Training for Nonprofits | Europe-Brussels-EU | Capacity-building
Effective strategy, planning, operations and fundraising, smarter use of ICT tools, team-building and well-being of people – discover seminars, workshops and process facilitation in our nonprofit training catalogue.
Are you a nonprofit looking to build up your organisation’s strength in delivering its mission? The European Activism Incubator’s workshops, seminars and process facilitation can help you achieve that.
We always tailor what we do to your organisation’s situation, context and objectives. We have the most experience in training and facilitating processes within the Europe-based nonprofits.
This is an overview of our capacity-building offer for nonprofit and civil society organisations, divided into the following themes:
Focused strategy and planning in nonprofits
Inspired by the work of Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, Engineering Effective Change (EEC) focuses on understanding the mechanics of power and strategies to influence it. Rather than a single workshop, EEC is a versatile toolkit to support nonprofits in:
- Refining their strategic focus
- Deepening their theory of change
- Developing a shared vision
- Focused action planning to drive change effectively
LEVEL: Ambitious change-makers in new and established nonprofit organisations, teams, or informal groups.
DURATION: Depends on selected tools.
DELIVERY: Available on-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Organisations aiming to sharpen their strategy and increase their impact.
PARTICIPANTS: 5 to 12
This seminar helps organisations craft compelling narratives, aiming to persuade the unconvinced and build broader support. Inspired by the pioneering work of George Lakoff, it leverages insights from cognitive science on how people process information and form ideas, applying these principles to politics and public discourse.
The seminar equips organisations and movements to:
- Enhance their ability to influence public and policymaker perceptions,
- Improve their capacity to shape public discourse, and
- Strengthen their effectiveness in advocating for their cause.
LEVEL: Ambitious change-makers in new and established nonprofit organisations, teams, or informal groups.
DURATION: min. 4 hours.
DELIVERY: Available on-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Progressive organisations aiming to improve their communications, campaigning, and advocacy impact.
PARTICIPANTS: Maximum of 12.
The Solutions Accelerator is a powerful process facilitation method designed to help organisations address challenges quickly and effectively. Through this structured approach, a facilitator guides participants to map out the issue at hand, generate a wide range of potential solutions, and prioritise them for action. This method provides a highly efficient approach to addressing organisational challenges, reducing frustration and conserving energy by streamlining the process and providing a clear framework for tackling issues effectively.
Involving team members in the development of solutions, the Solutions Accelerator fosters a participatory environment and enhances a strong sense of ownership of the generated action plans, increasing the likelihood of their successful implementation.
Key benefits of the Solutions Accelerator include:
- Efficiency: Saves significant time compared to conventional team meetings.
- Collective Intelligence: Capitalises on the insights and knowledge of all team members.
- Creativity: Encourages the generation of diverse, innovative solutions while prioritising actionable steps.
- Team Engagement: Builds stronger internal buy-in, increasing the level of commitment to the developed action plans.
- Motivation: Ensures high levels of commitment and energy from participants throughout the process.
The flexibility of the Solutions Accelerator makes it suitable for a wide variety of organisational challenges, including improving strategic focus, refining operational processes, redesigning office spaces, planning new projects, and enhancing communication systems. It ensures that solutions are not only identified but also implemented with enthusiasm and determination, driving meaningful progress in diverse contexts.
Smart digital practices in nonprofits
A workshop for managers seeking to optimise email use within their teams or organisations to enhance productivity, team functioning, and well-being.
This seminar equips participants to:
- Understand how common email habits can drain energy, time, and focus, supported by insights from cognitive psychology.
- Reflect on their organisation’s or team’s email culture and identify areas for improvement.
- Explore strategies to ensure email serves its intended purpose: supporting processes without overwhelming team members.
- Understand leadership mechanisms necessary for implementing sustainable changes to create a more positive email culture.
This workshop ensures managers are better prepared to lead their teams towards a balanced and effective approach to email use.
LEVEL: Managers aiming to improve team productivity and well-being.
DURATION: 4 hours.
DELIVERY: Available on-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Organisations seeking to optimise email practices and reduce employee burnout.
PARTICIPANTS: 5 to 12.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform how non-profit organisations operate, enhancing efficiency, creativity, and impact. This workshop provides practical examples of AI applications in a nonprofit context, helping professionals integrate these tools into their organisational workflows.
The participants will:
- Discover AI tools essential in non-profit contexts.
- Learn how to select the right AI tools for your goals.
- Explore practical AI applications for tasks such as policy writing, emails, social media posts, research, reporting, image creation, meetings, and public speaking.
- Master prompt engineering and customising tools like ChatGPT to meet their specific needs.
- Understand and address ethical considerations when adopting AI in your organisation.
LEVEL: All nonprofit professionals interested in AI
DURATION: 2 times 3hours.
DELIVERY: On-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Non-profit organisations, non-profit start-ups, mission-driven organisations, activist groups interested in improving efficiency with digital tools.
PARTICIPANTS: Up to 12.
High-functioning teams in nonprofits
Unlocking Teams is a dynamic facilitation method designed to help teams overcome obstacles and maximise their performance and productivity. Through a structured and participatory process, teams swiftly identify issues, generate solutions, and create actionable plans—all while avoiding the lengthy, energy-draining discussions that often impede progress.
This method can be used to effectively address both internal and external challenges, such as communication breakdowns, inefficient processes, unclear goals, or challenges in adapting to hybrid work environments. By tapping into the collective intelligence of the team, Unlocking Teams ensures that every member has an equal voice in identifying what needs to change and how to implement those changes.
Key benefits of Unlocking Teams include:
- Efficiency: Moves swiftly from problem identification to actionable planning, saving time and energy.
- Collaboration: Taps into the collective intelligence of the team, encouraging diverse perspectives and ideas.
- Ownership: Cultivates a strong sense of commitment to the resulting action plans, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation.
- Motivation: Energises participants, fostering positivity and a renewed drive to tackle challenges.
- Well-being: Promotes team cohesion and member well-being, helping to prevent burnout and foster a supportive work environment.
Unlocking Teams is designed for maximum impact, helping organisations not only improve team performance but also strengthen cohesion and morale. By addressing key challenges and creating clear, actionable steps, this method ensures that teams leave the process motivated, empowered, and ready to excel.
Well-being of people working in nonprofits
An empowerment workshop designed to support women’s career development and help organisations foster inclusion and gender equality.
The workshop combines research findings with practical exercises to deliver both intellectual and experiential insights. It enables women to:
- Reflect on their unique contributions to the workplace and beyond,
- Boost confidence and empower fuller participation in their organisations and teams, and
- Consider the nature of success within the context of company values, culture, and appraisal methods.
This workshop provides a balanced approach by addressing both individual empowerment and the structural challenges to achieving gender equality.
LEVEL: Everyone.
DURATION: 3–4 hours.
DELIVERY: On-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Organisations committed to gender equality and fostering inclusion.
PARTICIPANTS 5–15 individuals who identify as women.
Effective fundraising skills
This seminar provides a comprehensive understanding of funding streams, empowering participants with tools to assess, prioritise, and pursue the options best suited to their organisation’s capacity, mission, and goals.
Participants will:
- Learn about the broad categories of funding and their subtypes.
- Explore the advantages and challenges of each funding stream.
- Understand the conditions necessary for pursuing different funding options successfully.
- Gain strategies for assessing and prioritising funding sources based on their organisation’s unique needs.
This seminar empowers non-profit professionals to navigate the funding landscape confidently and secure resources to support their mission.
LEVEL: Beginner to mid-level nonprofit professionals involved in fundraising.
DURATION: 2 hours.
DELIVERY: On-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Non-profits seeking clarity and guidance in funding strategies.
PARTICIPANTS: Unlimited.
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This seminar introduces non-profit professionals to the concept of independent income generation, offering a pathway to greater autonomy, mission focus and financial resilience. Participants will learn how to create sustainable revenue streams to support their organisation’s mission and reduce reliance on grants and donations.
Participants will:
- Explore diverse earned-income models in a nonprofit context and assess their advantages and challenges.
- Learn to identify income-generating activities that balance profitability, capacity, and mission alignment.
- Discuss ethical considerations and potential pitfalls in independent income generation.
- Gain insights from real-world case studies, including lessons learned from the European Activism Incubator’s own journey.
This seminar combines presentations, practical exercises, and case studies, equipping participants with actionable strategies to implement earned income as part of their nonprofit’s funding mix.
LEVEL: Founders of new non-profits, leaders of established organisations, and fundraising innovators.
DURATION: min. 3 hours.
DELIVERY: On-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Non-profit organisations and start-ups seeking financial independence.
PARTICIPANTS: 3 to 12.
This training helps develop expertise in fundraising with foundations by understanding the tacit rules of philanthropic giving and mastering all stages of the fundraising cycle. It equips participants with the skills needed to approach, secure, and retain funding from philanthropic organisations.
Participants will:
- Gain an understanding of how fundraising with foundations differs from public grant-seeking.
- Learn the full fundraising cycle, from preparation to follow-up, with actionable steps for success.
- Understand how to present their organisation’s work in a way that resonates with philanthropic donors.
- Build confidence in approaching and forging partnerships with foundations.
- Save time by focusing on strategies proven effective in the philanthropic sector.
LEVEL: Newcomers or those with limited experience in foundation fundraising.
DURATION: 3 hours.
DELIVERY: On-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Non-profit organisations, start-ups, and activist groups.
PARTICIPANTS: Unlimited.
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This training introduces participants to the concept of flexible philanthropic funding—also known as unrestricted or core funding—and provides the knowledge and tools to transition from project-based grants to a funding approach that offers long-term stability and autonomy.
This training will help your organisation:
- Understand the concept and advantages of flexible (unrestricted) philanthropic funding.
- Prepare for conversations with donors about trust-based, long-term support.
- Align internal processes to attract and manage flexible funding.
- Develop tailored strategies to identify and approach suitable philanthropic donors.
Participants will leave equipped in knowledge and skills necessary to transition from project-based grants to funding that supports their nonprofit organisation’s core needs.
LEVEL: Non-profit leaders and fundraising professionals.
DURATION: Customised based on needs.
DELIVERY: Tailored process facilitation, on-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Non-profits new to or exploring flexible funding.
PARTICIPANTS: Unlimited.
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Learn the key ingredients of preparing a winning grant application.
Participants will:
- Learn how to write clear, realistic grant proposals that align with EU donor requirements.
- Discover the selection process from a former EU grant evaluator’s perspective.
- Gain practical advice on managing organisational aspects, including partnerships, budgets, and administrative requirements.
- Participate in a hands-on exercise that reinforces the principles and techniques discussed.
LEVEL: Junior and mid-level nonprofit professionals.
DURATION: 2 hours.
DELIVERY: On-site or online.
SUITABLE FOR: Non-profit and civil society organisations wishing to improve their fundraising skills.
PARTICIPANTS: Unlimited.
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The Supportive Approach to Fundraising (SAF) is an organisational strategy that encourages internal alignment without increasing workload. This approach empowers staff to make small adjustments to their everyday tasks, in order to contribute to fundraising efforts to improve the organisation’s financial situation.
Participants will learn how to:
- Align their organisation’s internal operations with fundraising efforts.
- Implement a step-by-step strategy to integrate SAF without adding significant workloads.
- Mobilise internal resources and activate collective responsibility for fundraising.
- Cultivate team spirit and dynamism, strengthening your organisation’s overall capacity.
LEVEL: Founders of new non-profits, leaders and managers of established organisations, and fundraising innovators.
DURATION: 2.5 to 4 hours.
DELIVERY: On-site or remote
SUITABLE FOR: Nonprofit organisations seeking to improve internal alignment with fundraising efforts.
PARTICIPANTS: Unlimited.
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