Description
The overall objective of the project is to empower organizations listed or which have been listed on the Portuguese Social Stock Exchange (BVS), a financing scheme for NGOs brought to Portugal by the promoter, through the formation of 200+ leaders on issues such as communication and financial sustainability. Target organizations have low skills regarding these issues, and face difficulties in attracting social investors for their projects. The project hopes to increase the effectiveness of communication plans for organizations and to help create strategies for financial sustainability. Within the scope of this project, communication and financial sustainability plans will be created or revised and a pool of resources will be shared among the participating organizations, including a best practices guide. It is expected a large increase in the value of the investments in the BVS, greater visibility of the participating organizations and the improvement of their long term sustainability.
Summary of project results
The Civil Society Organisations in Portugal have a number of weaknesses as it was indicated in the Diagnosis of the NGO Sector produced by the Catholic University of Portugal (study ordered by the PT-NGO Fund). Among those weaknesses communication skills and techniques and financial sustainability deserve especial attention to ensure visibility and attract funding and volunteers. The project aimed at empowering organizations listed in the Portuguese Social Stock Exchange in matters of communication and financial sustainability and in supporting planning activities in these areas, as well as the promotion of social investment and innovative financing mechanisms. The project involved 17 organizations and a total of 195 trainees. After the selection of the organizations to participate in the project, a diagnostic was carried out for each of these, and training was provided on skills relevant for communication and financial sustainability. Support was provided for the creation / focusing of the organisations’ plans on communication and financial sustainability, and mentoring was provided afterwards, to ensure the effectiveness of these actions. Also, a number of resources created within the project, namely a good practices manual, is already helping create a positive impact in these organizations’ activities. A Good Practice Manual and a Resources Pool were made available as well. The initial targets have been met nearly in full - two selected NGOs have abandoned the capacity-building process before the end and were not replaced.
Summary of bilateral results