Workshop on fundraising and communication for NGOs

MORE and more non-governmental organisations are facing difficulties in raising funds for their respective causes due to the current economic scenario.

One suggestion to the problem is to have all the NGOs help each other through networking to share their experiences and opinions on the issues at hand.

It was suggested by Resource Mobilisation, an organisation that conducts workshops to help NGOs in this aspect.

The organisation will be organising a three-day workshop on fundraising and communication from 9am to 5pm between May 8 and May 10.

Participating NGOs would be taught on the techniques in networking, writing targeted press releases and, most importantly, telling stories that would open the hearts of audiences to the causes at hand.

Resource Mobilisation director Ann Woo said there were approximately 47,000 NGOs with different agendas, strategies and professional standards in the country.

“It is a time for NGOs to network and share with one another because with the hike in prices, it’s becoming very difficult for people, let alone NGOs, to raise funds.

“We are hoping to help NGOs pick up more skills in fundraising with the workshop, and to encourage them to be creative in their fundraising ideas,” she said, adding that the workshop would also be teaching the NGOs the value of branding among other things.

Speakers at the workshop would consist of Management Consultancy (Asia) executive chairman Usha Menon, The Salvation Army Malaysia public relations director Nigel Jones, and a number of other speakers well-versed in the topic of appealing to their audiences.

Early birds for the workshop would be charged RM750 per person before March 15 and RM800 per person from March 16 onwards.

Organisation chairman Gan Chin Kiew said to help NGOs be more professional in their operations, they would also be taught methods of keeping good accounting systems.

“Where there is a need, we will try to fund NGOs which are not able to afford the workshop, as we believe for them to arrive at sustainability, NGOs need to build their own fundraising teams,” added Gan.

An NGO Charity Dinner Award Night would also be held on May 8 at 7pm in conjunction with the workshop to advocate creativity in fundraising.

Tables for the charity dinner are priced at RM3,000, RM5,000 and RM10,000 per table.

He also invited NGOs to participate in a competition titled ‘Best Creative Idea on a Small Budget’.

The most inventive idea on limited resources would win RM10,000.

Deadline to submit their entries for the competition is March 31.

For more information on the workshop, charity dinner and the competition, contact Woo (03-7732 0955 / 019-386 7022) and Mendy Lee (016-261 6498) or email [e-mail]