Build your capacity. NGO Training offers courses in project management, public relations, and marketing tailored to the needs of NGOs. We help the people who work for good causes to do their jobs with more confidence, more skill and less stress, because we believe that capacity building for NGOs is one of the most effective investments any organisation can make in its mission.
NGO Training is operated by One for All Services SPRL, based in Brussels, Belgium.
Our mission
Our mission is simple: to give NGO staff the practical skills they need to deliver high-quality work for their organisations and the causes they serve. We focus on three disciplines that sit at the heart of almost every non-profit: managing projects, communicating with the public and the media, and reaching and mobilising supporters.
These are areas where the corporate world has developed powerful, well-tested tools. Yet in many NGOs, staff learn them informally, under pressure and often by trial and error. We bring those tools into the non-profit sector in a form that is practical, accessible and adapted to the realities of NGO work.
Our story
NGO Training grew out of a simple observation. Many talented, committed people in NGOs end up managing projects, dealing with journalists or running campaigns without ever having been trained to do so. They are experts in their causes, not necessarily in planning, public relations or marketing. Meanwhile, businesses have spent decades refining methods for exactly these tasks.
We set out to bridge that gap with lessons from the corporate trenches: practical knowledge gained in demanding commercial environments, carefully adapted to NGO budgets, governance structures, donor requirements and values. The result is a set of focused, one-day workshops that participants can apply as soon as they return to their desks, complemented by in-house training and coaching for organisations that want a more tailored approach.
Qui Bono? Everybody!
Qui Bono? Everybody! Everybody benefits from capacity building.
This motto sums up why we do what we do. When an organisation invests in training, the benefits spread in every direction:
- Staff add new skills and improve existing ones, gaining confidence and professional growth.
- Organisations receive better work from their people, delivered more efficiently and to a higher standard.
- Teams become more stable, because happy, engaged staff stay longer. That lowers HR costs and keeps valuable knowledge in-house.
- Causes benefit most of all, because increased organisational output with high-quality work advances the mission in the biggest, most impactful way.
In a sector where every euro is scrutinised, training is sometimes seen as a luxury. We see it differently. Capacity building is how organisations turn good intentions into lasting results.
Our approach to capacity building for NGOs
Our training is practical, hands-on and grounded in reality. Each open course is a one-day classroom workshop that uses real-life examples from NGO projects. Rather than lecturing, our trainers introduce a concept, show how it works and then let participants try it out on realistic scenarios, ideally on their own projects.
Every open course includes a binder with training materials to take away, morning and afternoon coffee and tea breaks, and a networking lunch where participants can exchange experiences with peers from other organisations. For teams, we offer in-house training: our courses and trainers, your office, with material adapted to your organisation’s specific needs. Our trainers can also coach participants individually or in small groups for a few hours or a few days.
You can read more about the principles behind our workshops on our training approach page.
What we teach
We concentrate on three areas where we believe practical training makes the greatest difference to NGOs:
- Project management. Two one-day courses for new and experienced Project Managers: Project Management Fundamentals, for people who have run a few projects without formal training, and Advanced Project Management Tools & Techniques, for those who want to strengthen their estimating, scheduling and risk management skills.
- Public relations. Mastering Public Relations helps organisations get their message across, from stakeholder mapping and PR planning to media relations, social media and writing for different channels.
- Marketing. Mastering Marketing shares NGO marketing tips from the corporate trenches, covering positioning, audience segmentation, campaigns, digital channels, fundraising communications and measuring results.
By keeping our focus narrow, we can go deep, refine our materials continually and make sure every course is directly relevant to the people who attend.
Our values
- Practicality. Everything we teach should be usable the next working day. If a tool does not work in an NGO context, we leave it out or adapt it.
- Respect for the sector. NGOs are not businesses, and we never pretend otherwise. We borrow what works from the corporate world while respecting the values, accountability and purpose of non-profit work.
- Value for money. We know that training budgets are tight. Our courses are focused, efficient and designed to deliver a strong return on the time and money invested.
- Openness. We encourage honest discussion of challenges and mistakes, because that is where the most useful learning happens.
- Quality. We continually review and refine our materials based on participant feedback and developments in good practice.
Who we work with
Our courses are designed for people working in NGOs, charities, non-profits, foundations, networks and international organisations. Participants include project officers and programme managers, press officers and social media coordinators, communication and fundraising staff, managers and directors building capacity in their teams, and job seekers preparing for roles in the sector. Whether your organisation is a small local association or a large international network, the challenges of planning, communicating and mobilising support are much the same, and so are the tools that help.
Why Brussels?
Brussels is one of the world’s great hubs for NGOs and international organisations. Home to the main institutions of the European Union and to a large number of European networks, advocacy organisations, foundations and representations of international NGOs, it brings together a remarkable community of people working for causes. Basing our training here means participants can learn alongside peers from a wide variety of organisations, sectors and countries, and leave with new contacts as well as new skills.
Our commitment to quality
We aim to make every training day worth the time participants invest in it. That means clear learning outcomes for every course, materials that remain useful long after the workshop, trainers who facilitate rather than lecture, and a learning environment where questions are welcome. We ask participants for feedback after each course and use it to keep improving our content and delivery. When we adapt a course for an organisation, we start by listening carefully to what the team actually needs.
We also believe in being straightforward about what a single day of training can and cannot achieve. A workshop gives you tools, practice and confidence; real change comes from applying them consistently afterwards. That is why we encourage every participant to leave with a concrete action plan, why our materials are designed to be used long after the course, and why we offer coaching for those who want support in putting new skills to work.
Let’s build your capacity together
Whether you want to strengthen your own skills, develop your team or explore a tailored programme, we would be glad to help. Browse our courses, book a place in our shop, or get in touch. You can call us on +32 2 403 49 83 or email [email protected].
