Funds are the lifeline of any NGO and fund raising is a thankless job. If you start out thinking you just have to ask and people will give, then you are in for a rude shock. All of a sudden, friends and family turn hostile .All of a sudden you feel avoided and over a period of time, you will want to give up.
‘Just Ask’ is what most NGOs will tell you but it doesn’t work that way. Why should anyone part with their money? What’s in it for them? You would do well to ask that question to yourself before you set out with a begging bowl. Fund raising is nothing short of beggary if you don’t have something to give in return. Charity is out! Partnerships are in! There are over a hundred causes to choose from these days and animal welfare is definitely not a priority. So what do you do? Do you just give up? Most people do.
At Karunashram, we don’t give up.Ofcourse; the basic jist of fundraising is to ask but not without doing your homework. It’s very simple. If you go for an exam unprepared, you will fail. You may get lucky but everybody knows how elusive luck is! Prepare yourself. Do your homework.Strategise and then take the bull by the horns. Most importantly, know what you can ask and ask the right people. It will help more than asking all and sundry. There is nothing more tiring than trying to win over a person who doesn’t care. It’s a waste of time.Instead, find out who does care .Find out what will influence those who don’t care. Find out how you can make people care. And then ask.
Chances are you will be disappointed several times before you strike a chord, but then that’s life. What’s life without a little disappointment? At Karunashram, we don’t believe you have to be shameless to raise funds. We believe you stand a better chance of doing so if you are proud of what you support and let it show. Ask your price and do it with conviction. Talk about animal welfare. It is not a lost cause. Tell people what you think when they ask weird questions like,” Why should I help?” Tell them you are not asking for help. You are asking for participation because it would do them well to participate. And be sure that it will. For some it’s Corporate Social Responsibility. For some it may be promotions. For some others it may be just because you asked but at all costs avoid those who belittle your cause. Those are the people, to watch out for! It is the means to the end that ultimately counts and not the end itself. It’s a hard lesson to learn when you are an NGO because desperation sets in often and you are generally faced with either-or situations. Not knowing what to do, you end up associating with those who don’t care because you think it serves your purpose. Believe me, it serves no purpose. You end up losing your dignity and more importantly, your cause is lost. In the long run, it does more damage than help.
It’s a challenge! Can you take up the challenge? Yes? If you think you have the stomach for it, shoot an email to fundraiser@karunashram.com. It’s a fun experience because at Karunashram, we raise funds. We don’t ask. You will learn how to organize events, meet people for partnerships, ideate the product line and generally have fun talking to people and facing rejection. But you will not walk away disheartened.
