This section of the EFI website is a place for people working in the non-profit sector to write about the challenges they are facing, brainstorm about solutions, work towards joint action on common issues. It is also a place for you, our readers to develop your own professional support systems, by learning from each other’s experiences.
So if you are facing a challenge in your non-profit work, this is the place to share that challenge. There will always be someone in the world who has struggled with the same type of issue that you may be dealing with. What better way to find a solution than to talk to someone else who has faced the same challenge.
You may post about your challenges in the comments section below, and it is there also that people can respond to your posts and offer the best practices that they have developed to deal with every seemingly unique situation.
I was brought in to DXC (Dayton Christian Center) to build a media relations program, which I have done quite successfully. During that process, I have become aware that so many NPOs have little or now media presence. I have begun to think about becoming a consultant to NPO/NGO groups to help them set up and manage a media/public relations program, but, even though it is a valuable tool in raising awareness and opening doors for new and better funding, I’m not sure there is a viable avenue for such an project.
Does anyone have insights into this?
Thanks
Hi Degrene,
There is a lot of need out there for non-profit promotion. But this is something new to non-profits. NOt all recognize the need to have a media presence. But I personally can attest to the importance of a media presence. I ran non-profits for over a decade and developed really good relationships with the media. But I know how much easier my life would have been had I had someone else to write the media releases, arrange media conferences and keep the list of media up to date. I think being able to hire that person under contract would be the ideal thing, where perhaps they worked for a non-profit for a few hours each week. But I found I could use that help them most once our organization got to a budget around $500,000. So I would suggest you target medium size non-profits with annual incomes over $500,000. It may take time to sell them on the idea, as even though this is 2010, non-profits still see paying for something they can do for themselves as frivilous even if it will make their jobs easier.
Why don’t you do some market research before starting your consulting business? LinkedIn is a great place to start. Go to Survey Monkey and create a survey for yourself, asking all the questions you need to have answers for your market research. Then write posts on the non-profit groups there asking people to go to Survey monkey and answer your questions. I have done this and gotten a great response. In this way, you have market research to tell you if it is viable. I would also suggest you contact non-profits you know and ask them to fill out a survey as well. That way, you get a feel for what your local non-profits want.
Oh and if you decide to proceed, most important of all is to write a business plan. Writing my business plan was invaluable and helped me to foresee many of the pitfalls that I would run into and be prepared for them.
I hope this was helpful!
Ingrid:)
Ingrid Zacharias
Managing Director
Envisioning the Future International
We do want to connect with others, first of all because our mission is “do to others…what you want other do to you”. Because of this principle we are here today forming a coalition of underexposed, under-financed, underpowered NGOs who are operating mainly in developing countries. The goal is that has each individual organization, while continues to keep their own autonomy, joining us will enable us to become a louder voice through any possible channel for their needs to, governments, investors, business people, companies and other major organizations involved in this type of work. D2O World is not just an organization – it is a lifestyle, we want to do good to others. We do not do this for our own gain or profit. We hope that other organizations will join us under the same principle.
So if you are a small /medium size NGOs, you want to consider to join us and have a voice that can be heard. We are still at the beginning and we are in process of forming this coalition, and we know that this will require both time and effort on our part before we see realization of designated funds for projects. Nevertheless, we are determined in our course of action,.
You can check on D2O World at http://www.facebook.com/D2O.World and/or our Blog at http://d2o-world.blogspot.com/…and if you are considering to affiliate, well you can start becoming a member of the D2O World Coalition Group on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=148066275215626&v=app_2373072738#!/group.php?gid=148066275215626&v=wall …or if you want to know more…write [email protected]
Please follow and donate our programe
http://greendom-afc.blogspot.com
http://afcindo.wordpress.com
Trash has become a very complicated issue and always end with a large processing costs and is deemed uneconomical, but the farm-based waste processing integrated into the answer to stopping warming globalization, economic berkelanjutam, fuel scarcity, and how to reduce unemployment in the world community to three or communities in developing countries.
our org is not yet matured so we want expect org or volunteers to meet us because how to manage the org is difficult for us a concern citizen contact us
Hi Joseph,
What kind of assistance or partnerships are you looking for?
Ingrid
Hi Ingrid,
Our company is LoveMyCharity. We have built a website for NPO’s that will help with their fundraising. We are in it for the long haul. Our passion is to help charities ! We are committed to the success that our site can offer NPO’s. I have a few spots on our site I would love to donate. Got any ideas ?
Blessings to you !
Dan Burch
[email protected]