Background:

Conexión Colombia is a non-profit organization constituted in 2003, to channel donations made by Colombians living in different parts of the world to high impact programs and projects within Colombia. Conexión Colombia emerged as a social initiative led by notable media and communication companies in the country, charities, private enterprises, and multilateral organizations that work on international cooperation to manage international and national donations for a portfolio of grassroots organizations in Colombia.

Conexión Colombia supports initiatives that strengthen the sustainability of communities and guarantee continued service and long-term projects in the fields of nutrition, health, education, income generation and infrastructure.

The Projects:

1.     Fundraising Campaign

As an intermediary organization, Conexión seeks to consolidate its position as the main private channel of resources for charities and high impact social projects in Colombia. With operating offices located in seven countries, Conexión wants to expand its fundraising activities in the United States by developing a crowd funding campaign aimed at the diaspora and other individuals interested in social investment in Colombia living in the U.S.

The PIA team will be responsible for:

  • The design of a fundraising and communication strategy for a crowd funding campaign which will include:
    • Analysis of crowd funding methods in the US.
      • Pros and Cons of online fundraising and crowd funding
      • Crowd funding campaign trends
      • Most effective dissemination channels
      • Types of communication tools used: video, photos, etc.
      • Campaign measurement tools (how to communicate the results?)
  • Identification of the niche of Conexion and potential donors in the US.
    • Focus group and other research methods to define profile of potential donor
  • Definition of the cause and theme of the campaign on the base of the previous analysis, donor research, and current projects of Conexión’s NGOs.
  • Design of the online fundraising strategy for the campaign.
    • Prepare Fundraising Plan
    • Prepare Communication Plan
    • The implementation of the campaign:
      • Using Conexión tools (online platform etc.) implement and run the campaign.

Expected Results:

a)     Crowd funding analysis report

b)     Study of potential U.S. donors

c)     A low-cost fundraising strategy

d)     Funds raised from the campaign

 

2.     Project Design:  

One of the services provided by Conexión Colombia to its grassroots partners is technical assistance in the design and revision of projects. Many of Conexión Colombia’s partner organizations working in the fields of income generation, disability, environment and human rights need support identifying and constructing projects. The PIA team will be responsible for the design of a project in conjunction with one of Conexion’s partner organizations working in the fields defined above. Throughout the project the students will be able to put in practice many of the skills learned in PDPM and build the organization’s capacity in project formulation and identification.

Some of the activities the students will be involved in include:

  1. Identifying the needs of the organization and beneficiaries
    1. Needs assessment
    2. Stakeholder analysis
    3. Problem and objectives assessment
    4. Preparing and formulating the project
      1. Log frame
      2. Indicators for implementation
      3. Indicators for monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment
      4. Sustainability analysis
      5. Activity plan
      6. Budget
      7. Financing Options
        1. Identification of possible funding options

Expected Results:

a)     Detailed project plan:

  1. Stakeholder analysis
  2. Problem and objectives assessment
  3. Log frame
  4. Project activities
  5. Implementation and M&E indicators for evaluation system
  6. Budget

b)     Sources for funding:

  1. List of possible funding sources