Skilled Grantseeker Complete Programme

Cluster One - Understanding the Audited Accounts of a UK Foundation:  This cluster covers key sections such as the Trustees Report, Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet, Notes to the Accounts, and Grant Lists. The workshops progress from introductory to advanced levels, focusing on how to interpret complex accounts, make predictions for the future, and answer numerical and factual inquiries from stakeholders.

Cluster Two - Writing for Impact: This cluster focuses on essential writing techniques for fundraisers developing appeals to various donors. The cluster covers the use of empathy, logical storytelling, brevity, creating memorable writing, and infographics. You will learn how to construct persuasive stories using empathy and tools like the "Disney Method," to reduce word counts effectively and emphasise key points to enhance proposals. 

Cluster Three - Bid Writing Boot Camp: This cluster covers essential aspects of project design, including content quality and project planning. You will also learn about developing a Theory of Change and how to incorporate it it into proposals. The principles of monitoring and evaluation will be explored as well as how to use change management techniques to assist in building a bid development team. 

Cluster Four - Stewardship Toolkit: This cluster focuses on successful donor stewardship techniques. It begins with networking to reach new donors and covers developing rapport, negotiating, and asking for money. The sessions emphasise the importance of building relationships and provide practical skills for engaging with donors effectively. They cover topics such as networking, building rapport, negotiating, and asking for money. The aim is to equip fundraisers with the necessary skills to meet donors and secure funding across various contexts, including foundations, government representatives, corporates, and individuals.

Cluster Five - Planning: This cluster is designed for managers involved in high-value fundraising operations, including foundations, corporations, and major donors. It is also relevant for fundraisers handling complex donor portfolios. You will learn about target setting formulas based on evidence, ensuring accurate targets, how to develop a prospect pipeline and establish a tracking system for high-value donors, create donor development plans through proactive management of valuable relationships, and finally, setting KPIs and tracking progress, emphasising lead indicators of fundraising success and selecting appropriate monitoring options.