobilise resources for development purposes. The report also includes an analysis of the donor market based on interviews with representatives from the government, non-profit and donor community as well as secondary research sources. For details please refer to http://pakistan.lead.org/crpt.htm

If you have any news or announcements pertaining to communication and fundraising, do write in to us. Thank you.

Top

Website Review

A useful fundraiser's resource on the web
www.fundraising.co.uk

If you've been looking for a good source of charity and fundraising news, stop by this UK fundraising site. Though there is a decent amount of space dedicated (and rightfully) to the UK, there is a lot of international information that both the professional fundraiser and the casually interested alike will find useful. The site also has a review section of fundraising books, other publications and education/ academic courses available in this area of interest. The library of online articles on fundraising and related matters will prove a valuable resource for reference and general perusal.

This apart, there is a directory of grant-making and funding resources in the UK, Europe and North America that will no doubt interest many fundraisers and communicators. The site itself is rather simply designed but loads fast and places information in an easily accessible manner. All in all, it's a useful site that you will want to keep going back to. Check it out!

Top

Announcements

SAFRG announces its 14th annual workshop

The South Asian Fund Raising Group is organising its 14th Annual Workshop at New Delhi, between 24 and 27 September 2002. The workshop, titled Breaking the Mould, is expected to be one of the largest gatherings of fundraisers in south Asia. It will address a range of topics that include professional development, management, tools and skills related to fundraising, and also provide opportunities to explore the future of fundraising. The workshop is targeted at fundraisers/ consultants, board members from voluntary organisations, chief executive officers, finance managers, heads of government departments involved in the voluntary sector, academics and others from trusts and foundations. The registration fee is Rs 5,900 per delegate. For more details contact Capt. Rajeev Dua at safrg@vsnl.com or Tel/ Fax: 91-11-4654453, 91-11-4654570-71.

Entries for International fundraising Congress still open

With less than 15 weeks to go to the 22nd International Fundraising Congress at Amsterdam, the number of bookings have already doubled since the last year. The Congress, scheduled to take place from 15 to 18 October 2002, will offer a cutting edge programme featuring internationally acclaimed speakers. Visit www.ifc-resource-alliance.org to find out more about the International Fundraising Congress and to register your participation.

The things some dreamers do!

Dream a Dream is an organisation that believes that every single person has the potential to effect a positive change in society. In a novel initiative to carry that dream a little closer to reality, it is conducting a series of workshops to challenge people to make a commitment to change at least one thing in their workplace, family or neighbourhood.
The climax will be the formation of a human chain along MG Road on 18 August 2002, consisting of all the volunteers who had committed themselves to making a change. The chain will hold a long cloth on which all participants will write down their individual commitments for others to see. If you want to be a part of the chain, contact Vishal Talreja at dreamadream@indiatimes.com

Short-term workshop on brochures & newsletters coming up

The mcas workshop on Brochures & Newsletters will be held from 26 to 28 August 2002. Some of the topics that will be dealt with are: developing a creative brief and concept, production outline, design principles, writing and editing content, printing options and e-newsletters. An extra (optional) day can be requested at a moderate additional fee, for those who would like individual guidance on further development of materials. For more details contact training@fundraising-india.org.

Top

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends, associates and anyone who might be interested. And do send in your queries and suggestions to training@fundraising-india.org

mcas -- MURRAY CULSHAW ADVISORY SERVICES -- Bangalore, serves the voluntary sector in India. We offer training on communication and fundraising, undertake research on related issues, publish books and maintain a database of about 8,000 organisations in India. Contact us at:  2nd Floor  Vijay Kiran Building  314/1  7^th Cross  Domlur Layout Bangalore 560 071  India  Tel: 91-80-535 0035/ 535 1939  email training@fundraising-india.org  website: www.fundraising-india.org