Format: Live instructor-led online training via Zoom / Microsoft Teams

Donor Relations and Fundraising Training Course

Course Overview

The Donor Relations and Fundraising Training Course is a comprehensive professional development program designed to equip nonprofit leaders, fundraising professionals, project managers, development practitioners, NGO staff, grant managers, and resource mobilization specialists with the practical knowledge and skills required to build sustainable donor partnerships, secure funding, and strengthen organizational resource mobilization strategies. In an increasingly competitive funding environment, organizations must adopt innovative fundraising approaches, strengthen donor engagement, diversify funding sources, and demonstrate measurable impact to attract and retain donors. This course provides participants with practical tools and techniques for effective donor management, fundraising planning, grant acquisition, proposal development, and relationship building.

The course focuses on donor mapping, fundraising strategy development, donor stewardship, grant writing, corporate partnerships, philanthropic giving, crowdfunding, institutional fundraising, resource mobilization, donor compliance, communication strategies, and fundraising performance measurement. Participants will learn how to identify potential funding opportunities, develop compelling funding proposals, cultivate long-term donor relationships, and align organizational priorities with donor interests. The training emphasizes evidence-based fundraising, donor engagement best practices, and sustainable financing models that support organizational growth and program impact.

Participants will gain hands-on experience in fundraising campaign design, proposal development, donor reporting, partnership management, negotiation skills, communication planning, and fundraising analytics. Through practical exercises, simulations, and case studies, participants will explore modern fundraising trends including digital fundraising, social media campaigns, impact storytelling, corporate social responsibility partnerships, major donor engagement, and donor retention strategies. The course also addresses donor accountability, transparency, compliance requirements, and relationship management techniques that strengthen organizational credibility and funding sustainability.

Upon successful completion, participants will be able to design and implement effective fundraising strategies, improve donor acquisition and retention, strengthen resource mobilization systems, increase grant success rates, and build strategic partnerships that support long-term organizational sustainability. The course empowers organizations to secure diverse funding streams, strengthen stakeholder confidence, and achieve greater development impact through effective donor relations and fundraising management.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1.     Understand principles and practices of donor relations and fundraising.

2.     Develop comprehensive fundraising and resource mobilization strategies.

3.     Conduct donor mapping and prospect research.

4.     Build and maintain effective donor relationships.

5.     Develop winning grant proposals and funding applications.

6.     Manage donor compliance and reporting requirements.

7.     Design and implement fundraising campaigns.

8.     Strengthen corporate and philanthropic partnerships.

9.     Utilize digital fundraising and communication platforms.

10.  Measure and improve fundraising performance and sustainability.

Organizational Benefits

Organizations sponsoring participants will benefit through:

1.     Increased funding opportunities and revenue generation.

2.     Stronger donor engagement and retention.

3.     Enhanced grant proposal success rates.

4.     Improved resource mobilization capacity.

5.     Diversified funding sources and reduced financial risk.

6.     Stronger donor compliance and reporting systems.

7.     Enhanced organizational credibility and visibility.

8.     Improved partnership development and stakeholder engagement.

9.     Greater sustainability of programs and projects.

10.  Increased organizational impact and long-term growth.

Target Participants

This course is suitable for:

·       Fundraising Managers and Officers

·       Resource Mobilization Specialists

·       NGO and INGO Staff

·       Program and Project Managers

·       Grant Writers and Proposal Developers

·       Development Practitioners

·       Executive Directors and CEOs

·       Partnership and Business Development Officers

·       Corporate Social Responsibility Managers

·       Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists

·       Communications and Public Relations Officers

·       Donor Relations Officers

·       Community Development Practitioners

·       Consultants and Advisors

·       Development Agency Staff

Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Donor Relations and Fundraising

1.     Principles of fundraising and resource mobilization

2.     Understanding donor landscapes and funding trends

3.     Types of donors and funding mechanisms

4.     Strategic fundraising planning

5.     Ethics and accountability in fundraising

6.     Case Study: Developing a successful fundraising strategy

Module 2: Donor Mapping, Prospect Research, and Relationship Management

1.     Donor identification and prospect research

2.     Donor segmentation and prioritization

3.     Building donor engagement strategies

4.     Donor stewardship and retention

5.     Communication and relationship management techniques

6.     Case Study: Cultivating long-term donor partnerships

Module 3: Grant Writing and Proposal Development

1.     Understanding donor requirements and funding guidelines

2.     Proposal design and logical framework development

3.     Budget preparation and financial justification

4.     Writing compelling narratives and impact statements

5.     Proposal review and submission processes

6.     Case Study: Developing a successful grant proposal

Module 4: Fundraising Campaigns and Resource Mobilization Strategies

1.     Fundraising campaign planning and implementation

2.     Digital fundraising and online giving platforms

3.     Corporate fundraising and sponsorship programs

4.     Events-based fundraising strategies

5.     Crowdfunding and social media fundraising

6.     Case Study: Managing a multi-channel fundraising campaign

Module 5: Donor Compliance, Reporting, and Accountability

1.     Donor compliance requirements

2.     Financial management and grant accountability

3.     Donor reporting and performance tracking

4.     Monitoring and evaluation for donor-funded projects

5.     Risk management and transparency practices

6.     Case Study: Strengthening donor confidence through accountability

Module 6: Strategic Partnerships and Sustainable Fundraising

1.     Partnership development and collaboration

2.     Corporate social responsibility engagement

3.     Philanthropic and foundation fundraising

4.     Sustainability planning and diversified funding models

5.     Measuring fundraising effectiveness and impact

6.     Case Study: Building sustainable funding portfolios

General Information

1.     Customized Training: All our courses can be tailored to meet the specific needs of participants.

2.     Language Proficiency: Participants should have a good command of the English language.

3.     Comprehensive Learning: Our training includes well-structured presentations, practical exercises, web-based tutorials, and collaborative group work. Our facilitators are seasoned experts with over a decade of experience.

4.     Certification: Upon successful completion of training, participants will receive a certificate from Foscore Development Center (FDC-K).

5.     Training Locations: Training sessions are conducted at Foscore Development Center (FDC-K) centers. We also offer options for in-house and online training, customized to the client's schedule.

6.     Flexible Duration: Course durations are adaptable, and content can be adjusted to fit the required number of days.

7.     Onsite Training Inclusions: The course fee for onsite training covers facilitation, training materials, two coffee breaks, a buffet lunch, and a Certificate of Successful Completion. Participants are responsible for their travel expenses, airport transfers, visa applications, dinners, health/accident insurance, and personal expenses.

8.     Additional Services: Accommodation, pickup services, freight booking, and visa processing arrangements are available upon request at discounted rates.

9.     Equipment: Tablets and laptops can be provided to participants at an additional cost.

10.  Post-Training Support: We offer one year of free consultation and coaching after the course.

11.  Group Discounts: Register as a group of more than two and enjoy a discount ranging from 10% to 50%.

12.  Payment Terms: Payment should be made before the commencement of the training or as mutually agreed upon, to the Foscore Development Center account. This ensures better preparation for your training.

13.  Contact Us: For any inquiries, please reach out to us at training@fdc-k.org or call us at +254712260031.

14.  Website: Visit our website at www.fdc-k.org for more information.