Many readers of this booklet are attending the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, China, in 1995. Somehow those who attended received the money to get to the meeting. Others were unable to raise the funds or chose to use the money they had for other activities. All of us are working in organizations that benefit women, and much of the time we wonder how we will raise money, either for the work of the organization or for individual activities, such as attending meetings. There never seems to be enough money for what we want to do!

One thing is true, however: there is money out there somewhere. Providing our own funds or having the ingenuity to figure out how to raise money to carry out a worthy program is empowering and very satisfying.

The following thoughts are offered in a spirit of empowerment. We think that "empowerment" is: having a vision, having a plan to carry out that vision, and knowing that the first steps can be taken toward following that plan.

Now, let's turn to some general thoughts about fundraising and how that process can be empowering.

First, remember Gandhi's thought: "If the cause is right, the means will come." In other words, the cause has to be right. If you plan to ask others (individual people, foundations, corporations, or other agencies) to pay for a trip to attend a meeting or to give you money for an activity, you need to know clearly why you should attend or why the activity should be carried out: What higher good will come from the project? What long-term benefit for the world will come from the implementation of the program? If you can answer these questions in your own mind, you will be empowered to move to the next "lesson."

The next lesson has to do with having a "product" that you feel proud to "sell." Is your group or organization well managed? Are your plans clear? Does the program or project make sense in terms of your overall goals? Do you have a group of people that provide advice, support, and critical thinking (a "board of directors or advisors")? Have you included in your group people who themselves may be affected by the work you do? If you can approach a potential funder with the solid knowledge that your cause makes sense and your organization (however small, nascent, and modest it may be) is well managed and accountable, you will be empowered to move to the next "lesson."

This lesson can be expressed simply: "Ask and you shall receive!" If you ask enough people, institutions, and agencies (and if your cause is right and your group is well managed), you will raise money. If you don't ask, you will not receive. This may be very difficult in some cultures, and perhaps it is unfortunate, but we have found it to be true almost always. As Benjamin Franklin said: "I advise you to apply to all those whom you know will give something; next to those whom you are uncertain whether they will give anything or not, and show them the list of those who have given; and lastly, do not neglect those whom you are sure will give nothing, for in some of them you may be mistaken." In other words: if you want someone to donate money, ask for it! If your cause is worthy, the people you ask will want to be associated with it.

As you are asking others for money, ask yourself this question: Have I given money myself? (You may quickly answer: "Oh, but I give time and expertise!") Of course you do. You believe in this cause and so you are spending a lot of time on it. But it is very important that you give money yourself, however little, if you are asking others. That way, you can ask them for money with much greater credibility. When we become givers ourselves, we know how hard the choices about which group to support can be. By becoming a donor yourself, you equalize the relationship with other donors, and you begin to understand how a donor may feel when she or he is treated only as a source of money and not as a valued partner working toward a shared vision. Remember another thought: "We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give." You are empowered by asking and by giving, and then you can move to the next "lesson."

The next lesson is very simple, too: Say "thank you!" and try to include the people who give to your cause in your activities. The donors now have become part of your cause. They are with you, not apart from you. They share your vision and are part of your group, a very important part. Thank them, include them, ask for support again, thank them again, and so on.

You will be empowered by the people who are donors to your cause, and they will be empowered by you and your group!

Introduction

Women, Money, Empowerment

Lessons Learned

Raising Money for a Small or Beginning Project

Organizations that Give to Women's Groups

< Previous | | Next >