We are a team of experienced fundraisers serving the NPO sector. Asna Bhana, Catherine Smetherham & Helen Vosloo. Fundraising can be a scary and intimidating space if its new for you. Book a free discovery call with us. catherine@fundingsolutions.co.za
External link for Creating Sustainable Funding Solutions for NPOs in South Africa
Johannesburg, Gauteng 2092, ZA
This should be amazing!
We are excited to announce an exclusive webinar series designed specifically for Nonprofit Organisations (NPOs) in South Africa: "Mastering POPIA Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide for NPOs." This series will provide your NPO with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and ensure compliance. Reserve Your Spot Today!
Thank you Peter Yakobe
Economist | Development Practitioner| Author| Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni | Chevening Alumni
I am sharing over 50 Funding and Fellowship opportunities 1. Applications open for Resiliency Grant Program https://lnkd.in/dEXJPZiP 2. Apply for Japan Water Forum Fund 2024 https://lnkd.in/de6QpvWU 3. CFAs: Giving Joy Grant Program for Women https://lnkd.in/gBqz3bUR 4. Request for Proposals: Robert Carr Fund https://lnkd.in/ddJrnga5 5. Apply for Louise Behan Reporting Grant https://lnkd.in/dtQE_nra 6. Call for Applications: Moses Mapesa Research Grant (Africa) https://lnkd.in/dKXws-gV 7. 2024 UNIDO Global Call for Food Tech Companies, SMEs and Start-ups https://lnkd.in/dEYFeCJw 8. Bertha Challenge Fellowship for Activists and Investigative Journalists https://lnkd.in/dhwMYSnm 9. CV Labs accelerator program https://lnkd.in/d68if33F 10. Women Creating Wealth Program by Grace Machel Trust https://lnkd.in/d9TnuGvt For the rest visit my website www.peteryakobe.com For guidance on effective resource mobilization, you can get me Funding Handbook here https://lnkd.in/gT2XGq_v
Creating Sustainable Funding Solutions for NPOs in South Africa reposted this
💌 ✍ How long should your fundraising letter be, really? Recent, field-tested perspective, from a working fundraising writer: My job is fundraising copywriting. So if people don’t read the direct mail appeals I write, you'd better believe I know it. Revenue, response, retention, those things are going to go down. Which means I also know – firsthand – that when someone out there tells you, “No one reads long letters” ... it's rubbish. But we're not here to be combative. Instead I want to get you thinking about your letters like a working fundraising writer. So today we’re going to take that “No long letters” myth and dissect it: Let’s assume you one day decide your fundraising appeals will not... must NEVER... exceed 1 sheet of paper. (DO NOT do this in real life. Keep reading.) Let’s also assume you want your short letter to remain readable. This means: - You need 1-1.5” for your nonprofit logo/letterhead - You want 1” margins left and right - You want ~1” for bottom page margin - You need type size set at 12-14 points, in a font that isn’t condensed - You need to tab (indent) your paragraphs - You need 1 line for a page turn reminder (e.g., ‘continues on other side’) - You need 1-1.5” for your signature block and sign-off on side 2 - You may (or may not) need an add’l .5 -.75” for footer with your charity number, tax ID, disclaimer, etc. You may (or may not) need a 2” address block. I am NOT saying you can’t successfully write short. I have. You can. Lots of others, too. What I AM saying is that after all the above, you have approx 750 words to get the job done. Add a paragraph on both sides to ask for a gift, and you’re at, what, 650 words? In the wrong hands these letters get real boilerplate, real quick. imho, this is a far better letter strategy: >>> Make your fundraising appeals as long as they need to be, to: tell your story with emotion, clarity, resonance, truth, and urgency, present a strong offer, and provide repeated calls to action.<<< 💌 Many of my top-performing appeals are 6-pages. (Yup, six. Recently, too.) 💌 Many others are 4-page letters. 💌 Some are 2-pagers. None are postcards. 💌 All of this is based on actual results. So. Here’s what no one (really) wants: 🚫 No one wants a 4-page letter crammed onto 1-page/2-sides 🚫 No one wants 8-point type with yawning wide line measures like an Impenetrable Wall of Text 🚫 No one, not one donor, wants boilerplate. They want emotion, a strong offer, a compelling story. They want life. Heart. Urgency. Love. 🌟 Write this into your creative briefs before you artificially constrain letter length, and watch your appeals improve. ❤️✍ 💌 ======== ❤️✍ Want more on ways to craft more generous words... effective, engaging fundraising writing... and nonprofit story strategy in general? I send new stuff every two weeks if you’re on the list 😊 lisasargent.com/newsletter
Creating Sustainable Funding Solutions for NPOs in South Africa reposted this
If you are curious about how your organisation can grow in an environment of funding scarcity and uncertainty, then join The Bridgespan Group and SmartStart South Africa in an upcoming free webinar on "How African NGOs Grow". Bridgespan looked at 85 NGOs in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa that have grown in size and in the impact they’re having and came away with five key findings—around their key funding sources, the strategies they have adopted to secure this funding, and how the funding has enabled them to scale and sustain their organisations. Join the free session to know more. Register here: https://bspan.org/3z7xDtO
Completely agree. That your budget tells a story. The same story that the rest of your proposal tells. Thank you Kevin L. Brown
Budgets help you raise money, not just spend it. And financials are part of your messaging too. Because “a well-communicated budget is a fundraising tool,” says Robin B. at Dovetail Impact Foundation. That’s why our brand training for Dovetail grantees now includes an expert to help communicate budgets. Let’s go deeper. ⤵ Nonprofit leaders: don’t delegate this important #fundraising tool to your finance team alone. And don’t ask them to create a budget in a silo. (Yes, this even means us CEOs who loathe accounting.) Instead, work as a #leadership team to integrate these six budgeting ideas into your brand: 1️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 Tell how your expenses are necessary for the mission and vision your donors have invested in. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 Link budget elements to positive outcomes to make the financial narrative compelling and relatable. 3️⃣ 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 Be honest. Candidly share budget constraints that motivate donors to contribute towards overcoming these shortfalls. 4️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 Compare past and present budgets to demonstrate growth, development, and increased impact over time. 5️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 Employ visual aids like graphs and infographics to make complex financial data more accessible and engaging. 6️⃣ 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 “𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱” Break the overhead myth and never perpetuate the dangerous 100% model (see my related post in the comments). They say a budget is a moral document. Meaning, “it tells us, mathematically, what areas, issues, things, or people are most important to the creators of that budget, and which are least important,” says Jim Wallis. So dare to think about budgeting differently. It isn’t just numbers. It’s a narrative. Make every line item a character in your story. 💪🏽💛 ________________________________________ Follow Kevin L. Brown to maximize your funding. Then repost ♻️ to help your network.
Yesterday we had a surprise phone call from the CEO of an organisation in the education sector. We supported him through a fundraising coaching journey a couple of years ago. He called to say thank you and to share his good news. "I want to let you know that I now have received funding from 2 donors who we discussed a few years ago in our sessions. The benefit of your coaching continues to extend way past the actual engagement".
Beautifully put Kevin L. Brown
How to improve your marketing communications: ↳ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. ✔️ Have to pitch for funding? 🚫 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸. ✔️ Want a better website? 🚫 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲. ✔️ Need bold messaging? 🚫 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴. ✔️ Struggle with social media? 🚫 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮. Instead: Start with your theory of change and positioning #strategy. Because the most fundable and findable nonprofit brands are built from the inside out. That’s why — long before you write copy, design creative, code pixels, find followers, or launch #fundraising campaigns — you must nail down your purpose, mission, vision, landscape, SWOT, uniques, audiences, and personality… First. All of that upfront brand strategy 𝘪𝘴 your future #marketing communications. One small example: the problem statement from your theory of change becomes the opening line in your elevator pitch, slide two of your pitch deck, and your website header text. So don’t let the tail wag the dog. Marketing starts within, not on your homepage. Fundraising begins at the core, not the cover. First understand, then be understood. First define, then design your brand. Brand first, funding second. 💪🏽💛 ________________________________________ Follow Kevin L. Brown to maximize your funding. Click the 🔔 to get notified about new posts. Like, comment, and ♻️ repost below.
Our most successful programme at Funding Solutions is our fundraising coaching programme. This is where we walk alongside the CEO or fundraiser of an NPO, to instill best fundraising practice. In short, our coaching programme helps the NPO at strategic level, to raise the income they need to fulfil on their mandate. One of the CEO's we work with just last week said: "you have restructured my thinking. Fundraising has now become integral to our organisational strategy".
Here is a self-paced free course for NPO leaders looking at building their organisation's resilience. https://lnkd.in/gvf6fyf6
Thank you Trialogue and @Dr Imtiaz Sooliman from Gift of the Givers Foundation. Indeed, ours is a great country. And we do make it greater, by standing together.
South African society is unique. Despite the many challenges our society faces, from poverty to crime to corruption to load-shedding, when times are tough, South Africans come together to help make a difference. And while government has an intrinsic responsibility to address many of these issues, corporates have their part to play too. This was the gist of the inspiring closing keynote speech delivered by Dr Imtiaz Sooliman at the Trialogue Business in Society Conference 2024. Dr Sooliman is widely known and respected for the philanthropic efforts of his organisation, Gift of the Givers Foundation, which has delivered countless resources and interventions to South African communities in need. In his speech, Dr Sooliman reiterated that without corporate investment, much of the work of his and other humanitarian organisations would not be possible. He cited several examples, from disaster relief to catch-up surgeries. In a rallying call to the audience, he ended off by saying, ��This is a great country. Make it greater, standing together.” Access the full speech here: https://lnkd.in/drcW9CjK