Before your organization even begins to apply for grants, interviewees say that it is important to grantmakers that your organization:
• Understand the needs in your community. What
are the problems facing your community? How many people in your
community are impacted by this problem? What are the root causes of this
problem? Are your programs addressing the root causes?
• Involve the community. Make sure that you
involve members of the community in decision-making. Ask your
beneficiaries if your programs are helping and what you can do to make
improvements.
• Be innovative. There are thousands of
organizations doing meaningful work in Africa. What makes your
organization unique? Be creative about the ways that you address
problems in your community.
• Develop a sustainable model. This means that
your organization should come up with ways to function without
relying on grants and external funding sources. For example, some
organizations start a small business, while others charge small
membership fees.
• Document impact. Make sure that your
organization has ways of measuring and documenting its impact in the
community. Take pictures, count how many people are helped, and write
down the stories of how people’s lives were changed. Be careful to also
measure the long-term impact of your programs. Evaluate the impact after
1, 2, or 3 years.
• Evaluate your work. It is important that at
least once a year your organization evaluates its work by finding out if
your programs were successful, if your beneficiaries are satisfied, and
if you are meeting your goals. For example, if your goal was to
increase the income of your beneficiaries, find out if your
beneficiaries’ income increased and by how much. The answer to these
questions will help you improve your work and have a larger impact in
your community.