~ Assisting in improving people’s living conditions as a means of improving health and
increasing confidence.
~ Helping to set up ecotourism projects.Even a project that initially appears sustainable can play out differently in reality; for
an example of this, see the box More Harm Than Good (p245). It’s therefore crucial to
constantly re-evaluate the work of your organisation to ensure it’s continuing to foster
sustainable outcomes.Communicating Across Cultures
You think you’ve got your idea all sorted out. You’ve discussed it at length with the local
community, they’ve given their consent and you’ve shaken on it. But can you be sure
that nodding actually means ‘yes’ in the local body language? It might just mean ‘maybe’.
Or it could even mean a flat ‘no’. And do handshakes mean anything at all in the local
culture?
Open and mutually understood communication is essential to establishing a participa-
tory and sustainable project. And while you may be adept at communicating at home,
throw a foreign culture into the mix and you might just be left wondering which way is up- or worse, believing that you’ve got a deal sewn up when the local community is actually
completely opposed to your proposal.
Cross-cultural misunderstandings can stem from issues with spoken language, body
language and etiquette. In some cultures, for instance, there are 20 ways of saying ‘yes’ but
half of these actually mean ‘no’. In other cultures, women are unable to speak openly or
express their views in the presence of men. Some cultures equate being direct with being
Anthony Lunch founded the MondoChallenge Foundation on the back of MondoChal-
lenge (p168), a volunteer-sending agency he’d previously initiated. When asked how much
the local communities participate in the charity’s projects, he provides great examples of
the extent to which an organisation’s work can be driven by the community:
In every conceivable way! They often provide the on-site work, with materials funded by
the Foundation. Sometimes they are teachers at the school we support with desks, books
and sports equipment. When we fund the ‘seeds projects’, whereby kids are encouraged
to learn about growing plants they can then eat to supplement their diet, the teachers
are the local organisers and we merely provide the small grants needed to set the project
up. Our HIV Small Grants Programme in Tanzania and Gambia is totally run by local
volunteers, backed up by MondoChallenge. We only work with organisations who have
demonstrated their commitment over a period of time.
I travel [to the overseas community] three times a year on average. Usually my trips last
two weeks, but occasionally I go for longer periods when I need to put new operations
in place in a particular country, such as Tanzania. Our UK-based country managers also
make occasional visits to their countries. These visits are absolutely vital. Emails are great
but nothing can beat face-to-face contact. The visits are usually partly to monitor ongo-
ing programmes, meet the volunteers and renew contacts with our partners. They also
serve as training opportunities for our local managers and, perhaps even more impor-
tantly, as a source of new ideas for our UK team!
While participation may seem like an obvious component of any aid initiative, in reality
constant vigilance and an ongoing commitment are required to ensure that it endures for
the life of the project.
Aim for Sustainability
Working towards sustainability is one of the biggest challenges faced by volunteering
organisations. Organisations and their projects (or programmes) should aim for a long
lifespan, and come to an end only when the original goal is achieved or the instigating
needs are alleviated. What they should not be about is the knee-jerk dumping of resources,
money or volunteers into a community on projects that will rapidly peter out. To build the
trust of a community and to see the effects of your work, you will need to be both com-
mitted and patient. The aims of most aid projects are ongoing – things like counteracting
environmental degradation or decreasing poverty are obviously not issues that are solved
overnight. One of the fundamental aspects of programmes based on sustainable action is
that they’re underpinned by empowerment rather than charity. They’re about helping peo-
ple to help themselves and to achieve their own goals, rather than simply ladling out aid.
When Katherine Tubb describes her organisation, the notion of sustainability is deeply
embedded in her description:
We are passionately concerned about the communities in which volunteers work, and
ensure that at all times the work of volunteers leads to long-term, sustainable, local devel-
opment. We also make sure that volunteers are appropriately experienced for whatever
role they hold. We achieve these goals by interviewing all our volunteers and working
closely with them in organising placements. We also have 150 partner organisations
worldwide that we place volunteers within, and we evaluate all of these according to their
needs, the benefits of their work to development and their ability to host volunteers.
Examples of ways projects can be sustainable include:
~ Training members of the local community in a needed occupation such as teaching,
medicine, IT or anything else identified by the community.
~ Providing practical knowledge in things like nutrition or first aid.
~ Helping to establish local, income-generating enterprises.
Good news. There are thousands of charitable foundations, many of which exist for the sole
purpose of giving grants. However, the size and form these foundations can take varies enor-
mously. Some give nationally and others internationally, while others only give to organisa-
tions in a particular region. Some give to a variety of causes, others to organisations pursuing
specific goals such as work with children or healthcare. Some give millions every year, others
give only a few hundred here and there. But the bottom line is: they all give.
Foundations tend to fund projects that offer aid to disadvantaged groups. Of the £2 billion
given by foundations annually in the UK, for example, by far the largest chunk goes towards
health and social-welfare initiatives. A decent-sized portion of the pie goes towards arts and
recreation and a smaller slice goes to faith-based projects. As foundations’ funds come from
private endowments and the like, their funding is not geared towards what’s trendy in main-
stream society or a particular government; instead they give to whatever takes their fancy.
Some foundations are very well known for their generous giving – for instance the Wellcome
Trust, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Trust.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking to apply for funds, don’t just go for the big fish. Filling out
funding applications is a mammoth task, taking up lots of time and energy, and so the first,
fundamental step is to wade through the various options and select those most likely to look
favourably upon your cause. The next step is filling out the application itself, making sure it’s
tailored to the foundation’s criteria, and that it’s clear about what you hope to achieve and
gives specifics as to how you will spend the funds.
See the Association of Charitable Foundations (p252), Foundation Center (p256) or
Philanthropy Australia (p256) for help and useful publications and resources. UK residents
should also check out The Directory of Social Change (www.dsc.org.uk) for guides to UK trusts.Getting Funding
10: Start Your Own Charitable Project :The Ideacontinued on p250