HRSI Workshop Teaches Valuable Fundraising Skills

"I learned an awful lot about a topic that is often mentioned as a 'qualifying skill' in vacancies at NGOs, and about which I did not know very much," commented Robin Fraiture (Mundus MAPP '16). The topic was fundraising. The day-long workshop was organized by HRSI (Human RightS Initiative) at CEU. "HRSI has been organizing these types of capacity-building workshops since 2007," explained Zsofia Suba, HRSI program manager. "They are free and open to all CEU students, faculty, and staff, as well as representatives of local NGOs." Fraiture was one of a half dozen public policy students who spent last Saturday learning about fundraising from public policy alumna Agnes Doka (MAPP '11).

Doka organized the interactive workshop so that there were many opportunities for participants to, as she put it, "learn from each other." She also shared some examples of successful capital campaigns such as the Duck Race that is organized in Ottawa each year to raise funds for the Children's Hospital of Ottawa. Duck races for charity now take place around the world, including in Hungary! Doka described this Ottawa initiative as "the poster child for how donation collection can become a social event, even a tourist attraction." This event has become so successful that donors compete for the opportunity to contribute the grand prize. "This event shows what's possible," said Doka.

She also provided more modest examples of successful fundraising initiatives, some involving Hungarian companies. These cases demonstrated how donors benefit from supporting charitable causes. "If structured properly," Doka said, "it's an equal and mutually beneficial relationship."

Doka also arranged for two guest speakers to address workshop participants– Peter Nizak, director of the Hungary Project, part of the Open Society Initiative for Europe; and Heike Diafiria, a former investment banker who is now a fundraising expert. Fraiture commented that she found it especially useful to hear their perspectives, and to be able to ask them questions. "Heike emphasized a point that Agnes made too, about how important it is to allow donors to take an active role in the project they are being asked to support," she said. "They provided practical examples of how to involve donors, and how you should communicate with them." Fraiture says that the workshop also gave her a keen appreciation of the importance of media. "I know it seems obvious that publicity is an important part of fundraising," she said, "but I had never thought about it in such detail – or imagined what might be involved."

Suba says that fundraising is always a popular topic for its target audience. "It's an essential skill for anyone who plans to work in an NGO," she said.