Humanitarian Academy

Finance, HR and admin

Humanitarian Grant Management: From Proposal to Close-out

Find the right donor, write a winning proposal and manage the grant without disallowed costs.

  • 3 days · 18 hours
  • 3 levels · 3 certificates
  • 3 scenarios
  • Verifiable certificate
Start the course
  • Free, unlimited access
  • 3 one-day modules
  • 3 scenarios and 9 quiz questions
  • 3 graded case studies and 3 exams
  • Certificate in your name, verifiable online

What you will learn

  • Distinguish the main types of donors and their requirements.
  • Write a concept note and a full proposal, including the budget.
  • Manage a grant agreement: compliance, budget monitoring, amendments, reporting, audit and close-out.

Course information

Level
Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced (one certificate per level)
Study time
18 hours over 3 days (lessons, case studies, exercises)
Format
Online, at your own pace, free and unlimited access
Assessment
Per level: graded case study + 20-question exam (30 to 40 min, pass marks 70%, 75% and 80%)
Credential
Named, numbered certificate of achievement, verifiable online (QR code)
Reference frameworks
DG ECHO · IASC · CHS Alliance, Groupe URD, Sphere

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A 3-level certification pathway

Progress from Beginner to Advanced. Each level ends with a graded case study and a timed exam, and leads to its own verifiable certificate.

Level 1Beginner

Exam: 20 questions · 30 min · 70% to pass

Beginner certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Describe the grant cycle, from call for proposals to close-out.
  • Identify the major institutional donors and their requirements.
  • Distinguish direct costs, indirect costs and co-funding.
  1. Day1The grant cycle and donorsWho funds humanitarian action? · The grant cycle · Capacity assessment (due diligence) · In-depth donor mapping: instruments, rules and rationales · Horizon scanning, positioning and the go/no-go decision: a step-by-step method · Capacity assessments and due diligence: what is really examined · Full example: building a national NGO's funding portfolio · Variations by context, common mistakes and the donor's perspective · Interview questions and key references Scenario: A call for proposals in 10 days
  2. Graded case study : Reading a call for proposals NGO country office · 20 questions including a case study · 70% to pass
Level 2Intermediate

Exam: 20 questions · 30 min · 75% to pass

Intermediate certificate · Opens after the Beginner certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Write a convincing proposal aligned with the donor's priorities.
  • Build a justified budget consistent with the logframe.
  • Prepare compliant narrative and financial reports.
  1. Day2Writing a proposal and a budgetThe concept note · The full proposal · The budget · Organising proposal production: backward planning and roles · Writing the sections that decide the score · Building the budget step by step · Full example: budget and budget narrative for a cash and WASH project · Quality control: the reviewer's grid and costly mistakes · Adapting the proposal and budget to the context · Interview questions and key references Scenario: The budget that does not add up
  2. Graded case study : The proposal and its budget Drafting a proposal · 20 questions including a case study · 75% to pass
Level 3Advanced

Exam: 20 questions · 40 min · 80% to pass

Advanced certificate · Opens after the Intermediate certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Negotiate a contract and manage amendments.
  • Manage a grant portfolio and sub-grants to partners.
  • Prepare for and pass a donor audit.
  1. Day3Managing the contract, reporting and close-outCompliance · Budget monitoring and amendments · Reporting, audit and close-out · Starting a grant: the compliance matrix and the kick-off meeting · Monthly budget monitoring, forecasting and contract modifications · Full example: the month 8 budget review and decisions · Managing sub-grants and implementing partners · Reporting, audit and closeout: method and timeline · Variations by context and the auditor's perspective · Interview questions and key references Scenario: Six months in, and 40% of the budget spent
  2. Graded case study : Amendment, sub-grant and audit Managing a portfolio of 4 grants · 20 questions including a case study · 80% to pass

Who is it for?

Grants officers, project managers, finance managers and directors of national NGOs seeking funding.

The certificate

With at least 70% correct answers in the final assessment, you receive a certificate in your name, with a unique code that recruiters can verify on Humanitaires Jobs. A free Humanitarian Network account is required.

Key concepts

The vocabulary you need to master for this course and the exam.

Concept note
A short presentation of a project idea, before the full proposal.
Cost eligibility
The conditions under which an expense is accepted by the donor.
Indirect costs
The share of headquarters support costs charged to the project.
Co-funding
The share of the budget covered by sources other than the main donor.
Value for money
Economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity in the use of funds.
Due diligence
A donor's checks on an organisation's capacity and compliance.
Amendment
A formal modification of the contract (duration, budget, activities).
Eligibility period
The dates between which expenditure may be incurred.

References and recommended reading

The official texts and sector reference works on which the course is based.

  1. DG ECHO (2024). Donor rules and guidelines (example: European Commission, ECHO). civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu
  2. IASC (2016). The Grand Bargain: commitments. interagencystandingcommittee.org/grand-bargain
  3. CHS Alliance, Groupe URD, Sphere (2024). Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS). www.corehumanitarianstandard.org
  4. FAO / partner NGOs (2017). Guide to writing project proposals. www.fao.org