Action Aid ends fundraising capacity building training for partners

Speaking at the training, the fundraising manager, Mr. Kalifa Bojang of Action Aid said that the purpose of the training was to build the capacity of Action Aid and partners in fundraising.

He said the main objective of the training was to build the capacity of partners in fundraising, establishing, understanding and agreeing on the roles of various parts of the organisation and partners in fundraising and also to share ideas on enhancing funding drive and to produce a draft concept notes for themes.

According to him, the training looked at project management, resource mobilisation strategy, budgeting and developing concept paper.

Mr. Wuri Jallow, partnership capacity building manager of AATG, who gave a presentation on resourcing mobilization strategy, noted that Action Aid seeks funding partnerships as a mechanism that enables them to maximize resources and influence resource holders/controllers in ways that they think are in the best interest of the poor.

He also added that the strategy seeks to provide a secure long-term funding base, avoid donor-driven programming and offer opportunities for Action Aid and partners to pursue priorities as well as enable Action Aid to continue contributing to the country’s development agenda.

According to him, Action Aid’s funding policies will not accept funding that further indebts The Gambia and poor Gambians. He noted that Action Aid will continue to work with agencies and institutions of government, civil society and the private sector to influence the use of, and ensure pro-poor interests, in the implementation of programmes using foreign aid.

“Action Aid will not seek to ‘crowd out’ or compete with local organizations in the drive to raise funding locally,” he said.

He said that Action Aid will not accept funding that is not clearly in line with their Vision Mission Value Goal (VMVG) nor funding that will compromise that vision, mission, goals and values. Therefore, Action Aid will seek to use fundraising as an opportunity to influence donors and offer the value-addition of the VMVG as a basis, rather than be driven by donor interests.

Mr. Jallow further noted that Action Aid will seek, over the period, to engage with, influence, and control funding from innovative and flexible partnerships with the private sector.