A Small Change- Fundraising Blog

Org of the Month is an opportunity to highlight some of the amazing things that organizations like yours are doing globally (I want to sign-up).

Social & Economic Development Association (SEDA)

What is your non-profit about? And what areas do you serve?SEDA-Laos is working to bring social and economic development to the people of rural Laos. We are a non-profit, non-government, Laos-based organization, dedicated to providing a long-term and sustainable solution to poverty in Laos.Based in the capital city of Vientiane but serving outlying rural communities, SEDA is currently operating several projects aimed at upgrading schools and medical training facilities, increasing HIV/AIDS education and prevention outreach, developing eco-friendly agriculture and plantation skills, as well as an understanding of sustainable business so the people of Laos can earn a stable income for their families.What major fundraising programs do you have?SEDA is still small, so at this stage we have no major fundraising programs. We have recently started collaborating with Global Giving and intend to expand our online fundraising presence. We are currently looking for support and partnership from any organizations, individuals or companies who would be interested in helping SEDA.What sector do you raise money for and how is that different from raising money in another sector?SEDA is raising money for agriculture development, health (HIV/AIDS) and education in Laos PDR. However, in these sectors there is lot of competition for available funds which means never ending grant applications and fund sourcing. Also, SEDA has to look all over the world for funding, rather than just in its own community.What geographic area does your charity serve and where is it located?Over the next seven years, SEDA will focus on remote rural communities in Vientiane Province and southern Laos. For phase two, the projects will extend to central and northern Laos. For those who don’t know, Laos is a small South-East Asian country nestled between Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma and China.

Any tips on how to approach donors in your area?In Laos, finding local donors has been the single biggest obstacle for SEDA. Local businesses do not understand how they can really help, or why, and INGOs operating in Laos have their own projects and are not willing to donate to small local projects. Met with this kind of response, the director of SEDA recently spent eight months in America raising awareness about the organization. For many of those months, it was difficult to get the word out and be recognized. But over time, people began to recognize SEDA as an organization. It took a lot of contacts, networking and persistence, but now the profile of SEDA has been raised considerably and the future looks brighter.Any pointers on organizations in your area that help non-profit professionals?Get in touch with big international bodies that can help in a professional manner, such as sectors of the UN, ASEAN and others, and stay in touch with them through updates about your charity or NGO. These organizations often provide conferences, training workshops and impart valuable knowledge that you can pass onto your team.For more information about SEDA, please visit our website: http://seda-laos.org

Brenda has guest posted with A Small Change before and is writing today about how to plan your events. She is a Donor Relations Manager with the Nature Conservancy and is a skilled event planner. - Jason

You’ll be most successful if you’re always thinking of your main goal as you design your event. Are you trying to thank and recognize, educate and make a case for support or raise money? Again, clearly define your goal and design the event from there.

Let’s say you decide that your major donors should see the facility first hand and understand how their support made it possible. What are some creative ways to reach your audience? Individualized tours of the facility might an option because tours allow more personal interaction with staff and an in-depth look at the housing. Tours can be scheduled at the convenience of your major donors which is a plus when working with busy people. Additionally, you don’t have to rent a venue, order catering or set up chairs, tables or audio/visual equipment. However, you will likely want an opportunity to talk to specific donors and introduce key staff. In this scenario, the ideal solution might be an open house at the facility with tours starting every half hour.

But what if tours aren’t an option because of client confidentiality concerns? Maybe you will need to organize a reception that premiers a nicely done video of the facility and, ideally, a testimonial from someone your organization has helped. When designing your program, keep in mind that donors want to hear from the staff directly connected to the organization’s mission. Oftentimes, you are there to facilitate those conversations. Ask those in the organization that work directly with programs or clients to talk about what they see daily. Spend time working with program staff to help them understand a donor’s point of view and how best to talk about their work. Coaching your program staff on fundraising techniques can take a lot of time, but the dividends will be tremendous once you have allies in your organization.

Other event articles by Brenda:
Party for Party’s Sake

When staff members get together to talk about donor recognition, increasing revenue and finding creative ways to reach new donors, usually one of the first ideas on the table is to have an ‘event.’ But, is a reception, lunch, ground breaking ceremony, auction or dinner what you need? These things can be done well and reach your key audience, but there are pitfalls and drawbacks you want to consider carefully and be careful to avoid.

In planning events, it is important to avoid letting the tail wag the dog. First, decide what your need is. (We need to have a donor event is NOT a legitimate need!) Your need should be defined in terms of moving your fundraising objectives forward. Let’s say your organization wants to draw attention to the opening of its new housing facility for victims of domestic violence. Which donors or groups of donors need attention and what has been done to communicate your message so far? You may not be able to design one event that is the best solution for every group. Better to have a clearly defined message and defined measures of success for one group than an event that invites everyone, but doesn’t advance your objective. Sometimes, an event is NOT what you need. You may be able to get the same results with visits or other techniques. The worst thing you can do is spend money for a party and then find that your event didn’t attract your core audience and you spent your time and money on fancy hors d’oeuvres for staff.