The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) will be organising another Resource Mobilisation Strategy Development (RMSD) Boot Camp from 14-17th September 2015, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The programme is one of AWDF’s flagship capacity building activities, which has become popular with fundraisers within grantee organisations as a critical step in developing their organisational financial sustainability. This year, 15 fundraisers from 15 organisations from South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana and Uganda will be participating in the 4-day boot camp in Johannesburg.
“I am particularly excited about this event because for the first time we have Malawi and Botswana attending this important event and hopefully they will also find the skills useful for strengthening their organisation’s financial sustainability efforts.” says Nafi Chinery, AWDF’s Capacity Building Programme Specialist. “AWDF is also grateful to the African Capacity Building Foundation for their continuous financial support to this project which is aimed at financial sustainability of women’s rights organisations in Africa”
Since its inception in 2013, 43 of AWDF’s grantee organisations from across the continent have participated in the RMSD bootcamp training aimed at helping them to develop effective fundraising strategies. The training has proven to be an invaluable resource to participants, a number of whom have experienced measurable improvement in their resource mobilisation:
“Amidst the unprecedented outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, PIPA-SL Board and the Resource Mobiilsation Strategy (RMS) Committee have taken various steps towards marketing the RMS including organising four community engagement and dialogue forums targeting local authorities/stakeholders [.] [W]e have also engaged the local council authorities and have successfully discussed joint action plans geared towards marketing our RMS.” People’s Initiative for Poverty Alleviation-Sierra Leone (PIPA-SL), Sierra Leone and 2014 participant.
“Our annual operating budget before the RMS boot camp in 2014 was US$ 55,502. The RMSD training in early 2014 enhanced our capacity to increase our operating budget in three folds to US$ 171,387 [and] we are also in negotiations with donors to finance our 2015 operating budget of US$395,000.” Foundation for Integrated Development, Sierra Leone, and 2014 participant.
“We did not have efficient skills for writing good proposals and approaching partners. The RMSD boot camp gave us [the] insight that we don’t need to wait for calls for proposals [and] that we should look for funding and resources within our communities, which [can be] sources of support to our fundraising journey. We have secured new funding of US$53,295.5 from the World Bank through Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS (AKSACA) to provide an HIV prevention program in Akwa Ibom State” Heal the Land, Nigeria and 2014 participant.
This year’s would be AWDF’s third installment of the programme.
Thank you AWDF for bringing 18 amazing women to chat the way forward for their organisations in terms of fundraising initiatives. The learning by doing methodology was well thought. My organisation, Reach Out Cameroon will benefit most from this Boot Camp if my the end we have our own fundraising strategy document.
Day 1 of the resource mobilisation boot camp has been very interactive and productive. As a co- facilitator, it was refreshing to observe that every one participated fully and was up to the task. The changing funding landscape coupled with the limited resources and competition requires that Women’s Right Organisations develop a resource mobilisation strategy that works best for them. it has to be owned and useable. That is why the hands on style of the boot camp is a great approach. There has definitely been progress in the fight for gender equality and women’s right in Africa. However, there is the need for the continued existence of vibrant organisations on the African continent to continue the unfinished agendas around the social, political, economic health and reproductive rights of women. Looking forward to day 2,
It gets better every year, thanks to the amazing women and team behind this whole process, African women are indeed resourcesful and a little bit of support, dignity and space will bring out the intelligence! I am a proud African women.
Preparing our own resource mobilization documents for our various organisations, I love the entire process of hands on for every participants. thank you AWDF for the opportunity
Day two is becoming more Interesting and Educative, I am certain that we will all have our Resource Mobilization Strategy Documents ready by the end of the boot camp training
Good morning sisters and dear followers. today is another day, yesterday I was made to discover who I am, and was able to set personal development goals. It was an amazing exercise which makes one discover the “self”. How many of us female leaders take time to keep our body and soul together for the benefit of others? if you have not been doing so,start taking time off and have some quality time for yourself.
Esther, l am so glad you found this session very useful and l hope others also did. The also glad the message got across clearly, that as women leaders we should make the effort to take care of our selves and invest in selfcare.
My dear sisters, once again I am here as I prepare to go back home. Just to let you know that I had four days of intensive work to produce a draft Resource Mobilisation Strategy for Reach Out Cameroon. Four days for discovering 15 amazing women from 09 different African countries, four days for personal inner search, four days with a wonderful team from the AWDF family, four days with a highly committed consultant and highly result oriented.
Finally, four days for positive results with a draft Resource Mobilisation Strategy for each women here in the Boot Camp.
I can proudly say: WHEN WOMEN MOVE FORWARD, THE WORLD MOVES WITH THEM!!!!!
Thank you AWDF for this amazing opportunity to really put our heads together and take time out to reflect deeply about our organisational needs and the best strategies to get there. This has been such a useful process for us as the Mupo Foundation, and the hands-on approach has really paid dividends so far. I am looking forward to sharing the strategy with my management and board!
To the AWDF, I am very motivated by this Boot Camp. It is a rare opportunity that other donors have not thought about. Words can not adequately express how much I have learnt from this process. I will go back richer professionally and my organisation will no doubt benefit.
Some donors ask if the organisation has a Resource Mobilisation strategy- and when we say no…they get disappointed, and walk away. AWDF asked the same, and when we said no…. They took their chair, sat down and said…’oh..then we will support you develop one’. This is the true image of a kind of Sistahood that is kind and nurturing. Many women’s organisations are created out of passion. It takes partners who care to actually create support systems and strengthen capacities from within…This bootcamp was not a talk shop about what we should do. It was about action…very hands on…DOING what we should DO. I’m challenged to also shift my approach in life…instead of just talking about it…I will DO IT! Thanks AWDF. Congratulations!
Now KCF will walk the talk and talk the language it understands. Thanks AWDF and Robina for helping Kuvuna Community Foundation (KCF) to to have a clear focus and understanding in Resource Mobilization. And thank you Ladies for the support throughout. I have learned so much from all of you.
AWDF team afforded me an opportunity that would otherwise have been a cost to my organization. This training although it was intense it has helped me realise my potential, I now know and believe the sky is the limit. One thing I have taken away from the whole exercise is that if one puts their mind into achieving anything it is possible Thank you AWDF and please continue to engage consultants such as Robina, she knows her stuff and it flows naturally. I am really grateful for the opportunity accorded to me, just watch the space.
Sister, Sister…!!!!! wraping up amazing, challenging and mind sharpening four great memorable days of intensive work. My big appreciation to AWDF for this great resourceful opportunity awarded to GENET for the development of a Resource stabilization strategy. Looking forward to an exciting moment in implementing this strategy with the whole GENET team. I enjoyed working, sharing and interacting with 15 wonderful women from across Africa. TAMARA MHANGO
AWDF you are amazing!