2. YOUTH-LED ORGANIZATIONS AND SRHR
A step by step guide to creating
sustainable youth-led organizations working on
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
By Claudia Ahumada, Karolien Dekkers, Annelies Mesman,
Lynda Saleh and Jostein van Vliet

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 4
Who we are 5
Introduction 6
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of young people
Why youth-led organizations on SRHR?
Getting started: an idea is born
An overview: Youth and SRHR 9
Setting the foundation 11
Defining your mission, principles and values
Strategic planning
Decision-making mechanisms
Membership: the basis of the organization 22
Recruitment and selection of new members
Ensuring a sustainable learning organization
Coaching: take two principle
Defining the Structure 25
Membership-based
Board of Directors
Task forces, Working Groups and/or Committees
Staff
Advisory Council
Activities: making an impact 31
Skills and knowledge building
National, Regional and International conferences
Networking
Communication and branding 34
Ensuring sustainable funding 36
Establishing an office 40
Office space
Being hosted
Moving towards legal independence 41
Human resources
Legal aspects and the development of bylaws
Financial aspects
Administrative aspects
In closing 45
Glossary 47
Additional resources 49

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank all members and
staff of CHOICE for youth and sexual-
ity and the Youth Coalition for Sexual
and Reproductive Rights (YCSRR),
whose passion and commitment to
sustainable, youth-led organizations on
SRHR has made this guide possible.
Had it not been for them, we would not
have the experiences we have today,
which have enabled us to create this
handbook on building and maintaining
sustainable youth-led SRHR organiza-
tions.
For their input throughout the devel-
opment of this guide, we would like
to thank Victor Bernhardtz and Neha
Sood. Additionally, thanks to Emily
Turk for the design and layout of this
guide.
We would also like to thank UNFPA for
their generous financial contribution,
without which this guide would not
have been possible.
4

5. WHO WE ARE initiation and growth of youth advocacy
organizations on SRHR worldwide by
CHOICE for youth and sexuality and training and offering organizational de-
the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Re- velopment support since 2004.
productive Rights are two completely
youth-led organizations. We have ex- The Youth Coalition for Sexual and
isted respectively for 12 and 10 years Reproductive Rights is an international
and are proud to be working examples organization of young people (ages 15-
of young people who can create, main- 29 years) committed to promoting ado-
tain and run sustainable, youth-led lescent and youth sexual and repro-
SRHR organizations. ductive rights at the national, regional
and international levels. While the of-
CHOICE is a Dutch youth-led organiza- fice is based in Canada, members are
tion that amplifies the voices of young all around the world. It is made up of
people on sexuality and reproduction volunteers, students, researchers, law-
worldwide, and promotes the right to yers, health care professionals, educa-
make one’s own choices in this area. tors, development workers and, most
CHOICE consists entirely of youth un- importantly, dedicated young activists.
der the age of 29, all of whom share the It aims to ensure that the sexual and
passion of improving the lives of young reproductive rights of all young people
people worldwide. The organization are respected, guaranteed and pro-
has approximately 25 youth advocates moted, and strives to secure the mean-
who all work on a voluntary basis for ingful participation of young people in
the organization. CHOICE was set up decision-making that affects our lives,
by the World Population Foundation by advocating, generating knowledge,
in 1997 and became independent in sharing information, building partner-
2005. CHOICE members advocate for ships and training young activists. Dur-
the importance of sexual and repro- ing its first few years, the Youth Coali-
ductive health and rights by addressing tion was hosted by Action Canada for
decision and policymakers and making Population and Development and then
sure that the voice of youth is heard and went on to gain legal independence in
guaranteed on a national and interna- 2007.
tional level. Capacity building of youth
and youth organizations are an impor-
tant investment to empower youth and
to realize sustainable youth leader-
ship. Therefore CHOICE supports the
5

6. INTRODUCTION Why Sexual and Reproductive
Health and Rights?
Why this guide?
Whilst this guide is useful for various
This is a step-by-step guide to creat- types of youth organizations, it focus-
ing a sustainable youth-led organiza- es and draws upon the experiences of
tion on sexual and reproductive health youth organizations working on SRHR
and rights (SRHR). While the steps advocacy.1 The reasoning behind this
described here may be useful to you if is twofold: there are few subjects as
you are planning on creating a youth- relevant to young people as SRHR
led organization on something other and fewer still that are as necessary
than SRHR, given that specific needs for young people to get involved and
and challenges may vary, and because organized around as SRHR.
the two authoring organizations work
on SRHR, this guide refers more spe- Sexuality is an aspect of every per-
cifically to the establishment and sus- son’s life and this is especially the case
tainability of youth-led organizations for young people. As young people
on SRHR. around the world think about and expe-
rience the positive and negative sides
In the past decennia, a large number of sexuality regularly, there are some
of programs, campaigns and organi- of us that want to take it a step further
zations have been initiated, led and and commit to the struggle for SRHR
maintained by young people. As suc- for our peers all around the world. As a
cessful and long lasting the impact young person, you see challenges that
of the work led by young people has your peers face and you see that ini-
been, youth initiatives can also be tiatives developed to overcome these
short lived. Some youth organizations challenges are not sufficient or inac-
exist for a few years, and wither as the cessible to young people. As young
initial members age-out or move on to people, we have the passion and com-
other things. Some do not even move mitment to produce change. We are
past the formation stage, as the barri- creative and energetic and willing to
ers they face can be too high. invest our time and energy in making
a difference because we care! But,
where can one start?
1 Note: when we say organization, this could be any type
of organization: a youth group, a movement or a network,
among others.
6

7. About this guide what you are already doing. Whether
you are running a campaign, engaged
Over the years we have worked with in trainings or peer education, or just
many organizations and young activ- discussing possibilities for action with
ists from around the globe, and ques- friends, you are your own experts and
tions we are often asked include: how no single guide will be able to provide
did you create this organization? How all the answers.
do you maintain it? How do you ensure
that young people stay involved and However, this guide does aim to pro-
committed? How do you create a plat- vide you with information to support
form that can empower young people you throughout this process. A solid or-
to advocate for their SRHR? While ganizational foundation is important for
there is no single answer on how to go young people to be empowered, speak
about this, in our experience, there are out and be taken seriously. It is the ba-
certain steps which are key to creating sis from which your organizational ac-
and maintaining a sustainable, youth- tivities will grow.
led SRHR organization.
This guide intends to:
If you are reading this, you probably
have an interest in youth organizations - Provide steps that you can take while
or SRHR. Alongside your peers, you building a sustainable youth-led
may be considering a few ideas on SRHR organization;
how to get involved or perhaps you are
part of a youth organization but have - Examine key lessons learned relat-
questions on how to make your orga- ed to ensuring the sustainability of
nization more sustainable. You could youth-led SRHR organizations; and
be part of a youth group that is already delineate challenges and strategies
engaged in SRHR-related activities, to overcome them.
such as capacity-building and peer
education but would like to expand into - Highlight a few additional resources
other relevant areas, such as advoca- for young people interested in cre-
cy. It also may be the case that your ating, maintaining or strengthening
organization was set up by an ‘adult- youth-led SRHR organizations.
led’ organization and you are now
considering the benefits of becoming
completely youth-led. Whatever your
reasons, we hope to add something to
7

8. How to use this guide
While reading this guide, we encour-
age you to contextualize the concepts
raised to suit your own reality. We aim
to share these ideas as pointers and
suggestions that work in a variety of
contexts. It is up to you, however, to
make them fit into yours.
8

9. AN OVERVIEW: Adolescence is a critical time and these
years can be damaging when young
YOUTH AND SRHR people’s needs are not addressed and
their voices not heard; youth partici-
Sexual and Reproductive Health and
pation is integral to achieving SRHR
Rights encompass physical, emotional,
for young people. Young people are a
psychological and social wellbeing with
huge focus group but all too often are
regards to sexuality and reproduction.
seen as a problem group instead of
To guarantee sexual and reproductive
the key to development and individu-
health, young people’s human rights
als who are capable of putting forth
need to be recognized, and perhaps
tremendous contributions. When giv-
even more importantly, exercised. This
en the opportunity to make informed
includes young peoples’ right to have
choices, young people are receptive
access to the information and services
to positive change which leads to long-
required to make informed decisions
term and wide-ranging benefits. Young
about their health and sexuality, free
people are experts when it comes to
from coercion and violence. Moreover,
their own needs and situations and
it also means that every individual has
can best represent themselves as op-
the right to experience their sexuality
posed to someone doing it for them.
and sexual relations in a positive and
Young people are crucial leaders who
pleasurable way and to be free from
can bring about the desired change for
illness, pressure, discrimination, force
themselves. Youth voices must there-
and violence. Mutual consent, equality,
fore be heard and youth rights must be
respect and pleasure form the basis of
respected, including those concerning
these universal human rights. These
our sexual and reproductive health.
rights apply to everyone, regardless of
Policies and programs must reflect the
age, gender, marital status, ability, HIV
reality that we are living in and address
status, sexual orientation, economic,
our needs and challenges.
cultural, social or religious status, geo-
graphic location or other status.
Programs for adolescents have proven
most effective when they secure the full
Sexual and Reproductive Health and involvement of adolescents in identify-
Rights (SRHR) of young people ing their reproductive and sexual health
needs and in designing programs that
Young people have urgent sexual and responds to those needs.
reproductive health needs and face - ICPD PoA, Paragraph 7.43
challenges in exercising their rights.
9

10. have their own agenda; its own specific
Adolescents must be fully involved in the strengths and can reach out to youth in
planning, implementation and evalua- different geographical regions. For ex-
tion of such information and services….
ample, some organization’s niches will
-ICPD PoA, Paragraph 7.472 be in international SRHR advocacy, so
part of the organization’s strengths will
be derived from its worldwide member-
Why youth-led organizations on ship. Much needs to be achieved when
SRHR? considering the present SRHR situa-
tion of young people. As SRHR orga-
In order to realize sustainable youth nizations, we all have our own goals,
leadership, youth-led organizations skills and knowledge. This creates an
are key. Youth potential can be fulfilled exciting platform for collaboration and
even more so when channeled through partnership, further strengthening the
youth-led organizations and networks. meaningfully involvement of youth
Youth-led organizations can strategi- voices and the inclusion of our issues
cally work together in national and in- in policies and programs.
ternational advocacy to promote and
safeguard our SRHR. Youth-led orga-
nizations can support knowledge and
information exchange between fellow
youth advocates thus safeguarding
a continuous and sustainable youth
voice. In order to become this major
catalyst for change, young people and
youth-led organizations need capacity
building in the field of SRHR advocacy
and organizational development.
As young people, we have unique
knowledge and energy in compari-
son to ‘professional’ organizations. All
youth organizations working on SRHR
2 From the International Conference on Population and De-
velopment Programme for Action (ICPD PoA). The ICPD
PoA, which was approved by 179 countries in September
1994, was the first international document that recognized the
sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people.
10

11. SETTING THE FOUNDATION: is common to want to take up several
important issues. However, it is usu-
STRATEGIC PLANNING ally wise to limit yourself to a specific
set of issues and activities that form
You probably already have a good idea
the basis of your organization and
of what you want to do and what you
develop your expertise around these
would like to achieve with your organi-
issues. We recognize that as young
zation. You would like to start your ac-
people working in SRHR, there is a
tivities, and as fast as possible! How-
pressing desire to make a difference
ever, it is important to take a step back,
in the world. However, solid prepa-
look at your organization, look at your
ration and taking the time to develop
environment, and think how you can
your activities in a way that is finan-
best reach your goals. When begin-
cially efficient and which can lead to
ning to build an organization around a
a positive and long-term impact is
task as large and daunting as ‘improv-
critical.
ing the SRHR of young people’, it is
easy to become overwhelmed by the
Motivation: Sometimes the prob-
number of things that could be done
lems that you try to solve can be-
to accomplish this. In addition, you will
come overwhelming. Setting clear
most likely find that it is easy to get
goals that you feel are achievable
lost in all the information and themes
and referring back to your past re-
within SRHR. Therefore you need to
sults and lessons learned will help
set boundaries and establish a clearly
you in continuing your mission and
defined identity for your organization.
keeping motivation levels high.
Please note that in writing this guide,
Balance: For the organization to be
we have assumed that you are starting
sustainable, activities, membership,
from scratch. However, whether the
funding and coordination capacity
activities of your organization have al-
should remain in balance. More ac-
ready been implemented, or you have
tivities means more funding should
yet to start, it is important to look at the
be sought. At the same time, more
foundation of your organization and to
activities means a larger amount of
engage in ‘strategic planning’. For this
capacity should be devoted to coor-
process, do give a thought to the fol-
dination. A strategic plan helps you
lowing:
make sure these components are in
balance with each other. For exam-
Focus: There are so many prob-
ple, if you have more members than
lems that we can try to solve, and it
11

12. activities, you can choose to devote want to achieve these goals (strat-
more time to fundraising. egy);
Donors and other sponsors: To • Identify what exactly you have to do
to achieve these goals: make action
successfully carry out organizational
plans.
goals, it is important to have other
organizations believe in what you
Some general points that are important
are doing and support you; a stra-
to consider in strategic planning:
tegic plan facilitates easier dialogue
about organizational activities. Ad- • The planning process is at least as im-
ditionally, some donors will require portant as the document that it is pro-
a strategic plan before considering duced. To encourage ownership over
your funding proposal. the strategic plan, thus activities, and
ultimately the organization itself, it is
There are many different ways to ap- important to include as many voices
proach the strategic planning process. as possible in the strategic planning
However, it is advisable to consider the process, as everyone will be able to
contribute good ideas and their unique
following:
perspective.
• Look at what your organization really
• Creativity is an important factor in de-
wants to achieve (mission), and the
veloping objectives and activities, with-
principles and values that form the
in your strategic plan, that are inspired
core of the organization;
and realistic. Oftentimes, brainstorm-
ing on how best to reach organizational
• Define the steps your organization
goals yield the best and more relevant
must undergo to achieve its mission.
options. Paying careful attention to
In other words, set goals;
priorities within your goals, objectives
and activities and holding one another
• Look outside the organization: what
accountable to those is an integral part
challenges and circumstances do you
of maintaining focus and producing the
need to take in to account, and vice
type of outcomes that are desirable.
versa, are there factors that can help
Harnessing ambitious goals and ob-
inform your work?;
jectives in your strategic plan will help
to avoid disappointment down the line
• Look inside the organization, to see
and ensure that the goals your organi-
what strengths and limitations exist;
zation has set for itself are met.
• Based on the environmental and or-
• It is as important to do enough strate-
ganizational analysis, decide how you
gic planning, as it is important to not do
12

13. too much! While it is an important pro- there needs to be room for flexibility
cess, there will always be the tempta- and growth.
tion to make your plan as complete and
perfect as possible. There comes the • Before you start the strategic planning
point where it is best to actually begin process, it is important to think about
carrying out your activities instead of the kind of information you will need to
developing an even better plan. Stra- develop a thorough plan. For example,
tegic planning is a prime opportunity to if you start planning for an advocacy
get bogged down in semantic discus- process, it is important to know how
sions. When you find yourself in one, the policy cycles within government
remember that meaning is more im- evolve.
portant than literal text.
• Every organization is different. If you
• Strategic planning has its limits. You are a smaller organization without too
cannot plan for everything, and your many activities in the future, the stra-
environment can change as you carry tegic planning process may be much
out your plans. Reality will always be simpler than if you plan to utilize mul-
different than what you expected. Op- tiple strategies.
portunities can also arise while you are
busy implementing your activities. A
strategic plan can help you in dealing However small or large your organiza-
with these unexpected events. It is un- tion, you will be able to adapt the fol-
necessary to set everything in stone; lowing steps to suit your needs:
Figure 1: Defining your identity, and how your organization relates to the environment (SWOT) helps
in setting your goals and planning for your activities
IDENTITY SWOT: You and your
environment
Mission Vision
Strengths Weaknesses
Strategic
Goals
Values
and Opportunities Threats
Strategic Goals
Principles
Objectives
Activities
13

14. Mission and vision entation are hotly debated subjects. It is
important that your organization takes
A mission is the organization’s pur- the time to define where it stands on
pose. In its basic form, it should the diverse range of SRHR issues, and
say what the organization is, what it clearly position yourselves. In doing
does, and for whom it works. An or- this, you may want to formulate a list or
ganizational mission allows your mem- ‘charter’ to express your organization’s
bers, volunteers and staff to effectively principles, values or beliefs.4 Creating
communicate to others what your or- such a document can help you in de-
ganization is about. Keep in mind that fining, understanding, and articulating
all your activities and projects should your principles within the organization
be aimed at realizing this mission.3 and to the outside world. A charter will
also prove to be useful in the selection
You can choose to formulate a vision process for new members and staff, as
before you start on your mission. A vi- well as in guiding your key activities.
sion is your image of an ideal world; The document functions as a set of or-
it describes when the goals of the or- ganizational principles that everyone
ganization finally have been achieved. within your organization has a shared
For example, you could envision, and agreement on. While periodic debate
work towards “a world without HIV”. In on the charter may happen, and per-
your vision you can and should be am- haps is even necessary, having a char-
bitious; it is meant to be inspirational. ter to fall back on ensures the focus is
on outside action, rather than internal
debate.
Principles and values
Organizational values speak to the
An organization working on SRHR identity and culture of your organiza-
deals with issues that can be sensitive. tion: What kind of behaviors do you
Issues such as abortion and sexual ori- agree on within the organization as
desirable? For example, as a youth-
3 The mission of CHOICE for example is “CHOICE is a
youth-led organisation that strengthens the voice of young led organization, you aim for meaning-
people worldwide on sexuality and having children and that ful youth participation. It is therefore
advocates for the rights and the space to make our own
decisions around these issues. The mission of the Youth important to realize meaningful youth
Coalition is “to ensure that the sexual and reproductive participation within your own organiza-
rights of all young people are respected, guaranteed and
promoted, and strives to secure the meaningful participa- tion as well. This includes empowering
tion of young people in decision-making that affects their
lives, by advocating, generating knowledge, sharing infor-
mation, building partnerships and training young activists 4 You can find the charters of CHOICE and the YC in the
with a focus on the regional and international levels.” additional resources section.
14

15. your members with responsibilities, The advantage of this exercise is that
decision- making capacity, ownership when time is taken to seriously con-
over the organization, equal opportuni- sider all the potential strengths and
ties, and invest in the knowledge and weaknesses, a SWOT analysis will
skills building of members.5 provide you with the opportunity to se-
lect a strategy which best suits your
It is crucial that all members and staff organization. Also, keep in mind that
are included in the process of defin- while brainstorming, you may come
ing the mission, charter, principles to the realization that there is always
and values and steadfastly believe in something more you can add and in
them. Not only will they influence your this way, it can become a very long
organizational culture, they will also process. After an initial brainstorming
inform the actions that ultimately will of ideas, it is helpful to limit the discus-
be carried out by the members of the sion to the most important aspects in
organization. In most, if not all organi- order to save time.
zations, taking time to revisit your mis-
sion, principles and values every few For a members-based organization, for
years is important. This is particularly example, a strength could be that your
necessary for youth-led organizations members have specific experiences
as ownership is important and we are and knowledge that other people do
faced with ageing-out and turnover. not have; on the other hand, a weak-
ness could be that people have limited
time available to devote to the organi-
Environment and organization: zation’s work. One of the opportunities
SWOT could be that an important campaign-
ing moment is coming up; and one of
Another key ingredient in strategic the threats could be that other organi-
planning is looking at what your organi- zations do not yet accept your organi-
zation is good at, and in what environ- zation as a serious partner. It is also
ment your organization will operate. In helpful to think of the human and finan-
other words, look at the strengths and cial resources that you may or may not
weaknesses of the organization, and have as an organization.
the potential opportunities and threats
that could influence the organization. Once you have listed the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats
5 As a tool for meaningful youth participation, CHOICE de- of your organization, you can cross link
veloped the ‘Flower of Participation’ which illustrates the
different levels of youth participation and a distinction be- them. For example, you can choose
tween meaningful and not meaningful youth participation.
15

16. to use your strength of having unique ing mindful of what your organizational
experiences and knowledge to reduce capacity will realistically allow you to
the threat of people not accepting your do will keep motivation and commit-
organization as a serious partner. ment levels of members high. Stra-
tegic plans are often set for the long
term and range between 3-5 years and
Strategic goals and objectives despite not being able to predict what
will happen in three years time, long-
Following the SWOT analysis comes term strategic plans allow for a sense
the time to set one or more strategic of direction and ensures that activities
goals. A strategic, or “overall goal” is contribute to your organization achiev-
what you want to achieve in the com- ing its mission. While it is alright to
ing years by carrying out your activi- start with a shorter strategic plan in
ties. This goal should be achievable the initial stages of your organization,
and should contribute to your mission. say 2 or 3 years, it is ideal to be able
to develop longer term plans, ranging
Setting strategic goals is also about 5 or 7 years, as the organization pro-
deciding how you want to achieve gresses.
your mission. A strategy is a plan of
action that will help you achieve your Once you have set your goals, it is time
goal. It is helpful to set one goal per to get more specific and define objec-
strategy. For instance, if your orga- tives. The level at which you define your
nization decides to focus on national- objectives depends on what your orga-
level campaigns, each of the strategies nization looks like and how many differ-
associated with this, such as support- ent activities you plan to carry out. An
ing national campaigns, carrying out important concept in objectives is that
national campaigns and engaging in they should be Specific, Measurable,
international advocacy, should have Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound,
separate and clearly defined goals. in other words SMART.6 For example,
Defining clear goals and objectives for if the overall goal of an organization is
your organization’s activities before to ‘improve access to sexuality educa-
you start will make your work easier in tion for high school students’, the ob-
the long run and will also make it pos- jective would be that ‘within 3 months,
sible gauge the kind of results your ac- 75% of the trained peer educators will
tivities may have. be able to conduct sexuality education
While it is great to be ambitious, be- 6 For a handout on SMART objectives, see additional re-
sources.
16

17. classes at high schools in district X’. Do not be afraid of recognizing that
Developing an objective in this way, sometimes things could have been
the SMART-rule makes your activities done better, learning from challenges,
easier to monitor and evaluate). and building upon those experiences,
in other words, your ‘lessons learned’.
No matter how hard you are working to
Activities and budget ensure that your organization is a suc-
cess, there are sure to be some bumps
The last step in your strategic planning along the way. This is particularly true
process is a plan of action. What needs if your work entails something that has
to be done? By when? Who will be re- not been done before and where you
sponsible? An action plan will ensure are breaking new ground. The impor-
that you plan for the different aspects tant thing is that you recognize that as
of your activities in a realistic way and an organization you are always learn-
that individuals, taskforces or working ing and applying those lessons. Les-
groups will be held accountable for a sons learned also include your suc-
certain task. A very important aspect cesses and developing best practices,
of your action plans is the budget. You so be sure to also keep track of those
should be able to forecast the cost of and carefully evaluate what made a
activities so that you can fundraise for particular initiative so successful.
it.
The process of recording your results
and your lessons learned is called
Monitoring and Evaluation monitoring and evaluation (also
known as M&E). Through M&E, you
Throughout and following the imple- can track the impact of your activities,
mentation of activities it is important make changes along the way, and en-
to know whether your activities have sure that they will achieve the objec-
achieved what you intended, and les- tives you have identified. Monitoring
sons learned to make activities more is what you do while the project is go-
effective in the future. Seeing your ef- ing on. You see whether the activities
forts result in achieving your goals is are on track and whether unexpected
helpful in keeping motivation levels things happen. This allows you to ad-
high and is of interest to donors as it just your plans while you are carrying
demonstrates that you have efficiently out your work. Evaluation is what you
utilized funds to contribute to a suc- do after an activity has ended. You then
cessful activity. look at whether you have achieved
17

18. your objectives, and the ways in which tive, monitoring changes in the SRHR
it can be improved upon next time. situation of young people, etc. Which-
ever approach you choose, monitor
If you have set your goals and objec- and evaluate, ensure follow up, and be
tives in a careful manner, it will be much sure to regularly seek feedback so that
easier in the end to evaluate whether you can consistently learn lessons and
what has been achieved is what you build on them, significantly increasing
intended. Thinking about M&E while your chances of success. Also, do not
working through the strategic planning forget to celebrate your victories to-
process is helpful because it will al- gether as these are just as important
lows you to assess the criteria against as your challenges. Celebration of your
which you can judge an activity has successes will keep up the motivation
having been successful or unsuccess- and commitment of members!
ful. Ask yourself the question ‘at which
point would I happy with the result?’
and ‘how will I know I have achieved
it?’ To keep with the example of im-
proving sexuality education, you can
choose to do a test to see whether the
peer educators have received enough
information.
Depending on the kind of information
you are seeking, the nature of the ac-
tivity and your own internal capacity,
the way you do M&E can vary quite
a bit. Some approaches may include
developing written evaluation forms
after activities, having focus group
discussions, conducting one-on-one
interviews, keeping track of the num-
ber of publications you are distributing,
tracking the number of visits to your
organization’s website and resources
downloaded, analyzing the number of
young people participating in advocacy
since the beginning of a certain initia-
18

19. DECISION-MAKING BY Consensus decision-making requires
time, as everyone must have an oppor-
CONSENSUS7 tunity to share their opinions. In group
decision-making, the larger the group,
Crucial to an organization’s founda-
the more time required to make a deci-
tion are clear decision-making mech-
sion. Consensus also requires trust, to
anisms. In this guide, we will discuss
encourage sharing of ideas and opin-
a particular form of decision-making:
ions in a safe environment. The group
consensus. Both CHOICE and the
must be willing to engage in open dis-
Youth Coalition use this form of deci-
cussions and trust that the group has
sion-making. We feel that for an orga-
the capacity to make good decisions
nization consisting of young people,
through consensus. At times, consen-
often working on a voluntary basis,
sus decision-making may require that
consensus is a powerful tool. Howev-
someone manage the decision-mak-
er, it is for each organization to decide
ing process without contributing any
which decision-making mechanism
content to it. Nominating someone
works best for them.
to facilitate consensus-based decision
making is helpful to guide the group
Consensus is a participatory model of
through the process. The facilitator will
group decision-making. In consensus
also be mindful that some people feel
decision-making, making the decision
more secure than others to raise their
itself is not necessarily the main goal,
points in a larger group and will play
as a “majority rules” approach is likely
a central role in encouraging everyone
the speediest way to make decisions
to speak their mind.
and move the agenda forward. Con-
sensus is based on the principle that
There are many benefits to operating
every voice is worth hearing, and ev-
by consensus decision-making:
ery concern is justified. If a proposal
makes a few people or even one per-
 Consensus definitely takes longer
son deeply unhappy - then a consen-
than an arbitrary decision, but the
sus approach recognizes that there is
decision is usually more meaning-
a valid reason for that unhappiness,
ful and assures follow-through on
and if the group ignores this, they are
implementing decisions. Decisions
likely to make mistakes.
made by consensus generally stick,
which can save a lot of time in the
long run.
7 This section is based on “Guidelines on consensus deci-
sion-making. A handbook of the Youth Coalition” For more
information, see additional resources.
19

20.  When each individual shares in the The Steps
decision of the group, then all have
a greater commitment to implement When conducting consensus decision-
the group’s decisions. making, the following steps can be fol-
lowed:
 Consensus increases group strength
by decentralizing authority, and al- Step 1 - The Issue: The group de-
lowing more people in the group to scribes and defines the decision
take on leadership roles. item.
 Consensus stresses the cooperative Step 2 - Brainstorm: The group
development of a decision and the brainstorms a list of possible
active search for common ground courses of action without judging,
rather than differences. discussing, or rejecting any of the
ideas presented.
 When a decision is not favorable to
the whole group, time is often taken Step 3 - Discussion: The group
to find creative (and often better) reviews, discusses and synthesiz-
solutions. es the options presented in Step 2,
developing a draft decision based
on the input of all members of the
Consensus decision-making is best group.
used in a group that has a strong will-
ingness to work together. For mem- Step 4 - Decision: After adequate
bers to share the mission, values and discussion, the facilitator will ask if
goals of the organization is important, there is any opposition to the pro-
as members will have the flexibility to posed decision as stated. The fa-
sometimes set aside their personal be- cilitator should poll each person in
liefs for the benefit of the organization. the group, pointedly asking if they
It is important to make sure that people agree with and support the decision
can speak freely, and that expressing as stated.
alternate opinions is not limited by peer
pressure or power dynamics. Individuals can register their views on
the proposal under discussion in three
ways: by expressing support, non-sup-
port/reservations, or blocking the pro-
posal.
20

21. Support: The person agrees with the only one person to halt the entire pro-
proposal, solution or plan of action be- cess, this is a lot of power. Consensus
fore the group, and supports the pro- cannot work unless people are respon-
posal and the group. (“I agree with and sible regarding their use of this power.
support this proposal.” “I agree, this is Blocks should be used rarely and care-
the best possible solution.”). fully.
Non-support/reservation: The per-
son does not feel that the proposed
decision is required for the function-
ing or that the proposal is best for the
group, but agrees to abide by the deci-
sion for the well being of the group. (“I
don’t see the need for this, but I will go
along.” “I think this may be a mistake
but I can live with it.”)
Blocking: The person disagrees with
the proposed course of action and
feels they must block consensus. (“I
cannot support this or allow the group
to support this.”)
If several members of the group ex-
press non-support/reservations on the
proposal, there is no real consensus.
A proposal that sparks reservations is
typically not a very viable or appropriate
decision, even if no one directly blocks
the proposal. When this situation oc-
curs, the facilitator and the group must
make a concerted effort towards con-
sensus building and compromise. If a
group member has strong objections
to a proposal that affects them, in con-
sensus decision-making, this person
can block the proposal. Since it takes
21

22. MEMBERSHIP: THE BASIS OF tion, the process of seeking out new
members, introducing them to the
THE ORGANIZATION organization, and enabling them to
meaningfully contribute to and have
The most prominent feature of youth
ownership over its work is an ongo-
organizations is their youthful mem-
ing task. Youth-led organizations
bership. There is no universal defini-
face a huge turnover as members of
tion (or age-limit) of ‘youth’. According
your organization grow older, they will
to the UN, young people are defined
eventually ‘age-out’, which means that
as persons between the age of 10-24
members and staff transition out of the
years old and youth as being between
organization when they reach a certain
15-24 years old. Your organization’s
age. In addition, members may leave
age limit is reflective of your organiza-
the organization for a variety of rea-
tional values, philosophy and commit-
sons, both personal and professional.
ment to youth-leadership. As such, you
This means that you will need to fo-
will need to set your own boundaries
cus on and invest in recruitment and
and adhere to it, even if that means
selection of new members. Having a
that the founder or a very dedicated
strategy in place will make it easier to
member will ‘age-out’ of the organiza-
spot opportunities for recruitment and
tion.
highlight appropriate venues where
you can promote your organization.
You should consider what kind of
Regardless of the route you choose, it
members your organization wants to
is important that you develop a system
have with respect to factors such as
and budget for ongoing recruitment of
diversity, age, experience and skills.
members. You may want to do this by
Important for every youth organization
including a section on your website for
is the need for members to acquire the
membership applications or by sharing
necessary skills by investing in internal
the news at community meetings and
capacity building and training and to be
with fellow NGOs. It is important to rec-
mindful that if you want certain groups
ognize that while ageing-out can have
of people on your team, you must ac-
its challenges, it is also a tremendous
tively outreach to them!
opportunity to regularly infuse the or-
ganization with new people, ideas and
perspectives, which will ultimately en-
Recruitment and selection of new
rich your work.
members
Selection of new members can, for ex-
To remain a truly youth-led organiza-
ample, be done by conducting intake
22

23. interviews. During these interviews,
the organization can pose the most rel- In addition to documenting institution-
evant questions for the possible mem- al history, you have to be prepared to
bership. The interview also provides guide and strengthen the skills and
the potential new member with space knowledge of (new) members and
to pose any questions to the organiza- staff. You have to ensure that they are
tion and what it means to be a member. empowered and motivated to take the
An intake interview also ensures that lead within the organization. This can
expectations of both parties are clear be done through induction trainings for
and that the new member is commit- new members and staff, regular inter-
ted, passionate and able to invest time nal trainings, information sharing, and
in the organization and its mission. A annual members and staff meetings.
report of an intake interview can af- Coaching or buddy systems, as seen
terwards be used to select a potential below, can also help share organiza-
new member or not, depending on the tional history, knowledge on ways of
needs of the organization and the qual- working, information on activities and
ity of the potential new member. facilitate the growing roles of newcom-
ers to the organization. How you fa-
cilitate this, depends on your structure
Ensuring a sustainable learning and size, as well as on human and fi-
organization nancial resources in your organization.
For example, you may want to choose
Membership turnover can create cer- to have a task force or working group
tain challenges as when people leave of members dedicated to outreaching
they take with them knowledge and ex- to new members and coaching them;
perience, but this can be overcome by a staff person dedicated to this; or a
ensuring that strong institutional histo- combination of both. In the end, it is
ry is developed and documented. Take key to create a space for new mem-
the time to constantly document how bers to bring in and implement new
your organization has developed, keep ideas. As their sense of ownership over
reports on activities and write down the organization and their commitment
how you have dealt with challenges in grows, so will the sustainability of the
the past. All of this documentation will organization.
be a huge help to new members and
staff as they join the organization and
avoids having to reinvent the wheel or
start from scratch constantly.
23

24. Coaching example: take two is based on their application. In order
principle to introduce such a procedure, make
sure you have agreed on who is au-
A coaching system is an ideal way to thorized to make the selection. In most
transfer knowledge and to empower youth organizations, everyone but the
new members. It means activities are applicants decide together. This is very
carried out in pairs by a newer and motivating for new members, as their
older member. This is often called the vote is as valuable as the votes of an
‘take two principle’. You can apply this ‘older’ member. However, who decided
rule to all your activities or to those ac- also depends on the size of your orga-
tivities that are most difficult and there- nization.
fore also have a considerable learning
effect. The more experienced member Furthermore, clear conditions and cri-
has the role of coach towards the less teria are needed to make a fair selec-
experienced member before, during tion. Conditions can be:
and after the activity.
- Members need to be a member for a
To implement this kind of coach- certain period of time
ing system, you need to decide what - Members need to have a certain level of
activity
makes somebody experienced or less
- Members need to continue their mem-
experienced. You can express this in
bership for a certain time after the activ-
terms of competencies or in terms of ity to make sure their knowledge can be
experience (somebody has done this shared within the organization
kind of activity before). This does not - The group of selected persons differ
mean less experienced members do each time
not have any knowledge at all! They - Somebody cannot be selected two
can provide a new perspective on the times successively
existing knowledge of experienced
members. Examples of selection criteria are:
To make sure members have an equal - The knowledge and experience of mem-
chance to participate in activities and bers
develop themselves, you can intro- - The learning opportunities for new mem-
bers
duce a selection procedure for activi-
- Their motivation
ties. This means members can apply
- Their availability
for activities and selection of experi- - The expected impact of an activity on
enced and less experienced members the personal development of a member.
24

25. DEFINING THE STRUCTURE ganizational values.
With passion and commitment in hand, When considering the structure of your
and the foundation firmly established, organization, it is important to have
you can begin thinking more about the solid leadership in place to guide you
structure of your organization. Creat- through the process. As youth organi-
ing a structure which meets your orga- zations, we may not have several years
nization’s needs and establishes the of experience to draw from when es-
different mechanisms that will be used tablishing a structure, but what we do
to carry out the organization’s work is have is passion, commitment and cre-
an important part of building a well- ativity, and these are powerful factors
functioning and sustainable organiza- in creating an organizational structure
tion. There are many different ways of and culture that suits you. As youth or-
structuring your organization and in the ganizations, we are also in a constant
early stages, it can be done through tri- state of transition as members, volun-
al and error; however choosing or cre- teers and staff age out of the organiza-
ating a structure that responds to the tion, so having a strong and resource-
needs of your organization and clearly ful leadership base that can take these
lays out decision-making structures, challenges and identify a structure
roles and responsibilities and program that anticipates how knowledge will be
implementation methods is fundamen- managed and how tasks will be distrib-
tal and will put you on the road to ef- uted is important. Doing this in a way
ficiency and sustainability. which motivates and empowers people
with learning opportunities within your
The structure of an organization should organization is an important building
be linked to the type of activities, the block to creating a truly sustainable
internal values, strengths and weak- youth-led organization. While organi-
nesses, as well as the environment zational structures differ and it is up to
within which the organization works. you to decide how you want your orga-
Organizations will vary in complexity so nization to look, there are a few core
choosing an organizational structure is elements that should be kept in mind.
a matter of weighing of the pros and
cons of a particular approach. Keep in Clearly defining the roles and respon-
mind, however, that the most important sibilities within your organization is an
thing is to choose a structure that sup- important step in establishing a strong
ports your organization in achieving its organizational structure. Working on
goals and that is respectful of your or- SRHR, oftentimes there is overlap in
25

26. work areas and added to this, techno- tion’s direction is for each organization
logical advancements and budget con- to decide, but establishing guidelines
straints can necessitate shared work, at as to what is expected of members is
times more so than initially envisioned. important in creating a structure that
As such, defining roles and responsi- works for your organization and maxi-
bilities allows everyone to clearly un- mizes members’ contribution. For ex-
derstand their role in and contribution ample, members may be responsible
to the organization, avoids unneces- for following SRHR discussions and
sary work, thus increasing efficiency, sharing this with the membership as
and contributes to a cohesive mem- a whole, for determining future activi-
ber, volunteer and staff force. All team ties and organizational direction and
members should have their roles and for participating in financial and legal
responsibilities clearly communicated decision-making. If members contrib-
to them, on an ongoing basis, particu- ute their time voluntarily, it is important
larly as the organization grows and re- to respect their autonomy and create a
sponsibilities evolve. Some current ex- structure that allows for continuous and
amples of defined and structured roles open dialogue, and engages members
and responsibilities utilized by youth to the extent that they feel true owner-
organizations include a membership ship over the organization.
base, Board of Directors, taskforces,
workgroups and/or committees, staff,
and advisory councils. Board of Directors
The most common subgroup or body
Membership-based within an organization is a Board of Di-
rectors or Steering Committee, which
In this guide we are assuming the or- can provide general oversight and hold
ganization is built around members. An decision-making authority. The name
organizational structure that is mem- of this body is dependent on culture
bers-based is an excellent way to build and legal requirements. The role of the
an organization that is comprised of Board of Directors varies by organiza-
passionate and inspired young people. tion, but it can be as limited as holding
Members contribute their knowledge, monthly meetings to review organiza-
expertise and diverse perspectives tional work, or be involved in the day
and are absolutely critical to the suc- to day decision-making of the organi-
cess of the organization. The scope in zation. In a members-based organiza-
which members inform the organiza- tion, a Board of Directors, is elected by
26

27. the membership and is empowered to organized in different ways. For exam-
act in the interests of the membership. ple, it can be around themes, such as
It ensures that the strategic objectives HIV and AIDS or abortion; or events-
established by the membership are im- based, around a certain conference.
plemented. It makes sense, and is often They can also be focused internally
legally required, to have a division of re- such as focusing on member man-
sponsibility within the Board and have agement or communication.8 Some of
positions such as Chair, Vice Chair, these bodies can be permanent (for
Secretary and Treasurer. For example, example, a communications subcom-
it can become messy if all Board mem- mittee). Whatever your structure, it
bers are responsible for liaising with is important to define clearly not only
staff about the organizational budget. what the responsibilities are, but also
Appointing one member, the Treasurer what the power or authority of the body
in this case, to be the point person on is in relation to that responsibility. In
this, and subsequently share informa- other words, if people have a task, but
tion with the Board of Directors avoids do not have the means to carry it out or
confusion. The Board of Directors can the mandate to make decisions related
also be responsible for ensuring that to that task, it will be hard for them to
the organization complies with local work.
laws. The level of responsibility and in-
volvement you would like the Board of If you decide to have taskforces, work-
Directors to take is entirely up to you, ing groups or committees, it is useful to
but as always, clearly defining these elect members to chair or co-chair the
roles are key to a creating a Board of group to provide leadership, to motivate
Directors that functions effectively and the members and to ensure tasks are
is accountable to the members of the completed in a timely manner. To fos-
organization. ter fluid information exchange between
8 One challenge in youth organizations is the balance be-
tween the ‘primary process’, which is the activities you do
Task forces, Working Groups and/or to achieve your goals, and the ‘secondary process’ which
is everything that is necessary for your primary process
Committees to run smoothly. Both primary and secondary processes
need enough capacity. For example, fundraising and web-
site maintenance can be time-consuming and challenging,
In addition to forming a Board, it is but are crucial for organizational sustainability and visibil-
helpful to create other bodies with spe- ity. A solution to make sure that the secondary processes
are taken care of is to have all members take places in
cific tasks. They can be called working bodies that work on maintaining the organization, in addi-
groups, task forces, committees, or tion to their membership in bodies concerned with primary
processes. Creating bodies with specific tasks does not
any other name you like. They can be mean that members cannot do things outside of the ambit
of their taskforce or working groups.
27

28. different bodies it could be beneficial to taxes. This is a complicated process
have a staff and/or Board member be and if you have limited knowledge or
part of each taskforce. experience in this, it is a good idea to
consult a lawyer to make sure it is done
in accordance with local laws.
Staff
Job descriptions which clearly outline
Growing slowly and appropriately bud- a list of tasks and responsibilities are
geting for the costs associated with important. Fundraising will very likely
organizational growth is a great way be one of the tasks for your paid staff.
to ensure sustainable growth. As your As you do not want your coordinator to
organizational and financial resources spend most of her/his time on raising
grow, you may consider hiring staff funds for their own salary, it is wise not
members to manage and support your to start hiring until you have secured
organization’s activities and projects. enough funds to employ a staff mem-
You will need to have staff on board ber for at least 12 months.
to facilitate the growth and support the
daily administration, as well as the in- In the early years of your organization,
dependence process, should your or- and particularly as you develop your
ganization choose this route. Staff are funding base, you may want to con-
a valuable resource, particularly within sider hiring part time staff or recruiting
a voluntary organization, as they will an intern or volunteer to keep costs
continually be connected with the or- to a minimum. If possible, and espe-
ganization’s work. Prior to hiring any cially during the initial years of building
staff members, is it important that you an organization, it may be possible to
carefully budget for this and only take make your host organization the official
on as many staff members as is finan- employer of your staff. It is also worth
cially feasible for your organization. noting that hiring young people to staff
While this is an important part of build- your organization is an important com-
ing an organization, for most youth ponent of creating an organization that
organizations staffing an office will be is genuinely youth-led and reflective of
financially risky. Your overhead costs its principles and values.
will increase and your Board of Direc-
tors will have added responsibilities, as Hiring staff can bring quite a change
they will be the official employers and within the organization. One of the
will need to develop an understanding changes is that there are people that
on issues like salary and employment are being paid and people that do not
28

29. get paid in the organization, and it is son, it is advisable to hire one person,
important to decide how to approach such as an executive coordinator or
this. In a membership based organiza- manager, and empower that person
tion, the organization exists because manage the rest of the staff.
of its members, however it is important
to strike a balance between this while
also valuing the important contribution Advisory Council
of staff, who are also individuals com-
mitted to young people’s SRHR and in Advisory councils are typically com-
a truly youth-led organization, will be posed of individuals with experience in
young people themselves. The Board the different facets of your organization
of Directors has an important role to and can include members who have
play in making sure that the diverse aged-out. They may not necessarily
role of members and staff are respect- be young people but do have special-
ed and valued, as well as in ensuring ized knowledge and can provide your
that staff are enabled to support mem- Board of Directors and membership
bers in their tasks and vice versa. It is with guidance relating to the legal, fi-
also important to make clear to every- nancial, programmatic and administra-
one, staff and members, that staff can tive elements of your organization. The
never be expected to also invest their role of the advisory council is limited to
free time voluntarily for the organiza- guidance, as well as support if neces-
tion. Such an expectation, spoken or sary and appropriate; they are not de-
outspoken, will most likely end with un- cision makers. It is a good resource to
happy and burnt out staff. consider, especially in the early stages
of building your organization.
As young people, the Board of Direc-
tors might not have a lot of experience --------------------------------------------------
in managing staff. For many youth
organizations, this creates problems As for mission, values and goals, con-
from time to time, as conflicts arise or tinuously redefining your organizational
the workload becomes too heavy. It is structure is very important, particularly
therefore important to have an ongoing for youth-led organizations. The struc-
and open dialogue regarding manage- ture should at all times be positioned in
ment and problems that the Board of such a way that it will help in achieving
Directors need to attend to, as repre- your goals and objectives. To redefine
sentatives of the employer. If an orga- your organizational structure and look
nization has more than one staff per- at how internal processes are function-
29

30. ing, you may want to consider conduct-
ing a SWOT analysis every few years.
Whichever structure you choose, it is
important that the members are aware
of it. This will add to transparency in
decision-making processes, which is
essential for trust among members of
the organization. The structure of your
organization should make clear to ev-
eryone who is responsible for what,
who can be held accountable and who
takes on what role. Even though mem-
bers may voluntarily be investing their
time and energy, it is important to be
held accountable for your work.
Be mindful that youth-led organiza-
tions can become successful in very
short periods of time and as such it
is extremely important to keep your
focus, prioritize and learn to say no.
This counts for your activities but also
for organizational growth. In building a
sustainable organization, it is beneficial
to start with a core group of 10 people
and expand gradually, rather than hav-
ing 400 people carrying out projects
under your organizational banner but
not actually sharing your values!
30

31. ACTIVITIES: tions and fundraising) in youth-led or-
ganizations might lean more towards
MAKING AN IMPACT the latter.
Advocacy and lobby organizations try
to influence policy development and
Advocacy
advance the implementation of exist-
ing policies. There is a wide scope of
Advocacy is crucial in realizing the
activities through which you can try
development and adoption of more
and achieve your strategic plans. Ad-
youth-friendly policies. There are a
vocating, networking and conducting
variety of definitions of advocacy, how-
trainings and workshops are some
ever, the central and primary purpose
examples of activities that are applied
of advocacy is ultimately to influence
by numerous advocacy organizations.
policy, laws, regulations, programs, or
As you will find out, it is relatively easy
funding priorities. Advocacy activities
to join any of the ongoing campaigns
and initiatives may be conducted at the
started by other organizations. How-
international, national, regional, or lo-
ever, it is hard to see through the politi-
cal level. In this way, advocacy is dif-
cal agendas of the various stakehold-
ferent from Information, Education and
ers and it can be quite overwhelming.
Communication (IEC) which aims to
To realize your own organizational
raise awareness among a certain tar-
goals, you should therefore try to set
get group. Effective advocacy requires
your own agenda and be pro-active!
solid knowledge of existing policies
The process of agenda-setting will also
and the politics in the ‘field’. It also re-
help you in prioritizing your activities.
quires strong negotiation and commu-
nication skills. Successful advocates
Your organizational activities need to
are able to communicate in a way that
be aimed at particular policy changes.
inspires others and motivates them to
However, be aware that it is just as im-
take action. Moreover, advocates are
portant to ensure that your organiza-
successful because the campaigns or
tion has the internal capacity to support
causes that they are advocating on be-
these activities. Most of the activities
half of are methodical and well planned.
of ‘adult-led’ organizations will be out-
An advocacy campaign is most effec-
put activities, aimed directly at reach-
tive when it is planned systematically.
ing their objectives. In contrast, the
As an organization, you should identify
balance between output activities and
your issue, set advocacy goal(s) and
condition-shaping activities (such as
objectives, identify sources of support
internal capacity building, communica-

32. and opposition, research the policy ingful youth participation. One of the
audience, develop messages, mobi- barriers for policymakers not to include
lize necessary funds, collect data and youth in the policymaking process is
monitor your plan of action.9 the assumption that young people
lack the knowledge and experience to
As advocacy often plays out at meet- make informed and worthwhile con-
ings and conferences, participation in tributions. To prove they are wrong,
conferences can provide an excellent building awareness, knowledge and
opportunity to reach policymakers and skills through training and workshops
network with allies and funders, par- is essential. It means helping people
ticularly at regional and international to build knowledge and experience in
levels. Participating in conferences will the issues they want to advocate for.
also enable you to establish your or- These can be your own members or
ganization at the national, regional or people outside your organization, for
international levels. In becoming rec- example members of a partner orga-
ognizable, opportunities to work with nization. There are different ways of
diverse constituencies, such as gov- building knowledge and skills: train-
ernments and other NGOs will grow, ing, (access to) information and knowl-
as will your ability to influence politics, edge, practicing, exploring and discus-
policy and practice. Furthermore, it sion. Skill building programs are most
also offers opportunities to extend your effective if they answer the needs of
network and increase and improve col- participants. Also keep in mind that the
laboration with like-minded organiza- most effective way for people to learn
tions. Participation in meetings and is to actually practice things! So pay at-
conferences does require extensive tention to the follow up of a training or
preparation beforehand, so be sure to workshop.
have a strategy in place which will al-
low you to identify persons of interest
and key messages that you would like Networking
to bring across.
To actually reach and influence policy-
makers, you need allies! Networking
Training and workshops and establishing partnerships with oth-
er organizations (which can be youth
Skills and knowledge are key to mean- organizations, institutions, donors, net-
works or any other relevant entity) are
9 For more information about advocacy and how to set
up advocacy campaigns, refer to the advocacy training essential to increasing your chances
manual of the Policy Project in the additional resources.
32

33. to receive more funding, broaden your
contact base, and help you reach ar-
eas or people you otherwise may not
have been able to. Start with the peo-
ple and organizations you know, and
broaden your network by exploring
their networks. You can, for example,
start with exchanging information with
relevant stakeholders in the field of
SRHR in your country and/or take part
in regional or global (youth) networks.
Networking can also help you to make
a link between the local and global pol-
icy level. Networking is all about giving
and taking. Think about what your or-
ganization can provide other organiza-
tions, for example knowledge and ex-
perience or access to information or to
a network (of young people). Dare to
ask other people for their knowledge,
funding or access to their networks.
When you establish partnerships, it is
advisable to establish clear terms of
references (TORs) that clearly set out
the roles and responsibilities of each
organization and ensures that expec-
tations are clear on both sides. Ulti-
mately, working in partnership has tre-
mendous potential to enrich your work
and though it can be time consuming,
it is certainly worth the extra effort.
33

34. COMMUNICATION AND in particular, selecting a name for your
organization. This name should be
BRANDING something that you feel comfortable
with and ideally, it should personify
In addition to developing a sound struc-
your mission and be indicative of your
ture and ensuring lasting impact of your
organizational focus. Everyone affili-
activities, an organization’s success is
ated with your organization should feel
just as dependent on effective commu-
proud to say the name. There is al-
nication. Communication will raise the
ways the possibility that over time, the
visibility of your issues, activities and
organization’s name is no longer reflec-
organisation. Communication however
tive of its focus or misrepresents that
needs to be organized, for example
focus. In that case, it may be neces-
by creating a communications strat-
sary to change the name to something
egy. Having a strategy in place will al-
more accurate. This is not something
low you to better plan and understand
that you should be afraid to consider,
the situation, identify your goals and
especially in the early stages of build-
carry out your work. While developing
ing your organization, however, keep
a strategy, keep in mind the following
in mind that changing your organiza-
questions:
tion’s name more than once can be
detrimental as fewer and fewer people
- What information do you want to
follow you through the organizational
convey and why? What are your ob-
name changes.
jectives?
- What are your target groups (policy
Internal communication largely de-
makers, young people, NGO’s, do-
pends on where your members live.
nors, general public etc.) and what
Are you able to meet face-to-face or
do you think they will find most inter-
only through chat, Skype or phone?
esting?
How often do you want to meet and
- What are the most effective tools to
with whom? Is it necessary to meet
reach your target audience?
with the whole group or just with the
- How much time and resources (fi-
people carrying out projects? These
nancial/human) do you have avail-
are all important questions and despite
able to developing an strong com-
what works best for you, it is highly ad-
munications strategy?
visable to have everyone together at
least once or twice a year (if not more
It is very possible that your organiza-
often). In-person meetings are impor-
tion will consider branding when cre-
tant opportunities for members to get
ating a communications strategy, and
34

35. motivated and energized as well as position of being able to communicate
provides an excellent environment to with many different worlds. It is there-
share knowledge, learn, create new fore important to find your ‘unique sell-
plans, and get inspired! An online tool, ing point’, your added value in the field
such as an e-mail group, can be help- of SRHR and communicate this to the
ful for effective internal communication outside world.
as it makes information available for a
large group of people and facilitates You also should decide on the lan-
appropriate documentation. guage that will be used for communi-
cation within your organization. Will
External communication is a way to you use a local, national or internation-
make your organization visible to the al language? This also depends on the
outside world and is necessary for capacity within your membership as
advocacy and fundraising. There are well as on the scope in which you work
many different ways of communicating as an organization. While this may ex-
with the outside world and can include clude some or many great potential
business cards, a website, newsletters, members and partners, it is essential
brochures, banners, articles, t-shirts, for the effective and efficient working
etc. When you are in the early stages of your organization. Feel free to re-
of establishing your organization, you visit this as and when required and be
may not have the financial resources flexible regarding the use of different
to produce some or any of these mate- languages in different contexts as the
rials. While helpful, it is not necessary. need arises and as is strategic.
Resourcefulness and creativity go a
long way; you can use the internet,
different online social networking web-
sites, advertise your organization on
other organizations’ websites, or use
word of mouth! When reaching out to
other people and organizations in your
advocacy efforts, you should be aware
of the language you use and the image
you are creating of your organization.
The same language often does not
apply, for example, in rural areas and
within the United Nations. As a youth
organization, you are in the unique
35

36. ENSURING SUSTAINABLE in terms of income types and duration
is critical as most donors are reluctant
FUNDING to fund an organization indefinitely and
will encourage you to seek other fund-
Fundraising is one of the most im-
ing sources as well. A diverse funding
portant parts of ensuring long term
stream is more sustainable and will en-
organizational success. Youth-led or-
able you to stay true to organizational
ganizations face unique challenges
goals and not compromise your vision
in guaranteeing continuous funding
in order to meet a funder’s objectives.
sources, and as such, should strive to
develop a fundraising strategy which
Building a sustainable funding base
takes these challenges into account
takes a lot of time and hard work.
and is sustainable. Sustainable fund-
When starting to think about your fund-
ing is a big picture approach to fund-
ing needs, it is a good idea to think criti-
ing that consists of ‘core’ and ‘project-
cally about your organization’s mission
based’ funding. Core support is used
and potential areas for growth, and to
to fund administrative and overhead
seek out funders that support these ar-
costs, such as rent and salaries, as
eas. A well thought through Strategic
well as project-related costs and gen-
Plan, previously discussed, will make
erally is longer term, ranging from 3 to
it easier for you to compile a list of
5 years, and allows for a great deal of
funders that support work in your field
flexibility. Project-based funding, on
and whom you can begin outreach-
the other hand, only supports project
ing to. However, before doing this, it
related activities, but may also partial-
is worthwhile to utilize the resources
ly cover administrative costs, though
you have close at hand. If your orga-
there typically are stringent limitations
nization is being hosted by another or
to this. Often, organizations which are
is in the early stages of gaining inde-
still trying to establish themselves are
pendence, look to your host organiza-
supported by project-based funding that
tion to provide guidance and potential
covers all overhead and activity costs.
networks through which you can begin
While project-based funding is impor-
building the initial steps of a sustain-
tant, relying only on one or two funders
able funding base. Through sharing
or failing to secure core funding will
their experiences and networks, your
potentially put your organization at risk
host and other partners can play a
if the funding is not renewed and you
valuable role in steering you towards
are unable to come up with alternate
funding opportunities.
funding streams. As such, developing
a funding portfolio that is varied, both
36