Individual donor base most critical for NGOs: Survey

A detailed online survey conducted by Samhita reveals that individual donations are the most critical source of funds for Indian NGOs.

This survey was conducted to understand the fundraising practices of Indian NGOs. We hope that the results will help NGOs customize their activities based on popular practices.

Respondents to the survey consisted of NGOs across the length and breadth of the country.

Indicative location of survey respondents

The survey revealed that 75.7% of the NGOs raised the majority of their funds from Indian donors while 24.3% NGOs are primarily supported by international donors.

Most of the funds that NGOs raise come from individual donors. For example, 18.9% NGOs raise more than 75% of their funds from individual donors, while a negligible percentage rely on corporates for majority of their funding. Government sources account for less than 5% of total funds raised for 56.8% NGOs. Of the total funds that 62.2% NGOs receive, less than 5% comes from corporate donors.

Since corporate and foundation grants focus primarily on projects, individual donations become more reliable source of funding, particularly for organizational needs. NGOs that do not have corporate and government connections also tend to rely on the support of individuals for funding that comes in smaller denominations, but, with easier terms. In such cases, building and managing an extensive database of individual donors becomes extremely critical for sustainable fundraising. Samhita’s donor tools are designed to help NGOs reach out to and raise funds from new donors. Our project management tools will also help NGOs provide regular feedback and updates to their supporters.

Watch out for this space for findings on financial support offered by foundations, corporates and the Government.