Fundraising & Proposal Writing Trainer

OVERVIEW of the main objectives

This consultancy is expected to equip participants with a solid understanding of fundraising and proposal writing processes, and also to address the challenges faced by professionals in fundraising and professional writing in a way that allows applying the acquired knowledge to practical work.

After the training, participants should have the competencies needed to create a fundraising strategy and professionally write concept notes/ proposals in the humanitarian context through active and participatory learning of the best process for reporting which will reduce wasted time and deadline stress and lead to writing that has a more significant impact on fundraising.

Moreover, Asmae aims to provide partners’ staff with the required skills and tools in order for them to be able to create an effective fundraising strategy among their organization to eventually provide quality proposals.

Methodology and Topics

The following topics are expected to be covered during interactive physical training, noting that the consultant could provide suggestions to adjust the topics or the flow of the training:

• Understanding and developing fundraising strategies

• Fundraising Strategies and Planning
• Identifying potential donors and funding opportunities
• Donor Relationship Building
• Online Fundraising and Crowdfunding
• Leveraging digital platforms for fundraising
• Managing donor databases and tracking progress
• Strategies for finding relevant funding opportunities
• Understanding donor priorities and requirements
• New trends in the humanitarian sector
• Go / no go decision
• Identify staff roles in fundraising efforts

• Understanding the Basics of Proposal Writing linked to fundraising

• Introduction to proposal writing
• Key components of a successful proposal
• Different types of proposals and their purposes
• Building partnerships and collaborations for joint proposals
• Collaborative Proposal Development
• How to tailor proposals to fit specific funding sources

• Developing a proposal steps, sections and methodologies:

• Writing a clear and concise executive summary
• Articulating the organization's mission and vision effectively
• Outlining goals, objectives, and expected outcomes
• Identifying the problem and its significance
• Presenting evidence and data to support the proposal
• Demonstrating the organization's capacity to implement the project
• Describing the project activities and timeline
• The importance of a thorough proposal review
• Preparing proposal packages for submission
• Meeting submission deadlines and following donor guidelines

• Budgeting and Resource Planning

• Preparing a detailed project budget with a narrative budget
• Envelops and distributions (partners)
• Demonstrating cost-effectiveness and efficiency
• Resources allocations, regulation, and compliance

• Organizational Capacity and Sustainability

• Demonstrating the organization's capabilities and expertise
• Outlining strategies for project sustainability beyond the funding period
• Strategies for long-term financial sustainability
• Developing clear exit strategies for donor-funded projects
• Fostering local ownership and community engagement

• Risk Assessment and Mitigation

• Identifying potential project risks and challenges
• Developing risk mitigation strategies in proposals
• Demonstrating flexibility and adaptability in uncertain environments

• Feedback and Follow-Up with Funders

• Navigating post-submission communication with funders
• Incorporating funder feedback into proposal revisions
• Strategies for successful proposal resubmission, if required
• Learning from both successful and unsuccessful proposals

• Logical Framework Approach (LogFrame) in Proposal Design

• Understanding the components of a Logical Framework
• Developing clear project objectives, outcomes, outputs, and activities
• Differentiating between outputs, outcomes, and impacts
• Methods for assessing long-term project impact
• Linking the LogFrame to the proposal narrative and budget

• Indicators and Measurement in Proposal Writing

• Defining SMART indicators for project success
• Understanding qualitative and quantitative data
• Incorporating reliable data sources and data collection methods

• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework

• The importance of M&E in project implementation
• Designing an effective M&E plan
• Utilizing M&E findings for adaptive management
• Outcome and Impact Assessments and evaluations

• Ethical Considerations in Fundraising and Proposal Writing

• Understanding ethical guidelines and best practices
• Avoiding conflicts of interest and misrepresentations
• Maintaining transparency and accountability throughout the process

Target Participants

The training will be provided to Officers involved in Humanitarian work and fundraising, Projects Managers and Grants managers and MEAL Managers. (15-18 participants in total)

Tasks and expected deliverables

Deliverable

Deadlines

Kick-off meeting with Asmae to establish an understanding of the scope of the assignment

August 23

Inception report including detailed plan and material of training

August 31

Approval of the inception report from Asmae

September 13

Training implementation + case studies

September 18 - 21

Feedback on case studies (4 partners)

September 27

Final report + recommendations

September 29

Other Information

• Asmae will be responsible for providing the venue in Beirut and refreshments.
• 18 participants from humanitarian
• Training should be provided in English; however, explanation of concepts and discussion could be in Arabic.
• Training materials should be shared with the trainees after the training
• Follow-up after the training may be required

Qualifications

This is a freelance post for individuals or companies with the below minimum requirements:

• hold a degree in business management, Social sciences, or any other related field;
• Minimum of 5 years in local community development work;
• Minimum of 5 years in providing training;
• Proven track record of successful work in a similar field;
• Strong communication and facilitation skills,
• Understanding of different participants’ backgrounds, and cultures taking into consideration gender sensitivity.
• Fluency in Arabic and English language skills: Written skills – proposal writing.
• Adherence to deadlines;