Project Into Action

1. Project Into Action Seeking Funds and Project Partners Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

2. SGT Projects • Research • Development projects • Design • Product production Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

3. Create a Funding Strategy • Your organisation’s aims - summarised in a short statement. • Your current objectives. Should include current and future plans to meet the aims, developing the organisation and new projects you intend to set up. All stakeholders, including staff, volunteers and trustees should be consulted periodically and certainly before making any significant changes. • Consider each objective and work out what resources you need. This should help identify a budget. • Assess the challenges and opportunities your organisation is likely to face - such as new Government policies or demographic changes. The document should assess how well equipped the organisation is to carry out its work and identify resources or skills needed to improve its ability to cope in the future Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

4. Key Questions Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

5. Pre-planning • Look at your project plan – what activities have you planned to achieve your objective? • Make an estimation budget – what kind of resources do you need in those activities? How much will they cost? • You do not need to make a concrete budget yet, many funding organisations have a specific format for budgeting and writing application • Can your project be revised to create activities for other partners? • How about the project plan, was it participatory? Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

6. The Case of Shalin • A Non-governmental organisation, active in the areas of environment and social justice • Project Name – The Anila Pyrolytic Stove and Biochar Application Research Project for Climate Change Mitigation and Soil Improvement Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

7. Steps • Project Idea – preliminary plan created in SGT course 2009 • Introducing the concept to Shalin’s network – Aalto, Previous project partners in Kenya, Online networks (discussion platforms), Networks in Finland • Further development of the concept as more partners showed interest Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

8. Decision by Shalin’s board to apply funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Pre-planning and revising of the plan, identifying potential areas of collaboration with partners • Planning trip to Kenya (funding obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) – begin the application, participatory planning with the project partners, identify and meet other stakeholders – plan with your partners, develop project ownership Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

9. Application Form completed 2 weeks prior to the deadline • Kepa (umbrella organisation for Finnish NGO’s) reviews the application – Always get a 2nd Opionion • Application Handed in 3 days before deadline – Stay Within the Deadline • Results – the application was granted funds to research and implement a 3 year project on sustainable energy technology and biochar in Kenya – Monitor and report appropriately to develop a good relationship with funders Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

10. The Case of Shalin/MKFC • The application was to be made to the Nordic Climate Fund • The concept note/idea was ready and prepared • We sought partners and had a consortium of 8 • Why did it fail: • Only one person was responsible for making the application – we did not analyse our resources Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

11. The NGO which initiated the project was too small to lead the application – eligibility • The chosen lead applicant did not prioritise the project – project ownership • Addition of last minute partners and missing attachments from the lead meant we missed the deadline Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

12. Funding Resources in Finland • http://www.cimo.fi/programmes - EU & Local Funding, project implementation • http://euroafrica-ict.org/research-priorities/ - EU Research Funding, specifically for ICT and collaboration with Africa, similar for Asia: http://euroasia-ict.org/ • http://www.formin.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=15408&contentlan=2&culture=en-US - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NGO funding • Other Finnish ministries can also grant funding to projects if they are relevant to their operational area – open applications Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

13. http://www.hanken.fi/student/en/finlandskforskningsfinansiering#document2 - Research student(s) • http://www.tekes.fi/en/community/Research%20groups%20in%20Finland/350/Research%20groups%20in%20Finland/1239 - Research by companies, students, institutions • www.fundsforngos.org - information platform on funding schemes for NGO’s, government funding Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

14. Resources for Seeking partners • Social media forums – e.g LinkedIn groups, other discussion forums • Associations – www.kepa.fi, Finnish NGO’s • www.kehys.fi - Finnish NGO’s seeking EU Funding, training and advice • Conference Networking Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

15. Your projects • Sustainable Campus – Open application Ministry of Environment • eWaste – NGO funding, EU funding, Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Nanomaterial – Research Project, Private companies, Finnish Academy, see: http://www.hanken.fi/student/en/finlandskforskningsfinansiering#document2 • Taipei River Urbanism – NGO funding from Formin, EU funding (bilateral) • Toying with Trash – NGO funding sources Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011

16. Questions? Eva Kagiri, SGT Aalto 2011