Building high-impact research programmes through strategic fundraising

The research sector in Africa is changing rapidly. With the funding landscape in flux, it is increasingly important to raise funds from diverse sources, across research and donor funding, towards long-term sustainability. The African Research Funding Accelerator is designed to empower African researchers at any career stage with the essential skills and knowledge needed to thrive in this competitive environment.

Learn more about the course

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome and Introduction

    • Welcome to the Course

    • Course Overview

  • 2

    Module 1: Developing a Fundraising Mindset

    • 1.1 LEARN - A Fundraising Mindset

    • 1.2 ENGAGE - Quick Quiz

    • 1.3 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 1.4 TRANSFORM - Level up your Mindset

    • 1.5 LEARN - Your Vision and Mission

    • 1.6 ENGAGE - Quick Quiz

    • 1.7 TRANSFORM - Create your Vision and Mission Statements

  • 3

    Module 2: Creating your Theory of Change

    • 2.1 LEARN - Impact is the Language of Fundraising

    • 2.2 ENGAGE - Quick Quiz

    • 2.3 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 2.4 ENGAGE - Theory of Change Guidelines and Examples

    • 2.5 LEARN - Developing a Theory of Change

    • 2.6 ENGAGE - Quick Quiz

    • 2.7 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 2.8 TRANSFORM - Create your Theory of Change

  • 4

    Module 3: Designing your programme

    • 3.1 LEARN - Programme Design Basics

    • 3.2 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 3.3 LEARN - Developing an Activities Framework

    • 3.4 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 3.5 TRANSFORM - Create your Activities Framework

    • 3.5 TRANSFORM - Submit your Activities Framework
  • 5

    Module 4: Resourcing your work

    • 4.1 LEARN - Resourcing Yourself

    • 4.2 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 4.3 LEARN - Putting Together a Strong Team

    • 4.4 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 4.5 LEARN - Creating a 5-year Budget

    • 4.6 TRANSFORM - Create your 5-year Budget
  • 6

    Module 5: Mapping the Funding Landscape

    • 5.1 LEARN - Where Does Research Funding Come From?

    • 5.2 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 5.3 LEARN - Explore a Fundraising Case Study

    • 5.4 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 5.5 LEARN - How Can I Generate Revenue for my Research Team?

    • 5.6 ENGAGE - Notice and Identify

    • 5.7 LEARN - Setting up your Fundraising System

    • 5.8 TRANSFORM - Set up your Fundraising System
  • 7

    Module 6: Communicating with Funders

    • 6.1 LEARN - Communicating with Potential Funders and Clients

    • 6.2 ENGAGE - Quick Quiz

    • 6.3 TRANSFORM - Create Your Approach Letter

    • 6.4 LEARN - Review a Case Study

    • 6.5 TRANSFORM - Create your Investment Brief

    • 6.6 LEARN - Putting Together Your Strategy

    • 6.7 TRANSFORM - Put together your Strategy

Learning outcomes

  • What?

    Develop your vision and mission statements and your Theory of Change. This will clarify the impact you want to create through your research, and help you to identify the interventions that will get you there. This will help with communications, planning, monitoring and evaluation.

  • How?

    Develop an activities framework to clarify your overarching 5-year programme of research. Decide on the Human Resources you need to get you there. Create a costing to generate clear, actionable fundraising targets.

  • From where?

    Analyse the funding landscape, identifying the most viable sources of research funding and commercial revenue. Create a funding prospects list, and decide which prospects to prioritize. Create a strategy for approaching them, and a value proposition document to support your first meeting.

Your instructor

Senior Instructor

Zoë Boshoff

Zoë is a fundraising strategist and research development specialist, focussed on the needs of African clients. She has designed strategies and tools for many research teams, including the Neuroscience Institute and the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town. Over her career she has coordinated many successful grant and donor applications, including raising funds for centres of excellence, research chairs, international collaborations, and numerous projects and programmes. Zoë's vision is of a developing world where passionate, talented people have the resources to undertake their life's work, in service of society.