When a non-profit organisation has someone in place who can effectively attract funding resources to implement their set objectives, then one important component of their advancement structure has been achieved. However, having someone who can do this is only a part of the story. In this year’s first Basic Advancement and Fundraising workshop held at Inyathelo’s offices in Cape Town, twelve participants went through two days of intense training aimed at developing their capacity to attract the necessary financial resources for their organisations.
The twelve participants, who came from organisations located in the Western Cape, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, were engaged on different levels by expert content facilitators using methods that included instructional presentations, role playing, individual practical exercises, detailed discussion and video presentations.
The two-day course covered modules designed to give participants a solid foundation towards understanding their roles as fundraisers in their respective organisations.
Gillian Mitchell, who has headed the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’ s Advancement office and has also managed Inyathelo’s Philanthropy Programme, facilitated sessions on fundraising ethics, developing a case for support, strategies for attracting support, and exploring the donor landscape.
Among the different topics covered by Mitchell in her module were: creating an investment climate at your organisation; harnessing the support of your board and; why donors give.
A module on prospect research was led by Lizel Shepard, the Prospect Researcher at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust. In this module, the notion and importance of prospect research was outlined, with the aim of helping participants to match their planned priorities and projects with potential funders.
Ninette Mouton, who works as the Proposal Consultant for the University of Pretoria, led the module on proposal writing. The session covered topics such as document development, the proposal budget and portfolio development.
The entire two-day course was co-ordinated by - and Mathabo Molobi, Mandla Hermanus and Celia-Ann Adams, all from Inyathelo. The next course will take place in East London on the 20th and 21st July. Two more courses will be held later in the year in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal respectively. For more information and to register for these courses click here.
