How can an organization expand awareness of its work and attract new support? How can the organization leverage its current activities in a simple, cost effective manner to accomplish these same goals?
Fundraising for an organization is considered by many to be the primary goal of a private sector development office. For some organizations, the private sector can supply large amounts of funding that is then available to support additional projects, fund public awareness initiatives or top off existing government funded projects. It’s a way to accomplish the goals of the organization, for without funding, no organization can operate.
Along with this basic mode of fundraising comes the opportunity to identify and secure in-kind donations. These items can be budget reducing or supplementary, to meet additional needs and the ‘in-kind’ can be broadly defined so that it includes supplemental staff, logistics or other non-material contributions.
However, one of the areas that I feel is neglected in talking about the role of the private sector focal point is the value of making networking connections. By this I mean connections with the private sector that do not necessarily lead directly to funding or in-kind support, but that serve to broaden the private sector’s awareness of the particular focus of the organization.
The idea is to seek out partners who can benefit by a relationship with your organization and with whom you can equally benefit. The partnership must be one where each organization has something to bring to the relationship. Like a partnership with a donor, this networking partnership must also be one where both parties respect and appreciate the other’s goals. Ideally there will be a recognized synergy whereby achieving the goals of each organization is supported by the new partner.
One way this networking can be accomplished is through the development of partnerships with ‘umbrella’ corporate organizations. By this I mean corporate support or affiliation organizations that either have an extensive membership or that are associations of likeminded corporations. Examples of these are Business for Social Responsibility, CSR Europe, The Business Civic Leadership Center and Global Business Coalition for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. These organizations serve as a means to reach hundreds of corporations through the publication of articles and reports and through participation of speakers at conferences. Thus your message is picked up by those who might never have thought of doing business with your organization.
Effective networking can support and improve the overall activities of an organization in three ways.
- Share information: Each organization will produce information via reports, papers and conferences that can be shared with the partner. Through the development of an expanded network, each partner can reach its targeted audience in a preferred manner through the new network.
- Share contacts: Networking involves the exposure to new contacts – who do you know that I should know and likewise for me. A network of contacts can be greatly expanded by linking your network to another organization’s network.
- Open new doors: This is accomplished through both steps one and two above. Through step one, you are able to reach a greater audience with your information, an audience that should be interested in what you have to say and what your organization does, but more importantly, an audience that didn’t know these things previously. And through step two, you can make direct contact with individuals on a preferential basis.
More awareness through greater exposure, more individuals to meet and more opportunities – this is the power of networking.
For additional information please contact Scott Schirmer, Private Sector Liaison, IOM, Geneva.
