Synergy #33 Spring edition 2003 - European Law Students ...

Money
around you
The following suggestions describe different ways of obtaining funds
from grants, however they should be taken as general guidelines they
are strict rules you have to follow. The suggestions might help you
structure your work and help others understand better what you are
doing and what you want to achieve, they will not help you organise a
project. Good projects cannot and should not be developed at a writing
desk. They should be developed in the field and trough your activities
with members. ELSA, as a network has the possibilities to give you a
lot of information, so use the network. When you read the following,
adjust it to your own experiences.
Basic Fundraising Tips
Get as much information as possible
Most international donors provide information on the kinds of work
they support in the form of annual reports, funding applications,
guidelines, charters, and in some cases regular publications. The
Internet can also provide you with a lot of information such as: how
many grants a donor awards each year, how large their average
grants are, what kind of organization they usually support and what
their guiding philosophy and history is. After requesting and receiving
such information, read it carefully. This will help you prepare a funding
proposal which is likely to be supported, and will also save a lot of
time and trouble because you may discover that a particular donor is
not appropriate for the project you are proposing. Be curious about
funding sources as you may learn that the donor has ties to political
or religious interests that are inappropriate for our organisation. You
have the right to ask questions and to say “no”. Do not forget that
we are a non-political and independent organization.
Seek support from more than one source
Sometimes a donor will only be able to partially support a project –
do not let this stop you. You should pursue the rest of the funds
from other sources - additional funds should be relatively easy to find,
since many foundations feel more confident supporting a project once
another donor has already committed to support it. Receiving funds
from more than one source is a good habit to establish. Having more
than one donor shows them that you are resourceful, and do not rely
solely on their support. Having a wide support base also contributes
to the health of your project.
Be persistent
Sometimes even the most well prepared proposals will be turned
down for any number of reasons. Rejections are commonplace and
you should not take it personally. You may get a reason for your
rejection or not, but you should always try to learn what you can
from the donor. Do ask if you can apply again at a later date. Rejections
are disappointing but you must continue to look elsewhere for the
support you need.
Build a relationship with donors
The best way to build a relationship with donors is simply to
communicate and keep in touch with them. It is relatively easy to
make a good impression simply by preparing all reports and financial
information in time, and occasionally sending information on other
aspects of your work, and responding to their requests or questions.
Sending a thank-you letter is a rule that is often forgotten. Remember,
the program officer of the donor has a number of responsibilities and
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Magazine of The European Law Students’ Association
Ivan Mujovic
Director for Financial Management
ELSA International
your written communications will help him meet these by giving him
important evidence that the foundation is doing its job. Personal,
handwritten letters in your own words are a very effective way of
letting the donor know your gratitude. Invite them to visit the project
or attend some event, send them your marketing material (with
donors name, logo or…). Send postcard for Christmas, New Year,
birthdays… Use your imagination and remember that they are people
who are sitting all day in the office and a phone call can make them
happy as well. If a donor cannot support your work at one point, they
may still do so in the future. It is good to keep in touch with some
donors who have not yet supported your work, but who have similar
interest and fields of activities.
Analyse and plan your project before submitting a
proposal
Keep in mind the audience for your proposal. Two common
reasons for refusal to fund are simply that either the donor is
inappropriate for the project, or because it is not adequately
described. Before approaching a donor with a proposal you
should be able to answer the following questions:
*Does the foundation’s field of interest include the type of service or
program you are proposing?
*Does the amount of money you are reque-sting fit within the donor’s
range?
*(If not, how do you propose to make up the difference?)
*Does the donor support projects in your geographic region?
*What type of organizations has the foundation supported in the
past?
*Does the donor require an application form? *Can proposal be
submitted whenever or are there specific deadlines for submission?
Follow up on your grant
Once you have the money and spent it, you must provide a full
financial report and a final narrative description to your donor(s).
They will inform of their particular reporting requirements and
deadlines when you receive the initial grant. You should also use
the opportunity of meeting your last duties for fulfilling the grant
to build up a relationship with your donor. And developing a longterm
relationship that will go a long way towards helping you
receive funding in the future.
Share funding information
One of the best ways to get funding tips is by word-of-mouth. If you
hear of a grant or funding opportunity that is not right for your group
(different geographical region…), pass the information on to someone
else that may benefit from it. Donors want to know about other
groups engaged in similar work in a region and donors do share
information with each other. Besides, donors like project involved in
more that one organization and are willing to support common projects.
Co-ordination
Co-ordination is the key to make sure that we as an association keep
as many grant possibilities open for our projects. This is reinforced by
council decision. Before you apply for a grant please remember that
there are other ELSA groups out there and inform them about your
steps if the grant also gives them an application opportunity, maybe a
common approach is possible? If different ELSA grant applications end
up at the same persons desk we show that we are not coordinated
with the possibility that no one gets anything.