Over the years, there has been a significant shift in the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) work culture in India. NGOs are now shifting their focus towards developing and presenting their strategies, interventions, and approaches more aligned with business models, rather than relying solely on community fundraising, to expand their partnerships. They are partnering with governments and corporations to design and implement social programs, secure funding, and access essential resources. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) law in India mandates profitable corporates to spend a share of their profit on social initiatives, this pushes the NGOs to standardize their procedures, increase documentation, and heavily focus on monitoring and evaluation. Community development projects of the NGOs are, therefore, put into a competition to win greater recognition and earn CSR funds.
Pahuni, (Executive – Corporate Partnerships at Lotus Petal Foundation) was kind enough to have a chat with me about the trends that she has closely observed while working in corporate partnerships. Pahuni says, “As a young social development professional, I have been working in this role for almost a year now. During this period I have contacted 600 corporations spanning from public sector organizations to software, banking, and food and beverage industries. The trend has certainly changed to get the right donor or I should rather say the right partner for your organization that shares your vision and mission and engages in different ways to create a lasting impact. While making a pitch or when attempting to establish a connection there are a few important points that I highlight. Like, talking about the alignment between our programs and the impact of the projects. Followed by sharing the key USP of a particular program and the factors which makes our project stand out from others.”
Pahuni added, “It is important to mention the steps that we take to monitor and evaluate projects, provide impact reporting to the partner regularly, and prioritize transparency throughout the collaboration. Sharing opportunities/benefits that the company will incur like branding opportunities, employee volunteering, talk shows for leadership teams, and business-oriented organizational activities and events, etc. is a way of establishing a healthy give-and-take. This process extends beyond raising funds and securing funds through CSR. For example, we try to engage our potential donors through employee volunteering which allows them to come and experience the joy of giving. It also enables a sense of satisfaction among employees. The company as a brand gets help in increasing its brand reputation and fostering customer trust. A partnership has to be nurtured at different levels and has to be mutually beneficial and focused on creating lasting social impact.”
My current association with Lotus Petal Foundation is with their project -Vidya Sahyog. It is a digital education initiative that runs virtual classes aiming to provide Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) education in 7 states of India. Since the project is a new initiative (2 years old) in the Lotus Petal family, there are upcoming changes and developments regarding partnerships, donors, and donor relations. It is also a time when Vidya Sahyog is learning by doing and establishing protocols, procedures, and documentation. One of the primary tasks in my Fellowship project is to develop a pitch framework for possible donors and partners.
A pitch framework in the social sector is derivative of the entrepreneurial culture and mindset. Strictly talking in business terms, a pitch includes almost everything about the product/service offered, often starting with the problem to be solved. The templates encourage a crispy tone, where less is more. A business pitch template usually includes a business model that solves the problem followed by a revenue model that ensures that the business model is lucrative. The difference between a business pitch and a social impact pitch is essentially the aim to solve a social problem without revenue/profit generation being the focus. This leads to the development of a Theory of Change (ToC) that highlights the “intervention” as the solution to the problem.
NGOs require their communication strategy to be clear and concise, and a pitch deck is a valuable communication toolkit. A pitch outlines the mission, and objectives and speaks of the cause of the organization. A pitch can not only convey the organization’s outlook to potential contributors but also to partners, volunteers, and advocates who stand by the organization’s values.
A general template for a pitch deck is as follows:
Introduction of the Organization: The organization’s introduction, background, mission statement, and a short breakdown of its achievements or key components will help paint the picture of the organization. Aligning the organization’s aim with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can also add credibility. Another great way of introducing an organization is to tell its story for an impactful emotional appeal.
Presenting the Problem: Express clearly what the organization is trying to solve, how is this problem relevant and what are the problem’s ramifications. For example, if my organization is working towards bridging the learning gap, then the problem they are trying to solve is the inability of the students to demonstrate foundational literacy and numeracy even after graduating from primary education. The best way to present a problem is to include statistics, trends, and/or examples explaining the extent or significance of the problem.
Linking the Problem with Social Barriers/Issues: Contextualize the problem in the social context. One may identify the possible stakeholders that can contribute to the issue, the barriers that exist, and possible challenges that can cause hiccups while intervening. Linking the issue helps to set a premise for the problem and sets a working ground for the proposed solution.
Working Out a Possible Solution: Put forward your organization’s plan or approach to tackling the issue that was presented. It should include all the tactical approaches, methodologies employed or interventions used by the organization to address the issue. The best way to present a solution is by demonstration. For example, a video of the solution can explain the implementation model, approaches and strategies of the intervention in action/live.
What sets you apart?
The NGO and the development sector in India are competitive. Many organizations are coming up with solutions for the same cause. There is an emphasis on the key differentiators between one approach and the other. The change makers in organizations keep asking themselves “How are we doing it differently?”, “What sets us apart?”, “Why should a donor/partner choose us?”
NGO’s are working within the “Golden Circle Problem”. The golden circle can help to present a pitch by trying to aim at the “What, Why and How” of the intervention. The approach, also known as the Golden Circle Model, simplifies any intervention into three core questions, which can be the foundation of presenting any intervention.
Let’s explain this by an example.
What: Vidya Sahyog is a digital education project that aims to bridge the learning gap in primary education with a focus on foundational literacy and numeracy. Vidya Sahyog is helping children in primary grades to match their grade level with their learning level in partner schools, currently operational in 7 states.
How: Vidya Sahyog provides daily virtual classes to the students after a baseline assessment to determine their learning level. Vidya Sahyog opts for interactive pedagogy and activity-based teaching after technologically enabling the school infrastructure. Regular tests and midline and end-line assessments track the progress and the learning curve of the students.
Why: Vidya Sahyog believes that education should open doorways to sustainable livelihood and a dignified living. Quality and effective education should not be a luxury, but a necessity in every corner of the country. Vidya Sahyog believes in equitable access to quality education to strengthen the foundational learning skills of students. Vidya Sahyog ensures that their foundational literary and numeracy curriculum addresses the learning gaps in their partner schools.
Theory of Change: The theory of change is a comprehensive and systematic plan to trace the pathways through which organizations see their interventions affecting the long-term outcomes or impact. It becomes a guidebook that explains the route leading to the organization’s goal by listing the interventions, assumptions, and the desired outcome brought about through the intervention over a period. A theory of change will not only offer the organization a logical framework for outlining interventions that incur social outcomes but also guide how the intervention should be implemented to reach the established outcomes.
Impact: While pitching to potential donors or partners, it is important to emphasize all the effects or outcomes achieved through the organization’s initiatives. It is imperative to back the claims by statistics after monitoring, evaluation and other assessment procedures have taken place. Further, including case studies of the primary impact group and testimonials from all stakeholders involved can be a good way to set the words ringing in honest praise. It is important to look at the impact from the lens of how the problem and the challenges were laid out. It is a good idea to present the problem and link it with systemic and social issues, or in other words, contextualize it. For example, a result of the intervention primarily dealing with improving literacy and numeracy in schools can also affect attendance rates, parent-teacher involvement, student motivation etc.
Summarizing with tips from my colleague Pahuni on making an impactful pitch:
- Highlight impact and beneficiary success stories, emphasizing the personal aspect of the narrative and fostering an emotional bond through storytelling.
- Create a narrative that centers around the organization and its previous projects.
- In pitching, it’s better to say less. Set a priority list for the content you wish to share and stick to it.
- It is best to avoid jargon and to use layperson’s language.
Happy Pitching!
