🚀 From idea to a 60‑second pitch
Learn a simple path to local engagement and design a micro‑project ready to present in a 60‑second pitch.
Target group
Age 18–30
15–20 people
Duration
180 minutes
(3 hours)
Format
In‑person
Interactive
Final products
Project canvas
Budget & Pitch
🎯 Learning objectives
📚 Knowledge
- Differences between civic budget, small grants and volunteering
- Elements of a project description: problem, audience, goal, activities
- Basics of budgeting and planning
🛠️ Skills
- Formulating a problem and defining audiences (personas)
- Planning activities and volunteer roles
- Preparing a 60‑second pitch
💡 Attitudes
- Agency and initiative
- Co‑operation and openness to diversity
- Ethics of volunteering
📅 Workshop agenda
🎬 Opening and framework
Present goals, safety rules and final products. Hand out worksheets.
🗺️ Icebreaker: District resources map
Activate knowledge about the area and existing resources. Sketch the district with possible venues.
📊 Mentimeter PRE
Initial assessment of knowledge and skills (3 questions, 1–5 scale).
🔍 MODULE 1: Needs assessment and personas
Identify the problem, describe audiences, formulate the goal. Problem tree → solutions.
☕ BREAK
Time to recharge and network.
🎨 MODULE 2: Canvas design
Complete the micro‑project canvas, budget, partners, indicators.
⚡ Energiser: Elevator pitch
Practice 30‑second project descriptions in pairs.
🎤 MODULE 3: 60‑second pitch + priorities
Project presentations, rubric‑based assessment, dot‑voting to select best ideas.
📈 Closing and next steps
Mentimeter POST, reflection, a 7‑day “small step” plan.
📋 Workshop materials
All printable worksheets (A4, 1 per person):
Cost categories:
Non‑financial resources:
Example roles:
30‑day schedule:
| Week | Task | Person | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 |
Scale: 0–2 points per criterion (max 10 pts)
| Criterion | 0 pts | 1 pt | 2 pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Problem & audience | Unclear | General | Specific |
| Solution | None | General | 2–3 activities |
| Feasibility | Unrealistic | Doubtful | Realistic resources |
| Budget | None | General | Logical |
| Impact & indicators | None | General | Measurable |
Interpretation: 0–3 pts = starting | 4–7 pts = solid | 8–10 pts = ready to consult with an NGO
👨🏫 Trainer guide
Module goal:
Ensure safety, clarity of purpose and expected outputs.
Instructions:
- Present the topic and goals
- Show final products (Canvas, budget, pitch)
- Agree rules: voluntariness, confidentiality, right to pause, kindness
- Hand out worksheet sets
Materials:
- Slide “Plan & goals”
- Cards P1–P4, Rubric PITCH
Goal:
Activate knowledge of the area and existing resources.
Instructions:
- Split into table teams (4–5 people)
- Sketch your area (streets, institutions, NGOs, meeting places)
- Mark 3 venues where something can be done for free
- Short presentation (1 min/team)
Output:
List of venues/rooms + first ideas for partnerships
Module goal:
Name a real problem and the target person/group.
Part A: Problem, Audience, Goal (25 min)
- Problem (10') – choose 1 problem from a list or your own
- Personas (8') – describe 1–2 audiences (age, situation, barriers)
- Initial goal (7') – 1 sentence: what will change after the action
Part B: Problem tree (15 min)
Draw a mini “tree”:
- Effects (what’s happening now?)
- Core problem
- Causes (3–5)
- Solutions (1 per cause)
Success criteria:
- Specific, not generic problem
- Persona with concrete details
- Goal = change, not activity
Module goal:
Complete the full micro‑project canvas and prepare a draft budget.
Detailed steps:
- D. Activities (10') – Max 2–3 with short description
- E. Partners (5') – 2–3 partners, venues, items
- F. Risks (5') – What might go wrong + plan B
- G. Budget (8') – Categories within PLN 5,000
- H. Indicators (3') – 2–3 measurable
- I. Accessibility (4') – Language, care, access
Success criteria:
- Coherence Problem → Activities → Indicators
- Budget realism
- Including volunteers/partners
Module goal:
Learn to present the project and collect feedback.
Pitch structure (60 seconds):
- Problem and for whom
- What we’ll do (2–3 activities)
- What we need (budget/partners/volunteers)
- What effect and how we’ll measure
Process:
- Each team presents (60s + timer)
- Assessment using the rubric (0–2 pts/criterion)
- Dot‑voting (2 dots/person for the best)
- Debrief: what was clear, what to strengthen
Mentimeter POST (10 min):
- The same 3 questions as at the start
- Open question: “What step will you take within 7 days?”
Small step (10 min):
- On CARD P3 write the date of the first contact
- Photo of “small steps” (evidence for the report)
Documentation:
- Photos of canvases
- Collected rubrics
- Mentimeter results
📊 Evaluation
Mentimeter questions (PRE & POST)
Scale 1–5 for each question:
- “I can describe a local problem and its audiences (personas).”
- “I know what a micro‑project consists of (goal, activities, budget, volunteering).”
- “I know at least one path to get involved (civic budget/NGO/volunteering) and a contact for support.”
POST additionally: “What will you implement within 7 days?” (note in the margin of CARD P3)
Self‑assessment form
🔗 Additional resources
📚 Further reading
- Regulations of civic budgets in various cities
- Database of NGOs and local organisations
- Small grant application templates
- Guide to volunteering
🌐 Useful links
- Civic budget portal
- Volunteering database
- Map of non‑profits
- Project cost calculators
📞 Support contacts
- NGO Information Centre
- City hall – civic budget department
- Local volunteer centres
- Social project incubators