First Swiss Masters course for fundraising launches

15 years on from the introduction of Switzerland’s first professional fundraising qualification (an EFA Certified Diploma course), a Masters for fundraising management has now been launched. The course, run by The School of Management and Law at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), has been developed to meet the future demands of fundraisers and contribute to further professionalisation of the fundraising sector.

The Masters Programme in Fundraising Management (MAS Fundraising Management) has a modular structure, consisting of three compulsory certificate courses (covering operations, strategies, and leadership) with a fourth to be selected by the participant from a range of available courses, such as Event Management, Digital Marketing, Customer Lifecycle Management & Cross Channel CRM, and Strategic Marketing. Each course can also be booked individually and independently of the Masters programme, leading to a corresponding Certificate of Advanced Studies.

Speaking about the new programme, Leticia Labaronne, director of the Center for Cultural Management at the ZHAW and the Masters programme director, said:

“The MAS Fundraising Management combines and deepens current fundraising know-how with management and leadership knowledge and provides analytical and strategic methods on an international level.

“Leadership competencies are particularly central in the new concept and enable participants to successfully master leadership tasks and future challenges in dynamic contexts. Moreover, an extended fundraising concept is taken into account.”

Participants receive a certificate for every course completed. Following the successful completion of four certificates, participants conclude the programme, writing a Masters Thesis.