This document provides guidance to help an NGO develop a proper project proposal to apply for corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and grants. It outlines the following steps:
1. Understand the NGO's functions and goals to determine how to help develop their proposal.
2. Research similar, successful projects online for ideas on project implementation.
3. Create a project proposal template and gather necessary information from the NGO.
4. Identify appropriate companies and organizations to submit the proposal to, then email the proposal and follow up via phone calls and meetings.
5. If funds are granted, help guide the NGO through the application procedures and project implementation.
3. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?
The main problem of the NGOs is that they don’t have the resources
or academic background to write a proper project proposal to submit
to companies so that they can benefit for CSR funds. Same applies to
local as well as international grants.
Your role in the project is help the NGO develop this document.
4. STEPS IN HELPING THE NGO
Corporate Financers journey
1. Understand how the NGO functions and what they want to do.
2. Research online on similar projects that were done in similar field
Learn from the projects to get ideas of implementation
3. Create project proposal
4. Email to companies and call for follow up. Call first, if necessary, to
get email of responsible person
5. Push for a meeting and start procedures
5. UNDERSTANDING THE
ENTREPRENEURS
Here, you have to know the NGO profile to be able to work with them. So here are a few
very important points:
1. RESPECT the NGO responsibles. Sure they want your help, but not your judgment. Do
not make fun of them or their situation
2. Understand their education level. Most of them did not go to school. Understand that
concepts that can come easy for you and not easy for them. Now now, don’t take them
for stupid!
3. Understand that they will have other responsibilities and YOU are not their focus while
THEY ARE YOUR FOCUS!
4. Understand that they tried a lot of times before and failed! Understand that they don’t
feel the best of this and your attitude should help to motivate them!
5. Understand that we don’t have the answers and you are expected to be able to help us
find the answers. Your role is to help him/her find ways to get their social work funded
6. Understand that your advice is not the ultimate advice. It is up to him/her to do what
he/she wants. Understand also that he/she trusts you and know your power in guiding
them. If you are not sure, DO NOT ADVICE!!!
6. UNDERSTANDING THE NGO SCALE
1. The NGO that you would be helping is not an NGO with a lot of
resources and whose impact are usually community based.
2. Since the scale is not big, do not go for BIG companies. They often
require a lot of paper work such that the NGO would require a
person dedicated to this task and which they don’t have. Even if
they were able to get the grant while you were here, they would
not be able to manage it.
8. IMPORTANT NOTE
This should be done only once. It is possible that a previous intern
already did this. Please read the report before proceeding.
9. TIP
To be able to do this successfully, you will have to ask as many
questions as possible.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance, that you go through the project
proposal to KNOW WHICH INFORMATION YOU NEED!
Create a list of questions for each part of the project proposal and go
into the meeting with expectations to have specific answers!
11. GETTING A FEEL OF GOOD IDEAS
Often a times, successful projects will post their projects online.
Make it a must to read about those projects so as to learn from what
they are doing and how you can scale their project to your own.
13. TEMPLATE PROVIDED
The template should have guidelines for what should be written
where.
Here, use the information you asked the NGO to create the NEED
/Opportunity analysis
Include elements of what the NGO wants to do as well as success
stories to create project plan
You might have follow up questions to the NGO before finalizing the
concept note
15. APPLICATION
Here are the steps you should take in the application:
1. Market research: Research which companies are sponsoring
projects in this field
You might also want to research other NGOs who are working in this
field and have them vet your project.
2. Market research: Locate which local companies work in this area
3. Call the company and ask for the CSR manager. Otherwise, look for
the HR manager. Explain you represent the NGO and would like to
send a project proposal for their CSR funds
4. Email them the concept note and follow up in a few days
5. Push for the meeting so that you can go along with the NGO
responsible to the company meeting.
