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Funds & Resources - Introduction to the toolkit
   Last updated: 02.07.02
What is this toolkit about?
This toolkit builds on the understanding that mobilising resources (primarily money) is a vital need for any NGO/CBO. However, it can be a daunting task for many of us and can take an unnecessarily large amount of time if not planned well. This toolkit introduces an approach to planning and carrying out resource mobilisation strategically and systematically to ensure that maximum returns are gained for the least effort and that NGOs/CBOs remain true to their missions.

The overall aim of the resource mobilisation toolkit is to: build the confidence and skills required by NGOs/CBOs to strategically and systematically mobilise resources for HIV/AIDS work. The toolkit provides a collection of information and skills-building activities which can help NGOs/CBOs to:
  • Think imaginatively about different approaches to resource mobilisation

  • Learn how to plan resource mobilisation work so that it is needs driven rather than donor driven

  • Develop key skills, such as proposal writing and meeting and maintaining relationships with resource providers.


This toolkit focuses on resource mobilisation, rather than fundraising, on the assumption that NGOs/CBOs can benefit from mobilising a range of resources rather than money only; for example, technical assistance, human resources, material goods and free services. ‘Resource provider’ is a broad term used throughout the toolkit to describe individuals or institutions that provide a range of resources, including money.

The toolkit does not attempt to cover specialised fundraising approaches such as income-generation and fundraising events – however, useful references are provided in the Handouts at the end of Section 3.

1. What is this toolkit
This toolkit supports NGOs/CBOs in developing countries to mobilise resources in a strategic and systematic way.

Working definition for resource mobilisation:

‘Resource mobilisation’ is the process of getting resources from resource providers, using different mechanisms, to implement the organisations’ work.

RESOURCE MOBILISATION

Mechanisms:
  • Submitting grant proposals

  • Special events

  • Running a small business

  • Soliciting donations

  • Unsolicited contributions


Resources:
  • Money

  • Technical assistance

  • Human resources

  • Material goods

  • Free service and facilities


Resource providers:
  • International NGOs

  • Bilateral and multilateral organisations

  • National governments

  • Businesses

  • Individuals


Raising Funds and Mobilising Resources for HIV/AIDS Work – A Toolkit to Support NGOs and CBOs is one in a series of toolkits and handbooks that are based on the practical technical support experience of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance), their partners and other organisations. The Alliance is an international non-governmental organisation that supports communities in developing countries to make a significant contribution to HIV prevention, AIDS care and support to children affected by the epidemic. Since its establishment in 1993, the Alliance has provided financial and technical support to NGOs and CBOs from more than 40 countries. In addition, the Alliance promotes good practice in community responses to HIV/AIDS more broadly through evaluation, operations research, the development of training materials and tools, as well as policy and advocacy activities.

By distributing these resources widely, the Alliance aims to:
  • Build practical skills among NGOs/CBOs by using participatory activities and sharing experiences.

  • Provide a training resource for NGO support programmes, training organisations and individual trainers.

  • Continue learning about how NGOs/CBOs can successfully mobilise resources for their work.


2. Why and how was this toolkit developed?
Raising Funds and Mobilising Resources for HIV/AIDS Work – A Toolkit to Support NGOs and CBOs documents some of the technical support activities implemented by the Alliance with its partner NGOs/CBOs in developing countries. Key aspects of this approach are that it primarily uses participatory methodologies, it links strategic planning with resource mobilisation, and aims to build practical resource mobilisation skills among NGO/CBO staff. By publishing the toolkit, the Alliance aims to share this approach with other organisations and NGO support providers that might find it useful.

The development of this toolkit has therefore been inspired by the experiences and ideas of many organisations in many countries. In particular, this includes the groups that collaborated with the Alliance during the development of the tools and fieldtesting of the toolkit. The resource mobilisation toolkit was originally designed during a Latin America regional workshop held in 2000. For this initial tools development workshop, the Alliance drew heavily on the support and experience of Colectivo Sol, A.C. and their partners in Mexico, Kimirina and their partners in Ecuador, and Group de Incentivo a Vida and Pela Vidda from Brazil. The toolkit was developed further during four comprehensive fieldtests carried out with the National AIDS Foundation (NAF) in Mongolia, Philippines HIV/AIDS NGO Support Program (PHANSuP) in the Philippines, HIV/AIDS/STD Alliance of Bangladesh (HASAB) in Bangladesh, and Palmyrah Workers Development Society (PWDS) in India. Each fieldtest provided an opportunity to learn from local facilitators and participants so that the toolkit could be systematically improved. Special thanks are also given to Boris Cornejo (Fundación Esquel, Ecuador), Choo Phuah and Supanya Lamsam (Alliance Associate Consultants), and Trin Panganiban (Venture For Fund Raising, Philippines).

The Alliance has received support from a range of international donors for its resource mobilisation technical support work and toolkit development. These include Merck & Co. Inc., the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Kingdom Government’s Department for International Development (DIFD), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

3. Who is this toolkit for?
This toolkit is for people and organisations that support NGOs/CBOs responding to HIV/AIDS in developing countries. These include NGO support programmes, training institutions and individual trainers. The toolkit can also be used by NGOs/CBOs themselves to implement training within their organisations.

It is important that people using this toolkit already have some basic facilitation skills, for example in guiding large group discussions and small group activities. It is also helpful if they have some previous experience of resource mobilisation and work around HIV/AIDS (although the latter is not essential).

The following additional resources can be found in the front pocket of the toolkit:
  • A Facilitators’ Guide to Participatory Workshops with NGOs/CBOs Responding to HIV/AIDS which provides some ideas that will be useful for facilitating the type of workshop described in this toolkit. These ideas include how to prepare for a participatory workshop and how to prepare and facilitate participatory activities.

  • 100 Ways to Energise Groups: Games to Use in Workshops, Meetings and the Community which documents 100 energisers for use during participatory technical support activities.

  • A CD-ROM with the following toolkits: Pathways to Partnerships, Documenting and Communicating HIV/AIDS Work, Raising Funds and Mobilising Resources for HIV/AIDS Work, and Advocacy in Action. All these publications can be downloaded from the Alliance website: www.aidsalliance.org.


4. How can this toolkit be used?
This toolkit is designed to be flexible so that facilitators can tailor the work schedule to meet the needs of different NGOs/CBOs. For example, some groups may want to have a training workshop in which they do most of the activities in one go, while others may want to use a selection of activities over a period of time, or to focus on one or two activities to meet a specific, urgent need.

The toolkit describes a range of participatory activities which can be carried out to build skills – however, facilitators may want to include time in workshops for external speakers or experienced facilitators to provide information on key topics. Although not essential, it may be beneficial to carry out some research on the resource providers that exist prior to the workshop. This will help inform the discussions and make the action planning more realistic and focused.

During fieldtesting, the activities in this toolkit were carried out in a creative way – using plenty of colour, local materials, and imagination. Some photographs have been included in the toolkit to try to reflect the nature of the activities. Many of the completed examples that are included have, however, been copied into tables and charts so that the information they contain is represented clearly. Because these toolkits are sometimes photocopied we cannot rely on photographs, which often do not reproduce well.

For most of the toolkit, facilitators can use the activities with either an individual NGO/CBO or a group of NGOs/CBOs. However, for Section 2, it is more valuable for participants to work with colleagues from their own organisation, because planning resource mobilisation work needs to be specific to each NGO/CBO. During workshop fieldtesting, the Alliance has found that it is beneficial if more than one individual from each organisation attends a workshop – staff members that were typically invited included two of the following: the Executive Director, Programme Manager, Board Member, Fundraising Officer or Finance Manager.

This toolkit can be used with NGOs/CBOs with different levels of experience in resource mobilisation. However, there is some recommended workshop preparation work that is described in Section 2.2 which some NGOs/CBOs may need support to undertake and require feedback on prior to the workshop. It may also be useful to ask participants to bring budgets/financial information to a workshop.

5. What is in the sections of this toolkit?
Following this Introduction to the toolkit, the remainder of the toolkit is divided into the following sections:

Section 1: Introducing a resource mobilisation framework
Section 2: Developing planning skills for resource mobilisation work
Section 3: Building practical resource mobilisation skills

Section 1 introduces a framework to understand the three key components of resource mobilisation – resource providers, resources and mechanisms for resource mobilisation. This framework is then used to relate these three components to the local context, i.e., to identify what kind of resources are needed, what kind of mechanisms work, and what kind of resource providers exist.

Section 2 follows a five-step process for planning resource mobilisation work systematically and strategically. The steps begin with strategic planning, which leads to identifying the resources that are needed; then realistic and viable resource mobilisation mechanisms need to be considered and the full range of potential resource providers identified and researched. Finally, the last step brings all this information together to form a resource mobilisation action plan. To implement this section of the toolkit in a workshop setting, participants should complete the Strategic Planning Worksheet with their colleagues prior to the workshop. The worksheet is linked to Activity 2.2 and can be found at the end of Section 2.

Section 3 provides information and activities which aim to build practical skills for actually carrying out resource mobilisation work. The three key skills that are covered include preparing to meet resource providers, developing and following up proposals, and maintaining relationships with resource providers. This section of the toolkit does not include skills building for income generation or fundraising events – these are specialised areas of work which are beyond the scope of this toolkit. Useful references and organisations are referenced instead.

The contents of most of the sections of the toolkit follow the format below:

Aim – stating what the activity is designed to achieve.

Introduction – explaining the subject area and the key issues involved.

Instructions – outlining the steps to take to complete the activity, and the key questions to consider.

Facilitators’ notes – sharing ‘useful ideas’ about how to successfully guide participants through the activity.

Example – showing how an NGO/CBO has put the activity into practice.

Facilitators can read through the Aim and Introduction for each subject and use them as the basis for an initial group discussion or introduction. They can then work through the Instructions for the activity, using the Facilitators’ notes to avoid possible pitfalls. Finally, they can use the Example to clarify any points that are unclear. It is important to note that, although the ideas and activities in this toolkit have been tried and tested by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, its partners and others, they do not try to provide ‘perfect’ examples of how things should be done. Therefore, the Instructions should not be followed ‘word for word’ and should, instead, be adapted to participants’ specific needs, skills and interests. Also, the Examples should be seen as just one way that the activity can be put into action – as opposed to the ‘perfect way’.

Handouts can be found at the back of each section. These aim to provide additional information and worksheets to support some of the activities. Facilitators can use them in a number of different ways. For example, they can read them beforehand to help prepare themselves for the activities, or share them with participants, for example by copying them on to overhead transparencies or by making photocopies.

6. How long does this toolkit take to use?
The activities in the toolkit are designed to be adapted rather than implemented exactly as written and laid out. However, as a guide, provided alongside each activity in this toolkit is an estimation of how long it will take to complete. These estimations are based on the Alliance’s experience of using the toolkit in workshops with 20-30 participants. In practice, facilitators can make the activities shorter or longer, depending on the time available and the level of skills and interest of the participants.

Most of the activities in the toolkit can be covered in a five-day workshop. This provides enough time to introduce the Alliance resource mobilisation framework, develop skills for planning resource mobilisation work strategically, make a strategic resource mobilisation action plan and develop key practical resource mobilisation skills.

7. What materials are needed to use this toolkit?
All of the activities in this toolkit can be used with a small number of simple resources.
These are:
  • Large sheets of blank paper (flip-chart or manila paper)

  • Small pieces of blank paper

  • Thick pens

  • Sticky tape, Blu-Tack or Sticky Stuff.


Most of all, both facilitators and participants will need enthusiasm, energy and creativity!

"This workshop has shown us how to approach resource providers using the right mechanism. I didn’t think there was a way for us to mobilise resources but, thanks to this workshop, I am going back to my organisation to do it”

Comment made by a participant during a resource mobilisation workshop held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 2002.

Example Workshop Schedule
RESOURCE MOBILISATION SKILLS-BUILDING WORKSHOP FOR HIV/AIDS WORK FEBRUARY 2002, DHAKA, BANGLADESH

Day 1
  • Registration

  • Welcome

  • Introductions, expectations and ground rules

Tea
  • Session 1.1: Exploring a conceptual framework for resource mobilisation

  • Session 1.2: Identifying different kinds of resources

Lunch
  • Session 1.3: Exploring different mechanisms for resource mobilisation

  • Session 1.4: Understanding different resource providers

Working Tea
  • Continue Session 1.4

Recap group meetings
Facilitators’ meeting


Day 2
  • Participant recap

  • Session 2.1: Planning steps for resource mobilisation work

  • Session 2.2: Developing a strategic plan

Working Tea
  • Continue session 2.2

  • Session 2.3: Reviewing current organizational resource situation and identifying resource gaps

Lunch
  • Continue Session 2.3

Tea
  • Session 2.4: Researching resource mobilisation mechanisms

Recap group meetings
Facilitators’ meeting

Day 3
  • Participant recap

  • Group presentations on Session 2.4

  • Session 2.5: Identifying and researching different resource providers

Tea
  • Continue Session 2.5: Researching information about resource providers

Lunch
  • Session 2.6: Preparing and creating a resource mobilisation plan

Tea
  • Continue Session 2.6

  • Introduce the concept note

Concept note homework
Recap group meetings
Facilitators’ meeting

Day 4
  • Participant recap

  • Session 3.1: Meeting resource providers – preparing to meet resource providers

Tea
  • Role-playing meetings with resource providers

Lunch
  • Continue role-playing meetings with resource providers and discussion

Tea
  • Session 3.2: Developing and following up a winning proposal

Recap group meetings
Facilitators’ meeting

Day 5
  • Participant recap

  • Session 3.3: Maintaining relationships with resource providers

Tea
  • Workshop reflections and follow-up discussion

  • Workshop evaluation

  • Workshop close

Lunch
  • Facilitators’ debriefing and allocation of workshop follow-up actions


Source: Raising Funds and Mobilising Resources
This is an extract from Raising funds and mobilising resources for HIV/AIDS work: a toolkit to support NGOs & CBOs, published by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in June 2002.

To view the whole toolkit follow this link.

To download this section, complete with graphics, in pdf format (which requires Adobe Acrobat software to read it) follow this link (file size 192kb)