Article Identification
The video under evaluation is drawn from the Benevon firm. The CEO, Terry Axelrod teaches nonprofit organizations how to obtain sustainable funds.
Benevon (2012). Creating Sustainable Funding for Your Nonprofit 55-Minute Recorded Seminar. Retrieved April 30, 2016 from http://www.benevon.com/fundraising-training- video.
Summary
Terry coaches and trains non-profit firms on the use of the Benevon Model. The paradigm is an initiative that is mission-based to enable the development of relations and engagement with donors. When molded to serve the customized interests of every NGO, the Benevon structure creates passionate investors who are dedicated to the long-term economic stability of the NGO. The donors also start taking part in different operations within the corporation. Benevon has shaped over 4500 NGOs in the past two decades from Canada, United States, and other nations in Europe. This article conceptualizes on one of the contributions of the Benevon firm in directing an organization to obtain sustainable resources and funds (Felício, Gonçalves & da Conceição Gonçalves, 2013).
Terry Axelrod, the founder of Benevon, provides a presentation concerning the usefulness of the Benevon model in encouraging donors to fund organizational activities. She starts by giving an example of an institution where the structure worked in their favor during difficult financial situations. The firm was a small school that did not have adequate resources and money to pay their workers and run their operations. The principle had to call upon a man who had offered to give the school funds in case of challenging economic times. The learning institution managed to increase is resources and began to pay workers appropriately. Terry adds that most firms thrive due to the presence of sponsors particularly the NGOs that are not created for revenue-generating purposes (Benevon, 2012).
Critique
NGOs are formulated to handle a particular function that will promote the well-being of a group of individuals. They take part in activities such as environmental conservation, humanitarian assistance, voluntary initiatives, fight for minorities’ rights, etc. Since they are institutions that follow the analogy of giving without receiving, they can sometimes run out of funds. Hence, the NGOs need a team of donors who can provide financial assistance from time to time. The video provides systematic techniques that firms can use to capture the minds of the sponsor to invest in their cause. The Benevon model requires being customized to fit in a particular business since every corporation has its diverse needs and processes (Vasic, Jelavic & Silic, 2012).
The Benevon structure is in the form of a circle, unlike most models that utilize pyramids. The circular representation maintains consistency in the funds given by sponsors. The first stage of the circle is to provide adequate information to the donors in a manner that they can understand. The disclosure requires the firm to group their activities and operations into smaller units that are easier to comprehend. Also, the business should give the sponsors a chance to mingle with the individuals that are targeted by the NGO. For example, if the nonprofit firm is a school, it can allow the donors to visit the institution and interact with the learners so that they feel involved and connected to the corporation (Benevon, 2012).
Application
The video is vital in indicating the essence of various officials within a firm and giving suitable ways to approach a project. The board members have the fundamental role of encouraging the sponsors. The donors must feel that the representatives are dedicated to the corporation’s purpose to develop confidence. The leader of the enterprise has to be visionary and inspire the donors to work towards deriving the benefits of the business. A visionary executive has to make members understand the firm’s purpose so that they can work towards attaining goals (Felício, Gonçalves & da Conceição Gonçalves, 2013).
It is also good to market the NGO by telling interested investors the success and future projections of the institution. Terry in the video classifies the move as bragging to ensure that people develop an interest to take part in the organization’s activities. After providing the information, it is critical for the firm to follow up on the donors to derive their experiences and feedback. The monitoring process picks out the long-term investors who will be beneficial to the corporation (Benevon, 2012).
References
Benevon (2012). Creating Sustainable Funding for Your Nonprofit 55-Minute Recorded Seminar. Retrieved April 30, 2016 from http://www.benevon.com/fundraising-training- video.
Felício, J. A., Gonçalves, H. M., & da Conceição Gonçalves, V. (2013). Social value and organizational performance in non-profit social organizations: Social entrepreneurship, leadership, and socioeconomic context effects. Journal of Business Research, 66(10), 2139-2146.
Chicago.
Vasic, D., Jelavic, I., & Silic, D. (2012). Fundraising strategies for higher education institutions financing with a special reference to United States models. In 31st annual International Conference on Organizational Science Development (p. 1343). Chicago.
