If your vicug is moving from a cookie and coffee kind of organization to
something more substantial, than money will be a big part of that shift.
Below is a guide on fundraising for disability groups which is packed with
useful ideas.
kelly
>From the web page
http://www.independentliving.org/DAA/DAAKit51.html
Disability Awareness in Action
Fund-Raising
Resource Kit No. 5
Written by Agnes Fletcher
(c) 1996 Disability Awareness in Action, All rights
reserved
Published by
11 Belgrave Road, London SWIV IRB, United Kingdom
ISBN I 898037 20 5
DAA is funded through the generosity of the British
Government,
ICCO, the Platinum Trust, Charity Projects and the
Baring Foundation.
Contents
About this Kit
Ways of Fund-Raising
Companies
Sponsorship
Subscriptions
Local Sources of Finance
Donations, Wills and Covenants
Funding Agencies
Self-Financing
Effective Fund-Raising
Research - Research - Research
Target
It All Takes Time
Responsibility
Spending Wisely
Funding Applications
General Principles
Letter of Inquiry
What to Put in a Proposal
The Summary
Writing About Your Organisation
Describing the Project
Goals and Objectives
Describing Your Plan of Action
Explaining Evaluation Methods
Preparing a Budget
Support Materials
The Covering Letter
Reporting to Funders
Facts and Figures
About DAA
Publications
Words
----------
About this Kit
"Disabled people should move away from charitable
behaviour. We should do away with being dependent."
Beatrice Ngobo, South Africa.
No Money: No Dignity, No Democracy, No Rights
The greatest problem most disabled people have is
poverty. A disabled person with a job or an
organisation with money is in a far stronger position.
Organisations of disabled people need funds to:
* run campaigns
* support members
* finance the group's activities.
Many institutions give funds to organisations to help
them run projects and activities.
This kit gives ideas about your funding strategy - how
to raise and use money effectively.
Organisations of disabled people need to have the
skills to:
* know where to go for funds
* manage money well
* budget effectively
* have enough money to keep the organisation running
smoothly throughout the financial year
* develop and achieve their goals and objectives.
This kit shows you how to raise and use funds for the
work of your organisation - by finding out about
funding agencies, sending good funding proposals and
managing your money well. You can use it to help you
put together a funding proposal. At the end, you
should be able to show the answers to all the
questions given on page 21.
----------
Ways of Fund-Raising
Companies
Companies give in different ways. They give cash or
"gifts in kind" (resources other than money - anything
from paint to paperclips). Large companies may even
let members of staff work for you full-time, "on
secondment", paying the whole of the employee's
costs.They believe this to be the most cost-effective
support for a project in which they want to make a
real impact.
Businesses may also help to run training sessions for
members of a voluntary organisation -for example, in
basic bookkeeping, management or public relations
skills.
Most companies prefer to support local organisations
in the communities in which they operate, leaving
national support to public and grant-making bodies.
Many companies also prefer appeals that are relevant
to their business, perhaps a project of interest to
the users of their products or services, and to
appeals in which a member of staff is involved.
All companies get more appeals than they can possibly
hope to support. Because of the administrative tasks,
most have to make almost instant decisions on which
appeals to reject without further consideration. Many
reject appeals that are obviously sent in the same
form to large numbers of companies, poorly presented
appeals or appeals which are obviously inappropriate.
This is why it is so important to think very carefully
about whether a company might be interested. Use any
contacts you have to find this out. Write a brief
personal appeal letter, highlighting the benefits to
the company (good public relations, potential new
clients, coverage in local media, etc.).
Imagine someone having to read 60 funding applications
a week and only being able to give two or three hours
a week to this. The easier you make it for them to
read and respond to your appeal, the easier it will be
for them to say yes.
Companies Give
* To create goodwill.
* To be linked with certain causes.
* To be seen as good neighbours in their local
communities.
* To create good relations with employees.
* To gain a higher media profile.
* Because it is expected of them.
* Because the chair or managing director has a
special interest.
* Because the organisation seeking sponsorship keeps
trying.
Companies don't like to keep refusing worthwhile
causes, so keep trying. Don't pester but politely try,
as often as funding applications are allowed - unless
you know the company just won't give to disabled
people or you can't afford the postage. One charity
recently got a big donation after more than 10 years
of trying! Most of us wouldn't want to continue trying
for that long. But if you are turned down, think about
ways to improve your approach.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship by a business is, for the business, a form
of advertising: they pay money to have their product
or company advertised by you in your publication, at
your conference, on your envelopes or in other ways.
If you want sponsorship, you have to be absolutely
certain that the company you are approaching will
benefit. For instance:
* if you want them to sponsor your newsletter; you
offer them free advertising
* if you want them to sponsor your postal costs, you
say that every envelope will carry their name or
logo.
Many larger voluntary organisations get paid-for
advertising for their annual reports, for brochures
for special events, and in other printed materials
which are going to a large readership or to a selected
readership. Offer advertising space to particular
companies. If, for instance, a special issue of your
newsletter is on transport, speak to approved car
companies.
Some organisations have gained sponsorship for aids
and equipment by agreeing to put the name of the
sponsor on the equipment. In Colombia, the cost of
making dropped kerbs has been paid for by local
businesses who put their names as plaques in the kerbs
as a reminder of their sponsorship!
For sponsorship, you approach the marketing or
advertising part of the company. Ask for the marketing
or advertising manager. Give them information on how
many people are likely to see the company's name or
how many areas you can cover
For instance, if you are trying to find sponsorship to
buy a vehicle, say where you will be taking the
vehicle (which can have the sponsor's name on it) and
how often it will be out and about. If you want
sponsorship for a publication, say how many people
will read it.
Subscriptions
You can ask people to become a 'friend' or supporter
of your organisation. This can be an easy way of
asking for money, though it does not always bring in a
lot.
Most disabled people do not have the money for
subscription but some do. You can have different
subscription rates for different groups of people. For
example, disabled members, non-disabled family and
friends, non-disabled benefactors ("friends") in the
community.
Make sure the subscription rates are reasonable.
You can make titles for people who wish to give
different subscriptions and set a price on each of
these titles, with different benefits, such as getting
the newsletter, coming to meetings, using a particular
service that you run. Titles might be:
* Friend
* Associate Member
* Life-member
Consider whether a subscription scheme is going to be
worthwhile.
Remember you have to collect the money, send out
reminders, keep an up-to-date list. All this takes
staff time - which is money. So work out a rough
budget - how many possible members against time spent
- and see whether it is worth it.
If you have a large readership of a newsletter, and
therefore already have a list and can easily contact
your members, then a subscription may be worth it. But
if you have only a few members and cannot make enough
contacts in the community, then a subscription may not
be worthwhile.
Local Sources of Finance
Raising money locally should be a big part of your
fund-raising strategy. It provides money but it also
helps your relationship with supporters in the local
community. If people have helped your project, they
will feel a part of its success. This is as important
as the money you raise.
As long as what you do is legal and upholds the
dignity of disabled people, there is no reason why you
should not use a variety of methods to raise money.
Fund-Raising Events
Here are some ideas for events and activities that you
might organise to raise money:
* Fetes and carnivals
* Community festivals
* Bread and cheese lunches
* Coffee mornings
* Bingo
* Open days
* Sports events
* Auctions
* Jumble sales
* Sponsored walk and wheel
* Firework displays
* Picnics and outings
* Discos
* Games evenings
* Concerts
* Treasure hunts
* Competitions
* Craft fairs
* Sale of produce
Arranging Things
* Set a date.
* Choose the type of event
* Choose a venue or a route - safe and accessible,
with toilets.
* Consult and get permission from the local
authority and police, if necessary.
* Involve other organisations, such as local
schools, youth clubs, sports clubs, etc.
* Organise publicity for the event and about your
organisation.
* Ask for sponsorship from a local firm to pay for
costs in return for publicity.
* Contact local press and radio.
* Invite a local or national disabled celebrity to
start the event or take part.
* Arrange all necessary equipment.
* Tidy up afterwards.
* Thank people who took part
* Publicise the total amount of money made among
members and the community.
Making it Successful:
A good idea + good organisation + hard work = SUCCESS
Fund-raising events have one drawback - they take
time. Build your activities around people who want to
do them and who have the necessary skills to organise
a successful event.
Donations, Wills and Covenants
If you build up a list of supporters which includes
people who have given you money in the past, your
membership and others who may be interested in
supporting you, you can ask them to give you a
donation.
If you can't make personal contact, then write. If you
are writing to lots of supporters then you will have
to send out a standard letter. Your chairperson, a
celebrity, the mayor or a well-known businessperson
might sign it for you. The letter should tell people
why it is important to give and what size of donation
you are looking for. Give examples of equipment you
can buy or services you can provide for, say, a week
with an indication of the cost. By showing potential
donors that specific results will be achieved, you may
persuade them to give more than they might otherwise
have done.
You might like to invite potential funders to a
meeting or presentation. The more personal you can
make the approach, the more likely they are to give.
* Direct Mailing
Direct mailing involves sending an appeal for
funds to all of a particular mailing list, say
readers of a newsletter, or members of another
organisation. You need to look at the
effectiveness of direct mailing before starting.
It is expensive in staff time and postage and
often does not give much profit for two or three
years - but then it can be successful, especially
if you can target special groups, such as doctors
and lawyers.
* Legacies
Why not encourage your supporters to remember you
in their will? This can become an important source
of future income. Get in touch with local lawyers.
They sometimes advise people on charitable
bequests. Send them a letter outlining the
importance of your work (and stressing the local
benefit) and ask them to mention your group as a
possible beneficiary. You might even consider a
memorial board for commemorating people leaving
you a legacy. Or, if the legacy is large enough,
you could name a room or something else after them.
* Tax Relief on Donations - Deeds of Covenant
What are the arrangements for tax relief on
donations in your country? In some countries, you
can get an extra 40 per cent of the money donated
by claiming tax back.
This is arranged through a "deed of covenant". The
donor agrees to support you over a period of several
years. This agreement has to be made in writing using
the correct form of words. The donor pays tax at the
basic rate. Your organisation reclaims the tax using
the necessary procedure.
Funding Agencies
These are organisations set up privately or by
governments to distribute money for charitable
purposes. Usually, income from the investment of a
capital sum is distributed in the form of grants. Also
known as grant-making trusts, many have particular
areas of interest - for example, women's projects,
children, disability, arts, education, social welfare
and aid and development programmes. Many libraries
have directories or lists of these agencies.
There are always large numbers of applications to
these agencies and limited funds, so many good
proposals, even if they meet all the criteria, still
have to be refused. Contact them first to ask how they
want applications to be made. Some have application
forms; some like an introductory letter and some just
ask for a proposal.
Further information about funding proposals is given
in FUNDING APPLICATIONS.
Why A Self-Help Group Appeals to Funders
* Self-help groups made up of the people
experiencing the problems are in a unique position
to identify desirable and effective courses of
action to counter the effects of disability.
* Self-help groups are attractive to trusts, large
companies (including foreign corporations) foreign
embassies/governments, churches.
* Self-help employment schemes, due to their
typically low overhead costs (as a result of
donated capital), can compete for a wide range of
sub-contracted work from industry.
* Self-help employment schemes can lessen the
poverty of disabled people in a relatively short
time and with achievable capital expenditure.
* Self-help factories and workshops differ from the
traditional sheltered workshops because they are
run by disabled people, with all staff, including
any non-disabled people with necessary skills,
responsible to an executive committee of disabled
people.
Self-Financing
Many organisations of disabled people form
income-generation projects that not only support the
organisation but give increased training and
employment opportunities to disabled people. Over and
above this, some organisations are now selling their
expertise. They realise that, over the years, disabled
people have acquired knowledge and experience that
other people want. For some time, we have been giving
that knowledge away for nothing, but now some
organisations are selling their time and work as
professionals. Other professionals charge for their
advice - why shouldn't we?
Some Examples
* Charging for your time when giving advice on
access issues.
* Participating in research programmes.
* Giving training in disability equality issues.
----------
Effective Fund-Raising
Research - Research - Research
Knowing where to look for funding is your first step.
Large international and regional funding agencies may
have branches near you. Seek the advice of others who
have tried fund-raising and use your local library to
find contact numbers and addresses.
Many organisations make grants - businesses,
organisations of businesspeople, charities,
development agencies, government departments. Remember
that most are cautious and busy. The number of
applications for funds is so large that many good
proposals, even if they fit the priorities of the
funder, are refused.
International, regional and national funding agencies
have different demands for how a funding proposal
should be written or arranged. Whatever the specific
format, funders generally need certain common basic
information. They are usually interested in the
following:
* What is the problem, need or want?
* What solution are you proposing and why has it
been chosen?
* What are the expected benefits and for whom?
* Will the project work?
* Are the costs justified?
* Are the costs and skills within the means of the
donor?
* Can the agency give the resources you are seeking?
Each agency will look at your proposal in relation to
its own priorities and policies. For example, if
"self-reliance" and "community participation" have
been adopted as major policies, an extra question
would be: does your project contribute towards
community participation and the achievement of
self-reliance? Some funders give for "capital costs" -
that is the costs of things that are needed, such as
buildings, vehicles, equipment. Others give only for
revenue costs - or the costs of the day-to-day running
of the project. Make sure you know which area the
funder you are applying to covers.
Target
Choose the funding agencies whose interests most
nearly match your project and its needs. Be creative
in fitting your proposal into as many funding
categories as possible.
Do not send copies of your proposal to
agencies you have not researched, those for
which your proposal is clearly not
appropriate, or those that do not fund your
type of organisation.
It is a far better use of your
organisation's time and money to target a
few carefully researched agencies that may
be interested in your proposal than to send
letters and proposals to dozens of agencies
in the hope that one might be interested.
Build a Relationship
Get to know your funder Try to talk to the person who
is dealing with your application. Encourage them to
come to visit you. Always let them know of any
problems you may have. Think of their needs too. Don't
ask for too much money. Don't forget - they only know
what you tell them about yourselves.
Don't ask for too much money!
A $25,000 request may be reasonable from an
organisation whose regular budget for giving is large.
It is probably too much for an organisation that is
relatively young, does not have a "track record" of
administering grants and/or has a regular budget of
only $40,000.
If you are a new organisation, it is better to start
asking for smaller grants and gradually increase the
amount as your organisation builds a record of
successful grant management.
Funders want to know that their money is properly
used. If you are a new organisation and have no proof
that you can administer well, then ask for a small
amount to prove your abilities.
Consider multi-year requests. Most projects related to
disability are trying to make major changes in
people's lives and in society. They will take several
years to become effective. For most projects, it may
be wise to consider asking for funding for at least
two years. You might ask for more money the first year
(when start-up costs are high) and less for the second
year.
Funders like to support projects that have the
potential to become self-sufficient over time, so
their contribution can be smaller each year as a
project gains increased local support.
Some agencies will guarantee funding for more than one
year. Others will not but if you do well in terms of
the first year's aims and provide the funder with a
clear, accurate and prompt report of your first year's
results, there is a chance that you will get
favourable consideration for the second year.
It is good to build a strong and continuing
partnership with one or more funders in this way.
It All Takes Time
Many months, sometimes even a year may pass between
the time you give your proposal to a potential funder
and the time you get a reply. Although the process for
proposals varies from agency to agency, it might
include these stages:
* A letter of inquiry is received and looked at by
an agency officer who decides if the project is
within the agency's funding guidelines.
* The applicant organisation (you) is then asked to
send a full proposal and may be given a particular
outline to follow.
* You send in your full proposal.
* The agency's officer reads the proposal along with
many others.
* The officer may ask others to review and comment
on the proposal, especially if it comes from
another country.
* The officer may contact you to ask for further
information or for certain points in the proposal
to be made clearer. You may respond on the
telephone or may be asked to answer in writing.
* After the officer collects any extra information
for all the proposals they are dealing with, they
prepare an analysis of each and may rate it in
comparison to the others.
* Copies of all proposals are given to members of
the agency's board of directors or grants
committee along with the staff members' comments.
* At the next meeting of the board or committee
(which may not be for several months) a decision
is made to fund or not fund the proposal and a
notice of the decision is sent to you.
Because of the length of the proposal-review process,
when possible start fund-raising at least a year
before the money will be needed.
You should not submit a proposal until your plans are
fairly firm and you should avoid any major changes to
your plans in the middle of the review process if at
all possible. Circumstances may mean that plans need
to change over the course of a year. This should be
explained - the change and the reasons behind it. If
the aims or main features of an action plan change, it
may suggest to the funding agency that you didn't plan
very carefully in the first place.
Some funding agencies get more than twelve requests
for every one they award. Consider yourself lucky,
especially to begin with, if one in every dozen
proposals you send out is funded. The odds should
improve as you build a track record of doing good work
and as funders become more aware of the problems you
want to tackle and the work you are doing.
Responsibility
The Board of Management or the Executive Committee has
overall responsibility for the financial management of
an organisation. They may choose one or more people -
not necessarily the treasurer - to have special
responsibility for fund-raising and to help any staff
who are also fund-raisers.
Your organisation might have one person in charge of
project planning and another who writes the proposal,
or a single person who does both of these jobs, or a
single person who does everything! However, many other
people may need to take part in the planning/writing
process, such as members of governing and advisory
committees, people who will be responsible for
carrying out different parts of the project,
representatives of other groups you will be working
with, evaluation consultants and those who will have
responsibility for managing the money and accounting.
Fund-raising is a creative job, although a lot of time
is spent writing letters and applications As a
fund-raiser, your job is to sell the work, to put
across the interest and the enthusiasm of members, so
that the person reading your application - who isn't
necessarily an expert in your area - can see what an
exciting project it is.
If you write a fund-raising application giving endless
lists of names and small details, no one will read
past the beginning of the second page. You need to
write in a way that will keep the reader's interest.
This isn't easy.
You don't have to be a professional writer or a
magician to write an excellent proposal. What you do
need is a clear action plan and the ability to explain
it in simple language.
Even the best proposal writer cannot produce an
outstanding proposal unless the project has been
planned with care and in detail and unless the writer
has access to all the information.
Start small. Once you have built up a reputation for
hard work and reliability, you may be able to persuade
funders to give more. The secret of fund-raising is an
imaginative but inexpensive presentation of the
project and evidence of good administration.
Remember:
* Go to the right funders.
* Be clear about why you need the money.
* Keep trying.
Spending Wisely
STEP ONE: Making Plans
Decide what you want to do.
Agree actions to be taken.
Find out how much they will cost.
STEP TWO: The Budget
Write your budget.
It must be reasonable.
Change it if you don't get the funds.
The golden rule is: don't spend what you
haven't got!
Cheaper choices may be available.
If you have lots of projects, budget each one
separately as well as making them part of the
whole budget/programme.
STEP THREE: Fund-Raising
Do some research before anything else.
Applying to the right funder is the most
important thing to get right.
Build up a relationship with the people who
work for the funding organisation.
Put in a clear and reasonable proposal with
budget.
STEP FOUR: Keeping Control
Keep regular records so you know how much
money you have and what your cash flow is.
Change your budget if necessary.
STEP FIVE: Reporting
Make regular reports during the project and a
final report to the funder.
----------
Funding Applications
General Principles
As a fund-raiser, you must make sure your application
fits what you know about the funding agency and make
your application very easy to understand.
In drawing up your first few funding proposals, it may
help to ask someone who has experience in preparing
plans and costing, even if this experience isn't
related to disability organisations.
Always apply in writing, not by telephone or in person.
Good Proposals
Your application/funding proposal should be:
* attractive to read, containing all the information
needed to persuade
* short, clear and concise
* on time - find out the final dates for this year's
applications
* addressed to the right person, with their name and
address correctly spelled
* right for the particular funder, in terms of
declared policies and size of grant.
Follow Up
Keep a record and copies of all applications, with
dates of each and notes of any phone calls or meetings.
If there are any requests for further information,
respond quickly.
If you are successful, it's very important to thank
the funding agency for their help. You may be
re-applying to them for something else in the near
future.
Build Your Relationship With the Funder
It's also worth keeping in touch, telling your contact
with the funding agency about the progress and success
of the project they are funding or any problems that
arise. Keep to any reporting date deadlines. A fully
informed funder is more likely to consider further
support.
If you are not successful, it may be worth asking to
speak to an administrator and asking for advice on
what was wrong with your application. Funding agencies
get an enormous number of requests and are not able to
fulfil them aII. Advice from someone on the inside
might help you in the future.
Letter of Inquiry
Your first letter should be made up of the following
pieces of information.
Opening Paragraph
How much money is being asked for and why?
Your Organisation
State the aims of your organisation. Describe
its main activities and accomplishments and
its special qualifications to carry out the
planned project. Give some supporting evidence
on your organisation's achievements and
qualifications.
The Project
Describe the most important features of the
proposed project. Include some specific
information about its scope and consequences.
Be sure you describe what needs to be done in
such a way that it leads logically to your
planned solution.
Goals and Objectives
Summarise these briefly. Include aims which
can be evaluated.
Closing
Say that you would appreciate a chance to
submit a proposal for this project and explain
how the agency can communicate with you most
effectively.
Example:
Your organisation's name, address and telephone details
Address of funding agency
Date
Dear...
I am writing for information on the possibility of
funding assistance for a project that we have
identified.
The project is concerned with (give title or brief
description of the project idea, including its
objectives, expected activities, outcomes and
estimated budget needs].
We would be grateful to know if your organisation
would consider providing technical or financial
assistance for such a project If so, how should we
apply for the necessary assistance? Please provide us
with the relevant application forms, if there are any.
Should you not be in a position to help us, we would
be grateful if you could recommend other organisations
that may be interested in our proposal.
Yours sincerely
Name and position within the organisation
What to Put in a Proposal
Only send a full funding proposal if it is called for
in the agency's application guidelines or it is asked
for. If an agency asks you to follow a specific
format, always do so. If it doesn't specify what
should go into the proposal, you can safely follow
this outline:
A summary
Information about your organisation, its
policy and structure
A description of the project, why it is needed
and who will benefit
Goals and objectives of the project
Plan of action
Expected outcomes
The evaluation process
Budget and finances
Support materials - latest audited accounts,
evidence of effectiveness (this could be an
annual report or a letter of appreciation).
If your organisation is a registered charity, send the
registration number. If it has an official tax
exemption number or letter, send the reference.
Tell Enough But Not Everything
You do not have to tell everything about each subject.
Provide just enough information to adequately describe
each section and no more. If you put too much in, the
person reading the proposal will get lost in minor
details and miss the important points. After your
proposal is written, read it over very carefully.
Identify any unnecessary sentences and paragraphs and
get rid of them.
Be Specific
There are very few places in your proposal where it is
appropriate to make elaborate general statements,
other than perhaps in describing the long-term goals
and philosophy of your organisation. The rest of the
proposal should be in specific, plain and simple
language. Otherwise, the person who reads your
proposal may not know what you are talking about.
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED BY YOUR FUNDING PROPOSAL
* WHAT?
What is the project you want money to carry out?
* WHO?
Who will be running and managing the project?
Who will benefit from the project?
* WHY?
Why is the project needed?
* WHEN?
What is the time-scale of the project?
* WHERE?
Where will the work be carried out?
* HOW?
How and by whom will the project be carried out?
How will you know it has been successful?
The Summary
The summary should be brief, not more than one and a
half pages long. It should only contain statements
that are fully supported in the main proposal. The
time to write the summary is after you have written
the main proposal. Below is an outline of what it
might look like.
Project title
Applicant
Name of Organisation:
Address:
Telephone No:
Fax No:
Contact Person: title and name of person with
overall responsibility for the application
Applicant Organisation
Write a very short paragraph describing your
organisation. Summarise its qualifications for
carrying out the proposed project. Be specific!
Geographical Focus and Target Group
Describe the area where the project will
operate and who will benefit.
Duration of Project
Give the number of years for which funding is
requested and a starting date.
Budget
Break down expenses by year and by source:
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Total Expenses ____ ____ ____
Amount requested from funding agency ____
____ ____
Amount from all other sources ____ ____
____
The Purpose
Describe the nature and extent of the
problem(s) being addressed by your project in
one paragraph. Include evidence to support
your statement.
Project Description
Summarise long-term goals and one-year
objectives. Describe the overall project
strategy and the major steps to be taken in
reaching your goals. Point out important
features of the plan of action, including
those that will help assure success and cost
effectiveness of the project. Mention any
significance the project will have beyond the
years for which it will be funded and effects
outside the area where it will be carried out.
Expected Outcomes
Give a brief idea of what you think the
project will achieve for your target group.
Writing About Your Organisation
What you include in this section depends on the
activities of your organisation and how long it has
been in existence. Make sure that everything you
include is correct and could be proved if necessary.
Below is an outline of the type of things you might
include.
Name of Your Organisation
Background
Describe your organisation and one or two of
its most important features in no more than
two sentences. Who started the organisation?
When, how and why was it started? What is its
purpose?
What is the organisation's guiding philosophy?
Keep this short.
What are the most important events in the
history of the organisation? Just mention
really important achievements or changes in
direction.
Members/beneficiaries
Describe the individuals/organisations that
belong to and benefit from your organisation.
Activities and Accomplishments
Describe the organisation's recent activities.
Be specific in explaining the scope of these
activities. Do they involve 25, 150 or 2,500
people?
Describe the results or impact of activities.
Where possible, support claims of impact with
statistics or other evidence. Summarise the
results of any previous evaluations of the
organisation's work. A very good way to
convince a funder that your organisation's
projects are well-managed is to give evidence
that you have evaluated past projects.
You might want to include a few quotes from
beneficiaries, community leaders or experts
familiar with the work of the organisation, as
well as statistical evidence of achievements.
Mention any honours, awards or special
recognition received.
Human and Other Resources
In a few sentences, describe the governing
body of the organisation and who or what kinds
of people make the main policy decisions, i.e.
is the organisation controlled and run by
disabled people? Mention any advisory
committees and who is involved with them.
Describe the paid and volunteer staff: numbers
of people, their job titles and
responsibilities if it is a small staff;
departments or divisions in a larger
organisation; and geographic location of staff
if the organisation has several offices.
Organisational Affiliations
Mention any organisations that work with your
group in carrying out projects and what they
do.
Show your organisation's involvement with any
other local, regional, national or
international organisations, including both
governmental and non-governmental groups.
Funding
Describe the financial situation of the
organisation in general terms, how big the
budget is and major funders. Note any
international contributors. Explain sources of
earned income, such as membership dues, fees
for services, money from sale of goods, etc.
Problems
If conditions are unsettled or uncertain in
your region, mention any characteristics of
your organisation that will enable it to
continue to carry out the project for which
you are seeking funds. For example, if the
political situation is unstable, does your
organisation get support from several
political groups? Does strong community
participation and backing enable your
organisation to continue operating in spite of
lack of support from other sources? Give
evidence of that support
Failure to admit to problems will not promote
confidence in your organisation and its proposal.
Describing the Project
In this section you let the funding agency know why
the project is needed. They may not be experts in
disability and may have little or no idea of just how
hard life is for disabled people.
You need to let them know about the situation you are
trying to improve and the project you think will do
this. An outline of what this part of the proposal
might look like is given below.
The Project
Mini-Summary
Summarise the nature and extent of the problem
in one or two sentences.
Description of the Problem
What is the nature of the problem? What are
its main causes and the main barriers to its
solution? Give evidence.
How many disabled people in how many regions
or provinces are affected? What kinds of
disabled people are they - rural or city
dwellers, men, women, children, older people?
Support what you say with evidence from
government reports or statistics, studies by
non-governmental agencies, universities, or
recognised experts. Name your sources.
What are some of the consequences of the
problem? For example, if you are concerned
about levels of education, describe economic
and social consequences.
You can use the experiences of your members
and staff as sources of evidence when
describing the problem.
Other Efforts to Address the Problem
What efforts have been made recently or are
currently being made? Why is your project
necessary as well as - or instead of - these
other efforts?
Your Organisation's Experience with the Problem
First of all, it is disabled people who have
the expertise when it comes to finding
solutions to the problems of disability. This
is an important point to make. Describe your
organisation's experience and strengths in
relation to the problem. Peer support and
advocacy may be an important element of the
programme. Seeing other disabled people in
positions of responsibility, gaining and using
skills and living independently can be an
enormous help to other disabled people.
Goals and Objectives
Long-Term Goals
Different people have different definitions of the
words "goals" and "objectives". Many use "goals" to
talk in a general way about the situation they would
like to develop in the long-term. For example: "Full
participation and equalisation of opportunities for
all disabled people is certainly not a situation that
exists now, nor is it likely to exist in the next few
weeks, months or even years! It is a goal that we are
all working towards.
Example:
The goal of your organisation might be "to gain full
participation and equalisation of opportunities for
all disabled people" in your local area. You can then
measure any activities undertaken by your organisation
in terms of that overall goal.
Short-Term Objectives
"Objectives" often describe what you hope to happen in
the short-term. These are milestones on the way to
long-term goals. Objectives need to be specific. An
objective should state:
* what will be accomplished
* by or for whom it will be done
* how much will be done or for how many people it
will be done
* when it will be done.
Objectives should be stated in terms of a measurable
result. An objective might be to reach a certain level
of literacy for a particular number of disabled people.
Example:
Objective: to ensure literacy for ten disabled women
within two years.
Describing Your Plan of Action
Your plan of action is a description of the stages you
will go through to reach your objectives. It is
important to make clear, both to yourself and to the
reader, the reasons why you have chosen these
particular stages. In other words, you need to explain
the "strategy" (or philosophy) you are following that
led you to decide on these stages.
You should show the cost-effectiveness of the project
and how it can continue after the grant ends. For
instance, you are cost-effective because you use
volunteers or other local resources. You can continue
because income-generation is part of the project.
You need to make sure that your project meets the
standards set by the funder For example, if the funder
wants evidence of development and your project is
about self-help, you need to explain the relationship
between development and self-help. Funders don't
always have experience of what you are trying to
achieve. They may not know why your project fits their
standards unless you tell them.
Significance
It is a good idea to point out what is special or
unique about your project and how it could be a model
of excellence.
Explain any significance your plan of action has for
the future; for cost benefits and benefits in quality
of life resulting from training in independent living.
Example
Project: training in independent living skills.
Long-term benefits: raised quality of life,
employability, social participation.
Timetable of Activities
Describe very briefly the major activities that will
occur during each year of a multiple-year project.
This schedule should include times when major capital
expenditures will take place.
People
Explain who will have overall responsibility for
directing the project.
Describe the responsibilities of others involved in
the project (use job titles not their actual names) or
groups of people (both paid and volunteer). Be brief!
This information will explain your budgeted about for
salaries.
Be sure to mention if any special community,
professional or other advisory committee for the
project will be set up and explain what it will do.
Timetable
A timetable generally shows what jobs will be carried
out during each month of the project year. This is
done on a chart with a line for each task to be
performed and a column for each month, marking the
months during which the task is carried out along the
line for that task.
Below is an example of a timetable for an independent
living skills training project.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
Sep Oct Nov Dec
Hire coordinator X
Recruit instructors X
Brief instructors X X
Plan training course X
Buy equipment and materials X
Conduct training X X
X X
Include in the timetable all the planning stages for
all activities. This might include:
* meetings with the project's target group or
cooperating organisations
* completing training courses
* preparing educational materials or publications
for printing
* buying and installing equipment
* looking for suitable office space.
Begin with a timetable that includes all the stages
you will go through to complete each activity. In the
final version of your proposal, you can cut out some
of the less important activities but keep them in your
working version so that you have a record if funders
ask you any questions.
Explaining Evaluation Methods
Monitoring is keeping a record of something; observing
and recording an activity or performance as you go
along.
Evaluation is judging the value or effectiveness of
something and usually happens at the end of a
particular project or process.
Monitoring is useful for evaluation. Funders like the
fact that you are looking at your project in a
professional way. An evaluation also gives you useful
information for any future plans.
When writing about your evaluation and monitoring
methods you could follow the outline given below.
Evaluation
Responsibility
Say who (what person or position) is
responsible for directing the evaluation
process? Say how they have fulfilled their
role - what their successes are and what the
problems have been.
Timetable
Say how often the evaluation will be carried
out and when the results will be reported. A
year-long project would probably only be
evaluated once - at the end. A three-year
project might be evaluated at 18 months
(mid-term) and at the end. You may want to
monitor progress more frequently to identify
and correct problems as you go along.
Evaluation
State what will you examine to measure the
success or lack of success of the project.
These things should be taken mainly from the
project objectives and there should be at
least one for each objective.
For example, if one objective calls for
reducing illiteracy among older disabled
people by 30 per cent after one year, the
results will be measured against this standard.
Say what data or facts you will collect for
your evaluation.
Decide how you will collect and record the
data needed for your evaluation;whether to use
questionnaires or interviews. Will the data be
collected as part of the ongoing business of
the project? Who will collect the data?
Monitoring
State what parts of the project will be
assessed during monitoring. Consider all the
major parts or activities that contribute to
reaching the project's objectives - staff
performance, training, publications,
transport, buying equipment, materials and
supplies, community relations, performance of
cooperating organisations.
Analysis
Say what process will be used to analyse the
data collected for the overall project report;
and who (what groups or individuals) will
study the evaluation data, draw conclusions
from them and make recommendations for
improvements. How will these people be chosen?
Use of Evaluation
Include a note of the people that the
evaluation report is to be sent to. How will
it be used to improve the project?
----------
Reporting to Funders
Reporting to Funders is Important
It is vital to send clear, complete, accurate progress
reports to your funders. The further away you are from
the agency that makes a grant to your organisation,
the more critical it is that you provide prompt and
adequate reports. Your reporting does not just
influence a funder's willingness to award a second or
third grant to you. It will also determine the kind of
information the funder will give to people from other
agencies who may ask about the sort of work your
organisation does and its reliability.
Agencies that fund the major part of a project have a
keen interest in its budget. They may ask that changes
in expenses in any budget category of more than a
certain percentage receive prior approval from them.
This need not be difficult to do. Sometimes it just
takes a phone call. (You should confirm changes agreed
in this way in writing.)
If you produce any newsletter or printed material,
make sure it is sent to your funders. Also send copies
of positive newspaper articles, announcements or
photographs of special events at the organisation or
educational materials you have developed.
Below is an outline of a progress report to funders.
Progress Report on
[Title of Project]
[Name of Organisation]
Introduction (summary and acknowledgements)
Write a short paragraph summarising the goals
of the project, what was done, most
significant results and important new
directions. Express thanks for the support of
the agencies that provided a major portion of
the financial backing for the project.
Activities
Provide a description of activities. Mention
if and why any of them differed from plans in
the original proposal. Describe any unexpected
problems or developments. Which kinds of
people - volunteers, community participants,
advisers, cooperating organisations - have
contributed greatly to the programme's
progress? From which kinds of people did you
need more effort or efficiency? Who or what
group has drawn these conclusions?
Evaluation of Results
State each project objective and show progress
made towards it. Give quantitative results,
such as numbers of people reached. If you have
any tables of data, put them in an appendix.
Mention any good results not described in
project objectives, whether they were expected
or a pleasant surprise.
Anecdotal Information
Write several very short (three or four
sentences) stories about incidents or events
that illustrate project operations. You can
use quotes. These stories can't go in place of
your other reporting but they can give the
reader the feeling of "being there". They can
show vividly what the project or programme
means to the individuals involved - disabled
people, their families and the community, even
staff or volunteers.
Recommendations or Next Steps
Explain briefly any project changes suggested
or planned for the coming year or reporting
period. These might include activities added,
got rid of or changed, changes in staffing,
methods or anything else. Explain how these
recommendations were decided upon.
Conclusions
This should simply cover the main outcomes of
the project so far and your hopes for the
future. What are the main conclusions you can
draw from the evaluation and monitoring so
far? Where has progress been excellent, where
has it been less than satisfactory? What were
major problem areas?
Financial Report
This report should be a reproduction of the
items in the proposal line budget (see example
budget ) and have two columns:
* budget - the figure in your original
budget
* expenditure - the amount spent to date for
each line item.
Explain any major differences between the
amounts budgeted and the amounts spent. At the
end, show:
* the total amount of grant money received
from the funder
* the amount of grant money spent to date
* the unspent balance of the grant.
Support Materials
These might include evaluation data, newspaper
clippings, photographs, interesting brochures
or educational materials produced by the
project.
Name of Project Director and Date
Other Uses of Reports
The report you have written can be useful in other
ways. You may not want to circulate the financial part
of the report but there are many things you can do
with other parts of it.
Send copies to:
* People in the community who helped the project.
Attach personal notes thanking them for their
contributions to its success.
* People in organisations you would like to have
help from in the future. Attach notes inviting
their comments on the report.
* People in organisations who might appreciate
learning from your experience and who might copy
your project model.
* A newspaper, magazine, radio or television
station. Invite them to visit you to learn what
you are doing. Good publicity can help to generate
local support.
* Any national or regional associations your
organisation belongs to and any professional
associations that might be interested in the
project.
Facts and Figures
About DAA
Disability Awareness in action (DAA) was set up in
1992, to promote, support and coordinate national
action by disabled people's own organisations and
their allies to further the equalisation of
opportunities and the human rights of all disabled
people, in accordance with the United Nations World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and
the Standard Rules on the Equalisation of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.
With a small staff of four in the United Kingdom, DAA
produces and disseminates information to help disabled
people and their organisations to use the channels and
contacts needed to influence governments and
policy-makers and to raise awareness of disability
issues.
DAA works to implement the philosophy that disability
is a human rights issue.
DAA Staff
Project Director: Rachel Hurst
Finance Officer: Kate Gane
Information Officer: Agnes Fletcher
Administrative Assistant: Amina Ariqy
Organisations Involved
Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) advocates the
rights of disabled people. Its philosophy is that
disabled people should achieve full participation and
equality in all societies. The DPI network has over
100 national assembly members, over half of which are
in developing countries. National affiliates aim to be
cross-disability, grassroots organisations. DPI has
consultative status with the United Nations.
IMPACT is an international initiative against
avoidable disablement, launched in 1983 by the UN
Development Programme, WHO and UNICEF. The
international office in Geneva and the national IMPACT
foundations in a number of developing and developed
countries join forces with governments, institutions
and the mass media to develop and initiate low-cost
measures to combat disability.
Inclusion International (formerly the International
League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap)
is the only organisation which speaks for the world's
50 million people with mental impairments, their
families and those who work for them. It now includes
169 societies from I05 countries. Inclusion
International exists to help members fulfil their own
objectives in response to local need. It has
consultative status with the UN and Council of Europe.
World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an international
organisation of national associations of the deaf. The
WFD was established in 1951and is working towards full
participation and equal rights for deaf people. WFD
has consultative status with the UN.
Addresses
Department of Public Information, United Nations, New
York, NY 10017, United States of America, Tel: +1 212
963 0353.
Disability Awareness in Action, 11 Belgrave Road,
London SWIV IRB, United Kingdom.Tel: +44 171 834 0477.
Fax: +44 171 821 9539 Text Telephone: +44 171 821
9812. e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Disabled Peoples' International, 101-7
Evergreen,Winnipeg, Canada R2L 2T3.Tel: + I 204 287
8010. Fax: + I 204 453 1267. Text Telephone: + I 204
284 2598. e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Disability Programmes Unit of the United Nations, 2
United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 100726,USA.Tel:+l
212 963 1966.
IMPACT Dr Hikmat Nabulsi, Coordinator c/o WHO, 20
Avenue Appia, CH- 1211, Geneva 27, Switzerland. Tel:
+41 22 791 3732/3. Fax: +41 22 791 0746.
Inclusion International, Galeries de la Toison d'Or,29
Chaussee d'Ixelles,# 393/32,B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Tel: +32 2 502 7734.. Fax: +32 2 502 2846.
Rehabilitation International, 25 East 2Ist Street,
NewYork, NY 10010, USATel: +1 212 420
15OO.TextTelephone:+l 212 505 0871.Fax:+l2125050871.
United Nations Development Programme, One UN Plaza,
New York, NY 10017, USA.
United Nations Disabled Persons Unit, Department for
Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development,
United Nations, New York, NY 1001 7, USA.
World Blind Union, c/o La Coruna 18, 28020 Madrid,
Spain.Tel: +34 I 571 36 85 /12 36.Fax: +34 I 571 5777.
World Federation of the Deaf, Ilkantie 4, P0 Box 65,
SF-00401 Helsinki, Finland.Tel: +358 0 5803 I. Fax:
+358 0 5803770.
Publications
Contact the organisations mentioned for price details.
The Complete Fundraising Handbook. From the Directory
for Social Change, 24 Stephenson Way, London NW I 2DP,
United Kingdom.
DPI Funders List. From Disabled Peoples' International.
Fund-Raising Leaflets. 12 leaflets on all aspects of
fundraising (UK focus). From the Directory of Social
Change.
A Guide to the Major Trusts,Volumes I and 2. From the
Directory of Social Change.
Handbook on Funding and Training Resources for
Disability-Related Services in Asia and the Pacific,
ESCAP, UN Building, Rajdamnern Avenue, Bangkok
10200,Thailand.
Non-Government Funding and Networking Contact List.
National and international funding agencies, their
names, addresses, region and target interests. English
and French. $30 (Canadian). From DPI.
Programmer's Tool Kit. How to develop and write a
project proposal. 80 pages. From Disabled Peoples'
International. English, French, Spanish and English
cassette. $12 (Canadian).
Third World Directory (fund-raising). From the
Directory of Social Change.
Tried and Tested Ideas for Raising Money Locally. From
the Directory of Social Change.
Words
Accomplishment something successfully completed
Affiliation association with something
Anecdotal short and personal account of something that
happened
Appendix additional material at the end of something
Auditor person who looks at accounts and says they are
correct
Benefactor person who supports or helps a person or
institution, particularly with money
Beneficiary person who gains and benefits from a
benefactor
Bequest something given to a person or organisation in
a will
Capital assets and resources
Coalition alliance between people or groups for a
particular purpose
Collaborate work with others on a joint project
Covenant agreement in writing to pay a stated annual
sum
Criteria standards by which something can be judged or
decided
Cuttings articles or photographs on a particular
subject cut from newspapers or magazines
Data information; relevant facts
Donor person or organisation making a donation
Elaborate complex and detailed
Evaluation judge or assess the value or worth of
something
Expenditure the spending of money
Format style, plan or arrangement
'In kind' as materials rather than in money
Legacy a gift by will
Letterhead usual design of address and/or logo for an
organisation's correspondence
Methodology ways of working
Milestone significant event
Monitoring keeping a continuous record of something;
looking at an activity or performance Multi-year
happening over several years
Objective something to be reached or achieved
Overheads business expenses, such as rent, not
directly related to a department or product
Participants people taking part
Peer support support from those like you; support of
disabled people by disabled people
Per diem allowance for daily expenses
Quantitative capable of being measured
Resume short summary of events; another name for
curriculum vitae or work history
Revenue source of income or gross income from a
business enterprise
Running costs money needed to keep ordinary activities
going
Schedule plan of procedure for a project Scope range;
area covered
Secondment transfer of employee to another post or
organisation, while continuing salary
Specify refer to; state as a condition
Target group group of people at which an activity is
directed
Track record record of accomplishments or failures
Order Form
If you would like copies of any of these publications,
pull out or photocopy this page.
DAA, 11 Belgrave Road, London SW IV I RB, United
Kingdom.
Fax: +44 I 71 821 9539.
e-mail:[log in to unmask]
[ ] DAA Resource Kit One: Media Information
[ ] DAA Resource Kit Two: Consultation and Influence
[ ] DAA Resource Kit Three: Campaigns
[ ] DAA Resource Kit Four: Organisation-Building
[ ] DAA Resource Kit Five: Fund-Raising
[ ] Information Kit on the Standard Rules for the
Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities
[ ] DAA Newsletter (monthly)
These materials are available in a number of formats.
Please tick which you would like:
[ ] English
[ ] French
[ ] Spanish
[ ] Large print (tick language)
[ ] Audio-cassette (tick language)
[ ] ASCII on computer disk (tick language)
[ ] English braille
Also available:
Information Kit to support the International Day of
Disabled Persons
This Kit is available in a number of formats. Please
tick which you would like:
[ ] Danish
[ ] Dutch
[ ] English
[ ] Finnish
[ ] French
[ ] German
[ ] Greek
[ ] Italian
[ ] Mandarin
[ ] Portuguese
[ ] Russian
[ ] Spanish
[ ] Large print (tick language)
[ ] English audio-cassette
[ ] French audio-cassette
[ ] Spanish audio-cassette
[ ] ASCII on computer disk (not Mandarin or Russian)
[ ] English braille
Single copies of each of the above are available free
to disabled people and their organisotions. For others
interested, or for further copies ofresource kits, we
ask for a donation towards printing costs. Developing
countries are exempt from this.
Also available but not free:
[ ] Overcoming Obstacles to the Integration of
Disabled People, a UNESCO sponsored report. PRICE: u8
(sterling).
[ ] We Have Become People: A Report on the Results of
Federal Disability Legislation in the United States of
America. PRICE: u8 (sterling).
The above two documents are only available in English.
Please tick which you would like:
[ ] Standard print
[ ] Large print
[ ] Braille
[ ] ASCII on computer disk
Please make cheques (only in pounds sterling or US
dollars) payable to Disability Awareness in Action.
Your Name:
Your Address:
'Half a billion voices raised in unison for
emancipation will not be denied' (Justin Dart)
ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
Disabled Peoples' International
IMPACT
Inclusion International
World Federation of the Deaf
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chair: Joshua Malinga
Vice Chair: Murray Holmes
Treasurer: John Chillag
Jane Campbell
Mary Holland
Sir John Wilson
PROJECT DIRECTOR
Rachel Hurst
Office
11 Belgrave Road
London SWIV IRB
United Kingdom
Tel:+44 171 8340477
Fax: +44 171 821 9539
Textphone:+44 171 821 9812
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
All DAA material is available in English, French and
Spanish, in large print, on audio-cassette, in ASCII
on computer disk and in English braille
----------
End of Document
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