On 18 and 19 October Whale Coast Conservation hosted a workshop conducted by Frank Julie on how to become a sustainable NGO. All WCC staff, member organisations and other non-profits were invited to attend the workshop which, by all accounts, changed a lot of mind sets of those who were privileged to attend and benefit from Frank’s down-to-earth wisdom and years of experience in organisational development. The workshop, aimed at developing organisations that promote environmental and social sustainability, was made possible by funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
A few of Frank’s pearls on fund raising include:
· Fund raising is not begging. Your work should be good enough so that funders will want to share your success.
· Build a relationship with your donors – yes, even corporate donors – by reporting regularly on what you are doing.
· Constantly monitor and evaluate your work. Be your own critic. Rather go slow – never go low. Strive for excellence even if it takes a bit longer.
· There is no such thing as a ‘no’ letter. The second prize in fund raising is a ‘no’ letter. This letter gives you so much information that it can be converted into a ‘yes’ letter – next time.
“After sitting through almost 2 days of listening to Frank, the only regret I had was that I didn’t have this
privilege 50 years ago.”
