What is the Nonprofit Project Design Toolkit?

The Nonprofit Project Design Toolkit is a free, step-by-step learning series that helps nonprofits and social enterprises design evidence-based, fundable projects. Through eight practical lessons, you move from understanding the problem and your stakeholders to building a theory of change, logframe, activities, proposal, and budget you can confidently share with funders and partners.

Who is the "Setup Your Project For Success" series for?

This series is for nonprofit and social impact teams who want to design projects that are realistic, community-centered, and funder-ready. It works well for founders, program managers, youth-led organizations, and anyone who needs a clear structure for turning ideas into projects with measurable outcomes.

What will I learn in this toolkit?

You will learn practical methods for designing evidence-based projects. You'll start by analyzing your problem with a problem tree and mapping stakeholders. Then you'll synthesize insights using affinity diagrams and build a theory of change. Finally, you'll create a logical framework, design activities, write a compelling proposal, and estimate a realistic budget that demonstrates how your project creates measurable impact.

How is the toolkit structured?

The toolkit is organized into two main modules and eight lessons. The "Building Foundation" module guides you through problem analysis, stakeholder mapping, data synthesis, and theory of change. The "Operationalize" module focuses on the logical framework, activity design, proposal writing, and budget estimation, so you end with a coherent and fundable project design.

How long does it take to complete the series?

You can complete the full series in a focused weekend or over several shorter sessions. Module 1 typically takes 4-6 hours if you engage with the exercises and templates, while Module 2 may take a similar amount of time depending on how complex your project is and how many stakeholders you involve in the process.

Can I reuse the templates and tools in my own work?

Yes. The templates, canvases, and examples are designed to be reused across multiple projects and funding opportunities. You can adapt them to your local context, translate them for your team, and integrate them into your organization's internal toolkits, as long as you keep the original credit and do not resell the toolkit as a standalone product.

Is the toolkit really free, and what's the catch?

Yes, the toolkit is free to use. Festa Design Studio created it to support nonprofits, youth-led initiatives, and social enterprises that often do not have access to project design support. We may occasionally invite you to share feedback or join learning spaces, but there is no paywall to access the core lessons and resources.

How does this toolkit support trauma-informed and community-centered design?

The toolkit guides you to slow down and deeply understand the people and systems affected by your project before proposing solutions. Tools like stakeholder mapping, problem analysis, and theory of change are designed to surface power dynamics, lived experience, and local knowledge. This approach helps you design alongside communities - valuing their expertise and ensuring your project responds to their needs, not just your assumptions.

About Setup

Empowering changemakers with evidence-based project design methodologies.

Content Philosophy

🌍 Sector-Agnostic

Our tools work across health, education, environment, youth development, and any social impact sector. Universal frameworks, locally adapted.

📹 Visual-First Learning

Storyboarded videos with diagrams and case-based prompts reduce cognitive load and make complex methodologies easier to grasp.

🤝 Community-Centered

Evidence-based methodology with authentic partnership focus. We emphasize community validation over extractive research.

🤖 AI-Assisted Research

Integrates modern desk review methods using AI tools while maintaining human validation and community engagement.

Who We Serve

🚀 Emerging Changemakers

Starting social enterprises or grassroots nonprofits.

📊 Program Officers

Working at NGOs and seeking better project structure.

🎯 Executive Directors

Aligning vision with execution.

✍️ Strategy Consultants & Grant Writers

Supporting social impact organizations.

Our Learning Approach

Each lesson follows a consistent structure designed for maximum retention and practical application:

Video Overview (more than 60 minutes +): Watch a concise, storyboarded lesson introducing the core concept
Supporting Materials: Access detailed guides, templates, and examples
Step-by-Step Instructions: Follow structured processes to apply the methodology
Real-World Examples: See how other changemakers have used these tools successfully
Quality Checklist: Self-assess your work against best-practice standards

Your Two-Module Learning Journey

🌱

Module 1: Building the Foundation

4 Lessons · 78 minutes video content

Master the research and planning tools that transform vague ideas into structured, evidence-based project designs.

Lesson 1.1: Problem Tree Analysis

Break down complex social issues into root causes and effects using AI-assisted desk review

Lesson 1.2: Stakeholder Mapping

Identify who to engage, when, and how using power-interest analysis and engagement strategies

Lesson 1.3: Synthesize Data

Combine problem analysis, stakeholder input, and research using affinity diagrams

Lesson 1.4: Theory of Change

Articulate how your intervention will create change from activities to long-term impact

Start Module 1

⚙️

Module 2: Operationalize Theory of Change

4 Lessons · 82 minutes video content

Transform your Theory of Change into actionable plans, compelling proposals, and realistic budgets.

Lesson 2.1: Logical Framework

Translate your Theory of Change into a structured logframe with SMART indicators

Lesson 2.2: Activity Design

Design implementation-ready activities with community partners and detailed timelines

Lesson 2.3: Proposal Writing

Write compelling, evidence-based proposals that demonstrate community partnership

Lesson 2.4: Budget Estimation

Translate activities into realistic costs with sustainability and partnership value

Start Module 2

About Festa Design Studio

Setup is developed by Festa Design Studio, a design practice focused on creating calm, accessible, and purposeful digital experiences for social impact organizations.

Meet the Founder

Abayomi Ogundipe is the founder of Festa Design Studio. With a background in design for social impact, Abayomi brings together expertise in human-centered design, nonprofit capacity building, and accessible digital experiences.

His work focuses on helping purpose-driven organizations, nonprofits, impact startups, and grassroots initiatives, build the systems they need to communicate their mission effectively and create lasting change in their communities.

The "Setup Your Project for Success" series reflects his belief that every changemaker deserves access to evidence-based project design tools, regardless of budget or organizational size.

Learn more about Abayomi

Your Learning Journey: Plan → Build → Activate

Setup is the first step in a comprehensive ecosystem of social impact education, aligned with Festa's three-pillar service model.

YOU ARE HERE

📋 Plan

Setup Your Project for Success

Turn your mission into a fundable, evidence-based program with clear outcomes and indicators.

COMING SOON

🎨 Build

Build Your Communication Systems

Create accessible, trauma-informed design systems that express your program safely.

FUTURE

🚀 Activate

Activate Your Impact

Launch campaigns that mobilize supporters, donors, and communities into action.

🎨

Coming Soon: Build Your Communication Systems

4 Modules · Practical design education for nonprofits

A practical design education series teaching nonprofits and social enterprises how to create accessible, trauma-informed communication and interface systems.

Module 1: Brand & Voice Foundations

Identity development, tone, and messaging pillars for mission-driven organizations

Module 2: Design Systems for Social Impact

Tokens, components, and trauma-informed interface patterns

Module 3: Accessible Web Design

WCAG compliance, UX audits, and mobile-first responsive design

Module 4: Content Templates & Governance

Social media templates, asset libraries, and team workflows

Additional Topics in Development

🤖

AI Ethics & Governance

Responsible AI adoption for nonprofits

🎯

Sector-Specific Deep Dives

Health, education, environment modules

📊

Advanced M&E Workshops

Monitoring and evaluation frameworks

Each expansion maintains our core values: evidence-based, accessible, practical, and community-centered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about the toolkit, its structure, and how it can support your nonprofit project design work.

: The Nonprofit Project Design Toolkit is a free, step-by-step learning series that helps nonprofits and social enterprises design evidence-based, fundable projects. Through eight practical lessons, you move from understanding the problem and your stakeholders to building a theory of change, logframe, activities, proposal, and budget you can confidently share with funders and partners.
: This series is for nonprofit and social impact teams who want to design projects that are realistic, community-centered, and funder-ready. It works well for founders, program managers, youth-led organizations, and anyone who needs a clear structure for turning ideas into projects with measurable outcomes.
: You will learn practical methods for designing evidence-based projects. You'll start by analyzing your problem with a problem tree and mapping stakeholders. Then you'll synthesize insights using affinity diagrams and build a theory of change. Finally, you'll create a logical framework, design activities, write a compelling proposal, and estimate a realistic budget that demonstrates how your project creates measurable impact.
: The toolkit is organized into two main modules and eight lessons. The "Building Foundation" module guides you through problem analysis, stakeholder mapping, data synthesis, and theory of change. The "Operationalize" module focuses on the logical framework, activity design, proposal writing, and budget estimation, so you end with a coherent and fundable project design.
: You can complete the full series in a focused weekend or over several shorter sessions. Module 1 typically takes 4-6 hours if you engage with the exercises and templates, while Module 2 may take a similar amount of time depending on how complex your project is and how many stakeholders you involve in the process.
: Yes. The templates, canvases, and examples are designed to be reused across multiple projects and funding opportunities. You can adapt them to your local context, translate them for your team, and integrate them into your organization's internal toolkits, as long as you keep the original credit and do not resell the toolkit as a standalone product.
: Yes, the toolkit is free to use. Festa Design Studio created it to support nonprofits, youth-led initiatives, and social enterprises that often do not have access to project design support. We may occasionally invite you to share feedback or join learning spaces, but there is no paywall to access the core lessons and resources.
: The toolkit guides you to slow down and deeply understand the people and systems affected by your project before proposing solutions. Tools like stakeholder mapping, problem analysis, and theory of change are designed to surface power dynamics, lived experience, and local knowledge. This approach helps you design alongside communities - valuing their expertise and ensuring your project responds to their needs, not just your assumptions.

Ready to Get Started?

Join thousands of changemakers using evidence-based project design to create lasting social impact.

Start Module 1