Fundraising.
It’s a term that stirs up concern across the non-profit sector, no matter the size, scope, or cause of the organization. From local community initiatives to global movements, every non-profit grapples with the pressure to secure resources and sustain their mission.
However, the type of support that a non-profit will require to meet its fundraising goals will very much depend on what kind of non-profit it is, such as where it lies in terms of access to networks and capabilities. Crucially, what also matters is how comfortable the organization is in doing the entire exercise of showcasing their impact and engaging with funders, i.e., marketing themselves.
It can be easy to assume that fundraising support for non-profits merely involves advising on packaging impact a certain way, and directing organizations to key networking events. This perspective might be true only for the non-profits already equipped with an ease of marketing themselves. For many non-profits, particularly those in challenging contexts, this assumption overlooks the deeper needs and discomforts associated with the fundraising process.
Thus for grassroots organizations (GROs) in rural India tackling the critical issue of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the approach must be far more nuanced. In these settings, fundraising support transcends technical guidance and delves into a more adaptive, trauma-informed process. Here, the goal shifts from merely meeting fundraising targets to genuinely empowering organizations throughout their fundraising journey, recognizing and addressing the unique challenges they face.
For these survivor-turned-leaders of grassroots organizations in rural India, Parity Lab’s goal is to facilitate a mindset shift that enables them to approach fundraising from a position of self-assuredness and strength. To achieve this, in our fundraising workshops, we focus on three essential relationships that underpin a successful fundraising strategy: one's relationship with money, one's relationship with funders, and one's relationship with themselves. The beliefs giving rise to these relationships are overlapping, which interconnects how these relationships play out. As the first set of modules on fundraising have been delivered by Parity Lab to its second cohort of Fellows, this time is important for reflecting on how these three types of relationships ultimately impact how empowered and therefore how effective one is, in fundraising.
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Relationship with Money
“It feels difficult for me to internalize that I can get a grant- I can actually get money and I don’t have to constantly worry about returning it to the person who gave it to me”
This quote from a GRO participant in one of Parity Lab’s fundraising sessions captures the profound discomfort that can arise when money is associated with power over others. For individuals with a history of feeling diminished by debt or financial obligation, the notion of accepting grants can be fraught with unease. This reflection is testimony to how deeply ingrained perceptions of money and power can impact one’s confidence and effectiveness in the fundraising process.
In our workshops, we create a space for participants to explore and confront these deeply held beliefs about money. We also engage in discussions and activities designed to help them release these limiting notions. As facilitators, it is paramount for us to respond to the emotions behind the words being uttered, so that we are able to tackle the actual apprehensions held by the cohort.
For instance, when we displayed figures on potential untapped funding opportunities for these GROs, with the aim to induce a mindset that there are abundant resources to make use of, one of the responses showed that the participant had received the information in a completely different way. Their view was- “we are so small. These funder organizations seem so big. We don't know how we will reach them, and we don't know why they will give money to someone like us. At that time, it was necessary for us to understand that this response was part of a pattern of this organization feeling afraid to dream about big money. It was not them getting overwhelmed in the moment, but rather reflection of an underlying belief that there are only certain types of organizations that can secure significant funding.These are notions of who gets to make it big, that have to be unpacked further, rather than being dismissed as an expression of temporary anxiety.
Similarly when we asked the cohort to imagine what kinds of programs they would run, scale they would target, and staff they would hire if money was not a concern, the same organization expressed that they found it difficult to imagine a world without financial limitations. Acute and persistent financial challenges have made it nearly impossible for them to envision an abundant future. Our work with them has to be done keeping this mental make-up in mind, so that we can unlock their fundraising potential fully.
With baselines like these, providing only technical guidance on fundraising, such as tips on how to research on funders, will never be enough or even effective. We have to focus on the cohort's personal relationship with money in order for them to even be able absorb and utilize the technical tips.
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Relationship with Funders
At the heart of our workshops is a critical challenge: reshaping the perception that GROs are inferior to funders simply because funders control the purse strings. This dynamic often stems from the GROs’ own complex relationship with money, described above. For GROs to engage in meaningful and confident negotiations, it is critical for them to see themselves as equal partners to the funders, where the funders bring financial resources and GROs bring the essential expertise in designing and executing solutions to social challenges.At Parity Lab, we emphasize the power of questioning as a tool to balance these power dynamics. Asking questions can shake up the equation where one party is being evaluated by the other party. It can take away the passivity attached to information being extracted only one-way. However, even in asking questions, we have to make sure that we have been able to encourage our Fellows to approach funders with genuine curiosity rather than reverence, so that the dialogue is actually equitable.
For instance, when we invited guests representing the funding world to interact with the Fellows, one of our Fellows told us that they “were asking for guidance from the guest, and the guest was very sagely answering all their queries about fundraising”. However, when prompted to reflect on whether they had asked the funder questions about the funder themselves, such as about their motivations for supporting initiatives on GBV, the Fellow realized they had not. This highlights a crucial point: it’s not just about asking questions, but about asking the right questions that promote a balanced and insightful exchange.
Building this kind of a relationship with funders is important not just for ensuring more confidence in the entire fundraising process, but as a key strategy of grant-seeking. Our discussions with our GROs had revealed that many submit proposals indiscriminately, without first engaging with potential funders. This approach misses the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships and to ask the questions that could provide valuable insights into the funders’ priorities and expectations.
We at Parity Lab therefore encourage and provide guidance on proactive engagement with funders to ensure more tailored proposals, as well as more of a collaborative relationship with the funders.
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Relationship with Self
For GROs to view themselves as equals to funders and detach money from power dynamics, it’s crucial for them to build a strong sense of self-confidence. In the context of our fundraising workshops, this means helping GROs see themselves as experts rather than novices who need to be taught every detail of fundraising.Our approach at Parity Lab therefore goes beyond simply presenting definitions or key points. We design our workshops to guide Fellows towards discovering key insights for themselves. For example, when one Fellow reflected, “Seeing how fundraising parallels programming, I’m finding this work manageable. What held me back from trying to fundraise in full swing? Our group is already equipped with diverse skills; together, we can achieve our goals”, it signaled that we had successfully achieved a significant milestone in our coaching.
This approach includes helping GROs recognize each other as experts, which further challenges the notion that only outsiders with specific backgrounds can provide guidance. We actively create opportunities for GROs to take the lead and exchange knowledge among peers. For instance, if a GRO has applied for a CSR grant, we encourage them to share their insights with others who may benefit from their experience. This peer-to-peer learning not only enriches the collective expertise within the group, but also enables the GROs to see that people who are their peers are also empowered to be guides, which can foster more self-confidence in them.
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In conclusion, shifting mindsets is a complex and ongoing process that cannot be fully accomplished through modules or workshops alone. However, these sessions serve as crucial starting points for this transformation. To effectively enable this shift, it is essential to remain adaptable, tailoring content and facilitation to the specific needs of the cohort. This approach ensures that GROs develop empowering and constructive relationships with money, funders, and themselves in the context of fundraising.
by Smriti Singh, Associate Program Manager at Parity Lab
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