CFRE is it worth it?

There's a lot of talk about at the moment about the value of a qualification in fundraising such as the CFRE (certified fundraising executive). It's a hard qualification to gain, you have to be doing practical fundraising and it only lasts for a limited period. I managed to gain the CFRE myself but only because I was working with a client who actually asked to me help with their fundraising. Normally I would only advise people on how to go about fundraising rather than actually doing it for them.

The sad thing is that CFRE is hardly recognised in job adverts, and I've certainly not seen any fundraisers rewarded by their employers for gaining the qualification.

But like a lot of things in life, it's over to you to promote the value of the qualification.  I certainly highlight it at every opportunity. I mention it in media releases, in client proposals, in presentations and at workshops.

Not everyone of course will aspire to this level of commitment. There's a cost to it, and not everyone is motivated by the challenge of a four hour exam. But if you want some international recognition for your professional development, then this is it!

There is little else on the market. Of course there are no specific tertiary qualifications and no plans for any NZQA accredited courses.

FINZ is working with FIA to develop some trans Tasman courses. There is the Principles and Techniques of Fund Raising Course from the Centre on Philanthropy at Indiana University, brought to you in New Zealand by the Fundraising Institute. There are also privately run courses on various introductory and specialised topics, run by private providers like Foresee Communications.

So you can go so far with your professional development until you need a qualification, then it's over to CFRE.

Not everyone appreciates what we do!

Media Management and crisis communications are jobs usually reserved for the comms manager rather than the fundraising manager but it's certainly something we all need to be aware of. A very minimum requirement is that the organisation should have a risk management plan that includes fundraising issues.

Recently in Australia, as was reported in a recent issue of Fundraising New Zealand, a news media reporter registered and attended the annual fundraising conference.  Surely this would be  a good thing? At long last the public would hear of our good planning, our donor stewardship, our love of people, our great success at our chosen profession and all the good we are doing for the community. Oh no, from the public point of view we were presented as cold, calculating and money hungry! How could this be?

The worst headlines came from a session on bequests. A few unfortunate jokes (you can imagine what they might be!) cracked by a presenter were used to demonstrate how callous our fundraising strategies might be.

So we need to think carefully about how we present ourselves at all times. Ditch the  jokes, however internally they may be intended! Remember at all times that our donors are amongst us. Remember the higher calling of our profession and that what we do is a wonderful thing.

Our own Fundraising Institute, along with the FIA, is looking at media management. Currently there is little budget for media work. But our professional reputation is important so we should be supporting our professional body to represent us. We need to let Council know that this is an important issue and that we support budget going towards media management.

In your own organisations make sure you are prepared for media crises. Identify the potential issues, how things may be interpreted, the questions the media may ask. Prepare answers and decide who will represent you to the media. Make sure everyone knows who has the media speaking rights. Only one person should speak for all. Make sure they are trained. Yes, its expensive but it's an investment for your brand. Perhaps your corporate partners will help you with this. You may be able to attend media training courses for their staff at no additional cost. Finally ensure you have contact details for all important stakeholders so you can alert them to any upcoming headlines.

Let's hope its something you don't ever need but better to be ready, than lost!