Resource mobilization key to sustainability of cooperatives

By Bob Aston

Resource mobilization is critical to any cooperative as it is able to support an organizations sustainability. Speaking during a two days Resource Mobilization Workshop organized by Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) for Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society at Ng’arua Maarifa Centre, Laikipia West Sub County on July 16-17, 2015, Mr. Anthony Mugo, ALIN Deputy Director said that resource mobilization always allows for improvement and scale up of products offered by cooperatives.

Participants during the workshop

Mr. Mugo said that the cooperative needs resources so that they can be effective and sustainable. In order to achieve this he said that the cooperative needs to ensure that they have good income streams, good management, a commitment to sustainability and financial resources.

Local support including good human resources, a supportive political, legal and fiscal environment is also important.

“Your performance as a cooperative today impacts your ability to generate resources tomorrow. We are glad that you have been building a good reputation which is also essential when mobilizing for resources,” said Mr. Mugo.

The resource mobilization workshop was organized to enable the cooperative to be sustainable and to maintain a healthy account that can provide solutions to the members many agricultural needs.

 The resource mobilization workshop was also intended to help the cooperative to tap into various resources from the county, national government and other organizations through proposal writing and fundraising.

Mr. Noah Lusaka, ALIN Project Manager urged the cooperative to also consider proposal writing as one of the ways of mobilizing resources. He said that before writing a proposal the cooperative needs to be clear about why and for whom they are writing the proposal to. The cooperative also needs to know the funder whom they are preparing the proposal.

Participants during the workshop

“You cannot hope to sell or promote a project if you do not know, and cannot present, a picture of your organization as a good risk. Resource mobilization efforts should align with the cooperative mission, objectives and vision,” said Mr. Lusaka.

The cooperative managed to map out existing resources, review their business plan and strategy as well as coming up with new sources of finance.

The Laikipia Produce and Marketing cooperative society emerged from the work undertaken by ALIN through Ng’arua Maarifa Centre with the support of the Ford Foundation’s Expanding Livelihoods for Poor Households Initiative (ELOPHI). It is a vehicle for bulking, marketing and trading in farm commodities and other products and services.

Resource mobilization refers to all activities involved in securing new and additional resources for an organization. It also involves making better use of, and maximizing existing resources.