Introduction
Most nonprofits in India struggle to get adequate coverage of their core costs (also called admin/overheads, or nonprogram costs) or to invest in organisational capabilities. There is strong divergence in how NGOs and funders perceive this issue. Pay-what-It-Takes India Initiative’s research indicates that while most NGOs struggle, majority of funders are willing to be flexible on these aspects. One of the root causes of the issue is NGOs ability to justify and communicate their true costs (a sum of direct program costs, core costs, OD investments needed etc.). Research shows that 77% of funders do not believe that NGOs share accurate cost structure and OD needs. Hence computing and communicating the true cost of achieving impact is the first step of raising money for these elements.
Conducted by Aria CFO Services and Bridgespan, this masterclass will be an introduction to true cost computation and communication for NGO leaders, which will help them raise funding for these unfunded yet critical needs of the NGOs.

Session Structure

Key Takeaways
-Understanding funder’s perspective on the issue
-How to compute cost of programs
-How to engage in meaningful funding conversations on the same
-Introduction to tools which can help them improve their abilities to raise funds for covering true costs

Duration
Interactive session of 60 minutes duration

Target audience
Senior leadership of NGOs – CEO/ED/CFO/COO who are engaged in fund raising conversations and/or are responsible for long term sustainability of NGOs.

Audience size
Maximum 40

Session details
-What is true cost and why is it important to assess? (10 minutes)
-What are the guiding principles/good practices for the same? (15 minutes)
-How can true costs computation help in fund raising? What are the different archetypes of funders and tips for approaching them (15 minutes)
-Q&A (20 minutes)

Facilitators
Aria CFO Services: Ritu Jain/Ravi Bagaria (one of the two)
Bridgespan Group: Shashank Rastogi

About the Facilitator

Aria CFO Services Trainer profile:
Ravi Bagaria (CA, B. Com) is the co-founder at Aria CFO Services LLP and one of the sector’s foremost consultants on FCRA, income tax, finance, and related issues for nonprofits. He has more than a decade of experience in the sector and believes in a hands-on approach when solving practical issues for the sector. A photographer by passion, Ravi has conducted various webinars and talks on compliance-related issues for nonprofits.
Ritu Jain (CA, CPA (US), Gen. LLB, MS(Tax), B. Com) is the co-founder at Aria CFO Services LLP. Her volunteer experience at the American Red Cross inspired her to join the social sector in India. She has also conducted various webinars and talks on FCRA, income tax, and other compliance-related issues for nonprofits. A foodie at heart, Ritu is passionate about the law and loves to standardise processes.

Bridgespan Trainer profile:
Shashank Rastogi is a principal in The Bridgespan Group. Shashank leads the rural prosperity vertical in India and is co-leading Pay-What-It Takes India Initiative with a focus on transforming funder-NGO relationships. At Bridgespan, he has supported CSR organizations, philanthropic foundations, and NGOs across sectors to envision a better, just, and equitable future and develop the strategy to strive for it. He has also led and co-authored several reports focusing on good funding practices like Bridging the Gap on Funding the True Costs of NGOs in India, Building Strong, Resilient NGOs in India; and Building High-Impact CSR Programs in India .