What are your five top tips for women’s human rights organisations facing financial uncertainty?

1. Make sure to have a very clear and relevant strategy as an organisation. It should capture why you do what you do and what you are aiming to achieve. Your strategic plan is essentially your proposal to funders; it captures everything you are looking to raise funds for. Having a clear strategic direction makes it a lot easier to raise mission-aligned funding, as opposed to funds for a wide range of projects and activities.
2. Your website matters – a lot. Research shows that individuals looking to make a financial contribution nearly always check your website and base their final decision on what they find. You can count on grant-makers checking your website for evidence of purpose and impact – all presented in a clear and compelling way.
3. Talk to your colleagues and peers about resource mobilisation and share and collaborate wherever you can. Be generous with your information and expect others to do the same. In the end it is about building strong collaborations and movements, not just individual organisations.
4. Some say “money follows a great idea”. I say money follows a great idea shared in a compelling way. Being inspiring and visible as a thought leader not only helps transform and strengthen the field and movement, it also makes you an attractive player in which to invest resources. So stand out and seek visibility.
5. And finally, go to the AWID website and learn everything you can about the ever-changing funding landscape. We are very fortunate in the global women’s movement to have a one-stop shop for just about everything you need to know about funding for women’s human rights. And it is available in French, Spanish and English.