What do donors look for from new organisations seeking funding and long-term partnerships?
Question submitted by: Ogwal Bonny Emmanuel, Humanity Horizons, Uganda
In practice, donors are not primarily looking for “newness” or “big ideas.” They are looking for predictability of delivery under uncertainty.
I will give a grounded example.
In Southeastern Liberia, I once observed two local NGOs applying for the same WASH pilot funding:
One presented a polished 40-page proposal with strong narrative language.
The other presented a simpler proposal but included:
- A functioning borehole they had already rehabilitated with community records.
- A basic but clear beneficiary tracking sheet.
- A local government endorsement letter from a county office.
The second organisation received funding.
Why?
Because donors quietly prioritise five signals:
1. Execution evidence (not proposals alone)
Even small proof of implementation matters more than conceptual strength. A repaired borehole, a school hygiene club, or a functioning savings group often outweighs technical writing.
2. Accountability culture
Donors look for organisations that already behave like funded entities:
- Record-keeping.
- Community feedback mechanisms.
- Basic safeguarding practices.
3. Partnership readiness (not independence)
A strong signal is:
“We are ready to work through partners, not in isolation.”
Many emerging NGOs fail because they try to “stand alone” rather than integrate into district or cluster systems.
4. Realistic ambition
Donors are wary of “over-designed” NGOs that claim to solve everything from climate change to youth unemployment in a single proposal.
They prefer:
Focused organisations solving one problem well in one geography.
5. Trust built through proximity
In West Africa, especially in Liberia and Sierra Leone, I have seen that NGOs that consistently engage district officials, clinics, schools and community leaders win funding faster than those with stronger writing but weaker field presence.
Across Africa, the funding landscape is changing.
Donors are no longer primarily asking:
“Is this NGO impressive?”
They are asking:
“Can this NGO reliably deliver change in a complex environment with minimal risk?”
And the NGOs that succeed are not necessarily the most sophisticated but the most evidence-consistent, locally anchored, and operationally disciplined.
(This answer was provided Julius Gamy, a Liberian NGO fundraising strategist and proposal development specialist)
