STEP 3 (cont): Financial Management of Waste Projects

The most important point to remember when looking for funding sources for a project is to use your creativity. Fundraising events like polladas, rifas and subastas are a good way to get a project started or to earn some extra funds for a project. On the other hand, you must try to find a sustainable source of income to keep the project running. This will be much easier if the project is simple and small. Try to secure donations from local businesses, NGOs and the municipality (if they are not supporting the project).

With respect to tracking expenses, be sure to keep a detailed accounting spreadsheet to both calculate cost projections and record actual costs. Here's an example of an annual budget for a small scale recycling project (in San Jose, El Carmen in Ica). Note that all items are tracked, including donations. Also be sure to account for materials that need to be bought on a regular basis (lime for composting, masks, etc).

A successful small scale project can be run on a very small budget, so don't be discouraged by a lack of funding. Keep searching for creative solutions.

See APPENDIX H for budget projection worksheets and some examples of cost projections for a large-scale waste management system.