Humanitarian Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Fundraising Managers, Programme Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-NM-050

Before you join: Participants should have practical experience in an NGO, civil society organisation, humanitarian agency, social enterprise or development programme.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Humanitarian organisations face a persistent funding challenge: needs rise quickly, donor priorities change, restricted grants can distort programme choices, and funding teams must demonstrate credible results before a crisis becomes visible. Resource mobilisation is therefore more than proposal writing. It requires a disciplined approach to funding strategy, donor intelligence, partnership design, compliance, relationship management and evidence-based communication. Staff need to connect humanitarian needs, organisational strengths, programme budgets and donor requirements without compromising humanitarian principles or community accountability.

This course equips participants to design and manage practical fundraising and resource mobilisation systems for humanitarian and development programmes. Participants assess funding readiness, segment institutional and private donors, prepare donor profiles, build a resource mobilisation strategy, develop persuasive cases for support, and construct compliant concept notes and proposals. The course covers donor due diligence, partnership models, budgeting, cost recovery, grant compliance, donor reporting, digital fundraising, emergency appeals and relationship management. It uses recognised approaches including the Logical Framework Approach, Theory of Change, Core Humanitarian Standard and donor pipeline management.

Teaching combines focused briefings, sector cases, document reviews, group-based planning, donor simulations and structured peer feedback. Cases reflect the realities of humanitarian response, refugee assistance, public health, food security, climate adaptation and protection programming. Participants progressively develop a resource mobilisation package for a programme or organisation of their choice, including a funding analysis, donor pipeline, case for support, proposal outline, relationship plan and monitoring dashboard. They leave with reusable templates and a completed action plan suitable for immediate adaptation at work.

The course suits NGO managers, fundraising personnel, programme staff, partnership teams and grant management professionals who already work with projects, donors or organisational planning. It is particularly relevant for staff moving from programme delivery into institutional fundraising or resource mobilisation roles.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess organisational fundraising readiness using a structured resource mobilisation diagnostic
  • Develop a donor segmentation and prospecting model for humanitarian funding priorities
  • Design a resource mobilisation strategy with targets, income streams and accountability
  • Prepare a donor-ready case for support grounded in needs, evidence and outcomes
  • Construct compliant concept notes and proposals using logframes, budgets and donor criteria
  • Build donor relationship plans covering cultivation, stewardship and renewal actions
  • Apply grant compliance, cost recovery and reporting controls to funded programmes
  • Present a complete humanitarian resource mobilisation package for management review

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce stronger concept notes matched to donor priorities and decision criteria
  • Build confidence leading donor meetings, pitch discussions and funding negotiations
  • Create a credible fundraising portfolio for progression into business development roles
  • Improve proposal quality through clearer results logic, budgets and evidence
  • Manage donor relationships using planned cultivation and stewardship actions

For your organisation

  • Establish a more diversified and prioritised humanitarian funding pipeline
  • Increase proposal consistency through shared templates, review criteria and approval controls
  • Improve grant renewal prospects through stronger reporting and donor stewardship
  • Protect programme quality by aligning funding choices with strategy and capacity
  • Reduce compliance and reputational risks from unsuitable donors or poorly costed grants

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain how resource mobilisation supports principled humanitarian action and organisational sustainability.

  • Humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence as funding decision criteria
  • Resource mobilisation functions: income generation, partnerships, stewardship and accountability
  • Humanitarian funding architecture: bilateral, multilateral, pooled and private sources
  • Restricted, unrestricted and flexible funding implications for programme management
  • Funding lifecycle mapped from prospecting through grant closeout and renewal
  • Organisational mission, mandate and comparative advantage in donor positioning

Participants can diagnose organisational readiness and prioritise improvements before pursuing new funding.

  • Fundraising readiness diagnostic covering governance, systems, evidence and staffing
  • SWOT analysis focused on funding strengths, constraints, opportunities and threats
  • Assessing programme maturity, delivery capacity and geographic access evidence
  • Due diligence files: registration, policies, audits and safeguarding documentation
  • Income concentration analysis using donor, geography and sector exposure
  • Readiness improvement register with owners, deadlines and verification evidence

Participants can translate humanitarian needs and strategy into fundable priorities.

  • Humanitarian needs overview derived from assessments, secondary data and community feedback
  • Severity, scale and urgency criteria for prioritising funding opportunities
  • Response Analysis Framework linking needs, options, capacities and risks
  • Community participation evidence supporting relevance, ownership and accountability claims
  • Protection, gender, age and disability considerations within funding priorities
  • Priority programme portfolio aligned with organisational strategy and operational capacity

Participants can map relevant donors and identify realistic humanitarian funding routes.

  • Donor landscape map organised by mandate, geography, sector and instrument
  • Bilateral donor priorities interpreted through strategies, calls and portfolio patterns
  • Multilateral agencies, pooled funds and country-based funding mechanisms
  • Foundation funding models, thematic interests and decision-making structures
  • Corporate philanthropy, CSR budgets and disaster-response partnership opportunities
  • Local giving channels, diaspora networks and community fundraising potential

Participants can research, score and prioritise prospective donors using verifiable evidence.

  • Donor intelligence profile covering priorities, eligibility, contacts and funding history
  • Funding opportunity research using donor portals, databases and annual reports
  • Prospect scoring matrix for fit, access, value, timing and probability
  • Eligibility screening against registration, location, turnover and compliance requirements
  • Past award analysis identifying grant size, partners and programme preferences
  • Go, defer or decline decisions documented through opportunity qualification criteria

Participants can develop a measurable strategy for diversified humanitarian income.

  • Strategic income goals linked to programme plans and organisational sustainability
  • Funding diversification matrix balancing institutional, private and earned income
  • Theory of Change for resource mobilisation outcomes and organisational change
  • SMART fundraising targets by donor segment, programme and funding type
  • Pipeline stages, conversion assumptions and weighted income forecasting
  • Governance arrangements defining executive, programme and fundraising accountabilities

Participants can create a compelling case for support tailored to humanitarian donor audiences.

  • Value proposition articulating distinct capability, access and programme credibility
  • Problem statements supported by assessment findings, disaggregated data and trends
  • Beneficiary-centred messaging that protects dignity, agency and informed consent
  • Evidence hierarchy using evaluations, monitoring data, research and testimonies
  • Case for support structure: need, response, results, credibility and ask
  • Message matrix adapted for institutional, corporate, foundation and individual donors

Participants can shape programme concepts that meet humanitarian needs and donor expectations.

  • Problem tree analysis separating root causes, effects and contributing factors
  • Theory of Change assumptions tested against context, risks and stakeholder influence
  • Logical Framework Approach linking goal, outcomes, outputs and activities
  • SMART indicators with baselines, targets, sources and collection responsibilities
  • Cross-cutting design: protection, inclusion, gender, climate and conflict sensitivity
  • Sustainability and exit considerations within humanitarian and early-recovery programmes

Participants can prepare concise concept notes and present funding ideas convincingly.

  • Donor call analysis extracting mandatory requirements, scoring criteria and deadlines
  • Concept note architecture: context, need, solution, results, budget and partnership
  • Executive summaries written around donor priorities and decision-maker questions
  • Problem-solution-result narrative using evidence, logic and credible delivery claims
  • Verbal pitch structure for initial donor meetings and programme briefings
  • Objection handling for questions on feasibility, costs, risks and differentiation

Participants can manage a structured proposal process and improve bid quality before submission.

  • Proposal development plan assigning roles, inputs, reviews and approval gates
  • Compliance matrix translating donor instructions into proposal production tasks
  • Win themes connecting donor priorities with organisational strengths and evidence
  • Narrative coherence checks between needs, activities, indicators, budget and risks
  • Red-team review using scoring criteria, evaluator perspective and evidence checks
  • Submission checklist covering signatures, annexes, file formats and deadlines

Participants can develop defensible donor budgets and explain cost recovery choices.

  • Activity-based budgeting linked directly to workplans, outputs and implementation schedules
  • Direct cost calculations for staff, supplies, transport and service delivery
  • Indirect cost recovery policies, donor ceilings and allocation methodologies
  • Budget narrative explaining unit assumptions, procurement choices and cost drivers
  • Currency, inflation and contingency assumptions documented for volatile contexts
  • Budget-versus-narrative reconciliation before donor submission and internal approval

Participants can select partners and structure funding collaborations with clear responsibilities.

  • Partnership mapping across local NGOs, INGOs, government and private actors
  • Complementarity assessment covering access, technical expertise, systems and credibility
  • Consortium governance models: lead agency, co-lead and shared management
  • Partner due diligence covering safeguarding, finance, governance and delivery capacity
  • Memorandum of Understanding clauses for roles, resources, data and dispute resolution
  • Equitable partnership practices supporting local leadership and fair cost allocation

Participants can plan and manage donor relationships from initial contact through renewal.

  • Donor journey mapped from awareness, cultivation and solicitation to stewardship
  • Stakeholder mapping identifying influencers, decision-makers, champions and gatekeepers
  • Contact plans scheduling meetings, updates, site visits and strategic briefings
  • CRM data fields for contacts, interactions, interests, commitments and next actions
  • Donor meeting preparation using objectives, briefing notes, questions and follow-up
  • Stewardship communications demonstrating results, learning, challenges and responsible adaptation

Participants can establish controls that protect donor funds, communities and organisational reputation.

  • Grant agreement review identifying deliverables, restrictions, amendments and reporting dates
  • Donor due diligence screening for ethics, sanctions, conflicts and reputational risks
  • Anti-fraud controls covering segregation, approvals, documentation and investigations
  • Safeguarding commitments incorporated into proposals, partnerships and grant management
  • Data protection requirements for beneficiary information, donor records and consent
  • Compliance calendar tracking financial reports, narrative reports and audit obligations

Participants can produce donor reports that present results, learning and responsible use of funds.

  • Results monitoring plan linking indicators, collection methods, frequency and responsibilities
  • Data quality assessments checking validity, reliability, timeliness and integrity
  • Donor narrative reports structured around achievements, variances, risks and adaptations
  • Financial reporting reconciled with approved budgets, expenditure categories and explanations
  • Outcome stories selected with consent, verification and safeguarding safeguards
  • Learning briefs converting programme evidence into donor-facing strategic insight

Participants can organise a rapid, accountable fundraising response during humanitarian emergencies.

  • Rapid appeal triggers based on assessments, response capacity and funding gaps
  • Flash appeal messages balancing urgency, accuracy, dignity and operational realism
  • Emergency donor mapping for rapid-response windows, pooled funds and foundations
  • Minimum viable proposal package for urgent humanitarian funding requests
  • Crisis communications approval routes, spokespeople and misinformation controls
  • Surge fundraising plan covering staffing, decision rights and daily coordination

Participants can select ethical digital channels and measure public fundraising performance.

  • Digital channel selection based on audiences, objectives, costs and organisational capacity
  • Campaign funnel metrics: reach, conversion, average gift, retention and acquisition cost
  • Donation page design using clear asks, trust signals and accessible content
  • Email fundraising sequences for acquisition, conversion, acknowledgement and retention
  • Social media content calendars balancing appeals, evidence, updates and community voice
  • Ethical imagery standards protecting privacy, dignity, consent and contextual accuracy

Participants can make defensible funding decisions when donor conditions create ethical or strategic tensions.

  • Funding risk register covering concentration, compliance, delivery and reputational exposure
  • Ethical screening criteria for donor sources, conditions and public association
  • Humanitarian principles tested against restricted funding requirements and access constraints
  • Risk appetite statements guiding pursuit, acceptance, escalation and withdrawal decisions
  • Scenario analysis for delayed disbursement, donor withdrawal and programme disruption
  • Board reporting on income risks, pipeline health and strategic funding choices

Participants can monitor fundraising performance and improve decisions using meaningful management information.

  • Fundraising dashboard combining pipeline value, conversion, diversification and unrestricted income
  • Key performance indicators for prospecting, proposals, stewardship and grant renewals
  • Pipeline review meetings structured around decisions, blockers, owners and deadlines
  • Variance analysis comparing targets, forecasts, awards and actual cash receipts
  • After-action reviews following wins, losses, emergency appeals and donor exits
  • Annual resource mobilisation calendar aligned with donor cycles and organisational planning

Participants can build, review and present a complete resource mobilisation package for a humanitarian programme or organisation.

  • Funding readiness findings translated into prioritised organisational improvement actions
  • Donor landscape and prospect scoring used to select priority opportunities
  • Resource mobilisation strategy linking income targets, responsibilities and pipeline milestones
  • Case for support tailored to one defined donor audience
  • Concept note, logframe and budget assembled into a coherent funding proposition
  • Relationship plan, compliance controls and performance dashboard supporting implementation

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Resource mobilisation readiness diagnostic template
  2. Humanitarian donor landscape and prospect scoring matrix
  3. Three-year resource mobilisation strategy and pipeline model
  4. Donor-ready case for support template
  5. Concept note, logframe and budget development pack
  6. Donor relationship, compliance and reporting dashboard

Who should attend

  • Fundraising Managers — responsible for building reliable income pipelines and donor relationships
  • Programme Managers — required to convert programme priorities into fundable proposals
  • Business Development Officers — preparing bids, partnerships and donor engagement plans
  • Grants Managers — strengthening compliance, reporting quality and grant renewal prospects
  • Country Directors — aligning funding choices with strategy, risk appetite and programme capacity
  • Partnerships Officers — developing institutional, corporate and local funding relationships

Skills and tools covered

Donor prospect researchProposal developmentFunding strategy designGrant compliance managementDonor relationship managementHumanitarian budgeting

Tools and standards

Logical Framework Approach, Theory of Change, Core Humanitarian Standard, SWOT analysis

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish methods, followed by humanitarian cases, document analysis, group planning and individual application work. Participants assess sample donor calls, compare funding options, review concept notes, construct budgets and prepare donor engagement plans. Simulations include donor discovery conversations, proposal review panels and emergency appeal decisions. Trainers provide structured feedback against donor criteria and humanitarian standards. Participants apply each major tool to a live organisational priority or realistic case, building material for the final resource mobilisation package.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical experience in an NGO, civil society organisation, humanitarian agency, social enterprise or development programme. They should understand basic project planning, budgets and the purpose of donor-funded grants. Experience drafting proposals or managing donors is helpful but not essential. Participants should be able to discuss their organisation’s programmes, target communities, current funding sources and operational constraints. No finance qualification, specialist fundraising certification, advanced writing background or prior experience with international donors is required. The course explains the technical terms and templates used.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should understand basic NGO or humanitarian programme work and be familiar with project plans and budgets. Previous fundraising or proposal-writing experience is useful but not required.

Participants should bring a laptop and, where possible, a current programme summary, strategic plan, donor list or recent proposal. Sensitive documents can be anonymised before use in class.

The course is designed for fundraising, business development, programme, grants, partnerships and senior management personnel in NGOs and humanitarian agencies. It also suits staff preparing to take on donor-facing responsibilities.

Proposal writing is one component of the course. The wider programme addresses funding strategy, donor research, relationship management, partnerships, budgeting, compliance, reporting and income diversification.

Participants build a resource mobilisation package around a real organisational priority or realistic humanitarian case. The templates can be adapted for donor mapping, concept development, pipeline reviews and grant management on return to work.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes funding strategy, donor intelligence and proposal design; the second week covers relationships, compliance, emergency funding, performance management and the capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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