trust fundraising

Mini MBA

By Better Story

 
 

The Trust Fundraising Mini MBA by Better Story is for charity sector professionals who want to grow their income from Trust and Foundations.

Your role requires you to research, write, plan, and submit applications that get results in an increasingly competitive environment.

The Trust Fundraising Mini MBA unlocks the knowledge and experience of our team of 10 bid writers who provide trust fundraising for our charity clients.

We know how busy you are. So we have designed a course that maximises learning, impact and community, with an optimal time commitment. The Trust Fundraising Mini MBA will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to secure funding from trusts and foundations in the UK.

Using an action learning approach, you will work through real-world fundraising challenges, applying key concepts directly to your own organisations, while learning from peers. Each session will have a mixture of practical exercises, insights, peer discussions, and real-time feedback.

By the end of the programme, you will have created:

  • A compelling, funder-ready case for support

  • A researched and prioritised funder pipeline

  • An understanding of how to present financial and impact information.

Join the waitlist to be the first to hear when applications open.

At the end of the course, you will have the resources, knowledge and skills needed to grow your income from Trusts and Foundations.

2025 Syllabus

 

Thursday 5th June
10am - 12noon
Session 1: Understanding The Funding Landscape & Becoming Funder Ready

Objective: Establish a long-term approach to trust and foundation fundraising.

  • Introduction to the course

  • The funding landscape: trends & opportunities

  • What funders want: key priorities & values

  • Becoming funder-ready

  • What do you want funding for?

Thursday 3rd July
10am - 12noon
Session 2: Developing A Case For Support

Objective: Create a clear, compelling case for support that showcases your organisation

  • What is a case for support? Why it matters

  • Core components: vision, need, solution, impact

  • Writing with funders in mind: language & tone

  • Using storytelling to strengthen your case

Thursday 11th September
10am - 12noon
Session 3: Refining The Case For Support – Financials & Impact

Objective: Further develop the case for support with financial information and impact measurement.

  • Presenting your budget clearly

  • Full cost recovery

  • Developing impact & outcomes

  • Design and layout

Thursday 2nd October
10am - 12noon
Session 4: Prospect Research & Identifying The Right Funders

Objective: Build a pipeline to apply for funders.

  • Defining your ideal funder profile

  • Effective funder research

  • Assessing funder fit

  • Making initial contact

Thursday 6th November
10am - 12noon
Session 5: Writing Winning Applications

Objective: Tailoring your case for support to specific applications with clarity.

  • Aligning applications with funder language and priorities

  • Common pitfalls & how to avoid them

Thursday 4th December
10am - 12noon
Session 6: Building Long-Term Relationships With Funders

Objective: Build confidence in engaging funders beyond the grant.

  • Understanding funders’ perspectives: what they look for in applications

  • Structuring a pitch

  • Beyond the grant: stewardship & engagement

  • Reporting & communications strategies

Join the waitlist to be the first to hear when applications open.

Your Course Leaders

  • Karina has over 20 years’ experience as a charity founder, CEO and social venture leader. Skilled in strategy, project innovation and fundraising, she is passionate about helping charity leaders develop strong sustainable organisations that make a real difference to people's lives. Karina has a business Masters in Social Innovation and is involved with social impact work at her local church. She lives in Derbyshire with 1 husband, 2 cats and 3 chickens.

  • Dan has years of experience as a CEO and fundraising manager for several internationally recognised non-profit organisations. He has raised millions of pounds for charities over the last 10 years. He is passionate about charities having the resources they need to multiply their impact, helping more people to 'live a better story'. He lives in Wiltshire with his two girls and labradoodle.

  • Jason wants to make the world a better place and does this through helping charities secure resources, increase their impact and make positive change. He has worked in the third, housing and public sectors for two decades. In that time, he has secured millions in funding through competitive tendering processes and grants. Jason is also a non-executive director for Llais: Your Voice in Health and Social Care and Taff Housing Association. Outside of work, he loves spending time with his family and training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

 

Investment

To be considered for the Trust Fundraising Mini MBA you need to be responsible for Trust and Foundations fundraising in a registered charity.

To make the most of the 6-month online course and contribute effectively to the community you’ll need to be available for at least half of the main sessions. You can delegate a team member in your place for up to two sessions.

 

Course Fees

  • £150 + vat per month for 6 months

Payments are collected by Direct Debit or Invoice.

 

No prior qualifications are necessary. The Trust Fundraising Mini MBA is not a formal qualification.

Join the waitlist to be the first to hear when applications open.