By Sujata Jena SS.CC.
Rome, April 30, 2019: A training program in Rome has helped priests and nuns handling funds in their congregations and dioceses learn the components of project management and theories of fundraising.
“Right step and right direction for congregations to learn fundraising in this changing time,” remarked Richard Magana from Kenya, a participant of the April 23- 27 training on “Project Management and Fundraising.”
The Project Manager for the Congregation of Sons of Divine Providence (Done Orione Center), said the five-day package was the first such training that offered participants “ample chances” to interact with representatives of major Catholic donor agencies and learn ways to set up dynamic project management offices in their congregations and dioceses.
Asked why donor agencies attended the training program, Ramon Alvarez, a representative of Manos Unidas (Helping Hands) of Spain said it was good opportunity for them to explain their objectives, project guidelines, areas of actions, and issues related to funding.
“In this way both the funding agencies and the project implementing agencies can save time and work more effectively,” he told Matters India.
Claretian Father Lord Winner, organizer of the training said the attempt was to set up a common mechanism for Catholic development practice to help religious congregations and diocesan social development institutes work as a mutual sustainable development agencies.
The participants studied the fund-raising strategies of the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Clever that raises fund the projects of missionaries. Their strategy is to raise funds from ordinary parishioners and Catholic schools by presenting to them project requests from missionaries in Africa and Asia.
Jesuit Father Arulanandam Elango from Hyderabad, India, said he found the training “a very good program for religious to grow in transparency and accountability in project management.”
Percy Patrick, a resource person, said the training program has helped build capacities of the grassroots social workers “who can ultimately bring changes in the lives of the needy people with the resources available to them.”
Sister Paola Farrougia from Malta, superior general of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, said the training equipped her not only for mission but also to be effective in administration. She also said it would her ensure life and mission of the congregation move in right direction with great accountability, responsibility while providing a meaningful service to people.
“My plan is to put forward the learning from the training in our general chapter in June. I will make sure that Child Protection Policy ia practiced in the whole of the congregation,” she told Matters India.
The training covered topics such as Charism – Apostolate and Projects- Linkage and Context, Theory of Change and stakeholder Engagement, Need Analysis through baseline Survey, Project components, Creating Cost and Finance Plans, Phasing out and Sustainability in Projects, Monitoring and Evaluation, Child Protection in Project Environments, Implementing Projects towards Sustainable Development. They were presented by expertise from India, Italy, Spain, the Philippines USA, and UK.
Catholic donor agencies such as Italian Episcopal Conference, Manos Unidas, Mission Project Service (USA) Spring Rain Global of the Philippines, Sisters of St. Peter Claver of Italy for Mission Projects, Good Shepherd International and information about Project Landscape in Germany and USA were some important resources groups.
The training project was a joint venture of Proclade Internazionale Onlus, Mission Project Service (USA) and the Institute of Theology of Consecrated Life Claretianum. It offered expert advices to learn current trends in fundraising, priorities of donors to the religious and priests from 19 countries.