What common mistakes do early-stage NGOs make in fundraising, and how can they be avoided?
Question submitted by: Jubile Silvestre, Unsung Heroes Kakuma, Kenya
One of the biggest mistakes I see is what I call “opportunity chasing.” An NGO sees a call for proposals and quickly reshapes its mission to fit the donor. Donors notice that immediately.
I supported a youth-focused NGO in Sierra Leone that kept applying for agriculture, climate, and health grants – none aligned with their expertise. We paused and developed a simple fundraising strategy anchored in their core strength – youth skills development. Within six months, it submitted fewer proposals, but two were shortlisted because the alignment was strong and credible.
Another mistake is ignoring relationships. Fundraising is rarely about sending cold proposals. It’s about positioning. When I worked with a women-led organisation in South Sudan, we started by mapping potential donors and initiating conversations through webinars and LinkedIn engagement before submitting any proposals. That early engagement significantly improved response rates.
Weak budgeting is another common issue. I’ve seen strong narratives undermined by unrealistic cost estimates. A simple internal budget review checklist dramatically reduces these errors.
Most early-stage NGOs don’t fail because they lack passion; they struggle because they lack systems and strategy. Once these are built, fundraising becomes far more predictable.
(This answer was provided Julius Gamy, a Liberian NGO fundraising strategist and proposal development specialist)
