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?

This is a completely self-paced series with no deadlines or time limits. Work through the lessons at whatever pace fits your schedule—whether that's completing a module in one session or spreading it across several weeks. All materials remain accessible for you to revisit anytime.

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 your Project for Success

Empowering changemakers with evidence-based project design methodologies.

Watch the Introduction

Abayomi introduces the 8-lesson series designed to help you create evidence-based, fundable projects.

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.

Your Two-Module Learning Journey

🌱

Module 1: Building the Foundation

4 Lessons

Research and plan your project with evidence-based tools.

Lesson 1.1: Problem Tree Analysis

Identify root causes and effects of social issues

Lesson 1.2: Stakeholder Mapping

Map who to engage and how to involve them

Lesson 1.3: Synthesize Data

Combine research and stakeholder insights

Lesson 1.4: Theory of Change

Define how your project creates lasting impact

Start Module 1

⚙️

Module 2: Operationalize Theory of Change

4 Lessons

Turn your Theory of Change into fundable proposals and budgets.

Lesson 2.1: Logical Framework

Structure your project with SMART indicators

Lesson 2.2: Activity Design

Plan activities with partners and timelines

Lesson 2.3: Proposal Writing

Write compelling, evidence-based proposals

Lesson 2.4: Budget Estimation

Create realistic, sustainable budgets

Start Module 2

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.

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.
: This is a completely self-paced series with no deadlines or time limits. Work through the lessons at whatever pace fits your schedule—whether that's completing a module in one session or spreading it across several weeks. All materials remain accessible for you to revisit anytime.
: 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.