Your Funding Network distinguishes between process and method, defining the former as a series of events to produce a result and the latter as a way of doing something. With this definition in mind, Your Funding Network applies a Change Management methodology as described by John P. Kotter in his book Leading Change not only to manage but also to lead the process of fundraising. As for the method, Your Funding Network follows the trends of fundraising continually and has been inspired by works of Linda Lysakowski and Ellen Bristol with whom Somaye has a close personal relation and professional partnership.
As a social enterprise believing in Impact First, the consulting purpose of Your Funding Network is to “improve the organizational effectiveness” of its clients as defined by Harvard Business Review in hierarchy of consulting purposes. This is also inline with the core values of Your Funding Network, which are Gratitude, Loyalty and Integrity.
Core values of Your Funding Network, which are also aligned with the core values of Somaye, are integrated into the service provided: through institutional audit and situating her clients in the context in which they operate, Somaye helps her clients to recognize how they have achieved what they have thus far, and show Gratitude to their current and former supporters and staff; this will be repeated not only continually but also continuously towards their community.
Moreover, through understanding philanthropy, Somaye assists her clients to build Loyalty with their community being their volunteers, supporters, sponsors and investors. And lastly, Somaye vows to act with Integrity (not just doing the right thing but doing things right) by improving organizational effectiveness and anchoring new approaches into the organizational culture of her clients each of which have integrity as an intrinsic element of their core values.
