Donors are bureaucrats and bureaucrats are risk averse, they are unlikely to risk their own reputations on an unknown. Those that get funded are usually those who are already known to the donor. Therefore the process of making a proposal for funding starts long before you want, need or request any funding from a donor. Funding is won by building on already established relationships. Be aware that once you’re name is known, recognized and well-regarded, then you are in position of putting in a proposal for funding, not before. Therefore the first job of the researcher is to get themselves known.

One way to start a relationship with a donor is by doing something for nothing to make your name known. Doing consultancy work, which can sometimes lead off the back of doing something for nothing can help build a relationship. Being seen and making a personal impact and impression is important. Go to conferences and workshops, get to know the other participants, both donors, researchers and others. Through networking, you will become known, recognized and even recommended.

Build alliances with researchers and organizations known to the donor community to get your name known, similarly contribute ideas to well regarded and known existing networks and organizations.

In order to gain confidence with Northern donors, researchers and institutions need to invest time and effort into networking and building relationships with both donors and research institutions in the North. Fostering relationships may be a time consuming process, but is essential to build relationships and trust before seeking and requesting funding partnerships.

Large project partnerships such as DFID’s DRCs are often tied at the start of the project when partner organizations are first chosen. Keep checking the websites of Northern donors such as DFID to find out who their partner institutions are in the North. Know who to network with and find out about large partnership projects that may be being planned. Depending on projects being planned, Northern Institutions may be looking to link with Southern Institutions at particular times.

It is important to network with donor representatives even if they are not funding, have never funded or have finished funding you or your institution. Keep up an ongoing relationship with donors and others, irrespective of your funding status. Remember that donors talk to each other and network with each other and other institutions about actual and potential donor recipients, which is you. Funders are therefore indirectly networking on your behalf , which is why it is important that they know about you, talk about you, and recommend you to other donors whether you receive money from them or not.

Ways to ensure you keep an healthy ongoing relationship and to ensure donors know about you include:

Relationships take time to build, and sometimes matching a relationship with an available funding opportunity can take a long, long time! Our institutional insights show examples of relationships being maintained for ten years and more before any funding was directly forthcoming. More »

Learn as you go, especially when starting out. Don’t be afraid to talk to people, as this is the only way you will become known.

Do not be intimidated by the idea of introducing yourself. Remember, people working for donor agencies are under pressure to know about the region they are in, the area they are working and the relevant people working in the relevant organizations that can assist them in their work. You are doing them a favor by getting in touch and providing them with the information they require. If they appear stressed and under pressure, perhaps that’s because they’re not in touch with the right people. Remember, you are the right person for them to be in touch with, which is why you are contacting them in the first place. Don’t get put off if a donor appears arrogant, this is likely to be a sign that they are under pressure.

Some donor country offices will have authority over the disbursement of funds, such as DFID’s Strategic Impact Fund, however some do not. Networking with country representatives can result in winning funding as well as being a useful way of networking other organizations that the donor liaises with both in the North and South.