Is it a waste of time to seek funding from foreign donors before we've shown some progress in our field? Is it hard to sell ideas before demonstrating them on the ground?-P. Purushothaman, Secretary, GCT78, an engineering CSO/NGO, Coimbatore, India
In my experience working for start-up organizations, it's very helpful to make some progress before trying to raise money. I think that people are naturally skeptical of new ideas and new organizations. My suggestion is that you expand the definition of progress to include more than the delivery of your services. Getting endorsements from respected business people and NGO leaders, building advisory boards, and forming partnerships with established organizations are examples of ways that you can further the mission of your NGO. With each incremental bit of progress you make, I suggest you make a point of telling all those who are interested in your work about the good news. A steady string of good news will help build support for your organization. Some companies create a "Good News" schedule to help ensure that they are constantly sharing information about the progress of the organization with the greater community.
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