Funding Formula Stage 6

Developing a Resource Mobilization Strategy

1. How to develop a Resource Mobilization strategy

The first step is to identify your ‘problem statement’, for example:

‘Our organisation does not have a diversified funding base because 60% of funding currently comes from donor X. This reduces our financial independence and limits our work to donor X’s priorities; it prevents us from implementing our broader strategy.

2. How to set your Resource Mobilization goal

Your Resource Mobilization goal is the overall aim of your strategy, and is the mirror image of your problem statement, for example:

Resource Mobilization Goal

Our organization has a diversified funding base with no single donor representing more than 25% of our funding. This independence and financial autonomy enables us to fully implement our strategy.

Problem Statement

Our organization does not have a diversified funding base because 60% of our funding currently comes from donor X. This reduces our financial independence and limits our work to donor X’s priorities; it prevents us from implementing our strategy.

3. How to identify your Resource Mobilization objectives

Your Resource Mobilization outcomes are the route to achieving your goal: they are the situations or conditions needed to reach your goal. They explain what will be achieved, who will benefit, and by when. Keep your outcomes simple: a few precise and concise objectives that everyone in your organization can understand. Your outcomes should also be SMART. For example:

Outcome 1: to increase the number of our organization’s donors

Tip: you are only contributing towards the outcomes: you are not wholly responsible for achieving them as there will be other factors that influence the results.

Outcome 2: to increase the type and variety of our organization’s donors

4. How to establish your Resource Mobilization outputs

These are specific results that the project will generate. For example:

Output 1: Credibility:strengthen systems for credibility with donors

Output 2: Relevance: demonstrate you have common goals with donors’ goals

Output 3: Visibility: increase the strategic visibility of your organization

Output 4: Relationships: build and maintain relationships with donors and partners

5. How to decide which Resource Mobilization activities to carry out

Activities are the tasks that need to be done in order for the outputs to be achieved. For example:

Output	Activity
Output 1: Credibility	Develop systems that ensure bids are developed with pre-assembled teams
Output 2: Relevance	Undertake donor mapping exercise that analyses your funding environment
Output 3: Visibility	Organize x number of events targeted at donors, with specific Resource Mobilization messages
Output 4: Relationships	Arrange and attend x number of high-level meetings with donors and other interested partners

Tip: Remember to include key performance indicators, these are critical for measuring your success

All goals, outcomes, outputs and activities can be pulled together in a logical framework. You can use IPPF’s Logical Framework explanation and example document in the next block in the Resource Mobilization wall to help you develop your Resource Mobilization ‘logframe’.

6. Resource Mobilization Strategy Template

An example Resource Mobilization Strategy is available here. This template can be adapted to suit the needs and objectives of the organization.