How We Raise Money — 01 of 03
Institutional funding — from UN agencies, climate funds, development banks, and international NGOs — forms the largest pillar of BDI's resource mobilization strategy. It is the mechanism through which we can scale from a $60,000 organization to a $2 million institution by 2029.
BDI Funding Mix — Historical vs. 2029 Target
Historical (2022-2024)
2029 Strategic Target
Our Approach
Institutional funding requires more than a good project idea. It requires a credible organization, a proven track record, compliance-ready systems, and the ability to co-design programs that meet a donor's strategic priorities without losing sight of community needs. BDI has spent its first three years building exactly that foundation.
Our strategy is not to chase every grant available. It is to build deep, multi-year relationships with a focused group of institutions whose funding priorities align with BDI's thematic areas - and to demonstrate, through every project we implement, that BDI delivers what it promises.
Targeted Donor Mapping and Relationship Building
BDI maintains an active donor landscape analysis across all eight program areas, identifying which UN agencies, bilateral funds, foundations, and INGOs are funding work in Liberia and West Africa.
Consortium and Co-Implementation Models
BDI actively pursues consortium arrangements with larger INGOs and national institutions - as demonstrated by our partnership with Elitrust Finecon on the NaFAA/OPEC Fund fisheries program.
A Fundable Concept Note Bank
BDI maintains a bank of 32 ready-to-deploy concept notes across all eight program areas. When donor calls open, we are not starting from scratch.
Compliance and Governance Investment
BDI has proactively invested in the systems that donors demand: PSEA policies, Financial Management Policies, a MEAL Framework, audit readiness, and a five-year Strategic Plan.
Our Institutional Donor Portfolio
BDI's institutional portfolio spans UN agencies, climate finance mechanisms, national institutions, and bilateral donors — spanning five active relationships and proposals across six of BDI's eight program areas.
UNICEF
UNICEF Liberia
UN Agency — Active Proposal
"Female-Led Business Acceleration for Community Health" — a 12-month, 15-county program targeting women-led health enterprise and community nutrition, with a ceiling of USD 100,000.
Proposal SubmittedGEF / CI
GEF / Conservation International
Climate Finance — Completed
The Sustainable Biodiversity and Community Resilience Project (SBCRP) — BDI's first major institutional grant, completed successfully.
CompletedNaFAA
NaFAA / OPEC Fund
National Institution — Shortlisted
Liberian Women's Sustainable Fisheries and Livelihoods Incubator Program (LWSFILI) — BDI shortlisted in consortium with Elitrust Finecon Limited.
ShortlistedIKI
IKI Small Grants (Germany)
Climate Finance — Submitted
A biodiversity and climate resilience proposal submitted to the International Climate Initiative Small Grants program.
Proposal SubmittedBMZ
BMZ / Welthungerhilfe
Bilateral Donor — Pipeline
Active relationship development underway with BMZ through Welthungerhilfe. Identified pipeline interest in BDI's agriculture and food security programming.
Pipeline InterestYour Institution Here
BDI is actively building new institutional relationships across health, education, fisheries, disability, and gender program areas.
Start the Conversation →The Role Institutional Donors Play
Institutional donors are not just funders. They are co-creators of scale. The financial volume, multi-year structure, and technical requirements they bring enable BDI to build the kind of organizational infrastructure and programmatic depth that truly changes communities.
Funding at the Scale Liberia Needs
Community problems in Liberia are not $5,000 problems. They require multi-year, multi-county programs with consistent staffing, infrastructure, and evidence systems.
Legitimacy and Credibility Building
When UNICEF, GEF, or the OPEC Fund trusts BDI with their resources, it signals to every other donor that BDI is an organization worth betting on.
Driving Organizational Quality and Systems
Institutional donors require PSEA compliance, financial audits, logical frameworks, MEAL systems, and transparent reporting — pushing BDI to build institutional quality.
Opening Doors to the Global Development Architecture
Institutional relationships connect BDI to the wider global development system — to other implementing partners, government ministries, and policy conversations.
Strategic Plan 2025-2029 Targets
The table below shows BDI's institutional funding targets across the five years of the Strategic Plan 2025-2029. These targets are ambitious but grounded in BDI's existing pipeline.
| Year | Annual Budget | Inst. Share | Target from Inst. | Progress | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | USD 200,000 | 70% | USD 140,000 | 35% | UNICEF, NaFAA, IKI |
| 2026 | USD 500,000 | 68% | USD 340,000 | 18% | Welthungerhilfe/BMZ |
| 2027 | USD 900,000 | 66% | USD 594,000 | 8% | Fisheries, Disability |
| 2028 | USD 1,500,000 | 65% | USD 975,000 | 4% | Multi-sector program |
| 2029 | USD 2,000,000 | 65% | USD 1,300,000 | Target | 15-county coverage |
Progress percentages reflect indicative fundraising status as of early 2025.
What We Look for in Institutional Partners
Not every grant is the right grant. BDI evaluates institutional funding opportunities against six criteria to ensure that the partnerships we pursue strengthen, rather than distort, our mission.
Thematic Alignment
The funding must address one of BDI's eight program areas and be grounded in an evidence-based understanding of Liberia's needs.
Community Ownership
The program design must allow genuine community consultation and co-design. BDI will not implement top-down programs.
Reasonable Compliance
Compliance requirements must be proportionate to the grant size and realistic for a mid-sized Liberian NGO.
Long-Term Relationship
BDI prioritizes institutional relationships with long-term potential over one-off grants.
Flexible Reporting
BDI values partners who understand that adaptive management is a sign of a good program, not a weak one.
Predictable Disbursement
BDI prioritizes donors with predictable disbursement schedules and efficient contracting processes.
Ready to Fund With BDI?
BDI welcomes conversations with institutional donors across all eight of our program areas. Whether you are exploring a new program in Liberia, looking for a credible local implementing partner, or have a grant call that aligns with our work, our Head of Partnership and Fundraising is ready to explore how we can work together.
info@basadev.org