Carolyn's Nonprofit Blog

The CFRE: Certified Fund Raising Executive (which should more properly be Fundraising), is designed for professionals with five years of experience, as I have understood it. I wanted to share a few concerns with the certification examination, having been a CFRE in the past, and having taught the preparation exam twice. My hope is the examination, and the focus of the test are revisited and improved.

I regret to say that after decades of hands-on work with nonprofit organizations of all sizes, the CFRE credential has not helped me secure jobs. Experience and word of mouth do that more frequently. I know the CFRE is supposed to be a hallmark of excellence, and I certainly worked hard to secure it, but I believe it could be improved.

It might be an idea for the CFRE examination be rewritten to include an entirely separate section (or chapter) of testing on ethics, including ethical dilemmas. Although I believe the vast majority of nonprofit development professionals to be ethical and high minded, we need to be constantly reminded about the issues that face our sector and be prepared to respond. This kind of thought-provoking activity would exercise our minds in important ways as we prepare for the CFRE examination, and for work beyond it.

Having an entire planned giving section, for which candidates often memorize answers about complicated planned giving vehicles (vehicles that they will never again revisit), is a misallocation of time and effort. It is also potentially questionable, given the 5-year experience level of most CFRE applicants. Those exiting the exam should not then believe they are competent to “sell” a charitable gift annuity, for example. The donor’s family members may ultimately take issue with the planned giving vehicle that has been proposed, and that could land the nonprofit in hot water.

I do believe including in the exam information about the general marketing of Wills and the promotion of planned giving is important (and smart). Some 90% of all planned giving comes to charities via Wills and bequests. But I believe strongly the legal ramifications of advising client-donors today about planned giving vehicles should be left to senior level experts and professional advisors. If you are (or want to be) a planned giving professional specifically, then you will want to secure an FCEP or similar credential.

Like every sector of society, technology has had a deep and lasting influence on nonprofit fundraising and communications. The nonprofit sector needs to be better at acknowledging that fact. I continue to hear from fundraisers and other nonprofit staff that social media is a waste of time, for example (or they delegate social media communications to “interns”). But today, major gift donors and professional advisors are actively using social media to research nonprofits with an eye to potential donations. It has become a key “development” topic and responsibility.

And there are ethical ramifications to data management, whether you use Microsoft Excel or a sophisticated constituent relationship management software platform. I would advise CFRE to work with Apra: Association of Prospect Researchers for Advancement and TechSoup for a review of what the certification exam includes, and what is appropriate for a 5-year development professional.

Another area of improvement might be acknowledging that special events do raise money if well planned and executed. If you have ever received a six-figure or larger grant from Crystal Charity Ball (based in Dallas, Texas), as I have, then you understand my concern. There are more special events that raise millions for charities in cities across Texas, too.

My experience working with national organizations based on the East Coast like CFRE International is they believe special events are a waste of time. But in Texas, that is incorrect. The CFRE reflects a “national” perspective, one with which I beg to differ. For example, while teaching the CFRE preparation course (which I have done twice), I had to state that while I believe special events can raise significant funds, CFRE does not, and hence, in order to pass the examination, I must lie.

I am not alone in believing the CFRE exam weighs heavily in favor of hiring (often expensive) consultants for such things as feasibility studies. In fact, the very phrase feasibility study needs to be redefined. One does not have to hire a consulting firm to conduct one, as I have shown on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog.

Yes, advance planning is essential, but there are other ways to prepare for a major gift campaign, including research that can be conducted on staff. And having run several major gift campaigns, I would suggest the examination underscore how much detailed work is involved: while fundraisers understand this, you must prepare fellow nonprofit leadership and staff. If you do not, they can undermine your hard work. I generally find non-development staff dislike major gift campaigns and they want no part of them, but once successful, they often become jealous and undermine the good work that has been done.

Last but not least, having watched a groundskeeper secure a $1 million gift, I am a believer in making sure everyone on staff knows they are important to the success of major gift fundraising. Major gift fundraising is not necessarily only for the “elites” on staff, although it can be misconstrued that way. Everyone matters and all development professionals needs to understand that fact.

If you have questions about my concerns, use the secure contact form to reach me.