Donor funding can transform your business– but only if you know how to ask for it well. This course teaches you exactly how to write proposals that get read, taken seriously, and approved.
Designed for busy business owners, the course cuts through jargon and theory. You will learn:
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Which funders actually give money to businesses – and why their priorities differ.
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How to write a problem statement that makes a reviewer pay attention.
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How to build SMART objectives, a logical budget, and a simple M&E plan – without overcomplicating anything.
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How to avoid the most common mistakes that get proposals rejected before they are even reviewed.
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How to target the right donors, follow up professionally, and turn rejection into your next win.
You will work with real templates, a funder matrix, and a peer review assignment to draft your own proposal. By the end, you will have a practical, adaptable proposal ready to submit to a live donor call.
No prior experience needed. Just your business and a willingness to learn.
- 6 Sections
- 23 Lessons
- 8 Hours
- Reading the donor landscape before you apply5
- Knowing your own business well enough to write about it5
- The proposal structure itself, section by section7
- 3.1The executive summary, your one shot
- 3.2Organizational background. Showing your credibility without bragging
- 3.3Goals, objectives, and activities. The difference matters
- 3.4The budget. Asking for what you need and explaining every line
- 3.5Monitoring and evaluation. Showing you’ll prove it worked
- 3.6Full proposal template (annotated)
- 3.7Section 3 Quiz1 Question
- Writing clearly without corporate jargon5
- Submission, follow-up, and handling rejection4
- A real proposal draft as the final project3
Dr Entsua-Mensah
- You should have a business that is operating or ready to launch. You do not need prior grant-writing experience. Basic literacy in English is required — the course is taught in English, and most donor proposals are submitted in English.
- It helps if you have a rough sense of what your business does, who it serves, and how much money you need. You don't need formal financial statements, but knowing your revenue and main costs will make the budget lessons more useful.
- The templates are in Word and PDF format.
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