How We Raise Money — 03 of 03
Individual donations are the smallest share of BDI's funding — and the most important in ways that numbers cannot fully capture. They are unrestricted, unencumbered by donor conditionalities, and a direct expression of trust in BDI's mission and the people behind it. They are the foundation of our independence.
What Your Donation Does — Annual Impact Snapshot
Why Individual Giving Matters
When people ask why individual donations matter if they only represent 10% of BDI's funding, the answer is simple: because that 10% is the only funding BDI receives that comes with no conditions, no reporting requirements, and no risk of being redirected by a donor's shifting priorities.
Institutional grants and partnership funding come with contracts, logframes, and deliverables. They are essential — but they are also constrained. Individual donations are different. They allow BDI to respond to community needs in real time, invest in staff development, bridge gaps between grant cycles, and pursue opportunities that no institutional donor has yet seen the value in funding.
At $200,000 annually by 2029, individual giving will represent BDI's most flexible and mission-critical resource pool. Growing this channel is not just a fundraising goal — it is a governance strategy for organizational resilience and independence.
Unrestricted and Flexible
Individual gifts carry no donor conditionalities. BDI can deploy them wherever the need is greatest, whether filling a funding gap, covering an emergency, or seizing a time-sensitive opportunity.
A Signal of Community Trust
When individuals give — especially Liberians in the diaspora and local community members — it sends a powerful signal to institutional donors that BDI's mission resonates beyond the grant ecosystem.
Resilience Between Grant Cycles
Grant funding is lumpy and unpredictable. Individual donations — particularly monthly recurring gifts — provide a steady baseline income that keeps BDI operational and its staff paid even when grants are being negotiated or awaiting disbursement.
A Community of Invested Advocates
Every individual donor becomes a BDI advocate. People who give tell others about what BDI is doing. They share stories, amplify campaigns, and connect BDI to networks that no institutional relationship can reach.
How to Give
BDI welcomes donations at every level. Whether you are giving $10 or $1,000, your contribution goes directly to the communities and programs you care about most — with full transparency on how it is used.
$10 - $50
per month / one-time
Your gift provides:
$100 - $250
per month / one-time
Your gift enables:
$500 - $1,000
per month / one-time
Your gift funds:
$2,500+
per year / one-time
Your gift supports:
Ways to Give
BDI's individual giving strategy is built around six distinct channels, each designed to meet donors where they are and make giving as simple, meaningful, and impactful as possible.
One-Time Online Gift
The simplest and most immediate way to support BDI. Give any amount at any time through our secure online donation page. Every donation, large or small, is acknowledged and reported in our quarterly donor updates.
Monthly Recurring Gift
The most valuable form of individual giving for BDI. Monthly donors provide the predictable, consistent income stream that keeps BDI operational between grant cycles. Even $10 per month — $120 per year — makes a measurable difference.
Diaspora Giving
Liberians living abroad are BDI's most natural individual giving constituency. If you are part of the Liberian diaspora in the US, UK, Europe, or elsewhere, your gift is both a financial contribution and a statement about the country you want to see built.
In Memory or In Honor
Give a gift in memory of a loved one, or in honor of someone who cares about Liberia's future. BDI will send a personal acknowledgement to the family or person being honored, with a note about the program their gift is supporting.
Fundraise on Our Behalf
Host a fundraiser — online or in person — and direct the proceeds to BDI. Birthdays, community events, professional milestones, and awareness campaigns are all powerful platforms for individual fundraising. BDI will provide materials and support to help you make it a success.
Legacy Giving
Consider including BDI in your will or estate plan. A legacy gift — however modest — ensures that your commitment to a Liberia without poverty continues to make an impact long after your lifetime. Contact us to discuss legacy giving options and how your gift will be stewarded.
A Special Call to the Liberian Diaspora
BDI was conceived with a question directed at the African diaspora: why do those of us who have seen the world too often look down on our roots instead of leveraging our experience to build our continent? If that question resonates with you, this is your answer.
Liberians living abroad represent one of BDI's most significant — and most underutilized — individual giving communities. The World Bank estimates that Liberia receives significant remittances annually from its diaspora. Even a fraction of that directed toward development programs through BDI would transform what we can deliver on the ground.
You do not have to be in Liberia to build Liberia. You just have to decide that it matters enough to give.
Give from Anywhere
BDI accepts online donations from Liberians and friends of Liberia anywhere in the world. Your currency, your country, your contribution.
Bring Your Community With You
Organize a diaspora fundraiser in your city. BDI will connect with you, share impact materials, and ensure your community knows exactly what their contributions achieve.
Name Your Program Area
Tell us which of BDI's eight program areas you are most passionate about, and we will ensure your diaspora gift is directed there — with a personal impact update from the program team.
What Your Gift Achieves
Impact at a Glance
Here is what specific donation amounts make possible across BDI's programs.
$25
One-time
Provides menstrual health supplies for one school-going girl for an entire term — keeping her in class instead of at home.
$50
One-time
Covers seeds, tools, and training materials for one smallholder farmer to apply climate-smart agriculture techniques to their plot.
$100
One-time
Funds a full climate literacy workshop for a class of 40 students, including printed materials, facilitator costs, and follow-up activities.
$10
Per month
Sustains BDI's community feedback system — ensuring beneficiaries in remote areas can raise concerns and be heard year-round.
$50
Per month
Covers the monthly transport costs for a BDI field officer to reach communities in Sinoe County that are inaccessible except by motorbike.
$500
One-time
Funds one full month of field operations in a target community — staff, logistics, materials, and community engagement combined.
Strategic Plan 2025-2029 — Individual Giving Targets
Scaling individual giving from 10% of $60,000 to 10% of $2,000,000 requires a deliberate strategy: diaspora engagement, digital fundraising infrastructure, monthly giving campaigns, and a growing community of advocates who carry BDI's story to new audiences.
| Year | Annual Budget Target | Individual Share | Target from Individuals | Key Strategy | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | USD 200,000 | 10% | USD 20,000 | Launch online giving platform; activate diaspora network | 30% |
| 2026 | USD 500,000 | 10% | USD 50,000 | Monthly giving program launch; first diaspora fundraiser campaign | 12% |
| 2027 | USD 900,000 | 10% | USD 90,000 | Legacy giving program; expand into US/UK/Europe diaspora communities | 5% |
| 2028 | USD 1,500,000 | 10% | USD 150,000 | Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns; mid-year and year-end giving drives | 3% |
| 2029 | USD 2,000,000 | 10% | USD 200,000 | Established community of 500+ monthly givers; annual gala event | Target |
Progress percentages are indicative and reflect early-2025 status. All targets are subject to the 2027 mid-term strategic review. Individual giving targets will be updated as BDI's donor base grows.
Why This Matters to Us
"Every individual who gives to BDI is choosing to believe that a Liberia without poverty is possible — and that Liberians themselves are the ones who will build it. That belief is the most powerful thing we have."
Katherina M. Hopkins — Founder & CEO, BASA Development Initiatives
Ready to Give?
Whether you give $10 once, $50 every month, or $5,000 as a legacy gift, your contribution to BDI is an investment in the most credible, accountable, and passionate Liberian-led development organization working to change this country from the inside out.
All donations are acknowledged within 48 hours. Quarterly impact updates are sent to all donors. Annual donors of $500 or more receive a personalized impact report from the BDI team. Contact info@basadev.org with any questions about giving.