How can an organisation with no previous record of receiving and managing funding secure funding?
Question was submitted by: Delight Tongowashe, Shepherds Trust, Zimbabwe
Every strong grant portfolio starts with a first award. Donors do not fund experience alone; they fund risk-managed potential. For a new organisation, the priority is to demonstrate credibility before scale. This means formalising governance (registered status, a functioning board, clear decision-making processes), establishing basic financial controls (a separate bank account, signatories, a simple accounting system), and documenting even small activities clearly and with evidence.
Start where funders expect you to start:
- Apply for small grants, seed funding, rapid response funds, or local/national foundations rather than large bilateral or multilateral donors.
- Partner and collaborate strategically with more established NGOs as an implementing or technical partner to build a verifiable track record.
- Leverage founder and board experience credibly; many first grants are won on leadership history and potential rather than organisational age.
- Leverage network, influence and relationships to get some small unsolicited grants that you can use it to build your organisation’s portfolio.
Above all, be honest. Overstating your capacity is the fastest way to lose trust. Donors are more willing to support a transparent, well-governed start-up than a poorly constructed “big organisation on paper.”
(This answer was provided by Alfred Akerele, a Nigerian resource mobilisation consultant and grant writer with high-impact experience)
