how to make an NGO survive

How to make profit when you're a non-profit organization?

Even though, NGO is not about money but empowering people. We need money for the management of projects and maintenance of our office and staff. Most supporters prefer that their money be spent in the project, and not in the administrative expenses. It is understandable but the heart of the NGO is in it's staff - how can a program go on without its staff? That's where counterpart comes in or how an NGO exerts its effort for it to survive. There must be a fund-raising activity by the NGo itself, besides getting funds from development assistances, aids and funding from funding agencies. 

Today, from the meeting with volunteers (with Kuya Maks, Ate Eri and yuko-chan), I learned that other NGOs use exposure tour to their project sites to gain funds. Ordinarily, other NGOs would ask participants to pay P1000 ~ P2000. However, with our past 1 day study tours in ACCE, we just ask the students to pay P150 ~ P250 for food and transportation. Their presence in the project sites is already much appreciated - since our aim, is for them to take action after seeing the situation in Smoky Mountain, in lahar-affected area in Pampanga and rural poverty in Alabat Island. In the end, we would like them to share their knowledge, skills and talents not only their cash. What's most important for us is that they learn the roots of poverty, the relationship between international issues and local issues and the meaning of empowerment.

But we might have to rethink... The idea is:

This is for 1 day study tours done by VOA (Volunteers of ACCE) in Philippines.

One idea to make the NGO survive is do a fund-raising activity such as study tour with multiple purposes. One, is to make person understand why he/she should help and to what project and poverty area s/he is supporting. Two, is to get the support, not only financial. Three, to make a venue where people in the community can voice out their problems to middle class people and in turn letting them into a dialogue. Fourth, helping the community build relationships with friends that could be their partners in changing their situation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introducing Volunteers of ACCE (VOA)
2010: Shino, Sara, Yuri, Bebe, Eri, Yuko, Johnson, Haruna, Nino, Allan w/ Yuko, Kring, Maks
We meet every Saturday to plan activities of changing our world into a better place. :)

 This picture was taken by Ame-chan. :)
In this picture: Shino, Bebe, Yuri, Haruna, Kring, Johnson
Farewell party of Shino. 9th, October, 2010.
ACCE-Philippines, Manila office.

It was a little sad not having Yuri, Bebe, Shino, Johnson and Haruna in the meeting but we still pushed through with the volunteer meeting today. We are still doing the preparation for the 1 day study tour by VOA on November 20. I hope it will be a good one! ^^