Introduction

Humanitarian financing is critical for effective and timely responses during crises. Securing funding, managing donor expectations, and ensuring accountability are central to the success of any humanitarian program. In addition to traditional funding sources, humanitarian organizations must engage with a broad range of donors, including government agencies, private sector partners, and multilateral institutions. This 5-day training course will provide participants with practical tools for securing and managing humanitarian funding, developing successful donor relations, and ensuring financial accountability and transparency in line with international standards.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will:

1. Understand Humanitarian Financing Mechanisms: Gain an in-depth understanding of the various sources of humanitarian funding, including bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector funding, and emergency funds.
2. Develop Skills in Proposal Writing: Learn how to design and write compelling proposals that meet donor requirements and demonstrate the effectiveness of humanitarian interventions.
3. Understand Donor Relations and Engagement: Acquire practical strategies for building and maintaining strong relationships with donors and funding agencies.
4. Manage Donor Expectations: Learn how to effectively communicate program progress, address challenges, and negotiate funding terms with donors.
5. Ensure Accountability and Transparency: Understand how to ensure compliance with donor agreements and international financial standards, including audit processes and reporting requirements.
6. Coordinate Humanitarian Financing Efforts: Develop skills to effectively coordinate funding efforts across different actors, ensuring that resources are used efficiently and equitably.
7. Monitor and Evaluate Humanitarian Programs Financially: Learn how to track and report on financial performance, manage budgets, and ensure the financial sustainability of humanitarian projects.
8. Plan for Long-Term Financing: Understand how to secure sustainable funding sources and plan for financial resilience in humanitarian programs.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for:

• Humanitarian Fundraisers and Program Managers responsible for securing and managing funding.
• Donor Relations Officers and Advocacy Specialists who interact with donors, stakeholders, and funding agencies.
• NGO and INGO Staff involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of humanitarian projects.
• Finance Officers and Budget Managers who oversee financial management and donor reporting.
• Government and Multilateral Agency Representatives working in funding allocation and humanitarian assistance.
• Donors and Funding Partners who want to understand the needs and processes of the humanitarian sector.
• Community Development and Emergency Response Practitioners seeking to improve financial sustainability and donor engagement in their programs.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Humanitarian Financing

• Morning Session: Overview of Humanitarian Financing
  • Understanding humanitarian funding sources: government donors, private sector, foundations, multilateral institutions, and crowdfunding.
  • Key humanitarian financing mechanisms: CERF (Central Emergency Response Fund), ECHO (European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations), USAID, and other bilateral/multilateral funding channels.
  • Types of funding: Emergency appeals, programmatic funding, and long-term development funding.
  • The role of private sector partnerships and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in humanitarian financing.
  • Understanding funding cycles and when to approach donors: emergency, recurrent, and multi-year funding.
• Afternoon Session: Trends and Innovations in Humanitarian Financing
  • Exploring new financing mechanisms: social impact bonds, blended finance, and impact investing.
  • The role of digital platforms and crowdfunding in emergency financing.
  • The importance of localizing humanitarian financing and supporting local actors.
  • Case study: Funding models in the Syrian refugee crisis and climate-induced disasters.

Day 2: Proposal Writing and Securing Funding

• Morning Session: Proposal Development
  • Key components of a strong humanitarian funding proposal: needs assessment, logic models, theory of change, and impact measurement.
  • Understanding donor guidelines and requirements: tailoring proposals to meet the specific needs of each donor.
  • Developing clear objectives, activities, and budgets in proposals.
  • Writing effective narratives that demonstrate the relevance, impact, and sustainability of the proposed program.
  • Case study: Successful proposal writing for ECHO and USAID grants.
• Afternoon Session: Proposal Review and Evaluation
  • Donor evaluation criteria: How donors assess proposals and the decision-making process.
  • Conducting internal proposal reviews: Ensuring quality control and consistency.
  • Understanding the role of partnerships in proposals: How to involve local organizations and ensure capacity building.
  • Role-playing exercise: Reviewing and improving a proposal in response to donor feedback.

Day 3: Donor Relations and Engagement

• Morning Session: Building and Maintaining Donor Relationships
  • Strategies for establishing strong donor relations: communication, transparency, and trust-building.
  • How to engage donors beyond the funding request: Involvement in strategy development, site visits, and events.
  • Managing donor expectations: setting realistic goals, defining success, and handling challenges.
  • Maintaining long-term relationships with donors: From initial engagement to ongoing reporting and recognition.
  • Case study: Building donor relationships in the Somalia humanitarian crisis.
• Afternoon Session: Effective Communication with Donors
  • How to communicate program results: The importance of qualitative and quantitative data, impact assessments, and success stories.
  • Strategies for negotiating funding terms: Payment schedules, co-funding, and cost-sharing arrangements.
  • Responding to donor feedback and addressing concerns: audit outcomes, donor inquiries, and evaluation results.
  • Group discussion: Best practices for managing donor relations during protracted crises.

Day 4: Financial Accountability and Transparency

• Morning Session: Financial Management in Humanitarian Projects
  • Key principles of financial accountability in humanitarian response: efficiency, effectiveness, and equity.
  • Understanding donor reporting requirements: financial reports, narrative reports, and audit processes.
  • Budget management and tracking: Tools for financial oversight, budget variance analysis, and cost control.
  • Role of internal controls, audit trails, and compliance with donor agreements.
  • Case study: Financial accountability in UNICEF and Save the Children operations.
• Afternoon Session: Compliance with International Standards
  • Financial regulations and audit standards: Ensuring compliance with international frameworks such as IFRC and Sphere Standards.
  • Best practices for anti-fraud and anti-corruption measures in financial management.
  • Understanding donor monitoring mechanisms: How donors track financial performance and outcomes.
  • Group exercise: Reviewing a financial report and identifying potential gaps in transparency and accountability.

Day 5: Coordination, Evaluation, and Sustainability in Humanitarian Financing

• Morning Session: Coordinating Humanitarian Financing Efforts
  • The role of humanitarian financing coordination: Working with other actors to avoid duplication and ensure resources are used efficiently.
  • Joint appeals, pooled funds, and multi-donor trust funds.
  • Effective resource mobilization strategies: Coordinating between humanitarian and development funding sources.
  • Case study: Coordinated funding efforts in the Philippines typhoon response.
• Afternoon Session: Planning for Sustainable Financing
  • Long-term funding strategies: Diversifying funding sources and establishing sustainable partnerships.
  • Building the financial resilience of humanitarian programs.
  • Strategies for resource diversification: Incorporating grant funding, corporate partnerships, and individual donors into a financing plan.
  • Group exercise: Designing a sustainable funding strategy for an ongoing humanitarian response.