About this opportunity
The NGO Support Initiative is dRPC's programme for strengthening the organisational and technical capacity of Nigerian civil society. Round 1 ran in 2025, when dRPC awarded sub-grants of ₦5,000,000 each to seventeen CAC compliant Nigerian CSOs across ten states from its Ford Foundation BUILD grant, helping those organisations complete activities that had been put at risk when USAID closed its projects in maternal and child health, TVET and girls' education, youth digital skills and humanitarian assistance. Round 2 builds on what that cohort taught the programme, and the emphasis has shifted from replacing lost money to building the skills and organisational effectiveness that let Nigerian institutions raise and keep their own social capital. The training is delivered by dRPC in collaboration with Leiden University in the Netherlands through the LM Program, the Dangote Business School, and the Centre for Entrepreneurship Research and Training at Bayero University, Kano.
You choose one of two streams. Stream 1, NGO Management for Project Impact and Organisational Resilience, is for founders, directors and gender leads of registered CSOs with active grants, and its modules run through project management for impact, upward and downward accountability to donors and communities, retaining, placing and engaging your best people, branding, visibility and telling success stories, working with government for scale, compliance with the new regulatory ecosystem, and resilience planning and sustainable funding. Stream 2, Professionalizing Local Philanthropy, Strengthening Charitable Foundations and Building CSR for Social Capital, is for founders, directors, CSR leads and managers of registered foundations, charitable associations, CSOs and CSR units, and its modules cover the New African philanthropy for sustainable development solutions, ITN principles of importance, tractability and neglectedness for decision-making in philanthropy, aligning charitable mission with personal brand and corporate identity, sustainable financing, management and public relations for charitable purpose, effective altruism skills for CSR executives, taxation, compliance and regulation for charitable purpose, and monitoring, evaluation and learning from implementation of the charitable mission.
The programme runs for eight weeks and sixteen contact hours entirely online, two people from each selected organisation attend, and participants are certified by dRPC, Leiden University, Dangote Business School and Bayero University Kano's Centre for Entrepreneurship Research and Training. Apply through the dRPC form linked from the initiative page before 15 October 2026, and send questions to ngosupportinitiative@drpcngr.org. Two practical notes. The form is hosted on Google Forms, so it opens to a Google account sign in step before you can answer, and dRPC does not publish the form's field list in advance, so have your CAC registration details, your organisation's profile and your second nominee ready. Also read the 2026 flyer carefully on the initiative page: that page still carries the older Round 2 grant poster whose submission window closed on 15 October 2025, and the current call is the free training programme, not a sub-grant.
What you receive
- No fee to apply and no fee to take part, the programme is free of charge
- Eight weeks of practical, participatory virtual executive training worth sixteen contact hours
- A choice of two streams matched to either grant holding CSOs or to philanthropic and CSR organisations
- Thirty CSO places and ten philanthropic organisation places across the two streams
- Two seats per selected organisation, so a founder and a director can attend together
- Modules on donor accountability, talent retention, branding and storytelling, working with government, regulatory compliance and resilience planning
- Modules on new African philanthropy, ITN decision frameworks, effective altruism, taxation and regulation, and monitoring, evaluation and learning
- A certificate issued by dRPC with Leiden University, Dangote Business School and the Bayero University Kano Centre for Entrepreneurship Research and Training
- Entry into the NGO Support Initiative cohort that continues the Round 1 network of sub-grantee organisations
Who can apply
- A registered Nigerian civil society organisation, charitable foundation, charitable association or the CSR unit of a commercial establishment
- CAC compliant registration, the standard dRPC applied to the Round 1 grant cohort and stated on the Round 2 material
- For Stream 1, a founder, director or gender lead of a CSO with active grants
- For Stream 2, a founder, director, CSR lead or manager of a registered foundation, charitable association, CSO or CSR unit
- Able to nominate two people from the same organisation, since places are allocated at two per organisation
- Able to commit to eight weeks and sixteen contact hours of virtual sessions
- Organisations whose work sits in the priority areas the provider names, including maternal and child health, girls’ education, youth digital skills, humanitarian assistance and social justice
- Faith based and women led organisations are among those the initiative supports, and the Round 1 cohort included both
Who should not apply
- This round is training, not a grant, so no money is awarded to selected participants
- Individuals cannot apply in a personal capacity, the places are allocated to organisations at two people each
- Organisations outside Nigeria are not the target of this initiative, which is built for Nigerian CSOs, foundations and CSR units
- Places are limited to thirty CSOs and ten philanthropic organisations, so applying does not guarantee a seat
- The application form does not publish its field list in advance, and it requires a Google account sign in before responses can be entered
- The older Round 2 sub-grant call shown on the same dRPC page closed on 15 October 2025 and is not what is open now
Documents to prepare
- Your CAC registration details for the organisation, since the programme is for registered, CAC compliant bodies
- Your organisation profile and current areas of work, the material dRPC asks applicants to describe in the Round 1 guidance
- The name and role of both nominees from your organisation, since two people per organisation attend
- Your chosen stream, Stream 1 for grant holding CSO leadership or Stream 2 for philanthropy, foundations and CSR
- Contact details for the organisation so the cohort team can reach both participants
How to apply
- Open the NGO Support Initiative page at https://drpcngr.org/project/the-drpc-ngo-support-initiative-nsi/ and read the 2026 Round 2 capacity strengthening flyer.
- Decide which stream fits your organisation, Stream 1 for registered CSOs with active grants or Stream 2 for foundations, charitable associations and CSR units.
- Agree the two leaders from your organisation who will both attend the eight week cohort.
- Have your CAC registration details, organisation profile and both nominees’ names and roles ready before you start.
- Open the dRPC application form linked from the initiative page, which runs on Google Forms and opens to a Google account sign in step.
- Sign in with a Google account you check regularly, since that is the address the cohort team will use to reach you.
- Enter your organisation details, your stream choice and both nominees in a single sitting, because the form does not hold partial entries.
- Submit before 15 October 2026, the closing date printed on the Round 2 flyer.
- Keep a copy of your responses and watch for the cohort communication, and note that dRPC acknowledges applications but does not publish a notification date.
- For any question about the programme, write to ngosupportinitiative@drpcngr.org.
Selection process
- Applications are reviewed against the organisation type and the stream you choose
- Places are allocated as thirty CSO seats and ten philanthropic organisation seats across the two streams
- Each successful organisation receives two places, so the nominated pair attends together
- The provider does not publish a scoring rubric, an interview stage or a date on which outcomes are announced
- Shortlisting is done by dRPC with the partner institutions delivering the sessions, Leiden University, Dangote Business School and the Bayero University Kano Centre for Entrepreneurship Research and Training
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
Is this a grant?
No. Round 2 of the NGO Support Initiative is a free eight week virtual executive training programme. The ₦5,000,000 sub-grants belonged to Round 1 in 2025, and the older Round 2 grant poster still visible on the dRPC page closed on 15 October 2025.
Does it cost anything?
Nothing. The provider states there are no fees associated with applying or taking part, and the flyer carries a zero fee mark.
Who should apply?
Leaders of Nigerian civil society organisations, charitable foundations, charitable associations and the CSR units of commercial establishments. Stream 1 is aimed at founders, directors and gender leads of CSOs with active grants, and Stream 2 at founders, directors, CSR leads and managers of philanthropic organisations.
How many people from one organisation can attend?
Two. Places are allocated at two people per organisation, and the programme runs on the assumption that the pair attends the same cohort.
How much time does it take?
Eight weeks and sixteen contact hours, delivered virtually, alongside your normal work.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Participants are certified by dRPC together with Leiden University, Dangote Business School and the Centre for Entrepreneurship Research and Training at Bayero University, Kano.
What happens on the form?
The form is hosted on Google Forms, so it asks you to sign in to a Google account before you can answer, and dRPC does not publish the field list in advance. Have your CAC registration details, organisation profile and both nominees ready and complete it in one sitting.
When do applications close?
On 15 October 2026, the date printed on the Round 2 flyer. There are three days left from the day this page was written, so apply promptly and send questions to ngosupportinitiative@drpcngr.org.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
