3. RAISING MONEY AND BUDGETING
THIS CHAPTER ADDRESSES RAISING FUNDS and managing them, including
funding models, approaches to fundraising, and budgeting.
CASE STUDY
3.1 Financial Models
There are few examples of sustained, institutionalized financing (public
funds) and public policy frameworks supporting community-based
justice services. For this reason, paralegal projects generally rely on a mix
of funding sources.
Financial models paralegal programs have used include:
• Self-sustaining
—S
ocial enterprise. When an organization uses commercial revenue
to advance social aims. There are many different models of social
enterprise funding for paralegal work, from side businesses like
trash recycling, to real estate investments that bring in passive
income, to working with lawyers who take in paying clients and
support the paralegals’ work.
Many donors prefer giving
humanitarian assistance such
as livelihoods and shelter
over supporting human
rights or governance work. In
northern Kenya, this caused
funding constraints for legal
empowerment projects. Local
CSO Haki na Sheria plans to get
communities to contribute to
supporting the organization’s
paralegal work. They feel this
approach can greatly enhance
accountability and community
ownership of projects.
—C
ommunity contributions. For example asking community
members to contribute to the cost of transport to and from
registration centers.
—S
ervice fees. A form of social enterprise. Charging fees or
requesting contributions from clients requires very careful
consideration of legal and ethical implications, but some projects
have used this approach.
• External
—P
ublic grants. Funding from state agencies, like the Ministry
of Justice, the Ministry of Home Affairs, or a local government
agency.
—D
onors. Grants from national or international private philanthropic
organizations or foreign aid agencies, for example.
— In kind contributions. Donations of vehicles, materials, or office
space, for example.
— Individual fellowships.
With traditional donors increasingly stretched, political shifts affecting
funding streams, and increasing competition for funds, your program will
have to innovate to secure revenue.
DISCRIMINATION
EMPOWERMENT
SUSTAINABILITY
DATA
RELATED RESOURCES
(EXTERNAL)
RELATED SECTIONS
(WITHIN)
A C O M M U N I T Y- B A S E D P R A C T I T I O N E R ’ S G U I D E : D O C U M E N T I N G C I T I Z E N S H I P A N D OT H E R F O R M S O F L E G A L I D E N T I T Y
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