In good and bad economic times, VCOs find it difficult to fund their technology needs. The issue always raises interest: workshops on the topic are packed, articles related to fundraising get read first, and Web sites with resources about fundraising for technology are heavily visited.
Before the session, let me clarify that when I talk about fundraising for technology I'm referring to more then just equipment!
Funding technology encompasses assessing technology needs, creating a technology plan, and providing training and technical support so that the technology is used appropriately and strategically over time. Buying the actual computer components are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to financing business system improvements.
Though there are many challenges and obstacles to raising money for technology, the good news is that there are some simple things you can do to improve your chances of being successful.
For starters, we could all improve the way we set priorities in our organizations. That means spending some more time integrating technology needs into budgeting and planning processes.
For many of our organisations, the issue is not necessarily that we need to raise bucket loads of money, but instead that we have to use the funding we do allocate for technology more effectively.
Once we've done the hard work of planning and prioritizing, then we can get to the issues of how to position ourselves better, find funders, and write better grant proposals.
In this session we will answer some common questions, share strategies for effective grant writing, and offer concrete next steps and resources for you to use. I look forward to seeing you there.
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