NGO proposals – perennial problems

For many teams, the thought of creating a time-bound and articulate proposal can have a paralyzing effect – and it is not a rare phenomena, considering the complexities associated with this exercise. The proposal fights for its breathing space in a crowded field of aspirants and an ever-dwindling reservoir of funds.

Image Credit: Mass.gov

Some of the most debated and encountered proposals mind-blocks are….

• Getting the right format: Every donor receives thousands of proposals for the allocated funds and they find it impossible to cherry-pick the best Non-Profit that deserves the dollars. In order to create a level playing field, the donor organizations establish their unique proposal format which suits their selection process. This new format has to be understood and translated into a working document by the NGO team.
• Planning & Deadline: A good planning always demands a microscopic view of the process and the lack of time kills the very sentiment of quality and planning. The crafting of a compelling proposal within a tight deadline is a nightmare for most Non-profit teams
• Permission-based proposal: A lot of  donor organizations disqualify any unsolicited proposals. So, even if you have the most deserving proposal, the whole exercise might just be grounded because the donor did  not grant the permission to submit the proposal. This often results in the fear of rejection which compounds the efficiency issues of the team.
• Reporting & Grant retention: Documentation is seldom fun, but an accurate log of the activities in real time is indispensable in the NGO sector. A worthy report can be created only if the activity log in the field was given due importance. Most of the donors scrutiny the Project report with magnifying glasses before signing on the dotted line.

A proposal is as good as its success rate – That may be a harsh criteria to judge months of work, but then the funds are hard to come by – and a lot of noble work will have to be postponed. Experience of the NGO industry is as important as the experience with words when it comes to crafting winning proposals.

If you would like to explore the various marketing & branding strategies in the NGO sector, you can contact CopperBridge Media at: info@copperbridgemedia.com / or call at: 91-712-3270556.

With the much needed break at my disposal, i flipped between the news channels hoping to find some more information on the demise of Steve Jobs – Most of the channels were glued to the Ramlila maidan where Ravana was waiting to be slaughtered – in the presence of our honorable prime minister and his coterie.

This was an important time and space capsule for me – Ramdev and Ravana being demolished with such precision and choreographed accuracy.

6th Oct, 2010

A glittering function from all angles – graced by the top brass of this country, elite security personnel and the most decorated bureaucratic line-up – all decked up to soak in the gala, glamor and media glare. Accompanying this annual evil-bashing was the ritual of sycophancy that we have come to associate with all the political gatherings.

The beeline of rich and resourceful to  present silk shawls, mementos and expensive bouquets to the honchos of ruling party betrayed the very sentiment of the occasion – cementing the fact that the nexus between the political and play makers (rich, related and influential) is the very backbone of evil and corruption in this country.

Why does the political class considers it its birthright to spend the taxpayers’ money on lavish events, humongous garlands and Z-category security?

Why are all the political podiums occupied by the symbols of corruption and the propagators of graft?

Why are we satisfied by defeating evil just on one special day of the year?

24th June, 2010

Flashback to a hot summer day in the last week of June – A special day when the concept of peaceful protest was reinvented once again for a very special cause – a cause that did not go down very well with the ruling class. The design and intent of this event was similar to the much revered Dussehra day – uprooting the major lifeline of corruption in India. But, the protest got the treatment fit for a band of traitors – well orchestrated and executed to perfection.

What business had these protestors joining the chorus with a half-clad yogi?

What drove these Indian citizens to leave their families and jobs to sit for days without food and water?

Did this group posed a threat to the residents of Delhi or to the stability of the region?

Was this event organized in collusion with an extremist group or in cahoots with an unfriendly neighbor?

These questions comes naturally to a logical Indian as one sees the posse of  self-proclaimed leaders of our country arriving with their cohorts – with the evil-bashing ceremony providing a perfect backdrop for a vote-garnering photo-op.

Well, we understand with all our tolerance and logic that democracy is not a linear government process and requires different sticks and carrots in different seasons – but, what belies rationality is the wielding of mortal government machinery on innocent citizen protesters of India.

Democracy is Supreme – Government is not!

Parliament is Supreme – Parliamentarians are not!

Honest news is supreme – News makers are not!

Rules of conversation…

Translation is always considered the panacea for all the multilingual marketing pains and many global marketing big hats have fallen prey to this misconception. Every industry has its own language of the trade and a grasp of the local flavor is vital to enhance the acceptability of the online business in either Beijing or in Tokyo – and the same business will be governed by a different set of localization rules. Targeting the sentiments and values of a foreign traveler is followed by an increased number of bookings. A right localization technique has enabled remote lodges in Smokey Mountain, USA to attract visitors from UK and China – The website could speak the right language in the right place.

With new regions being added under the internet umbrella with every passing moment, the percentage non-English web pages have gone up to almost 90% – Is it not a sign of a new multilingual era, where marketing and business success is hinged on the number of foreign brand ambassadors that your company has. It is a known fact that even the users proficient in English are loyal to websites offering services in their native language – alignment of our thoughts is always in the mother tongue.

The marketing pitch…

Even the graphics have a different connotation for Europeans, Americans and Asians and this fact dictates a different marketing copy to be crafted for different localization needs. So, if you are marketing your site through…

• Multilingual Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Search Engine marketing (SEM) or Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
• Affiliate marketing
• Content marketing
• Video / Picture marketing
• Social Media marketing

….the multilingual aspect brings the psychological and cultural factor into the whole marketing scheme.  No wonder that even the best translators and copywriters fail to achieve conversions for a multilingual site.

Bob Cline, National Geographic Society’s director of general services was aware of the environmental and health impacts of the conventional cleaning practices within the facility. “Basically, it was a matter of goal congruency,” Cline says. “Conservation is part of the National Geographic Society mission, and we felt that it would be good if our facilities matched our vision.”

As part of this drive, the following statistics were disclosed by the environmental consultant, Stephen Ashkin …
● Institutional cleaning uses some 6 billion pounds of formulated chemicals a year
● Commercial buildings also use 4.5 billion pounds of hand towels and toilet tissue, much
of it chlorine-bleached and from virgin pulp
● 35 billion plastic trash bags were used and disposed every year.

The green cleaning revolution has taken off in a big way and as a response, industrial production of green cleaning products has been adopted by some of the biggest players in the business – 3M, Johnson Wax. In a complementary move to this customer need and market demand, the four largest U.S. janitorial companies – ABM, Aramark, OneSource, and Unicco have endorsed and joined USGBC ( U.S. Green Building Council ) in the last few years. Its worth mentioning here that the drive to go green has influenced the corporate strategy of some of the largest corporations in the world – Hewlett Packard, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Intel and IBM, Nike, Starbucks, Cisco…

Un-Green Statistics…

Any scientific and technological revolution is shaped around figures and statistics and green revolution is no exception. Here are some facts and figures which can change the way you perceive and preserve your environment..

● Out of the 17000 petrochemical available for home use, only 30% have been tested for human health and environment friendliness
● An average American home contains 63 synthetic chemical products – that is equal to 10 gallons of harmful chemicals
● The combined institutional cleaning usage is 5 billion pounds each year
● In a year, a janitor uses around 90 litres of of chemical – out of which 25% are hazardous
● According to a study published in New Scientist in 1999, in homes where aerosol sprays and air fresheners were used frequently, mothers experienced 25 percent more headaches and were 19 percent more likely to suffer from depression, and infants under
six months of age had 30 percent more ear infections and 22 percent higher incidence of diarrhea.

The Digital retail sector is governed by rules which are totally alien to the traditional (offline) retail industry. In a traditional retail transaction, seller always occupies the upper hand with respect to the buyer. But, in the digital economy, the scales have turned – Consumers not only enjoy an equal footing in the transaction but they also influence the pre-sales and Post-sales processes. Consumers not only determine the advertising and marketing strategy but they also influence the product features.

One cannot overlook the DNA of a typical Digital transaction while we are looking into the Digital marketplace ….

• Your retail business is Location agnostic as long as you have competitive products and a good market reputation

• Customers are never left in the lurch unlike a traditional retail set up – They have access to a 24 * 7 customer service

• The end-to-end transaction details are transparent to both the consumer and the seller

Just In Time (JIT) inventory shot into limelight after Walmart embraced it. Walmart had to adopt it following a series of losses because of the exorbitant delays in transportation and and due to a complete disconnect between the Consumer demands and Walmart Supply Chain system. In a digital retail system, inventory is managed in a ondemand basis. This ensures a minimal loss to seller as well as a fresh product to the Buyer.

Thus, JIT being the standard inventory management system for the Digital economy – It ensures an optimum use of time, maintenance & transportation costs and resources – Just what is needed in this economy.

The question is whether retail giants like Big Bazaar, Trumart, and pantaloons can extract any lessons from it. Lets take a look at some of the market movements in some of the big players…

• Big bazaar brought shutters down on two of its outlets in Ahemedabad

• Shubhiksha (Mobile store & fresh food store) has shut down its shutters

• Truemart no longer exists on the Retail map of India..

1. Some common questions that could be raised are
   

• Was there a sound all-weather strategy behind these ventures?

• Could they have embraced a nontraditional or hybrid model to get over this economic slump?

“Consumers are asking more questions about how and where apparel is made and about the impact of the food that they eat, and like any smart business, companies are gearing up to address those concerns,” said Matt Hirschland, a spokesman for San Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, an industry trade group that consults with businesses on social and ethical issues. Consumers are no longer the silent recipient of product or service at one end of the market channel, but in sharp contrast to the earlier decade, they are participating with more vigor in the Eco-conservation process.

“Today, the focus on sustainable operations is stronger than ever, but tomorrow it will be standard business practice,” says Michael Robertson, president for Virginia-based Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA). “For many customers, sustainability audits will become a key component in the bidding process,” says Robertson. “In the not-too-distant future, we’ll see imagers winning bids because of sustainability audit results — not because of lower prices or better quality.”

Firms with the ‘clean’ tag have been proving magnetic for the investors also, with a remarkable surge for this eco-smart species in the venture capital market. Investors poured $26.2 billion into U.S. companies in 2006 according to VentureOne — interest in clean tech in growing, according to Cleantech Venture Network. “Beyond the touchy-feely benefits and PR value, there is now a real business case for going green,” says David Weigel, vice president of marketing for Ecos Consulting.
“While going green helps distinguish a business and set it apart in the community as a responsible organization, it is actually becoming more evident that early adopters and companies with real sustainability in mind are now edging out the competition.”
Consumers are increasingly realizing their role as partners in the manufacturing process, and are sending very unambiguous signals regarding their preference for green products and services. In fact, studies have shown that about 10 percent of consumers today are willing to pay a little more for a “green” product while 25 percent of them couldn’t care less. The rest 65% of the market – the
undecided lot – have every reason to ‘go green’, once they understand the holistic impact of these eco-smart practices on their lives and their potential to shape the future of their next generation.
“(The clean tech) field may very well be one of the largest economic opportunities that Silicon Valley has seen since the advent of the semiconductor,” says Conrad Burke, chief executive for Santa Clara-based Innovalight Inc. Market surveys and Wall street statistics are proving that the green business revolution is taking wings, with the marketplace topping more than $228 billion in the United States and with such companies as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. getting into organic food and GE plowing into renewable energy. Levi’s is introducing organic cotton jeans. Vanity Fair recently published a green issue. “I think the business has taken off like a rocket,” said Kevin Danaher, co-founder of Global Exchange, a San Francisco organization that promotes social, economic and environmental justice around the world. “I think it’s left the launching pad.”

If somebody told you that the major ingredients in your sweet corn soup and your cell phone is almost same – the astonishment on your face is fully justified. But, then mother nature has so much to offer to us unconditionally, while we keep on inflicting as many punches on her as we could. Who could envisage that Corn can be the DNA for all types of plastics used in the electronic industry. Samsung Reclaim is a very decisive step towards creating an eco-responsible electronic industry.

The corn factor…

What makes Corn such a great candidate for the most delicious of soups as well as the best resource for biodegradable products. The answer lies in the organic composition of corn. OK, without getting into the labyrinths of organic chemistry, lets zero down on PLA , Polylactic acid – backbone of Samsung Reclaim. The fermentation of corn biomass releases the bidegradable PLA, which not even generates dioxin or any other toxic gases when burnt.

Samsung Reclaim can boast of PVC, Phthalates & BFR free manufacturing process. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), Phthalates, and BFR (Brominated Flame retardants) are the 3 major culrprits identified in the green electronic guidelines. Three cheers for Samsung Reclaim!

What about the external packaging and the phone tray? Its reassuring to know that the tray and outer packaging have not been neglected at all and are crafted from 70 percent recycled material. Completing the organic footprint on Samsung Reclaim is the Soy-based ink, which is used to print the images and text on the box as well as the phone warranty information. The trees of our planet have been spared too as the thick user manuals have been replaced with a virtual manual on the Sprint site. Lets not forget the charger, which consumes 12 times less power than the Energy Star standard.

They have taken the aquatic architecture to a new height, with the design of a floating home that is self-sustaining in terms of its energy needs – so no gas pipes and plumbing problems for you. You can rent this marine nest, which is anchored off the NW coast of the Greek Zante Island. This cantilever home is accessible only by a boat making it even more exotic for a human abode. So, if you had dreamt of a Greek vacation, Zante Island might be a truly inspiring experience.

Water-House architecture

Anchored to the sea bed, this cantilever architecture is all white and pristine. The home itself, because of its soft and subtle demeanor, blends easily into the marine ambience. At first glance, it’s hard to fathom that the floating structure is sculpted from concrete and steel. However, behind this soft exterior is the reassuring support of the concrete counterweight foot stabilizer with the sea bed pile system.

The floating mechanism of this sea house is enabled by rails installed in the core structure and can rise and fall with the tides – making it rock solid even at the top of the tide. And to top it all, just like a luxury yacht, a stairway rises from the deck to the main floor of the house – that is your own private yacht without a deck hand. While the wall angles and house orientation maximize the utilization of solar energy, they also minimize the dissipation of in-house energy. Every external and internal architectural proportion has been designed for the most efficient eco-friendly existence.

The Energy Engine

As a home owner, we have several things on our mind – from air ventilation to exhaust systems, from Water purification to the drainage system, and not to forget the heating and cooling system. Well, this eco-marvel won’t make you give a frantic call to your plumber, gas-supply Company or even to the airconditioning specialist. Your floating energy powerhouse takes care of almost all of your residential energy needs.

Eco-friendly residential factors like water desalination (don’t forget that you are anchored over sea), energy accumulation and conservation, heat consumption and the solar panels – all of these are ecologically embedded in your house – and they run like a well oiled machine without a trace of ozonelayer harming carbon. Even the vertical lines on the external rails are, in reality, a computer controlled shading system. You might be itching to ask me – What else? To make it a perfect eco-existence, the design included water desalination, natural ventilation, tidal energy systems, and water recycling system – all in perfect harmony with Mother Nature.

Water Condominiums

Now that a prototype is in place – firmly anchored to the sea bed, is there an opportunity for the mankind to live life off the land, and at the same time be in harmony with marine habitat? Or, there will be another century of marine life exploitation and ruthless plundering of our aquatic resources. Only time is going to reveal – but, for the time being, Bon Voyage and happy vacationing on
Zante Island.