Written by: Bethule Nyamambi
Our work at TrustAfrica is anchored on skills, behaviours and attitudes needed for trust-based and participatory resource mobilization to support very credible and strategic local initiatives and grantees. As I participated in the Emerge 2.0 Cohort of grantees, an innovative capacity building programme on resource mobilisation run by Resource Alliance on behalf of Oak Foundation, I engaged with critical insights and takeaways that led to reflections on the right ingredients for successful resource mobilisation. The workshop convened from 15 to 17 July 2024 was put together for a cohort of African organizations, grantees to enhance their fundraising and resource mobilisation capacities.
In those couple of days we covered a valuable amount of yet often overlooked guidance and principles to increase what was termed our “fundraisability” (a word I’ve attempted to unpack with my colleagues in our day-to-day work). In basic terms it covers the quality or attractiveness of ideas, projects being proposed to potential funders and the ability to sell it. Our objective was to understand how good civil society organisations can leverage different forms of funding from different sources and position themselves for the visibility they need with an array of funders.
In a room full of over 30 selected participants from across African Civil society grantees, the workshop became a rich learning and knowledge sharing space as we explored challenges in developing resource mobilisation capabilities in an increasingly competitive context and shrinking environment.
We included analysis of the ever-diminishing funding sources and civic space context in Africa. In parallel, we explored how to develop the organizational systems, infrastructure and governance practices and people needed for effective resource mobilisation. It turns out, as we compared notes, that whether you are philanthropy intermediary such TrusyAfrica, or a local community based CSO, the challenges are similar and not surprisingly, the solutions shared are not so different either and can be tweaked to fit in any organizational resource mobilisation strategy.
A light bulb moment came, when our very skilled master class facilitator, Nyasha Njela of Revolutionize steered the conversation from the “how” of resource mobilisation to a conversation to define and understand “why we exist” as organisations as a point of departure for effective resource mobilisation. The discussion further explored the difference between “the why” and the “what” of what we do and how that relates to the “fundraisability” rating.
Key to this is ensuring a well equipped and skilled fundraising skills and leadership. Good direction and incorporating participatory processes in developing funding relationships is critical to clarifying
resource mobilisation goals in any organisational team. How the organization aligns its fundraising goals and investment thinking with its purpose should remain the key focus. The master class drew attention to research from Revolutionise that has shown that a lack of team unity and purpose and RM goals slows down resource mobilisation, costs time and money and damages the mission. This showed us that unless “fundraisability” is anchored on alignment in all these three things; purpose, culture and money, RM is likely to be an uphill journey.
As highlighted in the Revolutionize report, the masterclass trainer emphasized that “Providing the space for clarifying purpose should take centre stage in any organization and this will streamline and sharpen the focus of resource mobilization goals.” A good purpose can become the accelerant to achieving resource mobilisation goals and refining the power to respectfully walk away from unfavourable conditionalities in unbalanced funder – fundee relationships.
Through the various discussions, participants identified priority strategies including raising unrestricted funding, enhancing storytelling, and developing effective communication, branding, and marketing skills, alongside diversifying income sources to enhance resource mobilisation. Additional capacity building needs included engaging board members in resource mobilisation, although this depends largely on type and level of engagement of board members in fundraising, shifting power dynamics to foster equitable donor partnerships, and building donor credibility and accountability through effective stewardship. When all was said and done, we came back to the importance of a strong purpose-driven narrative to underpin the strategy.
These skills, attitudes and behaviours will be keenly explored on a personal professional development level and for the important purpose and mission that TrustAfrica has, as we continue to improve our “fundraisability”. Our ability to connect to global funding and philanthrop, tell the emotive stories of
civic agency, of the work we do as an intermediary who understands the African funding landscape, and how it connects to mobilizing resources for civil society, activists, advocates and social movements on the African continent who rely on our participatory grant making for their own missions, makes it an important goal as we develop the next 10 years of TrustAfrica’s strategy. Taking this reflection into the 5th African Philanthropy Conference that TrustAfrica, CAPSI and partner co-host annually it was evident that this conversation on clarifying purpose was one to engage with more so that we can connect better to important initiatives addressing pressing challenges on the continent whilst we advance the African philanthropy narrative. I look forward to more reflections on this in our cohort community of practice.
