Modes of engagement with an NGO

The most common question I get asked by people after they hear about my social work is how they can also get involved and work with NGOs. Many people today with full-time careers are looking to invest time and money in NGOs but don't know the right way to contribute. But there is more to it than just money and time. It is about mindshare, bandwidth, or expertise that can make an impactful difference to the NGO you intend to work with.?

Before you begin, it is important to identify your strengths and if those can be of any benefit to the NGO. It could be the financial quotient, service quotient, or empathy quotient. Each of them has a different scale of impact on the NGO.

Financial Quotient: If you are pressed for time, you can consider donating financially to the NGO by sponsoring a program, child, or initiative. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring one. Your donation gives financial stability to the NGO and the programs they are running. Visibility of funds and stability of financial structure goes a long way for an NGO to work effectively. The tax deduction certificate from the registered NGO for the amount donated will also help in your financial planning with your CA. If are donating from an international bank account, ensure the NGO has an FCRA certificate as Indian NGOs are not eligible to accept donations from outside India unless they have an FCRA certificate.

Service Quotient: If you believe in the vision of the projects the NGO is working on, you can consider offering your expertise and time to be a part of the planning and execution team. It's not just about giving your bandwidth to be a part of an initiative, but also could be spending time from home to help the NGO in strategy, project management, operations management, technology development, etc. The donation of time and expertise has a higher value than the money one can donate. Here are some activities you can be a part of based on your expertise or bandwidth:

• Working in communities, community leader training, volunteer enrichment programs
• Teaching, Mentoring, and Coaching
• Networking: Student community representation, marketing campaigns, fundraising campaigns, connect, social media engagement
• Preparing skits with social messages (directing, acting, or both)
• Writing content, blogging, white papers, annual reports, proposals for fundraising, program documentation
• Technology: Testing, digital marketing, web page design, payment gateway integration, app development
• Photography, audio(+podcast) and videography(+vblogs) content
• Data management, program/project management?
• Solution: Design and implementation (IoT, Networking, Communication, etc)
• Help in research and give relevant information and insights
• Administrative activities

Empathy Quotient: Most people might already be engaged with other social causes and have no additional money or time/bandwidth to work with an NGO but there are other ways you can still be of help. If you feel like you believe in a cause, you can consider being the voice of that NGO and becoming an influencer. All NGOs are highly dependent on donors and volunteers to keep them running. Your support in advertising what impact they have created in society, echoing their projects, and recommending it to like-minded people, will help NGOs get the right visibility in the community. This will help increase the donation and volunteer base. Representing the NGO in the corporate community, forums and award platforms give the right boost to the NGO to accelerate its execution plans and expand to newer areas quickly.?

Irrespective of your mode of engagement, your contribution will surely help others. This will give you a chance to work with like-minded passionate people, develop new skills, and an opportunity to work with diverse teams. You will have created a repertoire of unique experiences for yourself and most importantly, the work you do will make a difference in someone's life.?

So, revisit your priorities and decide if you want to donate money, time, or expertise. Whatever you choose, any of this or all of this will make a positive impact on the underprivileged around you.

Life is a gift and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. Remember, giving is not just about making a donation it's about making a difference!