The CESE team, organizations and partner consultants participated in two weeks of training between 20 and 30 March: the first aimed at local fundraising, the second at training trainers. Facilitated by the Dutch agency MdF, the courses are supported by the Dutch cooperation agency Wild Geese and are part of the Change the Game Programme to support organizational strengthening in local fundraising and mobilizing support – a Wild Geese initiative, in partnership with the Smile Foundation (India), KCDF (Kenya) and CESE (Brazil), with support from the Dutch government.
The first week focused on fundraising training and addressed the following themes: training knowledge and skills; diversification of resources; donors within society; attitudes to fundraising; mapping and motives for individual and corporate donors; fundraising techniques; fundraising planning; organizing an event; setting up a fundraising team; communication products; presentation and pitching skills; thanking donors; local fundraising advisory skills.
The week’s programme ended with a visit to an organization that has already been supported by CESE, the Association of Parochial Communities of Mata Escura and Calabetão (Associação das Comunidades Paroquiais de Mata Escura e Calabetão: ACOPAMEC), which has benefited from successful fundraising experiences.
During the second week, the focused turned to facilitation and training techniques and strategies and covered the following topics: learning principles; preparing and planning a session; training methods; and feedback and coaching skills. At the end of the course, there was a celebration lunch with the entire CESE team and the participants received their certificates.