The Activist Academy
A program of Gender Justice League Action

Section 1: Foundations · School 4

Resource & Capacity Development

Fundraising, grants, budgeting, operational planning. Build the financial and operational infrastructure movements need.

6 modules10–12 hours
Prerequisites: Complete Foundations Of Power, Organizing Base Building and Power Resource Mapping first.

Modules

1

The Politics of Money — Power, Funding, and Movement Independence

90–120 min

  • •Understand money as a form of power
  • •Analyze the Nonprofit Industrial Complex
  • •Assess how funding structures shape movement strategy
2

The Revenue Landscape — Seven Streams of Movement Funding

90–120 min

  • •Identify seven revenue streams available to movement organizations
  • •Assess which streams align with your organization's values and capacity
  • •Begin a revenue diversification plan
3

The Ask — Donor Cultivation, Storytelling, and the Art of Fundraising

90–120 min

  • •Master the Five-Stage Donor Cultivation Cycle
  • •Apply storytelling to fundraising asks
  • •Practice grassroots fundraising strategies
4

Grant Writing and Institutional Funding

90–120 min

  • •Understand the grant landscape and how funders think
  • •Write compelling grant narratives
  • •Navigate the institutional funding process
5

Budgeting, Operations, and Financial Sustainability

90–120 min

  • •Build a campaign or organizational budget
  • •Conduct the Autonomy Audit
  • •Create a revenue diversification model for financial sustainability
6

Summary & Reflections

30–45 min

  • •Review key frameworks and deliverables from all 5 modules
  • •Revisit your saved responses — autonomy audit, revenue plan, budget, and capstone
  • •Download your Section I completion certificate
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