Saturday, July 5, 2008

Is NGO fundraising a career for you?

(This story has originally appeared at MSN India website)
http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Others/UCStory7459.htm


As I mull over this question, I am reminded of an anecdote shared by a young fundraising expert from UK. This person has been a fundraiser with leading NGOs in UK for several years and now runs a very successful fundraising consulting business. According to him he is often still chided by his mother for not being able to secure a proper job and a career.

This is not to disappoint you. I start this article with this anecdote to break ice and I am sure that the young fundraising guru also does it for the same.

Believe you me; it is a career, although a bit off-beat. I can vouch for it for having survived well at if for more than a decade.

Are you wondering how do you become a fundraiser?

Well that is what I plan to delve on in rest of what you will read. Are you wondering if you need some relevant experience and qualification?

Yes and No. There are no formal long-term courses in India on fundraising. But there are few short-term ones offered by Resource Alliance India and SAFRG (you can do an MSN search on them and find more). These courses are not very expensive and provide you a great perspective.

Your experience in the commercial sector could hold you in good stead. Sample this, if you have experience in corporate business development you can be a corporate fundraiser. If you have been an Event Manager, you could continue doing the same for organising fundraising events. People in commercial direct mail can use their skills to use the medium for raising money.

Are you in the call center industry?

Why don't you join an NGO and raise money by telecalling. Fortunately, authorities have kept fundraising by telephone out of Do Not Disturb (DND) registery. Same goes for people in Direct Sales. Even NGOs use Face to Face as a strategy to raise funds.

Now onto salaries. Well they are not so bad.Usually freshers start around Rs. 10,000 per month. The experienced people in big NGOs can even get Rs. 100,000 per month and more.

So what are you waiting for? To repeat Indian Army's catch phrase,

" Do you have it in you?"

PS: The two websites that usually have most of the NGO jobs are devnetjobsindia.org and indianngos.com

Is NGO fundraising a career for you?

(This story has originally appeared at MSN India website)
http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Others/UCStory7459.htm


As I mull over this question, I am reminded of an anecdote shared by a young fundraising expert from UK. This person has been a fundraiser with leading NGOs in UK for several years and now runs a very successful fundraising consulting business. According to him he is often still chided by his mother for not being able to secure a proper job and a career.

This is not to disappoint you. I start this article with this anecdote to break ice and I am sure that the young fundraising guru also does it for the same.

Believe you me; it is a career, although a bit off-beat. I can vouch for it for having survived well at if for more than a decade.

Are you wondering how do you become a fundraiser?

Well that is what I plan to delve on in rest of what you will read. Are you wondering if you need some relevant experience and qualification?

Yes and No. There are no formal long-term courses in India on fundraising. But there are few short-term ones offered by Resource Alliance India and SAFRG (you can do an MSN search on them and find more). These courses are not very expensive and provide you a great perspective.

Your experience in the commercial sector could hold you in good stead. Sample this, if you have experience in corporate business development you can be a corporate fundraiser. If you have been an Event Manager, you could continue doing the same for organising fundraising events. People in commercial direct mail can use their skills to use the medium for raising money.

Are you in the call center industry?

Why don't you join an NGO and raise money by telecalling. Fortunately, authorities have kept fundraising by telephone out of Do Not Disturb (DND) registery. Same goes for people in Direct Sales. Even NGOs use Face to Face as a strategy to raise funds.

Now onto salaries. Well they are not so bad.Usually freshers start around Rs. 10,000 per month. The experienced people in big NGOs can even get Rs. 100,000 per month and more.

So what are you waiting for? To repeat Indian Army's catch phrase,

" Do you have it in you?"

PS: The two websites that usually have most of the NGO jobs are devnetjobsindia.org and indianngos.com

Ethics in Fundraising?

Ethics in Fundraising?