Proposal Writing and Budget Development for Humanitarian Grants Training Course
Introduction
This intensive 5-day training course provides a comprehensive and practical exploration of Proposal Writing and Budget Development for Humanitarian Grants. In a world of escalating crises and competing funding priorities, the ability to craft compelling and meticulously budgeted proposals is paramount for securing the resources needed to deliver life-saving aid. This program will equip participants with the essential knowledge and strategic skills to transform humanitarian needs into well-structured, persuasive narratives, and to translate programmatic plans into accurate, defensible, and donor-compliant financial blueprints, ensuring their interventions can be effectively funded and implemented.
The course goes beyond generic proposal development, focusing specifically on the unique demands and considerations of the humanitarian sector, where urgency, context-specificity, and accountability are key. Through interactive writing workshops, hands-on budget creation exercises, and in-depth discussions on major donor requirements and common pitfalls, attendees will learn to articulate clear problem statements, design logical frameworks, develop realistic cost projections, and present a compelling case for support that resonates with funders. Whether you are a program manager, grants officer, business development professional, or a new entrant to the humanitarian sector, this program offers an unparalleled opportunity to master the critical aspects of proposal writing and budget development for humanitarian grants.
Duration: 5 days
Target Audience:
- Program Managers and Coordinators in Humanitarian Organizations
- Grants and Proposal Development Officers
- Business Development and Resource Mobilization Staff
- Finance Officers and Budgeting Specialists
- Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialists involved in proposal design
- Field-Based Project Teams
- New Staff in Humanitarian Aid seeking to build core skills
- Consultants in Humanitarian Program Design
Objectives:
- To provide a comprehensive understanding of the humanitarian proposal development process from needs assessment to submission.
- To equip participants with advanced skills in crafting compelling and coherent humanitarian proposal narratives.
- To understand the principles and best practices of developing realistic, justified, and donor-compliant budgets for humanitarian projects.
- To develop proficiency in linking programmatic objectives to financial resources and demonstrating value for money.
- To explore strategies for effective donor engagement, managing feedback, and improving proposal success rates.
Course Modules:
Introduction
- The importance of effective proposal writing in securing humanitarian funding.
- The competitive landscape of humanitarian grants and the need for standout proposals.
- Overview of the humanitarian project cycle and where proposal development fits.
- Key elements of a successful humanitarian grant proposal.
- Course objectives and an outline of the modules.
Understanding the Humanitarian Grant Landscape and Donor Requirements
- Donor Mapping and Research: Identifying relevant funding opportunities and donor priorities.
- Understanding Donor Guidelines: Interpreting Requests for Applications (RFAs), Calls for Proposals (CFPs), and specific templates.
- Types of Funding Instruments: Grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, pooled funds.
- Key Donor Priorities: Specific sectors (WASH, Food Security, Health), cross-cutting themes (Protection, Gender, Climate Change).
- Relationship building with potential donors and understanding their strategic focus.
Crafting a Compelling Proposal Narrative
- Problem Statement and Needs Assessment: Clearly articulating the humanitarian problem, its severity, and affected populations using evidence.
- Logical Framework Approach (LogFrame): Developing clear objectives, activities, outputs, outcomes, and indicators.
- Intervention Design and Methodology: Describing the proposed activities, their rationale, and how they will achieve objectives.
- Capacity and Experience: Demonstrating organizational expertise, past performance, and local presence.
- Risk Analysis and Mitigation: Identifying potential risks and outlining strategies to address them.
Budgeting Principles for Humanitarian Proposals
- Principles of Sound Budgeting: Accuracy, realism, allowability, allocability, consistency.
- Cost Classification: Understanding direct costs, indirect costs (overheads), and administrative costs.
- Budget Structure: Developing a clear and logical budget format (e.g., by activity, by cost category).
- Unit Costing: Breaking down costs to the most granular level (e.g., cost per beneficiary, per shelter kit).
- Incorporating contingencies and flexibility for emergency contexts.
Developing a Detailed Programmatic Budget
- Personnel Costs: Salaries, benefits, allowances for project staff (field and support).
- Travel and Per Diems: Justifying travel, rates, and adherence to organizational policies.
- Procurement of Goods and Services: Budgeting for supplies, equipment, and contractual services (e.g., consultants, local partners).
- Logistics and Operational Costs: Transportation, warehousing, security, communication, rent.
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Costs: Allocating resources for assessments, data collection, and reporting.
Writing a Strong Budget Justification
- Purpose of the Budget Justification: Explaining the necessity and reasonableness of each cost.
- Narrative Alignment: Ensuring consistency between the budget figures and the narrative proposal.
- Quantifying and Explaining: Providing clear calculations, unit costs, and rationale for each line item.
- Value for Money (VfM): Demonstrating economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and equity in resource utilization.
- Addressing potential donor questions and anticipated concerns in the justification.
Cross-Cutting Themes and Compliance in Budgeting
- Gender and Inclusion Costing: Budgeting for specific activities and resources to ensure gender equality and inclusivity.
- Environmental Considerations: Costing for environmentally sound practices and impact mitigation.
- Protection and Safeguarding: Budgeting for PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) measures, security, and staff well-being.
- Audit and Compliance Costs: Allocating resources for external audits and internal compliance measures.
- Understanding donor-specific rules on eligible vs. ineligible costs.
Proposal Review, Submission, and Learning
- Internal Review Processes: Peer review, technical review, finance review, senior management approval.
- Donor Feedback and Revisions: Responding constructively to feedback and making necessary adjustments.
- Submission Protocols: Navigating online portals, deadlines, and technical requirements.
- Learning from Successes and Failures: Analyzing proposal outcomes to improve future submissions.
- Building a proposal development team and fostering collaboration.
CERTIFICATION
- Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate
TRAINING VENUE
- Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.
AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION
- Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request
TERMS OF PAYMENT
Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com
Proposal Writing And Budget Development For Humanitarian Grants Training Course in Uzbekistan
| Dates | Fees | Location | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25/08/2025 - 29/08/2025 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 01/09/2025 - 05/09/2025 | $4,000 | Johannesburg |
|
| 15/09/2025 - 19/09/2025 | $2,900 | Kigali |
|
| 22/09/2025 - 26/09/2025 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 06/10/2025 - 10/10/2025 | $4,950 | Instanbul |
|
| 20/10/2025 - 24/10/2025 | $1,750 | Mombasa |
|
| 27/10/2025 - 31/10/2025 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 03/11/2025 - 07/11/2025 | $4,000 | Pretoria |
|
| 17/11/2025 - 21/11/2025 | $2,900 | Kigali |
|
| 24/11/2025 - 21/11/2025 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 01/12/2025 - 05/12/2025 | $1,750 | Mombasa |
|
| 08/12/2025 - 12/12/2025 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 05/01/2026 - 09/01/2026 | $4,950 | Dubai |
|
| 19/01/2026 - 23/01/2026 | $2,900 | Kigali |
|
| 26/01/2026 - 30/01/2026 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 02/02/2026 - 06/02/2026 | $4,000 | Johannesburg |
|
| 16/02/2026 - 20/02/2026 | $1,750 | Mombasa |
|
| 23/02/2026 - 27/02/2026 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 02/03/2026 - 06/03/2026 | $4,950 | Instanbul |
|
| 16/03/2026 - 20/03/2026 | $2,900 | Kigali |
|
| 23/03/2026 - 27/03/2026 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 06/04/2026 - 10/04/2026 | $4,000 | Pretoria |
|
| 13/04/2026 - 17/04/2026 | $1,750 | Mombasa |
|
| 20/04/2026 - 24/04/2026 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 04/05/2026 - 08/05/2026 | $4,950 | Dubai |
|
| 18/05/2026 - 22/05/2026 | $2,900 | Kigali |
|
| 25/05/2026 - 29/05/2026 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
| 01/06/2026 - 05/06/2026 | $4,000 | Johannesburg |
|
| 15/06/2026 - 19/06/2026 | $1,750 | Mombasa |
|
| 22/06/2026 - 26/06/2026 | $1,250 | Nairobi |
|
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