{"id":383508,"date":"2025-10-07T14:22:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T13:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/?p=383508"},"modified":"2025-12-09T14:46:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:46:28","slug":"change-the-game-academy-green-launched-free-courses-on-local-fundraising-and-mobilising-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/en\/news\/change-the-game-academy-green-launched-free-courses-on-local-fundraising-and-mobilising-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Change the Game Academy Green launched: free courses on local fundraising"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This summer, civil society organisations from the Green Livelihoods Alliance (GLA), working on nature conservation, participated in a dynamic series of courses on local fundraising and mobilising support, led by the Change the Game Academy. The course on local fundraising is now available to follow online<\/a>, with the course on mobilising support following soon. As one participant in the Change the Game Academy Green course shared: \u2018I really feel I gained additional knowledge in fundraising that will be beneficial in our livelihood and environmental projects.\u2019 <\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Header photo: training on local fundraising and mobilising support in Sumpur Kudus, Indonesia<\/mark><\/em>, Indonesia.<\/mark><\/em> \u00a9<\/mark><\/em> KKI Warsi<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The Change the Game Academy (CtGA) methodology was tailored by the Strengthen the Roots consortium (Natura Bolivia, WARSI, A Rocha Ghana, WACSI, IUCN NL and Wilde Ganzen) to the specific needs of small community organisations working on the sustainable management of natural resources. The consortium contextualised and piloted the course in the field (2023-2025) and based on their input and experiences the Change the Game Academy Green course was developed. The \u2018CtGA Green\u2019 online course was then piloted with GLA partners between May and July 2025. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What is the Change the Game Academy?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Change the Game Academy strengthens the capacities of civil society organisations in low- and middle-income countries to be drivers of change, together with the people concerned. Developed by Wilde Ganzen, the Change the Game Academy supports organisations in building constituencies and holding governments and the private sector accountable. To this end, the Change the Game Academy offers classroom and online trainings on local fundraising and mobilising (government) support. Over 4000 organisations worldwide have completed classroom trainings and implemented Local fundraising and Mobilising support activities in their communities.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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Change the Game Academy Green: building independence and sustainability for small conservation organisations<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Funding for non-profit organisations is under increasing pressure. While governments and philanthropic institutions have traditionally played a central role in supporting nature conservation, many are now scaling back their involvement. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that bottom-up, locally-led conservation ensures environmental justice and is a stronger foundation for long-term conservation. Moreover, the challenges facing conservation efforts around the world remain as urgent as ever. In this shifting landscape, local fundraising and mobilising support are becoming vital strategies for ensuring the long-term sustainability of grassroots organisations that work for nature conservation. This way, community-based organisations (CBOs) previously supported by civil society organisations (CSOs) or NGOs become more independent, allowing the latter to attend to other CBOs and strengthening the entire organisational landscape. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Photo: CBOs who participated in the trainings.<\/mark><\/em> \u00a9<\/mark><\/em> Natura Bolivia<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Change the Game Academy Green training on mobilising support and local fundraising (communications). \u00a9 A Rocha Ghana<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The Change the Game Academy Green course on local fundraising is designed to equip participants with practical knowledge and tools to make use of diverse fundraising opportunities. Participants learn skills such as proposal writing, effective fundraising communication, how to maintain strong relations with donors, and more. In the course on mobilising support, participants learn how to get more support and commitment from stakeholders and decision makers and gain a broad understanding of all key aspects of lobby and advocacy. The course also discusses social accountability, strategic communication skills, and analysing methods to better understand your organisation\u2019s context. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Experiences from the field: what can you gain from the courses?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Hendrio Putra participated in classroom trainings on both local fundraising and mobilising support, organised by KKI Warsi under the Strengthen the Roots programme. Putra is the head of the Village Forest Management Group, a community-based organisation, in the village of Sirukam in West Sumatra, Indonesia. \u2018We participated in this training because we felt the need to improve our capacity in gaining support from various stakeholders,\u2019 says Putra. \u2018Firstly, to address the issues faced by our group in managing natural resources; secondly, to strengthen relationships and support through collaborations. Through this training, we learned fundraising techniques such as proposal writing, negotiation, and how to do a presentation in front of stakeholders in a way that convinces them to support our initiatives.\u2019 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Putra sees a direct impact from the training. \u2018For instance, we received support from the customary leadership council (Ninik Mamak) for zoning activities and boundary sign installation. In addition, the Watershed Management Centre of Agam Kuantan provided us with 1,000 seedlings including mahogany, pinang, coffee, and avocado. Our hope for the future is that the Village Forest Management Group of Sirukam can continue to receive support from various stakeholders and become an independent and sustainable community.\u2019 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Next to classroom sessions with trained facilitators, the CtGA courses can be followed at any time and without cost through the website of Change the Game Academy (link below). You just have to set up an account and register for the training that you would like to follow. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Sign up for the online Change the Game Academy Green trainings here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The fundraising training is engaging, informative, impactful and equips the trainee with actionable strategies. I really gained additional knowledge in fundraising that will be beneficial in our livelihood and environmental projects.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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-GLA member who participated in Change the Game Green<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The importance of strong communities for conservation<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Worldwide, millions of people directly depend on the landscapes they live in for their income, food and water. These landscapes are under increasing pressure, for example due to the growing demand for resources. Local communities who want to combat the loss of their land and overexploitation of natural resources are uniting in small organisations that strive for locally-led governance of their territory and the establishment of sustainable community enterprises. With Strengthen the Roots (2022-2025), these small organisations were encouraged to raise funds locally and gain support from other stakeholders in the landscape, such as local governments, religious institutions and the private sector. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u2018The skills for local fund-raising and mobilising support that can be acquired through the Change the Game Academy Green are very relevant and practical,\u2019 says Evelien van den Broek, senior expert environmental justice who worked on the Strengthen the Roots project. \u2018Under Strenghen the Roots, KKI Warsi, A Rocha Ghana and Natura Bolivia directly supported CBOs and small local CSOs by providing flexible funding for their projects, something that is rarely allowed or possible in most international development programmes. Based on the trainings, the CBOs and CSOs carried out problem and solution analyses, stakeholder analyses, and composed action plans. The CBOs then organised activities such as direct meetings, negotiations, proposals and courtesy visits to obtain support for their cause.\u2019 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Some results<\/h2>\n
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