Case Study - Mbingo Radiotherapy Project

This project reminds us that when a small group of dedicated individuals come together, anything is possible. Collective Agency is proud to work with a team of humanitarians – volunteer doctors and engineers who have been working for more than a decade to bring high-quality cancer treatment to the far reaches of northwestern Cameroon. 

Challenge

After years of painstaking building – gathering just enough resources to keep the project alive – the doctors and engineers working to bring radiotherapy to Mbingo, Cameroon were at a pivotal moment when they reached out to Collective Agency for fundraising guidance. They’d already brought medical oncology, advanced laboratory and imaging facilities, pathology, and hydropower to Mbingo Baptist Hospital, and their sights were set on making MBH the first mission hospital to offer radiotherapy to treat curable cancers. But linear accelerators are expensive and difficult to move, and require extensive infrastructure to power and operate safely. 

The volunteers identified a used, donated accelerator and began building the concrete bunker in 2022 to house it. The team just needed to raise the money to move the Linac from Wales to Africa. 

Solution 

Long-term Planning – The group knew there would be more to do after the radiotherapy unit was installed, but hadn’t yet articulated the full vision. Collective Agency helped the team identify what additional phases of work would be needed to create the cancer treatment facility the region deserved.

Case for Support – Working with the global team of doctors and hospital administrators, Collective Agency developed a compelling case that identified the final three phases of the project, including budgets and naming opportunities.

Research – Collective Agency conducted a scan of potential foundation funders and mapped the team’s relationships with foundations to identify outreach opportunities and priorities.

Communications – The team already had a GoFundMe in place, so we worked together to update the language with the framing from the Case for Support, and drafted emails for volunteers to send to their networks to generate additional support. 

Implementation Support – Collective Agency continues to serve as a meeting facilitator, partner in donor meetings, grant writer, and cheerleader. We keep a steady eye on the fundraising so the doctors and engineers can focus on the work of caring for patients.

Impact

In less than four months, we helped this all-volunteer team bring the know-how and structure to their fundraising, resulting in nearly $500,000 raised, exceeding their urgent goal and ensuring that thousands of Cameroonians will have access to lifesaving cancer treatment and palliative care for years to come. 

This inspiring team of doctors and engineers who have dedicated their lives and given so much of their time and resources to others already had what it takes to achieve their goals: a solid project, a long history of success, and the dedication to see it through. 

Collective Agency has been proud to provide the best practices, organization, research, writing and donor engagement resources that enabled them to meet their urgent fundraising goal.