Tag Archives: ngo

The Capacity Building Game

Posted in: Aid Effectiveness, Alternatives in development | July 16, 2012 at 9:30 pm , by Guest Author/s

National Data Center Capacity Building training course http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctbto/7260921726/

Donors want NGOs to build capacity so that local organisations can be fully sustainable. But what exactly does that entail, and how can the game of capacity building be played better? In a guest post for WhyDev, Makarand Sahasrabuddhe draws upon his considerable experience in the sector to discuss....

Why competing over funding is killing development (and how we might improve)

Posted in: Alternatives in development, Ethics in development, Fundraising | July 12, 2012 at 10:00 pm , by Weh Yeoh

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Development, which should theoretically be full of people who value empathy and sharing, is a hyper-competitive sector. This attitude of competition is no more prevalent than in the sphere of fundraising. How do we make fundraising more collaborative, while still allowing everyone to achieve their targets? In this post, Weh...

Is anything going right in NGO-INGO relations?

Posted in: Alternatives in development, Foreign Aid | July 3, 2012 at 12:22 am , by Guest Author/s

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Something is definitely wrong in NGO-INGO relations. Tension keeps popping up at global meetings and in social media exchanges. However, for Nora Lester, knowing what’s wrong in NGO-INGO relations isn’t enough. We need to know how to do it better. Nora shares her recent experience with PeaceGeeks, a Canadian NGO...

Is your program ready to scale?

Posted in: Aid Effectiveness, Research | May 28, 2012 at 6:44 pm , by Guest Author/s

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Every year, donors fund hundreds of pilot projects in developing countries. While many of those projects produce results, most of them die a quiet death in one or two villages without ever expanding, replicating or exporting their positive impact. In a guest post for whydev, Sophie Walker asks: How do...

So what if 90% of money donated goes to the program?

Posted in: Fundraising | March 16, 2012 at 1:00 am , by Weh Yeoh

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Whether it's spending money on groceries, mobile phones or charities, we all want bang for our buck. Hence, telling the public that a large percentage of their donations goes to the final recipient is an easy way for an NGO to look like they're doing the right thing. However, the...

The realities of working in development and how we might help

Posted in: China & Development, Coaching | March 1, 2012 at 8:00 am , by Weh Yeoh

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Recently, Weh was featured on Sydney's 2SER's Aidworks program (107.3 FM). On the program, he discussed the realities of working in development within China, and also whydev.org's new peer coaching scheme, set up to support isolated aid and development workers across the globe. Have a listen to the ten minute...

Are you psychologically equipped for working in aid and development?

Posted in: Self-help | February 15, 2012 at 9:04 am , by Alessandra Pigni

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Alessandra Pigni has collected stories, reflections and suggestions from humanitarian professionals on the topic of self-care. With this, she has put together a white paper series of practical recommendations to better prepare humanitarian professionals for field missions. Read more about this ground-breaking series in her second post for whydev.org....

The limits of planning

Posted in: Reflection | January 26, 2012 at 10:00 pm , by Guest Author/s

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Planning ahead in development is important, but over-planning can sometimes take away from a need to be flexible and resourceful. We are honoured to have this post from Sarah Grant, the founder of Color Me In!, an NGO that supports entrepreneurs and environmental preservation in Zambia through micro-loans and planting...

Why mindfulness is essential for development workers

Posted in: Reflection, Self-help | December 15, 2011 at 11:55 pm , by Weh Yeoh

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We live in increasingly busy lives where the value of multi-tasking and filtering complex priorities is seen as more and more important. How then, as development workers, can we keep our focus on the task at hand? As Weh Yeoh explains, mindfulness just might be the ticket to achieving this....

Don’t write off the slacktivist.

Posted in: Fundraising | October 27, 2011 at 11:59 pm , by Weh Yeoh

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Slacktivism, the act of performing easy, feel-good measures in support of a social cause, has been much aligned in the development industry. But new research shows that maybe slactivists aren't that slack after all. If so, how can NGO's best harness the energy of such people? In this post, Weh...

Reflection and action

Posted in: Reflection, Self-help | September 20, 2011 at 12:41 pm , by Alessandra Pigni

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The stereotype of the under-resourced, run-off-their-feet NGO worker exists for a reason. It's easy to get carried away with all of this, but in the end, how effective does this make us? In a cross post with Mindfulness for NGOs, Alessandra Pigni highlights the importance of reflection as action, and...