The following eight formulas for fundraising have been identified through prolonged implementation, repeated proposal submissions, and multiple reporting cycles. They have been most commonly observed in guidelines, annexures, and revised budget templates.
1. The law of proximity
A project’s fundability is inversely proportional to its distance from an airport.
2. The output equation
Success = Number of reports published and conferences organised
3. The law of outcome elasticity
Whatever the outcome, they must stretch to fit pre-approved log frames.
4. Newton’s third law of funding
For every action, there is an equal and greater reporting requirement.
5. The buzzword acceleration principle
Funding increases with the number of strategic adjectives per paragraph.
Resilient
Transformative
Catalytic
Systems-level
At five adjectives, the proposal achieves escape velocity.
6. The beneficiary compression law
Impact = beneficiaries / budget
Where the number of beneficiaries must expand as the budget contracts.
7. The pilot paradox
Funding will not be available unless you have a pilot but there is no funding for pilots.
8. The physics of philanthropy
Money in motion = Capital * Risk appetite
Where money only moves at the speed of risk appetite.
