Careers: Raise funds for a living

For years, raising money for an event or cause has been the domain of those with a gift of the gab. But now, with a certificate course in Resource Mobilisation and Management, anyone and everyone can learn the tricks of the trade. 

A new training programme aimed at graduates with some work experience in the development sector, who want to hone their skills in resource mobilisation, is set to be launched this October. UK-based Resource Alliance -- an international network that builds the fund-raising capacity of the NGO sector worldwide -- will team up with management institutes in the capital to start the certificate programme.

"The number of organisations seeking to mobilise resources and raise funds has grown rapidly in the last few years. There is a huge shortage of professionally trained resource management and resource mobilisation personnel," says Rati Misra, Regional Programme Officer (South Asia), Resource Alliance. "We have stepped in to fill this gap. This programme aims to provide a systematic and professional input for building capabilities of individuals and organisations in the field of fund-raising and resource management."

International donors, private foundations and international NGOs have all been decentralising their operations and there have been dramatic shifts in the thematic and geographic focus for aid. There is a huge shortage of professionally trained personnel, which is why SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), and Resource Alliance have stepped in.

Programme details

Classroom sessions will be held at the SPJIMR campus three times a week for a period of two months following the schedule below:

Thursday: 3 hours (5-8 pm)
Friday evening: 3 hours (5-8 pm)
Saturday full day: 6 hours (10am-5pm)

Total contact hours: 96 hours (80 contact + 16 hours project work)

No of days = 24 days: Duration = 2 months 
 
By the end of the programme, you will be able to:

• Establish and communicate a case for support for your organisation.
• Plan, budget, implement and analyse a resource mobilisation activity.
• Manage yourself effectively and create productive working relationships with others.
• Identify resourcing requirements of your organisation and establish appropriate strategies for meeting these needs.

Course structure

There are six modules to be covered within a period of two months

• Fundamentals of resource mobilisation
• Environmental context
• Strategy development
• Programme development
• Organisational planning and budgets
• Monitoring and evaluation

Eligibility

This programme is meant for staff, volunteers and individuals from any nationality who are involved in fundraising and resource management activities in the social sector. You must have:

• A Bachelor's degree in any discipline
• Experience of either two years full-time, or three years as a volunteer in the social sector
• Basic computer literacy
• Fluency in English
• Good communication skills
• You can be from any of the following sectors: NGO, international NGO, foundations, corporates, education academy/ institutions, hospitals, consultants, or civil society organisations.

How to apply

The next round of the course is scheduled to start on August 31, 2006. For further details, contact Nirja Mattoo or Shaoli Chakravorty at SPJIMR. 

Address
SPJIMR Centre for DOCC
Bhavans College Campus
Munshi Nagar
Dadabhai Road
Andheri West
Mumbai -- 400 058

Phone: (022) 2623 0396/2401/7454, ext: 465

e-mail: mcrmm@spjimr.ernet.in 

With inputs from the Resource Alliance Web site.