Capacity Building Support
Organisational strengthening: governance, finance systems and fundraising capability.
About this programme
Capacity Building Support funds the unglamorous work that makes everything else possible: financial systems, governance, fundraising capability, strategy and staff development. Strong organisations win more funding and deliver more — this programme invests in the organisation itself rather than a single project.
What this funding can cover
- Financial systems: bookkeeping setup, accounting software, audit preparation
- Governance development: board training, policies and compliance work
- Fundraising capacity: strategy, donor systems and staff training
- Strategy development and organisational planning
- External consultancy, coaching or mentoring tied to the capacity goal
Who can apply
- Small nonprofits with limited core funding
- A specific capacity gap identified by the organisation
- Commitment from the board or leadership to act on the results
The application process, step by step
- 01
Capacity conversation
Tell us about your organisation and what's holding it back. We help you confirm the gap this grant should address.
- 02
Application development
Together we build the case: the gap, the intervention, the provider if external, the budget, and the maintenance plan.
- 03
Submission before the deadline
The completed application is submitted to the foundation ahead of the annual deadline.
- 04
Review and decision
Applications are assessed against the published criteria, with decisions and feedback sent to every applicant.
How applications are assessed
- Clarity of the capacity gap
- Practicality of the proposed support
- Expected organisational benefit
- How the improvement will be maintained after the grant
Grant support
How we help you win the Capacity Building Support
You don't have to figure this out alone. Our grant professionals work with you at every stage — from first idea to final submission.
Diagnose the real capacity gap
We start with a structured conversation about where your organisation is struggling. Often the stated need ('we need fundraising training') sits on top of a deeper one ('we have no donor pipeline'). Getting this right is what makes the application credible.
Choose the right intervention
We help you decide between training, consultancy, systems or staffing — and scope it to a budget the panel will see as proportionate.
Show leadership commitment
Assessors look for evidence the board is behind the change. We help you document that commitment properly.
Plan for after the grant
A strong application explains how the improvement sticks. We help you build maintenance costs and ownership into the plan.
Applications are open now — deadline 30 Nov 2026
Start early. Applicants who request guidance at least four weeks before the deadline submit noticeably stronger applications.