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

Proposal Writing and Grant Acquisition Training Course

Course Introduction

Proposal Writing and Grant Acquisition is a comprehensive professional training course designed to equip grant writers, project managers, fundraising professionals, NGO leaders, program officers, development practitioners, researchers, and resource mobilization specialists with the practical skills required to develop winning proposals and secure funding from bilateral donors, multilateral agencies, foundations, corporations, and international development partners. The course focuses on proposal development, donor mapping, grant acquisition strategies, concept note preparation, project design, logical framework development, budgeting, donor compliance, and resource mobilization. As competition for donor funding continues to increase globally, organizations require highly skilled professionals capable of developing compelling, evidence-based, and results-oriented funding proposals.

The course provides participants with a thorough understanding of the grant acquisition cycle, donor priorities, funding opportunity identification, proposal planning, stakeholder engagement, project design methodologies, and proposal writing techniques. Participants will learn how to conduct needs assessments, develop problem statements, formulate project objectives, design results frameworks, prepare implementation plans, and create persuasive proposals that align with donor expectations. Through practical exercises and real-world case studies, participants will gain hands-on experience in preparing competitive grant applications and funding proposals.

The training further explores donor relationship management, proposal budgeting, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, sustainability planning, risk analysis, compliance requirements, and proposal review processes. Participants will strengthen their ability to respond to funding opportunities, improve proposal quality, increase grant success rates, and establish sustainable resource mobilization systems. The course emphasizes international best practices in proposal development, grant management, accountability, transparency, and donor engagement.

By integrating theoretical concepts with practical applications, this course enables participants to strengthen organizational fundraising capacity, improve grant acquisition performance, diversify funding sources, and support long-term organizational sustainability. Participants will leave the course with practical tools, templates, and action plans for developing high-quality proposals that attract donor investment and achieve development impact.

Course Objectives

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

1.     Understand the principles and processes of proposal writing and grant acquisition.

2.     Identify and analyze donor funding opportunities effectively.

3.     Conduct needs assessments and project design processes.

4.     Develop compelling concept notes and project proposals.

5.     Design logical frameworks and results-based management systems.

6.     Prepare realistic and donor-compliant project budgets.

7.     Develop monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks.

8.     Strengthen donor engagement and relationship management.

9.     Improve proposal competitiveness and funding success rates.

10.  Develop sustainable grant acquisition and resource mobilization strategies.

Organization Benefits

Organizations sponsoring participants will benefit through:

1.     Increased success in securing grants and donor funding.

2.     Enhanced proposal development and project design capacity.

3.     Improved resource mobilization and fundraising performance.

4.     Stronger donor relationships and engagement.

5.     Improved project planning and implementation quality.

6.     Enhanced organizational sustainability and growth.

7.     Increased competitiveness in funding opportunities.

8.     Better alignment with donor priorities and requirements.

9.     Improved monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems.

10.  Strengthened institutional capacity and development impact.

Target Participants

This course is suitable for:

·       Grant writers and proposal development specialists.

·       Fundraising and resource mobilization officers.

·       Program and project managers.

·       NGO and civil society organization staff.

·       Development practitioners and consultants.

·       Researchers and academics.

·       Monitoring and evaluation professionals.

·       Executive directors and senior managers.

·       Partnership and donor relations officers.

·       Community development professionals.

·       Social enterprise managers.

·       Humanitarian and development project personnel.

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Proposal Writing and Grant Acquisition

·       Fundamentals of proposal writing

·       Understanding the grant acquisition cycle

·       Donor funding landscape overview

·       Types of funding opportunities

·       Proposal development process

·       Best practices in grant acquisition

Case Study: Assessing funding opportunities for a community development organization.

Module 2: Donor Mapping and Funding Opportunity Identification

·       Donor research techniques

·       Mapping bilateral and multilateral donors

·       Foundation and corporate donor analysis

·       Understanding donor priorities

·       Funding opportunity tracking systems

·       Building donor intelligence databases

Case Study: Identifying suitable donors for a health and education project.

Module 3: Needs Assessment and Project Design

·       Situation analysis methodologies

·       Stakeholder analysis techniques

·       Problem identification and prioritization

·       Needs assessment tools

·       Designing evidence-based interventions

·       Theory of change development

Case Study: Conducting a needs assessment for a rural development initiative.

Module 4: Proposal Development and Concept Note Writing

·       Proposal structure and components

·       Writing effective concept notes

·       Developing problem statements

·       Defining goals, objectives, and outcomes

·       Writing persuasive narratives

·       Proposal quality assurance techniques

Case Study: Preparing a concept note for donor funding consideration.

Module 5: Logical Frameworks, Results Frameworks and Budgeting

·       Logical framework development

·       Results-based management principles

·       Performance indicators and targets

·       Activity planning and scheduling

·       Budget preparation and justification

·       Cost-effectiveness analysis

Case Study: Developing a logical framework and budget for a donor-funded project.

Module 6: Grant Submission, Compliance and Sustainability Planning

·       Proposal submission requirements

·       Donor compliance considerations

·       Risk assessment and mitigation planning

·       Sustainability and exit strategies

·       Proposal review and evaluation processes

·       Developing grant acquisition action plans

Case Study: Managing proposal submission and donor feedback processes.

Module 7: Advanced Proposal Writing Techniques

·       Writing executive summaries

·       Developing compelling project narratives

·       Evidence-based proposal development

·       Integrating research findings into proposals

·       Storytelling for donor engagement

·       Enhancing proposal competitiveness

Case Study: Improving proposal quality to increase funding success rates.

Module 8: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Frameworks

·       Monitoring and evaluation planning

·       Indicator development and measurement

·       Data collection methodologies

·       Learning and adaptive management

·       Reporting requirements

·       Impact measurement approaches

Case Study: Designing an M&E framework for a donor-funded project.

Module 9: Donor Engagement and Relationship Management

·       Building donor relationships

·       Communication and engagement strategies

·       Donor stewardship practices

·       Partnership development approaches

·       Negotiation and collaboration skills

·       Managing donor expectations

Case Study: Strengthening relationships with long-term funding partners.

Module 10: Resource Mobilization and Fundraising Integration

·       Resource mobilization strategies

·       Diversifying funding sources

·       Corporate fundraising approaches

·       Philanthropic giving opportunities

·       Crowdfunding and digital fundraising

·       Strategic fundraising planning

Case Study: Developing a diversified funding strategy for an NGO.

Module 11: Proposal Review, Evaluation and Quality Assurance

·       Proposal review methodologies

·       Donor evaluation criteria

·       Compliance checks and assessments

·       Quality assurance frameworks

·       Peer review techniques

·       Continuous improvement practices

Case Study: Conducting a proposal quality review before submission.

Module 12: Strategic Grant Acquisition Planning

·       Developing grant acquisition roadmaps

·       Organizational capacity assessment

·       Building proposal development teams

·       Knowledge management systems

·       Long-term funding sustainability planning

·       Developing organizational grant acquisition action plans

Case Study: Creating a strategic grant acquisition framework for organizational growth.

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.