U novembru 2010 grupa predstavnika nevladinih organizacija zapadnog Balkana, koje podržavaju razvoj lokalne filantropije, okupila se da razgovara o strategijama za dalji razvoj filantropije u našim državama. Nastojeći da objasnim na kakve prepreke prepreke nailaze neprofitne organizacije prilikom organizacije lokalnih aktivnosti za prikupljanje sredstava, upotrebio sam analogiju – dobar stonoteniser koji pokušava da igra tenis. Biti dobar i iskusan u igranju stonog tenisa – kao što su neprofitne organizacije u pisanju projekata, održavanju dobrih odnosa sa donatorima i implementaciji projekata koje su finansirale međunarodne donatorske agencije – ne kvalifikuje nas automatski za Noletove naslednike u tenisu – što znači imati dobre strategije lokalnog prikupljanja sredstava i taktiku.
Cultivating local donors: how can experienced ping pong player become new Novak Djokovic?
In November 2010 group of representatives from nonprofit organizations that support local philanthropy development from Western Balkan countries has met to discuss the strategies for further development of the philanthropy in our countries. Trying to describe the obstacles that nonprofit organizations have while organizing local fundraising activities, I used analogy – person with very good ping-pong playing skills that is trying to play tennis. Being quite good and experienced in playing ping-pong – as nonprofits are in writing proposals, maintaining good donor relations and implementing projects funded by the international donor agencies – does not qualify us much in becoming new Nole in tennis – that is being good in local fundraising strategies and tactics.
April 6, 2012
Local NGOs and Local Philanthropy – A natural match or… not quite?
Thinking about how to introduce and support undertaking more fundraising activities for mobilization of local resources to NGOs from Macedonia, CIRa in 2007 introduced so called “Philanthropy Development Grants (PDG)” under USAID funded CSSP- type of challenge grants where we offered to match all funds raised from local sources up to 5000 US$. Most of 13 organizations supported, succeed in their fundraising efforts (total of around 50.000 US$ from local resources raised) and especially they have stressed positive impact that their local fundraising efforts made to increasing their visibility on local level. The reaction of one NGO that was not so successful (only 525 US$ raised out of Silent Auction they organized) sharing their disappointment was” if we spend a month in project proposal development, than we will have raised 70.000 US$, and that for us organizing local fundraising event is simply wasting of time”. Except few organizations that have their annual budget covered from individual and corporate donations (i.e. Borka-local association that fight against breast cancer), most NGOs in Macedonia still think like NGO from example described above and believe that they will receive grant from remaining grant programs of international donors.
March 2, 2012
Philanthropy in the region: Introducing Republic of Macedonia
January is a month when people in Macedonia celebrate among several religious holydays (Orthodox Christmas, Epiphany, etc) and the birthday of Toshe Proeski – the famous singer that tragically lost his life in October 2007 in a car incident in Croatia. This 25th of January, on the day of his 31st birthday, several fundraising events were organized in order to remember this great young man that was known in Balkans not only as a singer but as a person that has initiated and organized many humanitarian and philanthropic activities. Toshe’s last concert, organized several days before his death was fundraiser-he succeeded to raise more than 100.000 $US for reconstructions in the primary schools in Macedonia.
February 10, 2012