Selected organizations in Call for Projects ‘Local Fundraising 2019’ receive training in Change the Game Academy Program

Representatives of organizations and social movements from Acre, Tocantins, Piauí, Ceará, Pernambuco, Sergipe, Bahia, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul, who had their projects approved in Change the Game Program, attended the Workshop on  Local Fundraising from June 11 to 15 in Salvador (BA). The course is part of the Change the Game program, taught in Brazil by CESE, partner of the Wild Ganzen foundation(creator of the program).

The call for Projects was made through a letter of invitation addressed to some 200 entities in the country that had their proposals focused on the struggle for resistance to the downgrading of rights and the conservative agenda of the government. Through project support, CESE encourages these groups to fundraise half of the resource needed to carry out their project and then double the amount obtained. And to expand the capacity of the groups in this challenge, CESE has offered training to strengthen organizations and broaden the reach of the resource.

Gislene Bulhões, from the Center for Formation and Community Organization – CEFORC, highlights the lightness as the subjects were approached and describes how the formation will strengthen the institution: “The course came at a key time for the organization not only to strengthen the resources mobilization, but to chart new pathways for seeking support. The method brought by the facilitators was very good, we exchanged experience and learned in a relaxed way”, said the representative of the city of Livramento, Bahia.

During the five days of workshop, the participants reflected on fundraising as a strategy for institutional sustainability; planning, drafting and monitoring of a local resource mobilization plan through the Change the Game Portal; and the construction of communication tools capable of motivating   individuals to embrace the causes of the organizations.

In addition, the training was composed of an enriching dialogue wheel on the challenges of the current situation and the sustainability of civil society organizations, from the perspective of resource mobilization and collective strategies for public dialogue. For that moment, CESE had the contribution of Cátia Cardoso, executive director of Brazilian Cáritas Nordeste 3, and Felipe Estrela, president of the Association of Rural Workers’ Lawyers In Bahia – AATR.

For Gabriela Monteiro, Northeast Rural Working Women Movement (MMTR-NE), the course was an opportunity for learning and reflections: “For us from MMTR-NE this issue has been fundamental. We are experiencing a very complicated period in the Brazilian context and this has a direct impact on our sustainability. All the discussions we’ve had over the past few days, plus the in-depth exercises on the platform have been very helpful and have certainly challenged us to think outside the box”, ponders the participant of Caruaru, Pernambuco.