Thrive Africa Vegan Women’s Initiative Veganic Mama
Grantwriting Sprint
October 6 - November 3
Thrive Africa Vegan Women’s Initiative presents the Veganic Mama Grantwriting Sprint, a five-week online grantwriting-readiness programme designed to support African women working in plant-based food systems, vegan advocacy, and farmed animal advocacy to strengthen their practical grant-writing skills and develop more competitive funding proposals.
Through weekly interactive sessions, practical exercises, peer learning, and guided assignments, participants will build key components of a grant proposal step by step while strengthening their confidence to identify and pursue relevant funding opportunities.
Registration is open to women-identified advocates based in Africa.
Questions can be sent to virginia.ruguru@thrivephilanthropy.org
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Over five weeks, participants will work through key stages of grant readiness:
Week 1 – Setting Project Goals & SMART Objectives
Tuesday, 6 October 2026
Develop clear project goals
Develop and refine SMART objectives
Connect objectives to the identified need or problem
Week 2 – Theory of Change
Tuesday, 13 October 2026
Understand the Theory of Change
Explore the pathway from activities to outputs and outcomes
Identify key assumptions
Develop a simple Theory of Change
Week 3 – Designing the Project
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Define target beneficiaries
Design appropriate interventions
Identify key project activities
Link activities to objectives and expected results
Week 4 – Budgeting & Planning for Results
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Develop a basic project budget
Align costs with project activities
Prepare a budget justification
Introduce simple indicators for measuring results
Week 5 – Grant Ready & Donor Engagement
Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Identify suitable funding opportunities
Understand key donor requirements
Review proposals for grant readiness
Strengthen professional donor communication and follow-up
Learn approaches to feedback, networking, and donor relationship building
“The Thrive Africa Vegan Women’s Initiative is like a personalized coaching experience, focusing on the often-overlooked aspects of our journey. It’s boosted my confidence and leadership skills. ”
WHY PARTICIPATE?
The Grant Sprint is designed as a practical learning experience. Participants will not only learn about grant writing but will also have opportunities to apply each week's learning to their own projects.
By the end of the Sprint, participants will have strengthened key elements of a grant proposal and developed greater confidence in identifying funding opportunities, communicating with donors, and preparing competitive applications.
Dates
Every Tuesday for five weeks:
6 October 2026
13 October 2026
20 October 2026
27 October 2026
3 November 2026
Time
5:00–7:00 PM EAT – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda
4:00–6:00 PM CAT – South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Sudan
3:00–5:00 PM WAT – Nigeria, Cameroon
2:00–4:00 PM GMT – The Gambia, Senegal, Ghana
Format
The programme will be delivered online, with interactive two-hour sessions incorporating practical exercises, discussions, peer learning, and opportunities to apply the concepts covered each week.
Who Should Attend?
African women basedin Africa working on or developing initiatives related to:
Plant-based food systems
Vegan advocacy
Animal rights
Participants are encouraged to commit to all five sessions to gain the full benefit of the Grant Sprint and progressively develop their grant-readiness skills.
Creating an Engaging and Supportive Learning Space
The Grant Sprint is designed to encourage active participation, peer learning, constructive feedback, and respectful engagement. Participants will have opportunities to learn from one another while developing and strengthening their own project ideas and grant proposals.
One Sprint. Five Weeks. One Step Closer to Grant Ready.
INITIATIVE LEAD
The Thrive Africa Vegan Women’s Initiative is managed by Kenya-based Thrive Africa Co-Manager, Virginia Ruguru. Virginia is a passionate advocate for plant-based nutrition with over 12 years of experience in managing international and national nonprofit programs. She is dedicated to promoting plant-based culinary traditions and humane education. Virginia endeavors to nurture compassion and respect for all living beings, with a strong emphasis on the humane treatment of animals. Committed to accelerating plant-based food systems and promoting veganism, she aims to drive positive change and advocate for sustainable practices in nutrition and ethical values.
For more information, please contact Virginia at virginia.ruguru@thrivephilanthropy.org.
Thrive Africa is a department of Thrive Philanthropy.
Questions may be sent to africa@thrivephilanthropy.com
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