Writing Proposals for the (Busy) Corporate Sector Sanda Ojiambo, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Safaricom Limited & Head of the Safaricom Foundation,

Who are we? Safaricom Limited is the leading telecommunications company in East Africa 4 i out of 10 Kenyans is a Safaricom Customer Safaricom Foundation is the Corporate Social Investment arm of Safaricom Limited Both entities are well respected within Kenya with wide reach among communities

Corporate Giving – what are you looking for? Corporate Giving often referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility , Corporate Philanthropy, Citizenship Cash donations Event sponsorships In kind donations Technical support Employee Engagement Corporate Social Investment

Why target the corporate sector. Who are we Why target the corporate sector? Who are we? What space are we playing in? Safaricom Limited and Safaricom Foundation Recognized as Lifetime Contributor to the MDGs by the United Nations MDG Trust. Nairobi, September 2010

So…What are the Possibilities? Funding In kind donations Partnerships Fundraising events Employee Engagement Doing the Right Thing and Doing Things Right

Safaricom Foundation’s Funding Criteria Proposals must Be from a registered CBO, NGO or community group Demonstrate community ownership, community benefits and community participation BRIEFLY explain the situation and need Detail SPECIFIC interventions and measurable outcomes Demonstrate sustainability (leveraged funds are desired if possible – through other funders, Constituency Development Fund, in kind, community contributions, matched funding)

What do Corporates/Corporate Foundations do? Fund in relation to their product or by products Environment- mining, paper, cement Water – Coca Cola ICT – Microsoft Fund a broad mandate Anything goes…. Safaricom Foundation Education Economic Empowerment Environmental Conservation Health Disabilities Arts, Culture, Music Sports Disaster Relief

Safaricom Foundation Project Proposal Format GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Provide a brief overview and summary of the project. It should provide a credible statement that describes your organisation and establish the significance of the project   PROBLEM STATEMENT: State the challenges identified, the rationale/need to address these challenges and the conditions to be changed by the project   PROJECT OBJECTIVES: The objectives should describe the intended outcome of the project and should be SMART Indicate how the objectives will contribute to the achievement of the project, what difference the project will make and the time frame during which this will happen.  

Safaricom Foundation Project Proposal Format PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN: Describe the project activities indicating how the objectives will be accomplished, what will be done, who will do it, who are the implementers, partners and beneficiaries and when  it will be done.  Describe how the project will be sustainable after the funding period.    PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION: Describe how you are going to monitor and evaluate the project so as to assess progress during implementation and improve the project efficiency as the project moves along.  DOCUMENTATION AND SHARING RESULTS : Describe how you are going to document the progress of your project during and after implementation.  State how you will document and share your results and let others know of your purpose, methods and achievements.  PROJECT BUDGET: Indicate the total cost of the project and also provide a detailed budget for these costs.    ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Provide any additional information in support of this proposal application 

Safaricom Foundation Proposals received vs. funded April 2009- March 2010 1281 proposals received 1 6 5 proposals 13% funded

Think of speed dating ……..

Common Reasons for Declines Not specific enough – need to state what you are looking for Focus areas not aligned Not able to respond to queries succinctly Too much jargon and buzzwords No detailed budget/Unrealistic budgets No explanation as to how project will be implemented Focused on their understanding of what they believe the corporate wants – branding/visibility – not always the case Too flexible Political/partisan causes

Lets be careful… No information provided Mass/multiple mailings Addressed to wrong company/organisation No detailed budget No contact information Reporting and updates still required Joint visits - monitoring

Employee Engagement Staff CSR Leave Days Employee Project Funding Scheme Employee Participation in Projects

Safaricom Foundation World of Difference 12 staff seconded for three months each to work full time with the Foundation’s project partners, employing their technical and professional skills

Towards Sustainable Partnerships It is more than seeking funding for projects Partnership scopes are extremely wide Ongoing stakeholder /partnership engagement is important Challenge your funders/partners to do things right, not to just do the right thing

Doing Things Right - in the Long Term - who is your partner? Social Good Products Assessing their impact on the environment Compliance Responsible Citizenship

Contact Us Email: thefoundation@safaricom.co.ke Website: www.safaricomfoundation.org

Working with you to develop our country and our communities