Strategic Fundraising and Resource Mobilization for Universities, Non-Profits, and Public Sector Institutions
Course format: Online / Blended
This course equips higher education institutions, public bodies, and civil society organizations with strategic fundraising competencies essential for financial resilience, mission-aligned growth, and public value creation. Learners will design multi-source fundraising plans, master public and private funding mechanisms (grants, philanthropy, crowdfunding, PPPs), and integrate ethical stewardship and impact measurement into institutional practice. The course is aligned with EU multi-annual funding instruments (2021–2027), global development goals, and mission-oriented policy models.
Course Description
Designed for institutions operating in dynamic, crisis-affected, or transitioning environments, this course responds to growing demand for financial autonomy, impact-driven funding, and systemic capacity to lead change. It introduces strategic fundraising not as isolated grant-seeking, but as a governance function, deeply embedded in institutional identity and societal mission.
Learner pre-requirements
Open to individuals and teams from:
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Universities and research institutions (development offices, international relations, project management)
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Municipal and regional governments (departments for youth, culture, education, innovation, EU integration)
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Non-profits and CSOs (executive teams, program managers, fundraising officers)
No formal fundraising experience is required. Basic knowledge of project management, budgeting, or donor-funded programs (e.g. Erasmus+, USAID, UNDP) is recommended.
Learning objectives
Understand the architecture of global, European, and national funding ecosystems
Analyze institutional fundraising readiness and resource mobilisation capacity
Design strategic fundraising roadmaps (multi-year, cross-source, impact-linked)
Apply for public grants (Horizon, Erasmus+, Interreg, SwissDevelopment) and private funding (foundations, CSR, philanthropy)
Develop fundraising campaigns with coherent messaging, ethics, and visibility strategies
Navigate crowdfunding platforms, donor segmentation, and stakeholder engagement
Institutionalize accountability, impact measurement, and financial sustainability
Skills
addressed
Strategic fundraising; Resource mobilisation; Grant writing; EU & global donor landscapes; Co-funding models; Theory of Change; Fundraising campaigns; Public–private partnerships (PPPs); Crowdfunding strategy; Donor stewardship; Social impact logic; Institutional dashboards; Fundraising ethics; Value proposition design; Open budgeting; Communication for trust-building.
Course structure
The "Strategic Fundraising and Resource Mobilization" course is a 60-hour structured program divided into five intensive modules and a real-world capstone strategy lab.
Module 1:
Funding Landscapes and Institutional Readiness
(12 hours)
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Mapping public and private funding sources (EU, UN, bilateral, corporate, philanthropic)
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Donor behaviour, trends, and decision-making logics
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Institutional fundraising audit and capacity assessment
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Fundraising maturity models (e.g. CASE Europe, OECD guidelines)
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Case studies: university endowment models, NGO–municipality hybrid platforms
Module 2:
Strategic Fundraising Architecture
(12 hours)
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Annual fundraising cycles and strategic alignment with institutional missions
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Designing donor portfolios: diversification and risk reduction
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Matching funding sources with programmatic goals (education, youth, culture, regional development)
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Defining KPIs and impact narratives
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Stakeholder ecosystems and governance of fundraising
Module 3:
Grant Writing and Public Funding Instruments
(12 hours)
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Deep-dive into key EU and international programs: Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Interreg, Creative Europe, USAID, GIZ
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Writing logic: Theory of Change, problem trees, logical frameworks
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Budgeting and co-financing strategies
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Evaluation criteria, scoring rubrics, and reviewer psychology
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Proposal development clinics with real feedback
Module 4:
Campaigns, Crowdfunding, and Communication
(12 hours)
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Building institutional value propositions and visual storytelling
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Donor segmentation and audience targeting
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Designing and launching hybrid fundraising campaigns
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Tools: CRM systems, analytics, digital platforms (GoFundMe, OpenCollective)
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Visibility, ethics, transparency, and reputation management
Module 5:
Stewardship, Impact, and Long-Term Sustainability
(12 hours)
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Donor stewardship and reporting beyond compliance
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Open impact dashboards and fiscal transparency
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Institutional learning from campaigns and re-investment loops
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Linking fundraising to mission metrics and policy advocacy
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Public value, collective legitimacy, and trust capital
Capstone Lab:
Fundraising Strategy Portfolio
(Team-Based, 10 hours)
Each team develops a 3-year institutional fundraising strategy or campaign plan
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Includes donor ecosystem mapping, institutional SWOT, storytelling package, budget logic, KPIs
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Final presentation to donor panels and peer review
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Potential matchmaking with national or EU funding programs
Teaching design
The course follows a blended learning model that is:
Strategic (aligned with institutional development)
Experiential (rooted in real-world funding contexts)
Collaborative (teams co-create fundraising strategies)
Live sessions (30%)
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Keynote sessions by donor agency officers, development experts, and philanthropy specialists
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Peer-to-peer clinics and roleplay simulations
Self-paced learning (40%)
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Templates, donor search tools, video modules, downloadable workbooks
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Self-assessments and reflective planning exercises
Project-based teamwork (30%)
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Teams build full strategic fundraising roadmaps
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Interdisciplinary mentoring by experts in fundraising, finance, and communication
Outcome
By the end of the course, participants will be able to plan, implement, and lead institutional fundraising processes that are impact-oriented, ethically grounded, and financially sustainable. They will leave with a complete strategy portfolio ready for implementation or donor submission.
Application process
