Seven Ways to Succeed as a Grassroots NGO

Running a nonprofit is no easy feat. The bureaucratic hassle aside, once its established, then begins the real challenge. Here are seven tips to help you through the process and emerge victorious!

• Build a strong community of supporters and donors who are sympathetic towards your cause and are willing to provide the backing necessary to help you achieve your goals. As a grassroots organization, you need all the support possible if you want to make a difference. Don’t hesitate to rally vociferously on every possible platform, from social media pages dedicated to your NGO to small gatherings of people at a family event! Don’t underestimate the power of having a solid support system.

• If you want your nonprofit to really succeed, you need a team of professional and passionate people helping you each step of the way. Establish a team of at least 5 to 7 members, each with distinct portfolios, handling different aspects of the work. In the beginning, there will be a plethora of responsibilities and the best way of avoiding overburden is to delegate specific duties to specific people. If you don’t have the funds to pay skilled people, look among your friends and relatives – these are the people who understand your fervor and determination and will probably go out of their way to help your cause.

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• Worried about fundraising? It can indeed be a great trial to raise funds for a fledgling organization, but there are still many ways which we at ShivaMaya can vouch for. For example, we conducted art workshops among children and then turned their art pieces into greeting cards, bookmarks, canvas bag prints, and wall hangings. Then we approached several local boutiques and crafts fairs and sold these items. The money helped us immensely with our educational activities and the skilled kids also received special gifts for their talent and creativity.

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• You will need a steady supply of volunteers and interns if your organization is constantly expanding its functions and activities. However, it’s not always easy to find devoted people who take the job seriously. We usually leave our posters and ads at colleges, schools and local youth clubs. We also advertise online, when need be. Then, it’s a matter of sifting through all the applications and finding the right fit.

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• Engage your donors/funders on a daily basis. Make them aware of your various activities and programs. Besides regularly updating your website and social media pages, you should also send them monthly newsletters detailing all the new and exciting developments.

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• If you don’t have the resources to hold large fundraising events like Marathons, then think of something innovative like this one girl who dared everyone to perform daily tasks in school uniforms to help raise money to send African girls to school. Crowdfunding is a great option for new organizations and it’s fairly easy to set up.

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• Find businesses which are looking to support an organization in order to incorporate cause-related marketing or corporate social responsibility. This is a concept which is increasingly gaining momentum as it lets these faceless corporations connect more directly with their customers and establish a positive image in the media.