Case study: How a Guatemalan NGO catalyzed its team fundraising strategy
In 2020, the NGO Natün Guatemala was feeling ready for something new. They were kicking butt at individual fundraising but this wasn´t allowing them to create programs for community-wide change.
They needed GRANT funding. So they wisely pulled in time from their individual fundraising lead, their programs coordinator and their finance manager. The thing is, none of them had much grants experience. And though the Executive Director did, she knew she didn't have the bandwidth to give the team the support they needed. So that's when Natün and I met.
Working with Natün to devise a team fundraising strategy
Through a combination of grant training, coaching and hands on support, we identified Natün's perfect-fit funder (foundations with giving ranges in the $30k-250k range, that gave to 501(c)3 or local Guatemalan organizations, that supported education, health or economic development, and were committed to proximal giving and Indigenous knowledge). The team learned to research grant opportunities and we created a target list 50 perfect-fit funders, which included how to reach out to each one.
We created a best-in-class grants package for each of their community programs and then they started getting funder calls on the calendar and sent tailored proposals off to more than 20 funders that first year.
The reality of Natün’s fundraising that first year
I'm not going to sugarcoat it. That first year was tough. There were a lot of "No's." Natün was just envisioning its programs, the program team was still defining indicators, and the grants team was learning how to get the info they needed for a strong proposal. This period highlighted the importance of a robust team fundraising approach.
Despite the initial rejections, the team remained resilient. We asked funders for feedback on the rejected proposals and significantly re-worked how we presented two proposal sections (on beneficiaries and scale). This feedback loop was really important, because it helped the team refine their strategy and improve their proposals.
What were the results of our efforts?
The next year, Natün Guatemala captured well over $300,000, surpassing its goal by almost $150,000!
This remarkable turnaround was a testament to the power of collective team fundraising and the importance of grant training. The Executive Director says that today, their "grant capacity as an organization has truly transformed."
Our grant training sessions paid off. By working together, the fundraising team was able to leverage their collective strengths, resulting in a better understanding of funder expectations and how to meet them and, ultimately, more persuasive proposals.
Reach out!
Do you have a similar story of what's possible when you get your fundraising team the support it needs? I’d love to hear! Or maybe you need this kind of support for your NGO? If so, let me know and I'd love to chat!
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