Five local grassroots organizations have embarked on a 6-month journey, as participants of the first ever NGO Accelerator Program. This innovative program, run by the consultancy Island Impact Ltd, is designed to enhance the capacity, sustainability, and impact of participating NGOs through comprehensive training, mentorship, and support.
“The aim is to build up the civil society sector in Dominica, so that grassroots organizations can change their communities for the better – in a more sustainable, more systematic and research-driven way”, said Sonja Wiencke, Founder of Island Impact, “So many passionate people invest their time and effort into community organizations. Island Impact aims to help them with the right tools, knowledge and processes so they can be more effective and efficient.”
The program commenced with a ‘Kick-Off Session’ on Tuesday, June 18th, 2024, at Alliance Francaise in Roseau. Participants will acquire knowledge, skills and tools through online sessions for the next six months. The NGO Accelerator offers a range of comprehensive workshops where participants will delve into essential topics such as team management, fundraising strategy, activity design, and basic monitoring and evaluation. It also fosters a collaborative environment, encouraging NGOs to share experiences, resources, and best practices. Additionally, there is a strong emphasis on developing sustainable models and strategies to ensure long-term success and resilience.
“We don’t run the type of training where you just sit through presentations and forget about it afterwards. We work really closely with the participants, helping them put everything they learnt into practice immediately.”, said Christianna Paul, Evaluation and Partnerships Manager at Island Impact. The program will end in early 2025 with a networking event, where this year’s participants will share their work with potential funders and partners.
The inaugural cohort of the NGO Accelerator Program includes the Breadfruit House Dominica Foundation, You R Queen, East Dominica Children’s Federation, Waitukubuli Artist Association and WildDominique, altogether 28 participants.
Participants are eager to learn new methods for managing their NGOs and are enthusiastic about gaining insights from each other’s experiences. They are excited to begin this program, anticipating that it will equip them to attract, manage, and create long-term partnerships with other NGOs and funders. One cohort member, Yvonne Armour, WildDominique Director expressed, “I particularly appreciate all the thought, time and energy that has gone into planning this NGO Accelerator workshop, and look forward to connecting, supporting and learning with/from you all throughout this transformative journey.”
About Island Impact: Island Impact Ltd. is an agency that helps Dominican NGOs solve social and environmental problems more sustainably, systematically and effectively. Active since 2021, the two-woman team has worked with over 14 client organizations and is looking forward to solidifying and scaling its impact through the NGO Accelerator program
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