Fundraising Essentials Certificate
Master the Art of Fundraising with Tailored, Self-Paced Learning!
Elevate Your Fundraising Success
Access the tools to revolutionize your fundraising strategy with the Fundraising Essentials Certificate—a comprehensive, flexible program designed to help you build stronger donor relationships, turn stakeholders into cause advocates, and drive sustainable revenue growth.
Why Choose This Program?
Flexible Format
Design your learning experience around your schedule.
Cost
$2,500 for individuals. Organizational discounts available.
Expert Designed
Learn from an array of industry leaders shaping the future of fundraising.
Grow Your Donor Base
Strategically manage donor
relationships to drive long-term impact.
Immediate Impact
Start applying practical strategies right away to boost outcomes.
Expand Your Network
Connect with like-minded professionals
and gain mentorship.
Looking for an
Individual Certificate?
Complete courses based on your current needs, and in any order, after completing the introductory course.
- Increase Your Confidence: Master proven fundraising strategies that equip you to tackle complex fundraising challenges with ease.
- Boost Your Resume: Showcase your commitment to professional development and expertise in fundraising.
- Pursue Your CFRE: Earn CFRE Education Points toward your CFRE certification or recertification.
Want certificates for your team?
Organizational Licenses
Equip your team with the Fundraising Essentials Certificate and take advantage of our “buy more, save more” offer— the larger your purchase, the bigger the discount.
- Attract and Retain Key Donors: Enable your team to implement strategies that cultivate long-term relationships.
- Strengthen Your Team’s Fundraising Capacity: Equip your staff to navigate fundraising challenges with resilience and adaptability, while instilling a culture of philanthropy and fostering a unified, systemic approach to fundraising
- Boost Staff Retention: Fostering professional growth opportunities will help retain your valuable fundraising team members.
- Position Your Organization for Success: Stand out as a leading nonprofit in a competitive landscape.
- Diversify Your Revenue Pipeline: Build sustainable growth through more robust and varied fundraising revenue streams.
Who Should Enroll
This certificate helps individuals and teams sharpen their fundraising skills to achieve their unique career and organizational goals. It benefits:
- Early-career fundraisers
- Experienced fundraisers seeking career advancement
- Nonprofit staff involved in fundraising activities
- Consultants and freelance grant writers
Certificate Courses
FUN 600: An Introduction to Cause Selling: Relationship-Driven Fundraising
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 5 hours
Prerequisite(s): This course will serve as a prerequisite to the others.
Description: Cause Selling is a relationship-centered, collaborative approach to professional fundraising that integrates valuable systems from the for-profit realm, with a focus on building long-term connections benefiting donors and organizations. In this course, we introduce the concept of Cause Selling and basic fundraising career concepts, aiming to meaningfully connect with donors to advance your mission. This course will lay the foundation for a Cause Selling Certificate which could lead to a lasting fundraising career, covering crucial aspects such as understanding fundraising, efficient daily management, effective communication, and motivating factors for giving.
FUN 610: Fundraising Foundations – Finding Your Why & Understanding Why People Give Selling: Relationship-Driven Fundraising
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 10 hours
Prerequisite(s): Course 0
Description: Elevate your fundraising prowess with the comprehensive ‘Fundraising Foundations’ course. Unlock foundational skills required to excel in the art of fundraising, as you delve into the core principles that underpin successful pitches. Gain a deep understanding of the intricate web of internal and external donor motivations and master the ASADA Donation Decision Process to seamlessly guide prospective investors through the journey of giving. Explore the hidden forces of subliminal psychology and sociocultural dynamics that shape donor decisions and learn to avoid common communication barriers that can impede favorable outcomes.
FUN 620: Fundraising Basics – Crafting Donor Personas & Ethics in Fundraising
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 10 hours
Prerequisite(s): Course 0
Description: Master the art of effective communication by understanding and adapting to various social styles to facilitate impactful interactions with stakeholders. Understand the importance of ethics and learn to cultivate relationships with transparency, fairness, and accountability, using a structured approach to ethical decision-making. Gain insights into an organization’s code of conduct and its role in aligning business development efforts with ethical standards. By course completion, you’ll be well-equipped to build relationships, make ethical choices, and contribute effectively to your Cause Selling endeavors while maintaining the highest levels of integrity.
FUN 630: Fundraising Essentials – Six Powerful Fundraising Tools, Time Management
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 10 hours
Prerequisite(s): Course 0
Description: In this course, you will identify the Pillars of Success and equip yourself to thrive in a Cause Selling career. After successfully completing this course, you will be able to articulate your positioning statement and competitive advantage in your industry. Harness the power of data analytics to establish a strategic fund development strategy and inform meaningful donor outreach and cultivation. Apply proven time management methods to separate priorities from the noise and optimize your effectiveness as a Cause Selling professional. Through a dynamic blend of theory and practical application, this course empowers you to excel in fundraising and make a profound impact on your cause.
FUN 640: Prospecting – Converting Leads into Qualified Donors
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 10 hours
Prerequisite(s): Course 0
Description: In an era defined by relentless competition, discover the pivotal role of prospecting in identifying your like-minded champions within the industry landscape. Unveil the most powerful prospecting tool at your disposal—referrals—while mastering the art of leveraging Centers of Influence to open doors to new potential investors. Leverage the M.A.D.D.E.N. prospecting qualification approach to streamline your focus and resources for maximum impact. Gain knowledge to curate the necessary information to further qualify your prospects and set yourself up for a successful first impression. Utilizing the six-step telephone track, build rapport with your prospect’s gatekeepers, navigate your first conversation, and secure your first meeting with confidence.
FUN 650: Donor Cultivation – Approach, Need Discovery, Presentation
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 15 hours
Prerequisite(s): Course 0
Description: Learn the secrets to crafting a compelling first impression that paves the way for meaningful connections. Master the art of effective questioning techniques to discern prospects’ needs and interests. Enhance trust-building skills through advanced listening strategies and incorporate key presentation elements that captivate audiences and amplify your organization’s cause. Deliver compelling presentations that not only convey your organization’s impact but also align seamlessly with your prospects’ philanthropic aspirations. By the end of this course, you’ll possess the skills to successfully approach your donor, cultivate a relationship that builds trust, and present your cause with confidence.
FUN 660: The Ask – Confirming the Gift – Handling Objections, The Ask
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 10 hours
Prerequisite(s): Course 0
Description: In this course, we will focus on the skills needed to successfully confirm the gift, an important component of the relationship-driven Cause Selling Cycle. Before you make an ask, you must first uncover any concerns or questions that would prevent the investor from saying yes. In this course, you will learn to navigate your investor’s objections and concerns with confidence with a step-by-step Handling Objections roadmap. Additionally, you will develop the necessary attitudes and techniques for successful asks, recognizing donor signals and understanding the crucial function of the ask in the Cause Selling Cycle. By mastering these skills, you will enhance your ability to secure funding for your important cause and create opportunities to foster donor loyalty.
FUN 670: Stewardship – Fostering Donor Loyalty
Modality: Self-Paced
Estimated Learning Time: 10 hours
Prerequisite(s): Course 0
Description: Understand the pivotal role of stewardship in retaining donors and uncover the core factors behind donor attrition. Gain insights into the keys to donor loyalty, learning to segment, engage, and personalize communication effectively. Develop strategies to maximize current donors and re-engage lapsed ones, while crafting comprehensive stewardship plans that inspire continued donor investment. Through discussions and real-world case studies, you’ll emerge with the practical skills needed to ensure sustained support for your cause by fostering lasting donor connections.
FUN 680: Capstone – Perfecting Your Pitch, Fundraising Action Plan
Modality: Async/Sync Facilitated
Estimated Learning Time: 45 hours (about 2 days)
Prerequisite(s): FUN 600, FUN 610, FUN 620, FUN 630, FUN 640, FUN 650, FUN 660, FUN 670
Description: In this capstone course, students will synthesize components of each course from both the Fundraising Fundamentals and the Cause Selling Cycle course sequences in a culminating experience that leads to the Cause Selling Certificate. This course gives students the opportunity to create a Fundraising Action Plan and a unique, persuasive pitch. As you progress, you will skillfully formulate pertinent questions and key planning steps, shaping the blueprint for your very own Fundraising Action Plan. Finally, you will harness your newly acquired insights to synthesize a captivating pitch that stands as the cornerstone of your fundraising success, poised to resonate with donors and investors alike.