Eng. Saeed Al-Yazidi
Last November, Minister of Labor, His Excellency M. Ahmed Al-Rajhi announced the ministry's (intention) to establish 1,000 new associations within two years, referring to 2019 and 2020. The current number of associations has reached approximately 1,500. Until 1437, and before His Excellency Mr. Majid Al-Qasabi took over the Ministry of Social Development, the number was around 800 associations. This means that 700 new associations were added in just three years! Notice the difference: 800 associations over 40 years of the basic system for associations and 700 in 3 years!
The community is motivated to establish associations due to the available facilitation for that and the government's approach to involve the third sector in development; personally, I don’t see the increase in the number of associations as a sign of achievement... the matter simply allowed people to work... and people, on the other hand, are driven by goodness by nature.
So I don’t get lost from my main idea, I’m talking about those enthusiastic about establishing new associations...
Reflect, dear brother, before the establishment...
It’s important to ask yourself and your esteemed founding companions:
How will the association operate?
What services will it provide?
How will it obtain donations and sustain financially?
And the last one is the third of the essentials!
There are currently 1,500 associations and 2,000 others (more than double the current number) that will compete for limited resources, whether those allocated by the government for associations or those available from donors, merchants, or individuals... a huge pressure and funding is dwindling from everyone in the current economic correction situation in the country.
This is the problem, then... we have a number that will become 3,500 associations providing traditional solutions and ideas to social problems in a tight economic situation!
Will they make an impact?
Will services and projects conflict with each other?
Will they obtain adequate funding?
Here lies the challenge...
What is the solution?
In my opinion, we should not hastily establish an association without a distinctive technical and financial business model...
A technical one that ensures innovative quality solutions for social issues...
And a financial one that guarantees that a donor or contributor becomes enthusiastic about your idea, sympathizes with it, and donates to you or collaborates with you or purchases your service if you are selling services for a non-profit fee!
I see patience initially before establishing the association... for example, you can establish a volunteer team and test social solutions and present them to judges and potential donors; if your ideas are convincing and encouraging and you gain the necessary support, go ahead with the establishment...
And if you do not find enthusiasm for your solutions and projects, it will not change others' sympathy towards you just because you established an association!
What prompted me to write this article?
What I see from the struggles of many newly established associations... their challenges are diverse and their financial situation is difficult...
Whether because their ideas are traditional and there are those who preceded them in the field, and the donor will naturally work with the old, or new ideas that address support, advocacy, or awareness issues that do not find believers!
I advise you before launching your association to test your idea and your hypothesis about the success of your association before the establishment...
Make visits... consult specialists... apply to supporters and learn how they think?! So you don’t collide with reality!!
Once again... just because you established an association doesn’t mean that donations will pour in on you!
A simple example before I conclude... a charitable association was established 3 years ago... founded by 10 ambitious young founders; one of their goals was to establish a non-profit college to serve the cause of the association...
Now, it’s almost brain-dead... in short, the donor (sensitive) did not believe in their (enthusiasm) money!
Should we blame the donor? The ministry?
No, of course... the donor will look for what is most beneficial (from their perspective) and the ministry's role is to provide opportunities for those who are capable of working and to organize the process in the future...
Part of your inability as an association founder to hit the ground running without sufficient preparation.
What I hope for is simple...
Not to rush to establish charitable associations without sufficient testing of your technical and financial business model so that you do not collide with reality or burden the charitable sector with a foreign body that needs to be excised after a while...
Examine now!
And thank you for your patience... dear friends
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!