Organizing a successful fundraiser is always a big challenge for individuals or non-profit organizations. That is also the concern of Ms. Ngo Thi Ha – Chief of Staff of Soc Trang blind association. But that all changed when she heard about and participated in the Fundraising Capacity Strengthening program, and raised a fund of 180 million VND right immediately after the training.
- Before participating in the first Fundraising Capacity Strengthening program, did you encounter any difficulties in fundraising activity?
Previously, in my major, I was also taught how to raise funds, but most of the knowledge was too universal and theoretical. Therefore, the chance for me to practice the theories I have learned is very low.
Second, at that time, the scale of the Soc Trang Provincial Blind Association was not large. That affected the activities of the organization, almost limited in the Soc Trang province, but has not spread strongly to other provinces. Another problem is that its sponsors are mainly individuals through close relationships of mine.
And finally, the organization at that time had not yet learned and applied technological advancement to operate the project, so it was often done manually. This leads to the operation process that takes a lot of time and resources, but the efficiency is not high.
- During the training session, are there any skills that you feel you have gained?
When I participated in the Fundraising Capacity Strengthening program of LIN Center for community development, I was able to study and work with fellow participants in the same period as me. I also had the opportunity to exchange more about my field with them and also open up more information about their projects in different fields. That helps me to expand my network to other individuals or organizations and to connect with more resources. And also through those relationships, I have the opportunity to meet many sponsors who are interested in my organization.
In addition, in the class, participants are extremely enthusiastic, bold and responsible, and that also partly motivates me to actively exchange my ideas. They are also very good at listening and contributing detailed information to help me improve my topic. For example, U began to pay more attention to and be more careful in the communication planning so that people would pay more attention to the organization’s activities.
In addition, the trainers are highly experienced and professional because they always help me to complete the project proposal. The priority of the faculty and the program is to create a place where participants and even faculty can learn from each other in terms of knowledge or experience about fundraising. That encouraged me to always confidently state my point of view and also be responsible for listening and contributing ideas to build a complete session. As for the trainers, they are always enthusiastic and help me even at the end of the training session. For example, after this training course, I was supported by Ms. Ha – the program’s trainer, in terms of providing knowledge about using design software for my project.
- How do you apply the knowledge you have learned to practice at a real fundraising event?
After completing the training, I was taught a lot more about how to organize an effective fundraising event. The most basic example is that I understand how to build a complete proposal plan to send to the sponsors. This step by step helps me work more professionally as well as connect my organization to the growing non-profit network out there.
Secondly, the training session helped me acquire the skills to effectively communicate the requirements and commitments of the project to the sponsors. The reason is because they have to know and understand the status of the project and what outcome or project solutions can be proposed to them. This helps the two sides to jointly communicate clear goals and methodical strategies throughout the cooperation process. And the results have come. For the first time, my organization was able to organize a fundraising event with the amount received of 180 million VND received in a short duration. I felt very happy because although my organization is not large in scale, we have achieved remarkable successes. Through that, I am also very grateful for the support of LIN faculty who built the Fundraising Capacity Building program to provide practical knowledge to projects or organizations to better understand this field. I hope this program can grow to approach more people to expand the growing non-profit network in Vietnam.
Thank you for participating in today’s sharing session. Wish you always have good health and enthusiasm to lead your organization to contribute positively to the development of the community.
How about YOU? Are you having difficulties finding where to start to organize an effective fundraising event? Don’t rush to worry! You can also become a bright person like Ms. Ha by registering for our second Fundraising Capacity Strengthening program in 2022! Register now and grasp the chance to participate in the first fundraising training program in Vietnam.
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You can find program information here:
✨Application form: https://forms.gle/nZzMhhpKeP3CmPtDA
✨Program booklet: https://bit.ly/FCS0522
✨Application closing time: 23:59 May 9, 2022
