Grant Proposal Writing & Donor Fundraising Training Course

Successful fundraising requires far more than a strong project idea. Organisations must understand what donors want, design projects that address those priorities, and communicate their value through clear, persuasive and evidence based proposals. This five day course equips participants with the practical knowledge and skills required to identify funding opportunities, interpret donor requirements, develop compelling concept notes, prepare competitive grant proposals and produce high quality applications that meet international donor standards. Throughout the programme, participants will work on a real funding opportunity and complete a proposal that is ready for submission.

Access to donor funding has become increasingly competitive as development organisations, government agencies, charities and social enterprises compete for limited financial resources. Donors are looking for proposals that demonstrate strategic alignment, measurable impact, sound project planning, financial accountability and a clear understanding of the communities being served. Many promising projects fail to attract funding because their proposals do not respond effectively to donor priorities or present a convincing case for investment.

This programme treats proposal writing as a strategic resource mobilisation skill rather than simply a writing exercise. Participants will learn how to identify suitable funding opportunities, analyse donor priorities, design fundable projects, write compelling narratives, prepare realistic budgets and develop logical results frameworks. Using real funding calls from bilateral agencies, multilateral institutions, development partners and philanthropic foundations operating across Africa, participants will gain practical experience in producing proposals that are competitive, compliant and ready for submission.

• Identify funding opportunities that align with organisational priorities
• Analyse donor strategies, funding criteria and proposal requirements
• Develop persuasive concept notes that increase the likelihood of progressing to full proposals
• Prepare well structured and compelling grant proposals
• Write clear problem statements supported by credible evidence
• Develop logical theories of change and results frameworks
• Design implementation plans that demonstrate feasibility and impact
• Prepare realistic project budgets and budget narratives
• Tailor proposals to different donor expectations and funding mechanisms
• Apply practical techniques that improve proposal quality and funding success
• Produce a complete submission ready proposal for a real funding opportunity

This course is designed for:

• NGO and development sector fundraising and programme staff
• Grant writers and business development officers
• Executive directors and programme leads seeking funding
• Public sector officials pursuing donor or multilateral funding
• Social enterprise founders seeking grant funding

The course is built around developing a real proposal, delivered through:

• Facilitator-led sessions on donor research and proposal structure
• Live donor research exercises applied to a real funding opportunity
• Case studies of funded and rejected proposals
• Concept note and proposal drafting workshops
• Peer review and critique of draft proposals
• A complete, submission-ready proposal built across the week

Organisations that invest in this training can expect:

• Higher win rates on grant and donor funding applications
• More efficient use of limited business development time
• Stronger alignment between proposals and actual donor priorities
• More credible, evidence-based cases for support
• Reduced dependence on a small number of overstretched proposal writers
• A stronger institutional proposal writing standard

Participants who enrol in this training will benefit from:

• A practical framework for researching and writing to donor priorities
• Confidence structuring a compelling concept note and proposal
• Stronger persuasive writing skills
• A complete, submission-ready proposal
• A stronger professional profile in fundraising and business development
• Participants who complete this programme will gain:

At Strategic Revenue Africa, our certification goes beyond proof of attendance—it represents practical competence and measurable capability. Upon successful completion of our training programs, participants are awarded a Certificate of Achievement from Strategic Revenue Africa, recognizing their ability to apply acquired knowledge in real-world settings. As an organization focused on architecting sustainable revenue and strengthening organizational performance, our certifications signal that participants are equipped with skills that drive results, not just theory.

No prior grant writing experience is required. This course suits fundraising, programme and business development staff. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a real, current funding opportunity to develop a proposal for.