YOUR JOURNEYCorporate FinancersJune 2015

PROLOGUECorporate FinancersJune 2015

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?

The main problem of the NGOs is that they don’t have the resources or academic background to write a proper project proposal to submit to companies so that they can benefit for CSR funds. Same applies to local as well as international grants.

Your role in the project is help the NGO develop this document.

STEPS IN HELPING THE NGO

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1. Understand how the NGO functions and what they want to do.

2. Research online on similar projects that were done in similar fieldLearn from the projects to get ideas of implementation

3. Create project proposal

4. Email to companies and call for follow up. Call first, if necessary, to get email of responsible person

5. Push for a meeting and start procedures

UNDERSTANDING THE ENTREPRENEURS Here, you have to know the NGO profile to be able to work with them. So here are a few very important points:

1. RESPECT the NGO responsibles. Sure they want your help, but not your judgment. Do not make fun of them or their situation

2. Understand their education level. Most of them did not go to school. Understand that concepts that can come easy for you and not easy for them. Now now, don’t take them for stupid!

3. Understand that they will have other responsibilities and YOU are not their focus while THEY ARE YOUR FOCUS!

4. Understand that they tried a lot of times before and failed! Understand that they don’t feel the best of this and your attitude should help to motivate them!

5. Understand that we don’t have the answers and you are expected to be able to help us find the answers. Your role is to help him/her find ways to get their social work funded

6. Understand that your advice is not the ultimate advice. It is up to him/her to do what he/she wants. Understand also that he/she trusts you and know your power in guiding them. If you are not sure, DO NOT ADVICE!!!

UNDERSTANDING THE NGO SCALE1. The NGO that you would be helping is not an NGO with a lot of

resources and whose impact are usually community based.

2. Since the scale is not big, do not go for BIG companies. They often require a lot of paper work such that the NGO would require a person dedicated to this task and which they don’t have. Even if they were able to get the grant while you were here, they would not be able to manage it.

CHAPTER 1: NGO ANALYSIS

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IMPORTANT NOTE

This should be done only once. It is possible that a previous intern already did this. Please read the report before proceeding.

TIP

To be able to do this successfully, you will have to ask as many questions as possible.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance, that you go through the project proposal to KNOW WHICH INFORMATION YOU NEED!

Create a list of questions for each part of the project proposal and go into the meeting with expectations to have specific answers!

CHAPTER 2: ONLINE RESEARCH

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GETTING A FEEL OF GOOD IDEAS Often a times, successful projects will post their projects online.

Make it a must to read about those projects so as to learn from what they are doing and how you can scale their project to your own.

CHAPTER 3: WRITING PROPOSAL

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TEMPLATE PROVIDED

The template should have guidelines for what should be written where.

Here, use the information you asked the NGO to create the NEED /Opportunity analysis

Include elements of what the NGO wants to do as well as success stories to create project plan

You might have follow up questions to the NGO before finalizing the concept note

CHAPTER 4: APPLYING FOR FUNDS

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APPLICATION

Here are the steps you should take in the application:

1. Market research: Research which companies are sponsoring projects in this fieldYou might also want to research other NGOs who are working in this field and have them vet your project.

2. Market research: Locate which local companies work in this area

3. Call the company and ask for the CSR manager. Otherwise, look for the HR manager. Explain you represent the NGO and would like to send a project proposal for their CSR funds

4. Email them the concept note and follow up in a few days

5. Push for the meeting so that you can go along with the NGO responsible to the company meeting.