ECF Academy

Interactive online course designed for nonprofit leaders who are scaling their organisations for greater impact

• Provider: Nonprofit Builder
• Programme Dates: Starting after March, dates coming in January
• Application for 2026: Open 
• This course has limited places. Enrol early to secure your place!

Overview

This immersive training supports leaders and teams to build strategic clarity and translate it into focused, actionable operational plans using the One Page Strategic Plan (OPSP) model. Participants learn how to distil complex strategic thinking into a single-page framework that connects vision, priorities, people, and execution, enabling alignment, clear decision-making, and effective delivery. Designed for organisations facing growth and complexity, the training provides practical tools—including AI-supported strategy tools—to move confidently from strategy to action.

Format and Language

• Online
• This course consists of 4 workshops (each approx. 2-3  hours long) spread over a period of 1 month.
• Language: English

Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Articulate their strategy in a simple, powerful, printable, adaptable, usable, cohesive 1-page format.
• Developed their organization’s core values, mission, vision, target market and area, customer-personas, their brief theory of change (impact, outcome, outputs/activities), unique value propositions, KPIs, SWOT, 5-year goals, 1-year goals, quarterly goals and quarterly action plan.
• Tangible takeaway: a strategic plan on 1 piece of paper for your organization, ready to use.

Apply for One Strategic Plan now

Gain the skills and confidence to lay the foundations for long-term scale, identify the right pathway for your organisation, test your potential in the real world, and build a strategy that ensures you can do it all sustainably.

• Provider: Spring Impact
• Programme Dates: March-April 2026 (Exact dates coming in January)
• Application for 2026: Open
• Building Scale Brochure
• Apply here

Overview

This course helps organisations lay the foundations for long-term scale. Participants gain clarity, identify their ideal scaling pathway, test their potential in the real world, and build a sustainable strategy

Format and language

• A 5-week practical online training
• Cohorts of 20 organisations (2 pax per org).
• Includes 3 live sessions, video case studies and a suite of resources on our online learning platform, Teachable.
• English

Learning areas

• Strategic thinking and structured planning
• Access to guided scaling tools
• Achieve more with existing resources
• Define who delivers and pays for scale
• Finalise the training with Scale Readiness Assessment, High-level Scale Strategy & Action Plan.
• Learn from like-minded leaders through peer networks

Apply for Building Scale Foundations now

A 4-month online programme for mission-driven leaders to develop the skills and knowledge to scale their organisation’s impact

• Provider: Spring Impact
• Programme Dates:April-May 2026 (Dates will be confirmed in February)
• Application for 2026: Open
• How to apply: Once applications open, eligible organizations will be able to apply through a provided link.
• Course brochure

Overview

Course tailored specifically to climate impact organisations, who are committed to scaling and have demonstrated a certain level of readiness. Unlike the shorter Scale Foundations course, this extended format gives participants time to apply learning in between live sessions, test concepts in real-world contexts, and socialise their strategic thinking, while introducing new system change modules that are pertinent to ECF grantees.

Format and Language

• A 16-week practical online training with 8 live sessions across six modules: Assess Scale Readiness, Scale Strategy, Advocacy and Policy, Movement Building, Strategy Testing.
• Cohorts of 10 organisations (2 people per org).
• English

Outcomes

1. Increased Strategic Capacity – Leaders gain confidence, clarity, and decision-making frameworks to lead scaling efforts
2. Organisational Alignment on Scale – Teams become aligned around a shared understanding of scale and the path forward
3. Improved Efficiency & Effectiveness – Strategic scaling leads to better use of resources, improved delivery quality, and greater cost-effectiveness
4. Empowered Leadership Teams – Leaders are better equipped to drive sustainable growth and navigate complexity
5. Enhanced Readiness for External Engagement – Stronger cases for funding, partnership, or support thanks to a clear pitch and action plan

Apply for the Leaders of Scale Programme now

Interactive online course designed for nonprofit leaders who are scaling their organisations for greater impact

• Provider: Nonprofit Builder
• Programme Dates: Starting after March, dates coming in January
• Application for 2026: Open
• This course has limited places. Enrol early to secure your place!
• Apply here

Overview

This course provides leaders of growing nonprofits with the skills and confidence needed to navigate increasing complexity, pressure, and responsibility. Through four modules, it supports leaders to maintain mission integrity while strengthening leadership capacity, people management, and organisational culture, and to develop the agility and emotional intelligence required to lead effectively through growth and change.

Format and language

• Online
• The course consists of 4 workshops (each approx. 2 hours long) spread over a period of 1 month.
• Language: English

Learning areas

• Leading self: emotional intelligence, resilience, and adaptive leadership
• Leading others: people management, trust, and team development
• Leading culture: values-driven leadership and organisational culture
• Leading growth: navigating complexity, change, and scaling with impact

Apply for Scaling for Impact now

A full year of access to over 20 self-directed courses covering fundraising, donor engagement, and organisational development

• Provider: Philantropia
• Programme Dates: January 1 – December 31, 2026
• Application for 2026: Open
• How to apply: Eligible organizations can apply here.
• Visit the Philanthropia website.

Overview

This programme allows grantees access to self paced learning platform with over 20 fundraising courses, live webinars and bootcamps. Courses include the following topics: donor research, proposal writing, donor networking, corporate fundraising, online fundraising, developing budgets that secure grants etc.

Format, duration, language

• Online
• Access available for 12 months
• English

Deliverables

Each course focuses on a fundraising topic with a specific set of deliverables.

Structure

• Access to some 20 self-directed courses covering fundraising, donor engagement, and organizational development.
• Several live webinars and ECF specific live webinars.
• Six specific boot camps per year providing structured learning on specialized topics such as developing donor-specific proposals, crafting effective communication strategies, building institutional partnerships, and advancing sustainability planning. Grantees will also receive access to Philantropia donor database with over 10,000 donor profiles.

Apply for the Philantropia Fundraising Courses now. 

A learning platform to help non-profit HR professionals strengthen their people practices. 

• Provider: Personio Foundation
• Programme Dates: January – December 2026
• Application for 2026: Open
• How to apply: Organisations can apply through the following link

Overview

Self paced learning platform offering structured content, tools, and templates along the employee lifecycle to help organizations build strong, effective people practices. Live and recorded events featuring expert talks, webinars, and panel discussions covering  HR topics, trends, and challenges. Mentorship programme connecting nonprofit HR professionals with experienced mentors from the private sector.

Format, duration, language

• Online
• Access available for 12 months
• English

Learning areas

• Attracting employees
• Retaining talent
• Tracking and fostering performance
• Working conditions
• Thriving in remote environment

Apply for the Employee Life Cycle Management Platform now

Helping climate finance messages cut through

• Provider: Clear Europe
• Programme Dates: 19 Feb, 5 Mar, 12 Mar, 19 Mar 2026
• Application for 2026: Open
• How to apply: Eligible organisations can apply now.
• Read a full description of the workshops
• Places will be confirmed on a rolling basis.

Overview

This series of in-person and online workshops is designed to help partners working on climate finance topics to improve their communications skills. Check out the descriptions in the link below and apply for the sessions that interest you most. You’ll join colleagues and expert trainers to strengthen some core communications skills.

Format, duration, language

• Two all-day in-person workshops in Brussels.
• Two all-morning online trainings.

Workshops

• Workshop 1: Mastering Media Interviews, Brussels, 19 February. 09:30-16:00
• Workshop 2: Narrative and Framing – tailoring your communications to today’s EU political landscape
  Brussels, 5 March. 09:30-16:00
• Workshop 3: LinkinedIn Advertising – Organic and Sponsored Content, Online, 12 March. 09:30-12:30
• Workshop 4: LinkedIn Strategies for Thought Leadership, Online, 19 March. 09:30-16:00

Apply for the Communication Skills for Climate Finance workshops now.