Much is said about the responsibility of organizations for the funding they receive, and rightly so. But much less is heard about the responsibility of the funding agencies. Both sides believe they are acting in solidarity with the poorest, but sometimes they actually work at cross-purposes. Here is our take on how funding agencies could improve the relationship with no cost to themselves.

Planning at Mekong Plus takes place in the villages, between the beneficiaries and the field teams, not with the funders. New programs are tested for at least one year using our own funds (like private donations, or earnings from our fair trade) before we apply for larger grants. It is our policy that each program must be funded by different funders to protect against the risk of a sudden change in a funder’s policy. We believe this is essential to guarantee the quality and survival of long term programs. Yet it is a policy rarely followed by other NGOs.

Mekong Plus has grown in size and now must look for financial support from larger funders. The price to be paid is a greater number of funding applications and many reports, about one every week. Because each funder tends to use their own format for applying, each application we send out represents several days, if not weeks, of work by our staff. We try to be efficient and not to waste time so as to be able to spend as much time as possible in the villages.

We believe that we fulfill our responsibilities to funders by carefully testing programs before applying for outside funding and by faithfully meeting the documentation requirements of the funding agency. However, we find that funding agencies often neglect to do two simple things that would benefit both sides of the funding equation.

First, we find it frustrating when a potential funder does not even acknowledge receipt of our application for funds. It leaves us uncertain about whether the application has even been received. We try again, once or twice, to be sure. A simple acknowledgement of receipt would save time on both sides.

Second, we find it frustrating when we cannot get feedback from a funder. We especially appreciate funders who spend the time to let us know why our application was turned down. Sometimes, it was a simple matter of timing. If we know this, we know we just have to be patient and try again. However, sometimes the reasons are more complex. Knowing what led to a rejected application helps us write more effective proposals in the future. And, sometimes the exchange of information actually exposes a misunderstanding about our work that, once corrected, changes the initial decision.

Mekong Plus is committed to absolute transparency in its dealings with funders and other NGOs. We are always willing exchange information and to receive feedback about our work. We especially value criticism because remaining open to the different perspectives of others is one of the ways we keep our organization strong and vital.