Since 2016 (as of December 2019), WISE has earned approximately US$73,950 through consulting services in Indonesia and Singapore (Table 4). It was WISE’s main source of funding in our first two years of operation, before the organisation registered in Singapore and became eligible to apply for some grants and run crowdfunding campaigns. 

The income earned from each assignment ranged between US$2,500 and US$18,000 (excluding one pro-bono project). Assignments from Indonesia required a large amount of effort to earn a relatively low income, even before considering that WISE was paying our associates below market rate for the assignments. Of the eleven projects listed, five were obtained through personal connections while the remaining six were obtained through submitting bids in response to a call for proposals. As of January 2019, WISE had submitted 46 unsuccessful bids. From 2018, WISE did not successfully bid for any consulting assignments. It is unclear whether this was due to a decreasing number of opportunities, an increasingly competitive market, WISE’s limited qualifications or a mismatch of qualifications. In 2019, WISE did not actively bid for consulting assignments, partly because team members were preoccupied with our own projects, and with conducting training.

Consulting assignments carried out

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Consulting fees are a valuable source of unrestricted funds and comes in large amounts compared to small donations from individuals. One client had feedback that WISE’s hands-on experience working with communities helps us stand out, and we should continue to leverage this advantage to stand out against private sector consulting firms and research institutions. Consulting assignments are also an opportunity to establish relationships with WASH stakeholders, which keep the organisation in touch with the latest trends in the sector, and could lead to further collaboration. By completing the assignment, WISE is able to expand our portfolio and gain credibility among potential supporters and clients. Team members also get to gain hands-on experience.

A recent meeting with ACRES (Singapore) suggests that there may be demand for consulting services among the nonprofit sector. The Deputy CEO was interested in WISE’s behaviour change workshops and ability to conduct research.

SWOT analysis for consulting services

Unfortunately, consulting is an unpredictable income stream. WISE’s small team, limited experience and range of expertise limits the number of opportunities and size of projects that we are able to bid for. This likely makes us less competitive compared to other organisations, in addition to our less than professional-looking CVs. 

Few WASH stakeholders know WISE, and stakeholders who know WISE are rarely aware that the organisation offers consulting services and the skills/expertise we offer. As a Devex article states, most consulting assignments are not advertised and many consultants are hired through inside networks, therefore it is important to expand our network and visibility. Improved marketing may help. The Practical Action Consulting webpage, for example, makes it clear that they focus on “the use of technology for poverty reduction”, that they have four areas of expertise and have six locations of work. The website also describes examples of projects they have done.

There is a significant opportunity cost to working on consulting assignments as well. Not only does consulting take time away from WISE’s own projects, which contributes towards building a case of support for donations and grants, working with clients can be stressful.

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WISE started because of a US$2,000 grant that Yoke Pean received through the 2015 ASEAN Youth Volunteer Program. Initially, as WISE was not registered as a legal entity, we applied for grants and competitions for GWASH which, as a social enterprise idea, was eligible for funding. When WISE was registered as a nonprofit company limited by guarantee in Singapore in 2017, the organisation started applying for grants from the National Youth Council. WISE continues to tap on individual connections to seek funding e.g. YSEALI’s Go NGO Professional Development Enhancement Grant and INSPIRASI’s fieldwork project (Table 4).

In contrast to consulting fees, grants represent a growing source of revenue for WISE.

Grants received

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Grants have a high payout compared to individual donations, although the relative effort required to submit grants and approach individuals to donate may be comparable. WISE has been able to tap on youth funding in Singapore and should continue to do so, while the increased attention on environment and waste management are opportunities the organisation could consider. For example, the National Environment Agency of Singapore has set aside US$1.5 million (S$2 million) for zero waste ground-up initiatives. Projects with some track record (Phnom Sanitation Project, Designing for Behaviour Change workshops and History of Toilets) and which are newly-funded (Story of the Land) also represent opportunities for WISE  to leverage. WISE has already built a grants database which facilitates the identification and management of grants.

SWOT analysis for grants

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Grants are typically restricted to direct programmes costs and limited to up to a few years; Grants that are for general support or overheads tend to be harder to find and more competitive. It is also time-consuming to write proposals and submit reports, but the relative effort should decrease as the value of the grant increases. Not being registered as a charity in Indonesia, Cambodia and Singapore, as well as being a young organisation, prevents WISE from accessing several grants. Furthermore, WISE’s limited track record reduces the organisation’s ability to compete with more established organisations for higher-value international grants. Not having a grant-writing team also prevents WISE from putting more effort into grant-writing.

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WISE has yet to maximise the organisation’s potential to utilise grants, with our focus in the early years being on building an initial track record and branding that would attract funders. With projects that WISE can leverage to apply for grants (Annex 3) and with our registration in Indonesia, Singapore and Cambodia that opens new avenues for grants, the organisation will dedicate more time this year to writing grants. In the long term, WISE aims to have a dedicated grant-writing team (with at least one paid position) in order to maximise the amount the organisation is generating through grants.

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