29 of January 2025
by Rosa Matos,
Stone Soup Consulting Founding Partner
Committed to empowering impact-oriented organisations, Stone Soup Academy 2025/26 offers training in crucial areas such as strategic planning, governance or financial sustainability. Collaborative training (combining specialised knowledge, practical experience and peer-to-peer learning) can strengthen organisation’s capacity to overcome challenges and drive greater social, environmental, cultural and economic change in their communities.
We believe that the vital role civil society organisations (CSOs) play in driving positive change across the globe, yet many faces significant barriers, including limited resources, complex governance structures, and the need for continuous adaptation in an ever-changing landscape. At Stone Soup we are deeply committed to supporting these organisations, by sharing the knowledge and tools needed to operate effectively, achieve their missions, and enhance their impact in addressing the pressing social, environmental, cultural and economic challenges of our time. Our commitment is rooted in the understanding that, by strengthening the skills and knowledge of leaders, managers and teams within CSOs, our support will contribute to fostering more resilient, efficient, and sustainable entities capable of creating lasting societal impact.
How this training can help empower CSOs
To empower CSOs with the expertise required to navigate real-life challenges effectively, our accumulated experience and learning show us the power of facilitating collaborative, practical and thought-provoking learning experiences. More than just “teaching” organisations the information and toolkit they might need, according to the latest management or executive training trends, we believe in tailoring capacity-building spaces through integrating critical specialised knowledge, practical experience and CSO’s peer-to-peer exchange, to build shared reflection and collective learning.
To address the critical issues that CSOs must master to ensure their effectiveness, sustainability, and scalability, there are some areas of organisational performance that we consider critical, and which are part of our Stone Soup Academy’s 2025/26 training programme: Strategic Planning, Governance and Leadership, Financial Management, Fundraising and Financial Sustainability, Strategic Communication, Effective People Management, and Monitoring and Evaluation. Whether an organisation is focused on social innovation, environmental protection, or cultural development, training in these key areas is essential to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to align strategy with purpose, optimise resources and maximise impact.
These areas are crucial for CSOs to improve their operational effectiveness and increase their impact. Many CSOs face challenges in areas such as strategic planning, financial management and fundraising, and implementing robust monitoring and evaluation systems. For instance, by focusing on training in Governance and Leadership, explores how to build strong governance structures and develop effective leadership practices that are crucial for transparency and accountability. Meanwhile, training in Financial Management, and Fundraising and Financial Sustainability, focus on equipping organisations with the financial literacy and fundraising strategies necessary to secure sustainable funding, manage resources efficiently, and plan for long-term financial health.
The power of learning from practical experience
There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise in CSOs, which trainers, educators and facilitators need to tap into and mobilise for the benefit of their peers. A blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills is essential. And experiential and practice-based learning is particularly relevant in this context, as knowledge can be reinforced through reflecting on experience and concrete organisational challenges, and by encouraging action learning, so that participants can apply what they learn directly to their organisations and missions. These are the forms of learning we favour at the Stone Soup Academy. Our training is facilitated by experienced professionals in their respective fields and thought leaders from the Stone Soup community. They bring a wealth of actionable experience, integrating case studies, best practices, and hands-on tools, and drawing on work developed with leaders and change-makers worldwide. But the critical players in this learning process are the organisational actors, and shared learning can be a powerful accelerator of long-term learning.
Investing in long-term capacity building
Stone Soup believes in the power of capacity building as a catalyst for long-term social impact. By strengthening organisational capabilities, we empower CSOs to not only address immediate challenges, but also to build structures and systems that support their sustainability and growth. The knowledge gained from training initiatives can help organisations improve governance, enhance financial management, streamline operations, and measure impact effectively—all essential ingredients for driving systemic change.
