Capacity Building Module on Fundraising and Engagement 2021

This capacity building module is an exciting and unique opportunity offering a high-quality and tailored training that aims to enhance the capacities of patient organisations’ leaders in the fields of fundraising and engagement, and equip them to face the challenges of a constantly changing environment.

This year's topic

The Fundraising and Engagement topic of this year's capacity building module arises from the uncertainty and difficulties that patient organisations are put through, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient organisations are under great pressure to keep running their day-to-day work as well as respond to the new emerging needs from their members. The pandemic crisis has made it difficult for many to secure funding from membership fees, and attend in-person fundraising events and conferences.

In 2021, the economic crisis is starting to impact patient organisations, as funding is diverted towards other beneficiaries, leaving patient organisations to seriously rethink their fundraising strategy. In this framework, supporting the fundraising and engagement strategy is key to ensure the sustainability of patient organisations.

Grassroots patient organisations are still facing difficulties in keeping in touch with their communities and volunteers that faced their own personal challenges and battles during the pandemic.

During the module, participants will gain insight into the complexity of these issues and address them through interactive webinars, group exercises, case studies and best practices, concrete action plans and coaching opportunities.

What is the content?

Phase one (mid-April – June 2021):

• 3 comprehensive webinars on fundraising;
• 3 comprehensive webinars on engagement;
  *Webinars will be conducted every other week, on a Wednesday between 16:00 CET and 17:30 CEST, throughout May and June. Each webinar being 90 minutes.

Phase two (June – November 2021):

• Monthly group mentoring sessions;
• Monthly assignments;
• Best practices sharing webinar;
• Peer learning and virtual networking opportunities;
• Ongoing support from the professional mentors;

Phase three (mid November 2021):

• Closing webinar and sharing projects done during the training.
  *Please, note that the closing webinar will last up to two hours.

Where?

The entire module will be fully online, using the Zoom platform.

Who should apply?

The programme targets patient organisations’ leaders from across Europe preferably, those who are involved directly in the fundraising and/or engagement duties in their organisations, such as:

• Staff member or a volunteer of an EPF Member organisations active at European or national-regional level.
• Staff member or a volunteer of a cross-section of EPF Member organisations’ membership who have a leading role in fundraising or engagement.
• Staff member of a volunteer of other European or national-regional patient organisations not affiliated with EPF who have expressed an interest in participating in this training, who have a leading role in fundraising and/or engagement in their organisation.

As a general eligibility rule, organisations participating in the CB module are the patient organisations who are:

• Legally registered association/NGO working for the direct benefit of targeted, disease-specific population in a specific geographical scope.
• National coalitions of patient organisations.
• European disease specific associations, federations or networks mandated to defend the interests of a population affected by a specific disease.
• Disease specific organisations active at national/regional level.
• The organisations participating in the module and its representative should commit to take part to the module during its whole duration by signing an enrolment contract presenting the duties and benefits of the programme.
• Participants should have a proficient level English, written and spoken.

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Please, note that the application process for this module has been closed and all applicants have been notified.