Now, a charity course at B-schools
XIMB, MICA and SP Jain Management Institute, Mumbai run courses to train professionals in managing funds for NGOs.
By Kumar Anand, TNN |
AHMEDABAD: Disposable income of an average Indian is rising, and so is the desire to contribute generously to charity works. Not just international funding agencies, even corporate houses and certain individuals are willing to donate for social cause to non-governmental organisations (NGO).
With money flowing in fast, traditional sources of charitable funding are giving way to new ways of fund sourcing. In such a scenario, the absence of trained professionals is making it hard for NGOs to raise and manage both the quality and the volumes of money flowing in.
With money flowing in fast, traditional sources of charitable funding are giving way to new ways of fund sourcing. In such a scenario, the absence of trained professionals is making it hard for NGOs to raise and manage both the quality and the volumes of money flowing in.
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There is a growing demand from the NGO sector to have a trained pool of fund-raisers with an expertise in resource mobilisation and organisational planning. This demand coupled with higher fund management budgets has led several B-schools to introduce professional courses that train professionals in the art and skill of raising funds.
Both Xaviers Institute of Management Bhubaneshwar (XIMB) and Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) followed the lead of SP Jain Management Institute, Mumbai ��� and introduced specialised short-term courses to train professionals to aid NGOs in managing funds.
"To raise funds for an organisation, you require credibility and a sense of running NGOs as business. And at the same time, maintaining that the job you are delivering is a social service," said Resource Alliance CEO Simon Collings. The Alliance, a UK-based non-profit charity-based organisation, is tying up with top B-schools in the country to introduce a 15-day certification course in the field.
As per a survey, around 96% of upper and middle class Indian households donate around Rs 20 billion, of which only 20% donation is made to voluntary organisations. The rest of the donations are either made to individuals or religious organisations.
Another study shows that people are more generous in donations during natural calamities, followed by causes such as social services, terrorist attacks, culture and art, education, health and environment, respectively.
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With traditional sources like international funding agencies either withdrawing or cutting down on their funds, new players in the form of corporate houses are approaching NGOs to carry out their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Individuals are also donating like never before, creating various sources of funds. "Several international players like the British government���s DID, Sweden���s SDI and Denmark���s DENIED, apart from UN and US funding agencies have been active in the country, but many have stopped or cut down on funds provided to NGOs. But at the same time, new sources like corporate funding are being created which need to be tapped systematically,��� said a professional with a Delhi-based NGO.
While the number of NGOs in the country is broadly estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 million, around 30 big NGOs transact more than Rs 30 crore, which are spent on programme implementation and management.
The Alliance is in the process of tying up with other top-rated B-schools to attract and train people in the exercise of fund raising. "To raise a pool of skilled professionals is a long-term process, and we are approaching top, stable and recognised Bschools for the purpose," Mr Collings said.
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"B-schools can successfully run this course because it is modelled on the pattern of business management. But experts from non-profit sectors and fund raising organisations will also help by delivering lectures," said MICA faculty member DP Uniyal.Start a SIP with as low as ₹500 with ET Money App!
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