A Dream in the Desert: Fundraising From Gulf Donors

Have you heard about the record-breaking grants and significant support coming from donors in the Persian Gulf? Their announcements have been making the headlines and the amounts of money involved have caught the attention of many NGO practitioners and social enterprises.

But, like so many colleagues all over the world, you are likely wondering who they really are, how they work, what the risks involved in working with them are, and most importantly—would your organization likely ever be able to get a grant from them. They do not operate in the same ways as many of the traditional, public sector donors, and finding information about them is often difficult.

While the potential rewards are high, the time and effort involved in getting their attention and making a successful application to them are significant. Many NGOs and social enterprises have simply given up trying. In this course, we will be sharing some of the knowledge we have gained while helping clients access funding from these donors and provide you with some effective strategies for making your organization an attractive grant applicant.

The Gulf donors are not appropriate for all NGOs, but for those who are able to position themselves well, a grant from them can be an organization-transforming event. Even if your organization will not pursue funding from Gulf donors, the new skills and perspectives contained in this course will be valuable to improve your fundraising.

What will you learn from this course?

• Who the Gulf Donors are and what their priorities are
• How you can approach them
• How you can network with them
• How you can establish a fruitful relationship with them
• How you can ultimately decide if the Gulf Donors would be a good fit for your organization

Who should take the course?

• NGO managers and executive directors
• Fundraising and development professionals for local and international NGOs
• Non-profit consultants and consulting firms
• Fundraisers for local NGOs and small organizations
• Fundraisers for a cause close to their heart
• Students

Join us to learn everything you ever wanted to know about Gulf donors from an expert who has worked with them frequently in the past!

Philantropia is an Approved Provider for Continuing Education in Fundraising. Full participation in “A Dream in the Desert – Fundraising from the Gulf Donors” is applicable for 3.0 points in Category 1. B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification. CFRE is an independent certification for fundraising professionals that aims to set standards in philanthropy through a valid and reliable certification process for fundraising professionals.

Participation in this program may assist you in learning or reviewing concepts covered on the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) examination as detailed on the Test Content Outline provided by CFRE International. CFRE International does not sponsor or endorse any educational programs and the (educational program title) was not developed in conjunction with CFRE International.

Your Trainer

Christopher Varady

Hello, my name is Christopher. I am a development professional with 17 years of field experience. I have been exclusively focused on fundraising for the past 13 years, having raised more than $140 million for local and international clients in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia. I specialize in fundraising from institutional and non-traditional donors.