How to Write a Proposal for Donor Funding
Find the right call, decide whether to bid, and write a clear, costed, compliant grant proposal that a donor panel can score highly and fund.
What you'll learn
- Explain the main types of donors and funding, and choose between a grant, a challenge fund and a loan for your situation
- Read a call for proposals closely and make a reasoned go or no-go decision using a simple scorecard
- Write a needs statement backed by evidence and a theory of change that links activities to results
- Build a logical framework with SMART objectives, outputs, indicators, means of verification and assumptions
- Prepare a project budget and budget narrative that show eligible costs, value for money and co-financing
- Describe organisational capacity, sustainability, risks, safeguarding, and gender and inclusion in ways reviewers score well
- Write a two-page concept note and run a compliance check before submission
- Manage follow-up, contracting and reporting once a grant is awarded
Who this course is for
- Owners and managers of MSMEs and social enterprises looking for grants or challenge fund money
- Staff and volunteers of NGOs and community-based organisations who write or support proposals
- Programme officers and consultants who want a clear, repeatable method for proposal writing
- Youth and women's groups, cooperatives and associations applying to foundations, development partners or government funds
Course content
8 sections · 43 lessons · 7h 26mStart here: welcome to proposal writing 3 lessons · 16 min
Module 1: The funding world and the go or no-go decision 6 lessons · 1h
Module 2: The problem, the evidence and your theory of change 6 lessons · 54 min
Module 3: Logframe, objectives and the M&E plan 6 lessons · 57 min
Module 4: The budget and the budget narrative 6 lessons · 57 min
Module 5: Capacity, sustainability, risk, safeguarding and inclusion 6 lessons · 1h 1m
Module 6: Writing, the concept note, submission and after 6 lessons · 1h 2m
Final module: your proposal, start to finish 4 lessons · 1h 19m
Before you start
- Good reading and writing in English
- Basic use of a word processor and a spreadsheet
- Ideally, a real organisation or project idea you want to fund, so you can apply each module as you go
About this course
Every year, small businesses, social enterprises, NGOs and community groups across Ghana miss out on grant money they could have won. Sometimes the idea is weak. Far more often the idea is good and the proposal lets it down: the problem is described with feeling but no evidence, the objectives cannot be measured, the budget does not match the activities, or a required annex is missing and the application is rejected before anyone reads it.
This course teaches you to write proposals the way reviewers read them. It is written by a trainer who has helped Ghanaian organisations prepare grant applications and has sat on the other side of the table scoring them. You will learn how the funding world works, how to read a call for proposals line by line, and how to make an honest go or no-go decision before you spend two weeks writing.
You will then build each part of a proposal: the needs statement, the theory of change, the logical framework, objectives and outputs, the monitoring and evaluation plan, the budget and budget narrative, organisational capacity, sustainability, risk, safeguarding, and gender and inclusion. You will also learn to write a short concept note, check compliance before you press submit, and manage the grant once the money arrives.
Throughout the course you will follow one organisation, a women's shea butter cooperative near Bolgatanga, from a call for proposals to a finished mini-proposal with a full budget. Every figure is worked through so you can copy the method.
You finish with a sample proposal, reusable templates and sample wording, and a personal action plan for your next application.
Your instructor
SkillsPillar Faculty
Practitioners and trainers in strategy, public service, enterprise and workplace compliance
SkillsPillar courses are written by practitioners who have trained graduates, managers, public servants and business owners across Ghana. Every course is built around real situations, practical tools and activities that test judgement, not memory.
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Frequently asked
How do I pay for a course?
Pay securely with MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money, Visa or Mastercard through Hubtel. You get access straight after payment.
How long do I have access?
For life. Once you enrol, the course stays in your account and you can learn at your own pace, including any updates we make.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Finish every lesson in a course and a certificate is issued automatically. Each one has a QR code and a public link employers can use to check it.
Can I learn on my phone?
Yes. Everything works on a phone, tablet or computer, and your progress follows you between devices.
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