Tele-facing could be a solution for NGOs in industrialised world too

An interesting piece on tele-facing that appeared some time back at Charity Choice UK. Enjoy reading how it is being tested globally after making a mark in India and South Asia.

http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-fundraiser/telephone-fundraising-what-to-learn-from-indian-telefacing/136

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Fundraising by Telefacing- a warm welcome!

The following article on Telefacing appeared in May 2012 issue of "The Fundraiser", a leading magazine on fundraising published from UK. To subscribe the magazine click on http://www.wlrstore.com/caritas-data/fundraiser.aspx

The article talks about how telefacing is being viewed with interest across geographies.

Non-profits urge SAFRG to take central role in fundraising advocacy

At the just concluded 22nd South Asian Fund Raising Summit, the leading non-profits of South Asia urged SAFRG to take a central role in advocating for policy reforms related to fundraising.

The non-profit sector is raising funds under lots of disadvantages. The taxation laws in respect of accepting foreign currency donations are not very friendly. Besides, the laws that give greater incentives to donors and hence increase giving are a non-entity. Many other countries in the world have very supportive policies. Why does our government shy?

Recent TRAI- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India regulations on telecalling make it impossible for NGOs to raise money. Prior to Sept 2011 ruling, non-profits were exempt from embargo on calling. Now the commercial telecallers and NGO have been clubbed as one. This is very unfortunate. By one estimate NGOs raised close to INR 1000 million per year from telecalling. This is a big jolt to the sustainability of the sector. There is no one to listen to NGOs on this. Any effort to meet officials at TRAI fizzles out at the lower bureaucratic levels only.

Direct mailers used to be a successful source of raising money from general public. But right now the quality of postal services available in the region is very poor. Often, 40% of the mailers that NGOs send do not reach the addressees.

What NGO sector lacks is a representative body that advocates for the fundraising rights of the NGOs. The NGOs at the summit urged that SAFRG should play that role in bringing the sector together.

SAFRG has promised to soon call a meeting for all affected NGOs to chart the future course of action. More details on this space soon.

Article by Shweta Shukla

More NGOs start to use Tele-facing

A Facer leaves for his appointment with the donor 

Tele-facing which is a hybrid of telephone and face to face fundraising has found more takers amongst Indian NGOs.

World Vision which has an impressive record in Child Sponsorships in India and abroad, has added Tele-facing to its armour. Working through two outsourced agencies, one in Bangalore and other in New Delhi, it is still early days of Tele-facing at the NGO.

The other international NGO that uses Tele-facing but prefers to call it telephone fundraising only is Save the Children. To each his own!

SOS Children's Villages, a leading international NGO providing loving homes to children, also is running a Tele-facing pilot. All the best.

I just came across a bit on Akshay Patra's fundraising effort on a blog, the posting being titled, " They call it Tele-facing". Read more at http://divinsimakurti.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/they-call-it-tele-facing/

GreenPeace too has been using Tele-facing for a while.

It is perfectly making sense for NGOs in India, resulting in monies and donors. It is time it is taken out to other countries in South Asia, atleast.

Small NGOs Can Tele-face

I am writing this from the sidelines of 9th International Workshop for Resource Mobilisation, organised by UK based Resource Alliance at Bangalore.

I have already received my most plesant surprise and learning of the workshop, although we just finished the day 1.

I was making this presentation on " Rasing resources on limited budget using Telephone, Face to Face and Tele-facing". In midst of all one gentleman from an NGO Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled remarked that they were also using something like Tele-facing.

I was overjoyed to hear that. Finally we had a not so big charity raising money through Tele-facing in India. The gentleman who is visually challenged and has been an International level player for India in cricket, went on to mention how they raise 1 million rupees every month through the technique. This makes it around 12 million rupees ($ 250,000)in a year, a neat sum for a small NGO in India and possibly anywhere in the world.

I am so thrilled. The organisations website is www.samarthanam.org

So what is stopping you to go out and test the same?

The spread of Tele-facing

Tele-facing is finding its feet quiet well in the Indian fundraising market. Already UNICEF, CRY, Plan and Oxfam are using the technique to recruit huge number of donors.

The other day, I was pleasantly surprised when a facer from Oxfam visited my office to collect my Pledge Form and extolled about virtues of Tele-facing.He even made a pitch that my organisation also use the same.

On May 30th at a Fundraising Masterclass organised by South Asian Fundraising Group in New Delhi, Naresh Kakkar, Head of Syrex Infoservices, the agency that does Tele-facing for several non-profits in India, presented on how the tool could recruit and retain donors. And monthly pledge donors at that.

Click through the slides below to know more about Tele-facing

Naresh Kakkar Pres

View more OpenOffice presentations from anuptiwari.