Philanthropy 2.0 Conference: financial sustainability and growth of civil society organizations
Our Chief Development Officer, Stelios Vellis, joined Alexandra Emirza, Deputy Director at HIGGS, for a Fireside Chat on the financial sustainability and growth of civil society organizations at the "Philanthropy 2.0" conference, hosted by Technopolis Athens.
Read their full conversation below:
1) Can you give us a brief overview of the identity and mission of The HOME Project?
The HOME Project is a civil society organization founded in 2016, following President Barack Obama’s call to the private sector to help address the refugee crisis. It is a targeted initiative aimed at providing a comprehensive network of child protection services for unaccompanied refugee children, who were forced to flee their countries of origin and arrive in Greece alone.
Over the past eight years, we have established and operate 13 shelters in the center of Athens. There, we have transformed the lives of more than 1,400 children from over 40 countries, providing them with social, psychological, and legal support, as well as access to education - all with the ultimate goal of ensuring their smooth and meaningful integration into society.
2) What are your main funding sources, and how do you ensure the organization’s financial sustainability?
When we first started, The HOME Project was entirely funded by the private sector. In recent years, about 50% of our annual budget comes from European funds. However, in full transparency, these funds are insufficient; they often arrive with significant delays and are frequently incomplete. As a result, we still rely heavily on the support of individual donors, philanthropic foundations, and companies to be able to fully implement our child protection model and maintain the high standard of services we provide to the children. To give you a sense of scale: since 2016, we’ve secured more than €35.5 million in support of unaccompanied refugee children in Greece - of which approximately 80% came from the private sector.
Until recently, due to the multitude of challenges that exist on the ground, we could not afford to invest strategically and systematically in fundraising. We often joke that we were “flying the plane while building it at the same time,” simply because there was no other choice. Today, however, given the volatile landscape we are witnessing across the globe and the rising financial uncertainty, establishing a dedicated Development department was essential. Creating a clear, thought out, and long-term fundraising strategy is the only viable path to ensuring the organization’s sustainability.
At this stage, we are focusing on expanding and diversifying our donor base, nurturing deeper and more productive relationships with our supporters, and strategically showcasing both our needs as well as the tangible outcomes of our work.
3) Based on your experience, how critical is the contribution of international foundations and donors?
Their contribution is vital. In our case, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the decisive support of the private sector - especially from donors and organizations outside of Greece. It’s not so much about the lack of resources within Greece, but rather that there’s a greater level of awareness and sensitivity abroad regarding our cause. That’s misguided, in my view, but it’s the reality we face. Furthermore, with the rise of populism, the spread of far-right ideologies, and the growing xenophobia we are experiencing worldwide, refugees are scapegoated as a threat to national identity and social cohesion.
However, their meaningful integration can bring substantial benefits to both our society and our economy. For example, Greece currently has over 80,000 job vacancies in the critical tourism sector and is projected to need 750,000 new workers by 2050 to address its demographic crisis. At the European level, the equivalent number is 50 million. What we aim to highlight - through the stories of the hundreds of children who have thrived in our shelters after receiving the support they needed and access to equal opportunities - is just how crucial integration really is.
Instead of pursuing complex, costly and time-consuming processes to source workforce from other countries, it would be far more beneficial to engage the thousands of refugees already living here, who want to contribute but are often treated as a problem or are pushed to leave - when in reality, they could be part of the solution.
Our international supporters tend to understand this dynamic more clearly and are willing to actively support it. Gradually, we hope to foster the same understanding and commitment among potential supporters within Greece.
4) What tools or strategies do you use to expand the organization’s reach and attract support from abroad?
In any partnership, mutual trust is absolutely essential - and this is what we strive to build with all those who support us. We are fully transparent and open about our activities and priorities, while utilizing every available communication channel to bring our supporters - and those following our work - closer to what we do on the ground and the impact we are achieving.
Another key factor are the results of our work. At the end of the day, any supporter wants to know whether what we do is actually effective. Otherwise, why would they choose to support us? With this in mind, we provide a platform for young people who have been supported by The HOME Project to share their stories and experiences. We also invite our donors to visit the shelters, meet our team, and witness our impact firsthand.
A notable example is our partnership with one of our most significant recent supporters, Wilstar Impact Investing, who using an advanced impact model, calculated that the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of a donation made to The HOME Project is 7.4x of the funds invested –one of the highest they have recorded globally.
In addition, their analysis showed that, thanks to the child protection services we’ve provided over the past eight years, we have generated more than €105 million in social value - or, to put it more simply, that our work has contributed at least €105 million to the Greek economy.
5) Can one ever feel secure or "covered" when it comes to fundraising, or is it a constant challenge?
Not at all. And this isn’t just true for The HOME Project - it applies to every organization I’ve worked for over the past 15 years, both in the UK and the U.S. I would describe fundraising as a marathon that often demands the intensity of a sprint. The difference in Greece is that, quite often, you are running barefoot and against the wind, while someone keeps moving the finish line.
But the challenges we face shouldn’t discourage us. Persistence, flexibility, and adaptability are key to continuing our efforts to secure the necessary funds for the sustainability of our operations. In fact, challenges can also be a driving force for innovation and improvement –they push us to think strategically, build strong partnerships, and continuously seek new ways to broaden our donor base.
As far as I’m concerned, my other driving force is the children. And for the first time in my life, I have the opportunity to be so close to the field and to witness, with my own eyes, how meaningful and transformative this work is. When the “why” behind the need for funding is so clear, and you know who you are doing all this for, then the “how” and the “what” become easier to answer, no matter how tough things might seem.