Every Non-Governmental Organization (“NGO”) has a purpose. NGOs strive to make the world a better place, whether it is to save animals, provide clean energy, spread the gospel, or, like us here at Healing Waters International, end the global water crisis.
However, NGOs often get stumped on locating funding for their projects despite all these beneficial ideas. The United Nations, for instance, has reported that currently, “[t]here are significant financing, policy and governance gaps between aspiration and the current reality with respect to reaching every citizen with safe and affordable drinking water, adequate sanitation, and hygiene, and to eradicating the practice of open defecation.” From a faith perspective, the spread of COVID-19 has left individuals feeling isolated and hungry for the word of God. With the current state of society, our world needs NGOs now more than ever; thus, this article provides a comprehensive overview of methods an NGO can utilize to increase funding for their projects.
Fundraising Methods
The following is a brief synopsis of the top fundraising methods for raising funds for an NGO:
- Grants. The primary fundraising method for NGOs is to receive grants. Grants come in the form of federal grants, international governmental and corporate grants, and private grants;
- Amazon Smile;
- Social media Campaign;
- Events;
- GoFund Me; and
- Church Partnerships (If faith based).
Grants as a Fundraising Methods
Grants are the primary fundraising method for an NGO. Grants come in the form of federal grants, international grants, and private grants. Receiving a grant can prove to be quite lucrative for your NGO. For example, one NGO received $3 million from the Bank of America throughout the years to fund their project of providing safe sanitation and water to the people in Southern India and Brazil.
Grant writing, however, requires an extensive amount of time, research, and preparation, such that most NGOs have at least one person solely dedicated to preparing grants for their organization. A key prerequisite for most grants is that the NGO has a 501(c)(3) status. If your NGO has a 501(c)(3) status, preparing a grant is as follows: First, the grant writer must research what grants are available. As you research the grants, look to private organizations and corporations which often provide grants for charitable purposes. Also, some governmental and international organizations will provide grants as well. Each grant provider will list on their site:
- What purpose the grant is intended to serve.
- How much money the grant will provide.
- Qualifications an NGO must have to apply for the grant.
- Application process.
Second, the grant writer must next prepare the grant. A typical grant application consists of not only a formal application detailing your NGO’s qualifications on the government or private entity’s website but also an excellently drafted grant proposal. The grant proposal must detail who the NGO is, why the NGO is seeking the grant, how much money the NGO is requesting, a budget plan, a detailed explanation of how the money will be used, and the project’s desired results. Third, if the NGO is to receive the grant, most grantors require periodic follow-up on behalf of the NGO on how the project progresses and their money is being spent. As many NGOs are vying for one grant, NGOs will often need to apply to a multitude of grants to ensure the highest potential of securing funding for their project.
Despite the large amount of time to prepare and submit grant applications, grants tend to be a prime source for receiving funding for an NGO’s project. If your NGO is interested in applying for grants, check out this link as funding banks for what grants are available that you can apply for.
AmazonSmile
Most people love shopping on Amazon. In fact, it seems as though an Amazon package is arriving every day with some households. Amazon can surprisingly benefit your NGO through AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile “is a program that donates 0.5% of a purchaser’s final purchase price to the charity of the purchaser’s choice. To date, AmazonSmile has donated $306 million to US charities.” Again, your NGO must be a 501(c)(3) organization to participate; but, using AmazonSmile, moreover, requires little extra effort on behalf of the Amazon shopper. All the Amazon shopper has to do to purchase goods on AmazonSmile is log into Amazon with their usual amazon prime password, select what charity they want the proceedings to go to, and start shopping! AmazonSmile is an easy way to add additional funds to any NGO’s account. Check out this link here on how you can register your 501(c)(3) NGO for AmazonSmile.
Social Media Campaign
Utilizing a social media campaign to raise funds for your NGO is unique as it offers a huge global outreach promoting your NGO’s mission in a method that ensures it is directly in front of individuals. A social media campaign utilizes top social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc., to put your mission statement, project, etc., in front of potential donors. Social media campaigns allow potential donors to promote your mission for you through sharing, reposting, and commenting. Classy Blog recommended the following strategies for an NGO to run a successful social media campaign:
- Create a good hashtag.
- Recruit your partners and influences to promote your campaign.
- Offer a sweepstakes with your campaign. I.e., offer a gift for one lucky individual who shares, likes, and/or comments on the post.
- Daily Countdown.
- Make sure you are targeting the right audience.
- Do a pass on challenge (such as the famous Ice Buck Challenge). And
- Create filters that individuals can use on social media.
Events
Hosting an event is a great method to raise funds for an NGO and raise awareness about the NGO’s mission or project. Possibilities to consider are hosting a gala, workout classes, organizing a marathon, or having a bake sale. If your NGO is interested in hosting a gala, Forbes wrote a wonderful article detailing what is required to host a successful and profitable gala.
Raising funds for your NGO can be difficult, but not impossible. By proactively applying for grants, registering on AmazonSmile, hosting a social media campaign, creating a GoFundMe, and hosting various Events, an NGO can create multiple avenues for funding.
We Invite You To Join Us
Healing Waters invites you to join us in our mission to end the global water crisis. Reach out today and learn more about how you can be part of the solution.