Editorial

WTC attack: Online donations break records

Within a week of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, individuals, celebrities, companies and charitable organisations from around the world had raised more than $57 million over the Internet. Donations to emergency funds and relief organisations broke records, in terms of speed and the scale of funds raised.

The American Red Cross received more online donations in a single week than it did in all of 2000. Forty per cent of the $118 million it received came over the Internet, primarily through Amazon.com. The Salvation Army, the other major charity collecting funds for the victims and survivors of the attacks, estimated that $2 million of the $4 million it received came via online donations.

Internet players such as Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo! got together to set up the American Liberty Partnership, which takes care of donations to a range of charitable organisations.

Websites such as Amazon, America Online, Paypal, Helping.org and eBay came up with innovative ways of raising funds online. While America Online and Yahoo! greeted users with messages asking people to donate online and offered tips on how they could do so, auction site eBay announced an Auction for America with a target to raise "$100 million in 100 days". Related banners and links jostled for attention on all traffic-intensive websites.

Discussion boards, newsletters and e-mail played a big role in spreading awareness about terrorism, the consequences of war and underlying issues of social and economic equality.

The Internet is undoubtedly an extremely effective medium of reaching out to people and raising funds. While one might be tempted to dismiss this particular case as a spontaneous - and therefore, unlikely to be repeated - response to the tragedy, it cannot be denied that there are many Internet users who would like to "give" to a cause. All they need is an easy, safe mechanism that allows them to donate online.

Voluntary organisations cannot ignore this large constituency. Particularly in case of organisations located in remote areas, the Internet is the most obvious way for them to reach a global audience. It therefore becomes essential for these organisations to educate themselves about what the Internet can do for them and to explore opportunities to raise funds online.

Editor

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Interview

Usha Menon, Director of Resource Development, Asia-Pacific -
Habitat Humanity International

"Fundraising is a means to an end. The cause is the end in itself."

Usha Menon, Director of Resource Development, Asia-Pacific - Habitat for Humanity International (HHI) - recently visited the mcas office in Bangalore. Usha is now acknowledged as one of Asia's most senior and respected fundraisers. Apart from her work for HHI, she is a member of the board of the International Resource Alliance. HHI works in 76 countries, and the Asia-Pacific Region covers south Asia, southeast Asia and the Pacific. mcas spoke to Usha on fundraising. Excerpts:

How did you get into fundraising?

As a child, I saw my father actively raising funds as Lion's Club President. After marriage, when I moved to Singapore, I initially had no intention of being a career woman. Perhaps the legacy of my father's spirit worked within me … I soon signed up as a volunteer for the School for the Disabled and started campaigning for Singapore's Community Chest. The following year, the Chest chairman invited me to join them as a full-time fundraiser. I focused on getting commitment from corporate houses by introducing the Payroll Giving Scheme. During my 10 years with Community Chest, I was promoted almost every two years and rose from junior executive to the senior manager level.

In Habitat for Humanity, my role is totally different and challenging. It's challenging, because I have to play different roles in different continents. In south Asia, our intention is to establish the name; in east Asia, as in the Philippines, every citizen knows Habitat; and in Australia, it is a different ballgame. But everywhere, we build shelter for the poor.

What is, according to you, the one factor for fundraising success?

The one thing a fundraiser needs is an opportunity to meet and talk with the potential donor. If I can get the message across to someone, I can create an impact.

How do you raise funds at Habitat?

Habitat is an international organisation working in 76 countries. However, it works in collaboration with grassroots-level entities (or affiliates) that have independent governing structures. There are 18 such affiliates in India. The affiliate boards have fundraising subcommittees. We have introduced a programme called Sustainable Affiliate Initiatives.

On the whole, our India budget is Rs 6.5 crore, of which 40% has to be generated within the country. World Vision has agreed to support 20% and another 20% must come from corporate bodies and Indian trusts. We have a national field coordinator and regional coordinators. I focus on building the capacity of these coordinators to develop relations with corporates.

What is your message to the new generation of fundraisers in India?

Anyone who has a will to help others can become a fundraiser. I am not an MBA or a marketing person. I was a quiet housewife. I believe fundraising is a means to an end. The cause is the end in itself.

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Article
A career in fundraising: Myths & facts

Fundraising is a challenging profession in many countries. In India too, young people are increasingly aspiring to a career in fundraising.

At mcas workshops, we train people from voluntary organisations in the art of communicating effectively to raise funds. This article, however, is not about technique. It seeks to dispel some common myths about fundraising, and to establish some facts.

Myths

• If I am committed to a good cause, people will automatically "give".
  While a good cause is great to start with, never underestimate the importance of making it "look good" to others. Here's where communication skills come in. Many committed grassroots-level workers fail to make good fundraisers, because they do not possess or develop good communication skills.
  
  
• Training and a university degree are needed to become a good fundraiser.
  Training and university degrees in fundraising may teach you technique, but they do not guarantee results. Your success depends on your organisation's past record, its image and, of course, your enthusiasm and commitment to the cause!
  
  
• Creating a fundraising department will do miracles.
  A fundraising unit will certainly help in administration and in building relationships. However, the top management and the governing body must be involved. There's nothing more discouraging to a fundraiser than a board or head of organisation not helping.

Facts

• Contacts and maintaining relationships
  Sponsorship and big gifts happen through contacts and good relations. As a fundraiser, you will need to develop and maintain these.
  
  
• Teamwork
  Fundraising is a team effort. All staff in the organisation must understand and support the fundraising effort. If the people who spend don't really care how the money is raised, the fundraisers will become disheartened.
  
  
• It takes time to get going
  All organisations look for a quick return on investment. If you are a fundraiser in a new organisation with a shoestring budget, you will need to convince your board that it will take between one and three years to make any breakthrough in fundraising.
  

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News in Brief

What's happening in communication & fundraising?

Introducing students to communication
mcas conducted a training programme in communication and fundraising for students of MS NGO Management from Madurai Kamaraj University. The five-day programme in September dealt with communication and its role in fundraising, with visits to two local voluntary organisations. "The workshop was thought-provoking, different, motivating, detailed and well organised", wrote Yamini Devi, the course coordinator for Madurai Kamaraj University.

World Mental Health Day: an opportunity for public awareness
The Karnataka Association for Psychiatric Disability (KAPD) organised an exhibition and seminar to raise public awareness on Employability and Psychiatric Disability. The seminar, commemorating World Mental Health Day on 6 October, was addressed by Member of Parliament CK Jaffer Sharief, Commissioner for Disability Meera Saxena and eminent scholars on mental health. Twenty voluntary organisations took part in the exhibition.

Creating social awareness in schoolchildren
Bangalore Cares is coordinating Uthejana - a programme to create awareness among schoolchildren about social realities - in association with Fame India, an organisation that helps physically and mentally challenged children to live with dignity and self-reliance. The programme includes lectures on social issues by senior people in the voluntary sector and visits to local voluntary organisations. About 600 children in four schools are taking part.

Dance drama for equal rights draws large audience
Bangalore Cares assisted in the publicity for the dance drama, Children of a Lesser God, directed by Ashish Sen of Voices, in September at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. The play advocated companionship and equal rights through the story of a relationship between a hearing-impaired student and her teacher. Invitations, mailed to 270 voluntary organisations in Bangalore, helped to draw an overwhelming response of over 900 people.

Volunteering courses in Chennai
Relief Foundation is conducting half-day courses in volunteering at Chennai. The highly interactive course is open to all people with an interest in volunteering, and is priced at Rs 150 per person. The programme is anchored by Aarti Madhusudan and Relief Foundation chairperson Vidya Shankar.

Lepra India to raise more funds locally
Key representatives of Lepra UK and Lepra India - based at Hyderabad - met mcas late last month to discuss ways of expanding their Indian fundraising. In particular, the discussion focused on identifying Indian grantmaking trusts and foundations.

Surprise donation for Mobility India
Mr Sethumadhavan, a retired resident of Jayanagar in Bangalore, dropped in at Mobility India and chatted with the staff about the work done by the organisation. He returned a few days later, with a cheque for Rs. 10,000! So, remember to be courteous to all visitors...

We plan to expand this section with communication and fundraising news from different parts of India. If you have any news or announcements, do write in to us. Thank you.

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Announcements

Coming up....

South Asian fundraising workshop
The South Asian Fund Raising Group (SAFRG) is organising its 13th Annual Fund Raising Workshop between 18 and 21 December at Pune. This is the most important annual gathering of fundraisers from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and is an invaluable opportunity to learn techniques and meet other fundraisers. The registration fee is Rs 5,750 per person (well worth the investment!).

For details, contact Capt Rajeev Dua at safrg@vsnl.com or safrg@hotmail.com
Website: www.safrg.org

Amsterdam fundraising conference
Resource Alliance (formerly The International Fundraising Group, UK) is organising its 21st International Fundraising Congress at Amsterdam from 16-19 October 2001. Rajeev Dua from SAFRG, Veera Rao from Alert India and Murray Culshaw from mcas will attend the conference.

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Feedback

mcas-Mahiti communication training (Monsoon series)

The mcas-Mahiti monsoon series focused on technical IT training, including subjects as varied as computer hardware and office automation to web page design and donor databases. The courses were well received by voluntary organisations in southern India. Here is what participants had to say about them:

"…very informative. I gained a basic idea about the packages needed to create web pages for beginners like me" - Rita Rajamani, Joseph Eye Hospital

"It is a good initiative by mcas-Mahiti to build the capacity of the voluntary sector. I really appreciate mcas-Mahiti for their commitment" - Walter Kennedy, Peace Trust

"Your training was very fruitful and of course, Rita and Aarthy (trainees) worked hard on your guidelines to produce a report. It is true that this time our annual report attracted the attention of many and drew positive comments from high levels" - Dr CA Nelson Jesudasan, Joseph Eye Hospital

"Do you remember our discussion on the fundraising idea we have to start a Century Club? You will be very pleased to hear that Sachin Tendulkar has agreed to endorse our work" - Veera Rao, Alert India

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We regret not having sent this newsletter out for the past three months due to "circumstances beyond our control". We plan to revert to monthly circulation. Please feel free to forward the newsletters to your friends and associates. And do send in your queries and suggestions to consult@fundraising-india.org

MURRAY CULSHAW ADVISORY SERVICES – mcas, Bangalore – serves the voluntary sector in India. We offer training on communication and fundraising, undertake research on issues pertaining to the voluntary sector, publish books and maintain a highly reliable database of about 7,500 organisations in India. We are one of the promoters of Bangalore Cares – www.bangalorecares.org – an initiative to help the voluntary sector in Karnataka.

mcas
314/1 ‘Vijay Kiran’   
2^nd Floor 7^th Cross   
Domlur Layout   
Bangalore 560 071
India
Tel: 080-5352003
email mcas@fundraising-india.org
website: www.fundraising-india.org