Reproductive Health Programme in Turkey
Reproductive Health Programme in Turkey
STRATEGIC FUND PLANNING: FUNDRAISING FOR SRHR NETWORK FOR
SUSTAINABILITY
Name of Expert:
Date of Mission:
Working Days:
Simon Collings and Jana Ledvinova
26 March to 3 April 2007
13 days (2 days prep + 9 running workshop + 2 days follow up)
Brief Description of the Purpose of the Mission:
The purpose of the Mission was to conduct a five day workshop with the CSO participants
focusing on strategic planning and developing a funding strategy for the SRHR Network.
Participants in the workshop were CSOs who received grants under the ECD funded RHP
programme and who had expressed commitment in the previous two workshops to the idea of
establishing a network to sustain the work initiated under the Programme. The Workshop
aimed to help the participants develop an understanding of the wide range of fundraising
options open to them, and to equip them to undertake some level of joint fundraising activity in
the future. The Workshop was also an opportunity to build on the team work and cooperative
spirit fostered in the first two workshops, and to secure agreement on the formal constitution of
the Network.
This was the last of three workshops which had the longer term objectives of creating a SRH
Network for Sustainability and improving the skills and capacities of the CSO Awardees to be
able to mobilise resources to sustain their work in the area of sexual and reproductive health in
Turkey.
Brief Description of the Main Activities and Results during the Mission:
A five day Workshop was conducted in Ankara from 26-30 March 2007. The meeting was
attended by 12-14 representatives from 16 CSOs and by members of the MoH CSO team,
namely the Result Leader Dr. Arzu Koseli, Dr. Seckin Atabas, Dr Serdar Esin and Ms. Mehlika
Ulular. The Technical Assistance Team (TAT) was represented by the CSO Adviser Ms.
Poonam Thapa. Dr. Figen Tunckanat, ECD Task Manager for Health, and Ms Ayca Haykir from
ECD also attended parts of the workshop.
At the previous workshop the CSOs decided to establish an Association since a ‘network’ has
no legal identity in Turkish law. During the first day of this Workshop the CSOs discussed a
draft constitution which had been prepared by one of the CSOs. This had been circulated by
email the week before. During the course of the discussion a series of amendments were
agreed and queries noted where there were areas of uncertainty. At the end of the day
elections were held for an interim Executive Committee and Audit Committee.
On the second day Ms Saadet Temiz from the Ministry of the Interior joined the meeting and
answered questions and clarified legal points relating to the draft constitution. In the second
half of the morning participants discussed approaches to planning and strategy development
and worked on a SWOT analysis of the Network thus far. During the afternoon the group
reviewed what had been agreed at previous meetings in terms of mission, objectives and
activities of the Network. The interim Executive Committee then worked as a group developing
an Action Plan for the work needed to establish the association, up to and including holding its
first general meeting within 6 months. The rest of the participants worked as a group on further
developing ideas for a Network website, some work having been done on this in the previous
workshop.
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Reproductive Health Programme in Turkey
The third day started with an introduction to basic principles of fundraising. Participants were
then given a team exercise which involved working out how to raise funds from the local
community for a colleague injured in an accident. The Consultants then shared a variety of
examples of the ways CSOs generate support from individuals and companies in different parts
of the world from. The final session of the day looked at examples of earned income and the
CSO participants developed ideas of products or services the Network could sell to make
money.
On the morning of the fourth day the CSOs repeated the exercise from the previous morning but
this time were asked to identify how they would raise Euro 100,000 in one year for the Network.
Many interesting and viable ideas were generated. The Consultants shared examples of
fundraising activities carried out by other organisations comparable to the ideas generated by
the group. After lunch the Workshop was attended by Dr M Rifat Kose General Director,
FP/MCH, who heard a report back from the interim Executive Committee on the action plan for
launching the Association. Use of meeting room in FP/MCH building was offered.
The final section of day four was devoted to planning a fundraising auction to take place during
a social dinner for participants and other invited guests in the evening. Prior to the Workshop
the CSOs had been asked to contribute items which could be auctioned or ‘experiences’, e.g. to
dance, sing or give a massage. The actual conduct of the auction was discussed and planned
in detail and was successfully run during the evening. Almost YTL2000 was raised for the
Network, three times what the CSOs had expected.
Day five started with debrief on the auction, and lessons were drawn out on how to improve the
idea and take it forward as one of the activities for fundraising. General principles about
sustaining organisations were presented and discussed. The workshop concluded with an
evaluation session.
One of the consultants, Simon Collings, stayed in Turkey for two further days of follow up. The
two days was divided into drafting this report, meeting twice with Ms Gulchihan Agaoglu, the
Chair of the interim Executive Committee, with MoH staff, with the lead EU evaluator of the CSO
component and debriefing with Patrick Krause, EPOS, Poonam Thapa, Options and a
representative of Willows Foundation.
Recommendations/Issues:
The strong bonds established between the CSOs in the first and second workshops were again
evident in this final Workshop. The participants were essentially the same people as participated
in the second workshop though some CSOs sent different representatives. As in the previous
workshops the MoH and ECD staff played a facilitative role, often strategic which was helpful
and constructive throughout the process. The inter-ministerial relationship made it possible for
the Network to have direct contact with a staff of MoI. We think such kinds of support from the
public sector are both exemplary and valuable to the future of the Network and its members.
Work on a constitution was progressed after the second workshop, a draft document discussed
and agreed amongst the participants. This now needs to go the Ministry of the Interior for
comment and then to the entire member CSOs for formal endorsement. An interim Executive
Committee was elected and the members appear highly committed to the project. Membership
fees were fixed at YTL1000 entry and YTL600 annual. A clear and detailed work plan has been
developed for the legal establishment of an Association and for the convening of its first General
Meeting and the election of permanent committees. After the General Meeting membership will
be opened up to other CSOs especially the Grant Awardees and other new members will
actively sought in a phased manner. The Chair of the Executive Committee has also begun to
explore possible international links based on information provided by TAT. Given that the CSOs
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Reproductive Health Programme in Turkey
barely new each other when they first came together at the end of January, 2007 this has to be
seen as a major achievement.
A mission statement, goals and objectives, and a list of potential network activities have been
created but a lot more work needs to be done to develop a clear programme strategy for the
Network. It was ambitious to expect that in such a short period of time the CSOs would be able
to formulate a detailed plan especially as the Network, its structure, roles and responsibilities
needed to be agreed first.
With the creation of the network Association and the establishment of a committee, clear
processes now exist for taking these discussions forward and should result in a draft strategic
plan being discussed at the General Meeting in three-six months time. At the follow up meeting
at MoH on 3rd April we agreed that the planning process should start from an analysis of the
impact achieved by the member CSOs under the RHP, and identification by them of ongoing
needs and getting specificity on what activities could really be done as a Network.
A template on profile and capacity will be circulated to the CSOs asking for basic information.
This should provide useful input into the Plan. In preparing this Plan we encourage the Network
to briefly invite key stakeholders in Turkey (individuals, corporate, CSO and public) when doing
the environmental analysis for the Plan. The Consultants are confident that sufficient
momentum now exists and that a Plan will be developed.
Given the need for further work on the Network’s activities, it has not been possible to complete
the full work on an ‘advocacy’ proposal for the network Association. Again it was ambitious to
expect to create such a document given the time frame. Once the Network members discuss
and agree the main activities they wish to undertake a ‘case for support’ document can be
completed.
Work by TAT on the donor directory has so far only identified seven possible funders interested
in SRH in Turkey from a search of 150 donors to CEEC. The 7 would be unlikely to provide
development funding for the Network unless there is a track record. Given the lack of specific
donors the Network might approach for core funding, it makes little sense to develop a proposal
at this stage. As noted in the report after the second CSO workshop the Consultants strongly
advise that proposals are developed with specific funders in mind especially for grants. All of the
funders so far identified by TAT might support specific projects, but the CSOs have still to
decide what activities to undertake together and how to adapt to the issues raised in the call for
proposals. Such adaptations was simulated in the workshops but now has to be put inot
practice. TAT will carry out further research and aims to provide the Network with a slightly
longer list of prospective funders by end of May (as originally envisaged in their work plan.) and
then have the Network take it forward to include national donors especially corporate.
During this final Workshop the participants were exposed to a huge range of fundraising ideas
and had the opportunity to develop ideas of their own. They were also able to put one idea “the
auction” into practice. Most of the CSOs have little or no fundraising experience (outside
grants) so it would be unrealistic to expect them to be able to develop a comprehensive funding
strategy at this stage. However the Consultants are confident that the CSOs now have a range
of ideas about practical initiatives they could embark on both short and medium term to mobilise
resources for their work from the general public, companies and through earning income. They
now understand the need to build a diverse portfolio of income types and the dangers of relying
only on grants. The CSOs need time individually and together to experiment with various types
of fundraising before they will be able to develop a realistic funding strategy for the Network. As
noted in the previous mission reports the Consultants believe the lack of fundraising experience
amongst the CSOs means some fairly intensive on going support will be required to further
develop capacity in strategic programming and fundraising for the Network long term.
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Reproductive Health Programme in Turkey
Two further days of follow up by the consultants is being discussed, but the Network Committee
will also need to find ways of securing assistance also from people within Turkey with some
experience in social philanthropy and fundraising. Members of the MoH team have shown a
high level of interest in communications and fundraising issues and should be a valuable source
of ideas and support. It has been agreed by MoH that the 2 home based days will be utilised the
consultant to support the Network. The Consultant has agreed he will focus on support to
member CSOs by commenting on drafts of Strategic Plan to be first developed by the Network.
If the Network is to hold its first general meeting within 3-6 months and submit the draft plan we
encourage interim Executive Committee to meet on the Plan soon. We also encourage the
Network to link up with the Final Conference of RHP and use the opportunity to launch publicly
and fundraise.
Last but not least we advise that the fledgling Network keep its overheads as low as possible,
utilise the small existing funds efficiently, expand its relationships internally and externally until
the launch and continue to seek in-kind support from MoH/TAT in the meantime.
Looking back at the overall duties and tasks of the entire Sustainability Initiative workshops the
consultants feel major progress has been made:

A range of CSOs were engaged in a dialogue which has led to an agreement to create a
professional and independent Network and establish it as an Association with a full legal
identity.

Participants were enabled to see how they could gain from collective action and
collaboration and are starting to speak a common language.

Legal issues were discussed at some length and areas where the Network has
discretion to decide on how to conduct its affairs were clarified.

The CSOs’ horizons in terms of potential sources of support were considerably
expanded, and they now have a basic knowledge of donor cultivation and management,
as well as an understanding of the importance of communications and public relations.

Many examples of successful resource mobilisation were shared with the CSOs.

The Network has begun to explore potential international linkages.
The original ambition of identifying donors, developing a proposal and securing seed funding
were incredibly ambitious given the 45 days, of which 18 days was in workshop just providing
basis skills. Normally it takes 12-18 months to achieve this kind of result. It is therefore not
surprising that there is still a lot of work for the Network to do. A solid foundation has been laid,
however, which should help the CSOs establish a viable and effective organisation, but this will
take time and the interim Executive Committee is aware of its challenges and keen to act. We in
Resource Alliance wish the Network all success.
Administrative
The technical support in Turkey was again excellent. Logistical arrangements were good and
the translation provided by the interpreters was superb.
SI_3rd CSO Workshop: 26-30March07 – Final Mission Report