Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

can invite supporters to donate, a seminar can appeal to participants to become
donors, campaign products like t-shirts and caps can generate revenue, etc.
7. Monitoring: Regular monitoring of the campaign and its fundraising plan will allow
for adjusting the plan if necessary to respond to any important changes (internal or
external). Monitoring arrangements should include deadlines (e.g. for submission of
grant proposals), milestones (e.g. amount to be raised within the first six months)
and risk mitigation strategies (“What if funding is insufficient?”). If at some point it
appears that fundraising targets will not be met, quick action may be necessary, e.g.
a shift in the campaign launch date or a change or reduction in activities.
Bear in mind: In a context of collaboration, it is especially important that all parties are
fully informed of responsibilities and accountabilities related to raising money, and to
responding to donor requirements, such as financial reports and reporting on results.
INSTITUTIONAL DONORS
Identifying institutional donors
The term “institutional donors” generally refers to organizations that give grants to
organizations and sometimes individuals within a policy framework that reflects the
mandate of the organization. The most common institutional donors are government and
inter-governmental organizations, and private foundations or other grant-giving nongovernmental
organizations (NGO). Institutional donors may provide multi-year multimillion
dollar budgets, or – especially in the case of smaller NGOs – fund specific, oneoff
activities only.
Which donors are most likely to support a specific campaign? A first step to answer this
question is to examine the campaign strategy – especially the campaign issue, the
campaigning organization or alliance, the target audiences and the planned activities –
and gauge its relevance to the policies of potential institutional donors. A donor is most
likely to fund initiatives that are compatible with its thematic priorities and geographic
remit, and that can help the donor attain its own strategic goals.
Most institutional donors have criteria for eligibility, which normally require applicants to
be registered organizations with a clear governance structure and a proven track record
in the relevant domain. The nature of the campaign team or alliance may open access to
specific types of donors. For example, campaigns led by women’s groups are in a good
position to apply for grants reserved to women’s organizations, e.g. the Global Fund for
Women, or the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights.
Bear in mind: Large institutional donors may operate with relatively long approval and
funding cycles. In some cases (e.g. European Commission grants), up to two years can
elapse between the (successful) grant application and the first transfer of funding.
Campaigns that rely substantially on institutional funding need to reckon with such
delays when crafting their strategy and time-line. The first year of the campaign may
have to be devoted mainly to fundraising.
Key steps in mobilizing institutional donor support
1. Preparing a campaign “pitch” and ensuring visibility: A short (1/2 page),
enthusiastic summary of the campaign should state the name of the campaign, the
issue it addresses, its message and target audiences, and what is special about the
campaign (its “unique selling point” or USP). It should also include precise
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Campaigns December 2011