Fundraising Information

The Forum is now over, but we encourage you to check the "Latest News" section of this site for selected session writeups, transcripts, and other post-forum information. Updates will be posted throughout December and January.

Getting Started | Fundraising in your Community | Funding Organizations | Request Template | Funding from AWID | For More Information

The cost of attending international events like the AWID Forum can be a financial challenge for many participants. In this section you will find information on creative and more effective ways to fundraise, adapted from the Women's Fundraising Handbook (published by the Global Fund for Women).

Getting Started

Contact your donors to inquire about your participation as soon as you can. If you work for an international NGO or donor NGO, ask for money to be set aside for your participation in the AWID forum as an important part of your professional development. If you work for a local or regional NGO, ask your donor's regional offices for discretionary funding to attend. Or consider raising money for your participation through a personal fundraising effort using your personal and professional contacts. Be resourceful! Ask your friends and colleagues about ways they have found funding for international conferences. Follow their leads.

When you approach your potential funders, make sure you:

• Articulate your cause clearly and concisely.
• Demonstrate accountability and responsibility, as donors will want to know that you are able to manage your money well.
• Be prepared to contribute to your own cause, however little, if you truly believe in the cause or event and want to demonstrate credibility.
• Try to include your donors in your cause: give them as many details as possible, share your vision and get them involved.
• Diversify your fundraising strategy: look for resources in your community in addition to requesting funds from organizations and agencies outside your community.

Fundraising in Your Community

Although sometimes overlooked, often the best way to raise funds is in your own community. An additional advantage of seeking resources locally is that it allows you to educate others in your community about your activities and issues of concern. This section will give you some ideas for local initiatives that have helped individuals and organizations around the world raise money.

There are a number of organizations and institutions that you can contact for funding:

• Your place of employment
• An organization where you volunteer
• Schools, universities and colleges
• Community centres
• Local religious centres
• Local and/or national charities
• Local and/or national businesses and corporations - ask for money as well as discounts or donations to match funds you raise
• Local women's groups
• Service organizations (Kiwanis, Rotary, Soroptimists, etc.)
• Airline offices and travel agencies - ask for sponsored or free airline tickets

When you approach prospective community partners, make sure you give details on who else is contributing to your participation and outline the efforts that have gone into preparation. Let donors know how you and your organization plan to better serve your community upon your return.

Another great way to raise funds is by organizing fundraising events within your community, such as: auctions, arts and craft sales, raffles/lotteries, book luncheon/sale, bazaars, concerts, selling tickets for dances/dinner/theater/film, harambee (women joining together to help others/themselves), write/sell publications, sub-contract for government or others, charge workshop fees, write for a fee, or consult (get paid for your expertise).

In addition to these initiatives, ask for money or in-kind donations from people around you: friends, colleagues, politicians, family members, business people and people you have worked for.

Whether you are asking for donations or organizing events, remember to emphasize how your participation in the event will help you to better serve and contribute to your community. You can do this by:

• Letting donors know that the forum is a wonderful skills and capacity building opportunity, a chance to network with key funders, and an opportunity to have the issues facing your community heard about in an international arena.
  
  
• Explaining the expertise and contacts you will bring back to your organization after the Forum.

Funding Organizations

Consider approaching the following government development organizations: AIDAB (Australia), CIDA (Canada), DANIDA (Denmark), DFID (UK), FINNIDA (Finland), NORAD (Norway), SIDA (Sweden)

There are also a number of United Nations and related agencies that may provide funding for your participation in the Forum: OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), PAHO (Pan-American Health Organization), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), UNDP (United Nations Population Development Program), UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) UNIFEM (United Nations Fund for Women), WHO (World Health Organization).

You can also request funding from organizations that occasionally fund women's groups. Some examples include: Commonwealth Foundation, Global Fund for Women, Inter American Parliament Group, Social Development Fund, World Association Christian Committee, African Women's Development Fund.

The links below can help you find funding organizations in your region:

Africa and Sahel
East Asia, Asia Pacific, and Australia
Eastern Europe
Latin America and the Caribbean
Middle East
North America
South Asia
Western Europe
International

Request Template

The letter in this section can be adapted for any donor or organization from whom you are requesting financial assistance to attend the AWID Forum. Remember to add your specific information within the parentheses. If possible, print your request on your organization's letterhead.

(Date)
(Name of donor/organization)
(Name of Contact Person - if applicable)
(Address- if available, or Fax - if faxing)

Dear (insert name of contact person or title),

I am writing to your organization to request financial assistance in the amount of (enter total amount, based on the budget below) to attend the Association for Women's Rights in Development's (AWID) 10^th International Forum, "How Does Change Happen?" which is being held October 27-30 in Bangkok, Thailand. I sincerely hope that (Insert Organization/Donor's Name) can assist us in this endeavor.

The AWID International Forum on Women's Rights and Development is the largest international summit on gender equality outside of the United Nations System and one of the most important global meetings on women's rights. The Forum offers delegates an unparalleled opportunity to develop strategies, share ideas, build skills and provide support - all to advance the goals of gender equality and social justice. The past nine forums, held every three years since 1982, have attracted as many as 1,300 policy makers, practitioners, researchers, grass roots activists, students and business people from over 120 countries.

Delegates to the AWID Forum will be discussing the urgent question, How does Change Happen? The Forum will be anchored by daily plenary sessions that will offer new visions and strategies from some of the most dynamic and innovative leaders in the global women's movement today. In addition to the plenary sessions, the Forum will also offer over a hundred different breakout sessions and skills-building workshops that will provide both new ideas and new skills for people and organizations working in women's rights and gender-sensitive development.

As a participant in the 2005 Forum, I will:

• (Personal Goals and Objectives). What do you personally hope to gain from your participation in the AWID Forum? Let donors know that the Forum provides an important opportunity for skills and capacity building as well as a chance to network with key funders. Explain how you plan to raise awareness about local campaigns and the issues facing your community in an international arena.
  
  
• (Strategic Benefits). How will your participation affect your organization's capacity to achieve its goals? How will it advance the rights of women and social justice in your community and country? What expertise and contacts will you bring back to your organization after the Forum?
  
  
• (Add benefits appropriate to the interests of the funder). For example, funders may be particularly interested in supporting women from certain groups (youth, indigenous, rural, etc.) or in promoting certain issues (HIV/AIDS, governance, leadership, etc.). Do your research and make connections with those you contact.
  
  
• (Add Future Outcomes) What steps will you take to ensure that an impact is made in your community after the conference? Let donors know how you and your organization plan to contribute upon your return. These plans may include documenting what you learn, giving workshops and presentations, and sharing your experiences with your colleagues and larger community.
  
  
• (Benefits appropriate to the conditions of your country, organization, community, ethnic group, special interest group, sex, age group, income level, etc.)

The Forum will also help all participants to do the following:

(Describe the Forum and its Benefits). For example:

• Share, analyze and develop solutions for gender equality and social justice.
• Learn new valuable capacity building skills - from research and training methods and economic literacy to proposal writing and information technology.
• Network and build strategic alliances (South/North, East/West, intergenerational, development/human rights, policy makers/researchers/activists, etc).
• Make linkages between issues and sectors towards an integrated approach for gender equality.
• Strengthen advocacy campaigns - from transforming international financial institutions to the rights of women.
• Place new issues on the development and human rights agenda.
• Forge action plans for policy, organizational and personal change.

The estimated cost of my attendance is as follows (for information on Forum expenses and budget information, visit the Forum Costs section of this website). The following is an example:

(Give details here of your planning and the status of your fundraising goals. What kind of preparation is being made to attend? Who else is contributing to your participation? Describe what efforts have gone into fundraising.)

Thank you very much for considering my request. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon about this request.

If you would like additional information on the AWID Forum you can refer to the Forum website at www.awid.org/forum.

If you have any further questions about my participation or our organization, please contact me at (enter contact details: email, fax, phone).

Sincerely,

(Name)
(Title, if applicable)

Funding from AWID

Given the number of requests, AWID is unable to provide funding for all Forum participants. Partial assistance from AWID will be available to a limited number of presenters whose proposals have been selected. The deadline for submissions has passed and proposals are no longer being accepted.

For More Information

Much of the information provided on this web page has been used with the permission of the Global Fund for Women. To receive a copy of the Women's Fundraising Handbook, send a request to the Global Fund for Women:

Global Fund for Women
1375 Sutter Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA
94109, USA

Phone: (415) 202-7640
Fax: (415) 202-8604
Email: gfw@globalfundforwomen.org

The full version of the handbook is available online in English, French and Spanish at http://globalfundforwomen.org.