Good luck with your work.

Really enjoying your blog.

I am managing several SE/ NGO operations in China, and advising donors as well,.

your post is spot on, and it is a common phenomenon I find here. Donors are very hesitant to work with some groups as they fail to understand the environment which they are operating in. That somehow their own ignorance makes the benefactor risky, and in the end they chose the safe option which may not actually be the best option.

On the other side of the coin, as an NGO manager, I can see where NGOs choose the more conservative route. It is easy, safe, and perhaps there is security in staying small. For those looking for growth though, I focus their efforts in understanding that investing in a scalable platform will pay out long term, and that by doing so they will attract more investment.

At the end of the dy though, getting people out of their comfort zones is always difficult, but for those that do I feel the lessons are important regardless of their short term success… it is the long term than we all need to be focused on.

Keep up the good work.

R
http://www.china-crossroads.com
http://www.handsonshanghai.com