Even when donors recognize and appreciate these links, they may be unable or unwilling to act outside their traditional scope, for fear of being unable to oversee or guide your work. Because of this, building relationships with funders is key. It may be that donors will see your project as opposing the country’s government, and funders may have relationships with the government that they need to protect. As issuance of nationality ultimately requires action on the part of the state, donors may see this as beyond the project’s control and avoid funding it. However, you may be able to frame your project in terms of assisting people to access government administrative systems and/or identifying gaps to inform improvements to government systems, which may better fit the interests of these donors. RELATED RESOURCE For dedicated guidance on approaching donors, formulating requests for funds, and creating partnerships, see the “Fundraising” chapter in Refugee Rights Toolkit, Asylum Access. You should also consider messages that would encourage local resource mobilization from within the community. Think about how you can build these messages into your outreach to community members and local leaders, for example community business leaders, professional networks like university associations, and among political representatives. See also 4. Building Key Relationships 3.6 Budgeting Budgeting and financial management are critical to the success of your program. Potential funders will require a proposed budget alongside any funding proposal. Once you know how much money the project will have, for how long, and any restrictions on the funding, you will need to revise the budget and add details. Ideally, the budgeting process should include participation by members of the community you will serve. Some common concerns you may need to address or prepare for include: • If you are creating a long-term advocacy campaign, its length and costs are uncertain. RELATED RESOURCE • Open Society Justice Initiative’s Community-based Paralegals: A Practitioner’s Guide provides general guidance on financial procedures and budgeting. • Detailed guidance on “Budgeting” and financial management for legal assistance programs, Refugee Rights Toolkit, Asylum Access. • Sample budget template, tools4dev. • Getting the same document may have different costs, depending on the client’s age or the supporting documents requested, which may be unpredictable and arbitrary. • Paying for transport costs for those living far from registry offices or courts may appear necessary; however, this may not be sustainable in the long run. 4. BUILDING KEY RELATIONSHIPS IN ADDITION TO FUNDERS, it is vital to build relationships with the community you are serving, as well as with governments, the UN, and civil society. Building relationships with other organizations and institutions allows you to coordinate activities so your organization can benefit from the efforts of others, from the initial research and needs assessment stage, through to program design and delivery. Grassroots 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 | 39