Raising funds from the Filipino diaspora

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Reconnect (www.reconnect.org.ph) is a giving portal launched last year in the Philippines. The aim of the site is to link NGOs in that country with the huge Filipino diaspora around the world. More than 9 million people of Philippines origin live and work abroad. The site was created by a company which is part of the McCann Erickson advertising group whose global media reach will be used to drive traffic.

So far NGO sign ups have been slow - the $150 membership fee is a big outlay for many and most NGOs in the Philippines know little about fundraiisng. I'm sponsoring two NGOs on the site - Jireh Mission and Sorok Uni Foundation - and will be coaching them on how to make the most of the opportunity.

If you work for an international NGO which funds partners in the Philippines why not get your programme staff to fund those partners to join Reconnect. Help them tap into the Filipino diaspora's generosity. I hear so much rhetoric about 'building local capacity' - well here's a chance to do just that. It's a far more creative way to fund partners in the Philippines than doing another mail shot to your donors. It could even be fun!

There are an increasing number of countries with portals of this kind - for a full list go to

www.resource-alliance.org/resources/useful_contacts/547.asp.