Recommendations for creating organizational development programs for local NGOs

When we wrote the first open letter “If not now, then when?” in August 2022, it was the first year of the full-scale invasion. The last point in the letter was “Stop teaching us,” because, frankly, we didn’t have time to learn. Over time, we softened this appeal to “Start learning from us,” calling for the recognition of local expertise and mutual learning. Now, there is a demand for development from local organizations, and donors are also allocating funds for organizational development programs. However, there is a problem: these funds are often given to international organizations, which then begin to teach local organizations according to their own vision.

Organizations focused purely on humanitarian projects are starting to run capacity-building training. These programs are supposed to strengthen local organizations to the point where they can directly receive funding from donors.

However, I have two questions:

1. What level is this, and what indicators should organizations aim for?
2. Do these programs actually aim to develop organizations to this level?

Therefore, there must be synchronization between international organizations, which are currently implementing organizational development programs, and donor requirements—what should a local organization learn to directly receive funding from a donor. It is also crucial to ask local/national organizations for their opinions on their organizational development needs.

The National Network for Local Philanthropy Development does not provide capacity-building services to a broad range of CSOs, only to the participants of our network. However, since we interact a lot with CSOs from different parts of the country and at various levels of development, we have a few recommendations for those who want to implement organizational development programs.

• Who Should We Teach?

It is important to understand that civil society in Ukraine is very diverse. Not everyone needs organizational development or to become professional civic actors. There are various forms of participation based on volunteering or in free time, without professional obligations. Many civic initiatives are aimed at solving local problems and do not require a complex organizational structure.

People may also have limited time, resources, or other responsibilities that prevent them from engaging in this professionally.

There are organizations that want to grow professionally as CSOs, ready to invest their efforts and resources in the sustainability of the organization and its projects. These should be supported and developed.

Some organizations were created by professionals in a specific field—e.g., a group of psychologists. They can help people very effectively, but they don’t have the time or resources to manage the bureaucratic processes of an NGO. These groups should be given space to grow as professionals and supported in doing what they do best—helping people.

There are also many organizations that began their work long before the full-scale invasion and attended many training sessions on how to implement projects, attract funding, etc. They know a lot, but they were not involved in the humanitarian system and lack the necessary policies and procedures often required by international organizations.

It is important to distinguish between teams that want to implement an idea and those that are truly ready to strategically develop. Those who come with a solution/project rather than a problem they want to solve are unlikely to choose the path of strategic development.

• How to Teach?

Online training sessions take place every day, covering a variety of topics for numerous organizations. Often, the value of these trainings is lost, as they tend to be superficial and lack in-depth practical application. The training format has lost its credibility and value.

Another approach is when international NGOs try to pass on all their policies and processes, creating a “local branch” of their organization, thereby undermining the identity of local organizations. This occurs when organizations dictate how things should be done without allowing space to find their own optimal path and process. When training is directive rather than mentoring and supportive.

So, what could work? Mentorship, guidance, advising, and support. Training should be supportive, helping local organizations understand what they can optimize, what risks to watch out for, and how to overcome them. There should be long-term interaction and support based on the current work and plans of the local organization. Jointly created organizational development plans can help.

• Fundraising: The Biggest Request, and the Second Need—Policies

I often hear from local organizations that they don’t know where to get funding. From international organizations, I hear that local organizations are so small that they don’t have a fundraiser on staff. This raises the question: who is on staff then, and how is the structure organized? Why doesn’t the team designate a person specifically responsible for fundraising? Do they understand the importance of having a dedicated fundraising position?

Therefore, before teaching organizations fundraising, we need to help them understand how to structure their teams, how to work and manage people, how to distribute roles, and how to motivate and support the team. This training should be aimed at every organization leader.

At the same time, there should be an understanding of where and how this structure can move—the organization should have a clear strategy and operational plan. Often, organizations develop “high-level” strategies—dreams of a better society, values, analyses, and so on. A strategy should be created that is realistic for the organization and its team, helping to achieve individual team goals and ambitions.

In addition to a dedicated fundraising person, there is another critical factor: fundraising is impossible without consistent communication. This is often overlooked, as many think PR is only for showcasing “how good we are,” and good deeds should be done quietly. However, communication is a crucial step in accountability to donors and the public, building new connections, and motivating others to get involved and create change. It’s important to teach and help local organizations establish a working bilingual website and social media presence, create their own design, and be able to present their organization effectively, with a person who can publicly speak on behalf of the organization, presenting activities and best practices. Investment in creating content—stories of beneficiaries, materials from projects, and about the team—should be a priority. Quality project reports and organizational work summaries should be produced. Open communications make the organization visible and transparent, and they help build trust.

Once this is in place, we can teach and help create a fundraising strategy. Training must be tailored to the level of the group and not be superficial. Fundraising is about many mechanisms, tools, and different actors. It’s important to emphasize the diversification of mechanisms and sources.

The creation of policies and procedures is a critical process when a local team has already tried to implement some processes and understands what works and how. The problem with policies and procedures also lies in the different approaches. In Ukraine, organizational policies must comply with Ukrainian legislation, so not everything that works internationally can simply be transferred to local organizations.

• What Experts Are Missing in Ukraine?

The system of organizational development providers has evolved over the years through various organizations. One of the largest is the Civil Society Home platform, created by ISAR Unity. There are also other established projects and organizations—Zrozumilo, Curly Management, Social Change Platform, Dija.Osvita, and many others.

There are many experts working in the fields of fundraising, project management, organizational governance, communications, etc.

From our personal experience, we have not found experts in two areas in Ukraine: LinkedIn for nonprofit organizations and risk management.

Study the local expertise that exists and involve local experts in the creation of programs.

So, if you decide to create organizational development programs, please follow the important rule: “Do no harm.”Homogeneous training that doesn’t take into account the context, history, and background of the organization often results in homogeneous organizations that cannot bring innovation, test new methods, or close the gaps that the state cannot address due to bureaucratic heaviness.

Local CSOs should not become bureaucratic machines, but they must be capable and sustainable in their operations. Listen to the beneficiaries and support them, rather than forcing them to follow your structure.

If our expertise is of interest to you, we are ready to allocate time and people to provide consultation services for your project under a separate contract.

Author: Darya Rybalchenko