One of USAID’s objectives in Vietnam is to help local development organizations address locally-defined challenges. USAID recently organized a “Fundraising and External Relations” training workshop for 25 participants from 10 Vietnamese non-governmental organizations (VNGOs). This workshop, one of a series of training courses known as the “Organizational Development Trail,” aimed to build the capacity of VNGOs to bid for, receive, and manage development partner funding. It particularly focused on the “why, what, and how” of fundraising. Activities centered around how to draft an outline of a fundraising strategy that identifies funding gaps, potential sources of funding, and the communication methods required to support the achievement of fundraising activities.

So What? As donor support to Vietnam is dwindling, VNGOs must have the skills and savvy to develop and implement fundraising strategies in order to be sustainable and be able to continue to advocate for citizens’ needs and provide essential services to their constituents.