Social Impact Project for Strengthening WASHNet’s Fundraising and Grants Proposal Development Capacity

Project Description and Impact

WASHNet Sierra Leone is a national civil society alliance working to strengthen water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems through advocacy, accountability, and partnerships. Over the years, WASHNet has implemented several donor-funded projects in collaboration with government ministries, international NGOs, and development partners. These experiences have helped build a strong technical foundation, but sustaining and expanding the organization’s work now requires a more strategic approach to resource mobilization.

Despite its proven track record and credibility, WASHNet faces challenges in developing competitive grant proposals and diversifying its funding base. Proposal writing is often limited by time, donor insight, and staff exposure to global fundraising practices. As the organization grows, there is a clear need to build internal capacity in identifying suitable funding opportunities, crafting compelling proposals, and managing donor relationships more effectively.

To address this gap, WASHNet is seeking expert support to strengthen its fundraising and grants development capacity. This initiative will equip the team with practical tools, skills, and confidence to design winning proposals, align with donor priorities, and secure sustainable funding for ongoing and future programs

Learning Opportunity

By working with WASHNet, the experteer will gain valuable insight into how a national civil society network in Sierra Leone operates within the development and governance landscape—particularly in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector. They will experience firsthand how local organizations navigate donor relations, design community-centered interventions, and align their work with national priorities and global frameworks such as the SDGs.

The experteer will also learn from a diverse team that combines grassroots experience with national-level advocacy, gaining a deeper understanding of how evidence from the field informs policy dialogue and partnership building. This engagement offers a unique opportunity to see how capacity development in fundraising and grant preparation directly contributes to institutional sustainability and impact in a low-resource, high-need context.