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Notes from the field
Case studies, guides and news on nonprofit capacity building, written by our consultants and team.
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Latest · Case studiesStrengthening Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning capabilities at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
This report traces the APHRC engagement from an organization-specific MEL capacity needs assessment through a sequenced training roadmap.
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Consultant updatesGovernance Should Make the Organisation Easier to Run
Good governance is not simply about controlling an organisation. It is about creating enough clarity that people can act with confidence.
Case studiesWhen the map doesn't fit the territory: designing a MEL system for strategic environmental litigation
How AIDA and Stone Soup built Legal Outcome Mapping, a MEL system that tracks stakeholder change in environmental litigation, in eight months.
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GuidesCompeting for Funding: Is Your Organisation Ready to Win
Strong proposals still lose when the organisation behind them isn't ready. 5 questions to ask before you chase your next big grant or tender.
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NPB newsFrom Design Fundamentals to Branded Content: NPB's Visual Identity Training
How the Nonprofit Builder team learned design basics, Canva brand kits and video editing with Daniel Rugwiza of Kubara to keep every asset on brand.
Case studiesThe Impact Behind the Impact: Investing in Local Capacity
Rona Foundation's founder on what Segal Family Foundation's support through Nonprofit Builder changed: year-round learning, mentoring and safeguarding.
NPB newsSafeguarding Nuggets: The Small Beats That Matter
Quiet rooms, dietary care, consent and accessible name tags. What Segal's Next Beat event in Nairobi showed about safeguarding in the small details.
Consultant updatesEmotional Intelligence in Leadership
What emotional intelligence looks like in nonprofit leadership, based on Cliff Lansley's 12 competencies, and practical ways to build yours.
NPB newsA Day With Our Consultants: Inside NPB's First Consultant Connect of 2026
Consultants from across East Africa met in Nairobi to talk AI, selling their expertise and freelance wellbeing, and left with a new community.
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Consultant updatesThe Nonprofit's Guide to Securing Platforms You Don't Control
Your CRM, email and social accounts live on someone else's servers. 6 steps for nonprofits to control access, backups and risk on rented platforms.
Consultant updatesOutcome Harvesting: Simple in Principle, Challenging in Practice
Outcome Harvesting looks simple until you try it. An evaluator explains the common pitfalls and 10 tips for turning outcomes into better strategy.
Consultant updatesAI Adoption in Non-Profits: What We Are Getting Wrong, What It's Costing Us, and How to Fix It
92% of nonprofits use AI, but only 7% see real results. Why ad hoc use holds teams back, and 6 steps to turn it into a shared capability.
Consultant updatesWhy People Matter as Much as Process in a Merger
Lessons from Girl Rising's merger with She's the First, and Global Good's own merger with Amani, on building the trust that makes a merger work.
Consultant updatesThe Real Magic Of Making A Team
A founder of several organisations on hiring for energy, trusting your gut and letting people go when they resign, from decades of building teams.
Consultant updatesStaff Appreciation: The Team Culture Strategy We Often Overlook
79% of people who quit say feeling unappreciated was a major reason. Simple ways to build recognition into your nonprofit team's routines.
Case studiesWhen Asking for Help Is the Hardest Step: Designing Technology Survivors Can Trust
How Chameleonic helped Gender and Justice Unit build EmpowerLine, a free app giving survivors of violence in Malawi 24/7 legal information.
NPB newsLessons from Africa Xchange 2026: Money, Markets, and Mindsets
Takeaways from Africa Xchange 2026 in Nairobi, including Ndidi Nwuneli's 4-step framework for stories that move funders and decision makers.
Consultant updatesNonprofit Organization's Board & Governance: Five Board Models and the Risks They Hide (Coaching Reflection)
A governance coach on 5 common nonprofit board models, the hidden risks in each, and how to spot them in your own board.
Capacity building series
New to capacity building?
Start with our 8-article guide for funders, from a first definition to measuring impact.