FREE – Grants, Additional Income and Alternative Financing Program for Young and Medium Enterprises, Public Agencies and Community Institutions operating in Resource Limited Settings
About the FREE Grants, Additional Income and Alternative Financing Training Program
The Program is run by a Tier 1 Team of seasoned facilitators from LINK Partners Inc. whose aim is to establish a cluster of Grants Writing Specialists and Resource Mobilization cadres in Uganda – experienced and excited about securing supplementary support for their institutions specifically; Government Agencies, Private Sector partners, the Civil Society and Business Enterprises.
Thematic areas of the Training Program
The Training Program focuses on 5 key capacity areas; Development of bankable proposals and concepts, Alternative financing approaches, additional revenue generation, organizational and institutional development as well as Grants and award management.
Why the Training Program
We are concerned that community development and external financial commitments in Uganda is on the fall because thousands of institutions leading the process are dangerously and heavily reliant on donor funding or single-source support. The glimmer of hope however is that the Directors of these agencies have prioritized fundraising as an essential role hence with additional capacity and greater sources to tap from, fundraisers can successfully lead the process of ensuring sustainability, financial resilience, and also drive strategic growth of their agencies in the current times where donors are cutting budgets, Governments are merging departments and generally external funding is drying or has become more uncertain.
Goal of the Training Program
Establish and strengthen a carder-ship of consummate professionals able to; identify, plan, apply, successfully secure and efficiently manage a diversity of additional financing and alternative resources.
Who does the Training Program Target?
Directors, Resource Mobilization Officers, Grants Management and Research Specialists, Community Development and Ministry Officers, Students as well as Program Assistants working with Government Agencies, Private Sector partners, Local Governments, the Civil Society and Small and Medium Business Enterprises.
The Duration, Design and Methodology of the Training Program
The Program shall run across a 5 months’ period (April to September 2026) largely through flexible and blended online learning methods. The main session shall be once every week on Thursday for 2hr from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Participants shall then find their own time for research and group work to complete assignments. Tasks or support that require face-to-face technical assistance shall be handled on a case-to-case basis.
Key Program Outcomes/ Results
The Program focuses on results beyond the training sessions. Participants shall need to; (a) Complete and submit at least 2 proposals for donor funding (b) a Resource mobilization and fundraising strategy and Work-plan (c) A bankable fundraising event (d) A fundraising friendly Strategic Plan (e) Key organizational Policies (f) an on-line fundraising campaign (g) a new organizational Business or Enterprise (h) Lists of key sponsors and donors (i) and also express capacity to establish and successfully manage a resource mobilization Unit among others.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 4th April, 2026
- General Preparatory Information and Q&A Session: 9th April, 2026
- Start of Sessions: 16th April, 2026
- Close of Session: 10th September, 2026
How to join/Apply?
Send your details; (a)Your full names as a participant (b) Name of your Agency (c) Country/ Area of operation (d) Designation/ Tittle (f) Contact e-mail and Telephone number to smallcsosuganda@gmail.com or whatsAPp +256 – 756049726 before Midnight of 20th April, 2026. You can also fill an online form on https://forms.gle/f9m32EnuVsQqWKt37 at https://linkpartnersinternational.org/
The Training Program Agenda
| Dates | Name of the Session | Expected Results |
| 9th April, 2026 | Introduction and Program Overview; Goals, Objectives and Expectations. Program Design and Methodology | Details about the Training Program |
| 16th April, 2026 | Definition of key Terms; Resource Mobilization, Fundraising, Proposal/Grants Writing and Award Management | Greater appreciation of Resource Mobilization, Fundraising and Grantsmaniship as concepts |
| 16th April, 2026 | Pre-course Assessment; Doing an own Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) to establish the Status, Challenges, Needs and Gaps in Resource Mobilization, Grants and Fundraising for your institution. | a) A Report of your Organizational, Resource Mobilization and Fundraising Capacity
b) An Annual Resource Mobilization and fundraising Work-plan |
| 23rd April, 2026 | Key Tools, Instruments and documents that institutions need as they start Resource Mobilization and Fundraising. | Main Resource Mobilization Tools, Instruments and documents in place |
| 23rd April, 2026 | Types and categories of Donors and financing sources that can fund your programs and activities. | A database of available donors and funding opportunities and how to access/ apply for them. |
| 30th April, 2026 | Databases, links, Calls and contacts of available donors and funders | A list of available opportunities that you are eligible for and are prepared to apply for |
| 7th May, 2026
14th May, 2026 21st May, 2026 28th May, 2026 |
Discussing over 30 new Strategies, Modern Methods and Sources from which you can secure alternative funds and financing (besides the common and conventional means); Social Media and online approaches, Bids and Bidding, Sale of Items and Materials, Enterprises and Sales, Business partnerships, Special Events, Professional services like Trainings and Consultancy, Project and personal savings, Hire/leasing and renting, Memberships, Donations, SACCOS and Saving Clubs, Raffles and Draws, Market Auctions, Alumni and Cost-sharing, Crowdfunding, credit and loans, Incubators and Accelerators, financial products like bonds and equity financing, Magazines and Publications, Grants Management, Direct letters, Station Drop-ins and Kiosks, Government financing etc. | Each Participant/ participating agency shall need to complete 10 Projects;
1. A fundraising event concept 2. A Business Enterprise for their agency 3. Respond to atleast 1 current Bid 4. Develop a Membership plan for their agency 5. Engage in 1 on-line/ crowd funding project 6. And work on 2 other fundraising Projects as shall be selected by the participant
|
| 4th June, 2026
11th June, 2026 18th June, 2026 |
The A-Z of the Grant Writing and Submission Process; Generating a proposal idea and writing a compelling Needs/Problem Statement
a) Writing Goals, Objectives, Outcomes, Inputs, Outputs, Methods, Capability Statement and Activities b) Developing a Sustainability Plan c) Doing literature review and referencing |
Select, apply and submit 2 active Grants proposals in response to available calls for Proposals or from the shared sources. |
| 25th June, 2026 | Developing Writing teams and consortia and establishing partnerships with Government, Local Communities, Corporate and International Agencies | Lists and MOUs with potential partners, companies and international agencies to partner with |
| 25th June, 2026 | Preparing a Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Plan for your Grant Application | Skills and knowledge in developing and presenting an M&E Plan for a Project |
| 2nd July, 2026 | Developing Grant application Materials and Documents | Knowledge and Skills in developing Grant application Documents & attachment Materials |
| 9th July, 2026
16th July, 2026 |
Everything you need to know about Preparing, developing and presenting Grant Budgets | Knowledge and Skills in developing Grant Budgets |
| 23rd July, 2026 | Grant Application Submission and Follow-Up as well as dealing with Pre-Grant award processes | Knowledge and Skills in Post-submission and Pre-award processes |
| 30th July, 2026 | Establishing and Managing a Resource Mobilization and Grants Office for an agency. | We discuss the process, tools, Policies, Good practices as well as success stories in establishing your own Grants/ Resource Mobilization Unit |
| 30th July, 2026 | How to start your own Project/ Agency; Steps to start and run an NGO, Social Enterprise, Community Based Organization | A full concept of establishing a personal NGO, Community Based Organization or a Project |
| 6th Aug, 2026 | How to develop and submit Un-solicited Concepts to financiers and Corporate Agencies | Knowledge and Skills in developing diverse funding and Project Concepts |
| 13th Aug, 2026 | How to use AI as a tool in Grants Writing, Resource Mobilization and Fundraising | Knowledge and Skills in using AI in Grants and concept writing |
| 20th Aug, 2026
27th Aug, 2026 |
Developing a simple but great Strategic Plan and Policies that facilitate resource Mobilization | A quality Strategic Plan in place and key 8 Policies that progressive Agencies/Projects need |
| 3rd Sept, 2026 | Key legal considerations that externally financed Agencies and Projects must navigate to stay compliant | Knowledge and Skills in managing and dealing with legal issues for grants and projects. |
| 3rd Sept, 2026 | What and How to negotiate Donor Contracts and Agreements | Knowledge in negotiating Donor MOUs |
| 10th Sept, 2026 | Action planning and Road-maps for participating Agencies | Agencies share their quarterly/ Annual action plans and general Road-map. |