Taking place in Berlin, Germany on 31 May – 1 June and hosted by Deutscher Fundraising Verband (DFRV), this year’s symposium will combine expert presentations and structured discussions to help fundraisers turn knowledge into real-world impact. Speakers include: Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. (Indiana University), Giedrė Šopaitė (Baltic Fundraising Hub), Jeanette Eesmann-Foster (Mindwize), Heike Kraack-Tichy (DFRV), and Pia Tornikoski (VaLa).

Topics under discussion include:

• The skills and knowledge future fundraising leaders need
• The impact of professional fundraisers on organizational income
• Why education drives performance
• Barriers to professional education

Whether you’re focused on leadership, performance, or the future of learning in fundraising, this is your chance to connect, learn, and shape what comes next.

Find out more and register here.

Picture by Getty Images for Unsplash+

Advanced Competence Framework – revised & restructured

EFA Certification is a European framework for national fundraising qualifications that supports fundraising associations across the continent to develop qualifications that share a common core syllabus and competencies, while reflecting their own cultural, economic and geographic contexts.

The Advanced Competence Framework launched in 2022 to guide training providers in equipping fundraisers with the advanced knowledge, skills, and strategic capabilities required for leadership and management roles within fundraising organisations.

It has now been revised and updated to reflect the changes that have taken place in fundraising since its launch, including the increased awareness of equity and diversity (and power and privilege) in philanthropy and fundraising, developments in fundraising ethics, and the emergence of artificial intelligence. The Framework has also been substantially restructured to provide clearer differentiation between ‘leadership’ and ‘management’.

New supplementary material

In addition, EFA has launched Developing Learning Outcomes: A Practical Guide Aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) . Developed to support the delivery of Advanced level professional fundraising education, it provides guidance on how to draft, review, and document learning outcomes in a consistent, auditable, and learner-centred way, aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

Eduard Marček, EFA executive director says:

“In today’s increasingly complex and demanding environment, fundraising has never been more critical to organisational success, with the need for high-quality professional development and strong leadership more pressing than ever as a result.

“Together, the updated Advanced Competence Framework and the new supplementary guide provide a robust foundation for training providers to design and deliver leadership programmes that equip fundraisers with the skills, confidence, and strategic insight they need to lead effectively, now and into the future, whilst sitting within the shared European framework of the EQF. This is essential for strengthening both the fundraising profession and fundraising standards, across national contexts and Europe as a whole.”

Webinar launch

EFA officially launched the Advanced Framework during an EFA Certification Webinar on Thursday, 19 March.

During the session, Ian MacQuillin, director of international fundraising think tank Rogare and member of the EFA Certification Committee, outlined the key updates and new components of the Framework, including alternative pathways adapted to different educational levels.

Victoria McQuaid, qualifications manager at the UK’s Chartered Institute of Fundraising and EFA Certification committee member, introduced the new guidance: Developing Learning Outcomes: A Practical Guide Aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

Learning Symposium

For those influencing fundraising talent, strategy, or professional development, the EFA Learning Symposium 2026 takes place on 31 May – 1 June, in Berlin. Organised by EFA and hosted by the Deutscher Fundraising Verband (DFRV), the event will bring together Europe’s leading thinkers, educators, certification experts, and senior practitioners to address one central question: why professional fundraising education is no longer optional — but strategic. More information here.

After the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, most of us had higher hopes for 2022. Yet once again, it was a year beset with challenge, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the escalating cost of living crisis impacting citizens and nonprofits across Europe.

So what can we expect from 2023?

Certainly, across many countries in Europe, nonprofits will continue to be challenged by the impact of the Ukraine war and cost of living crisis on citizens’ – and their own – finances. And on top of this, as always, will come other challenges, as well as opportunities. After the last few years however, fundraisers certainly know to be prepared for any eventuality.

Jan Gregor, Coalition for Easy Giving, & EFA vice president

Jan Gregor, from the Czech Republic’s Coalition for Easy Giving, and EFA’s vice president says:

“If anything, recent years have shown us that there is no such thing as certainty. As a result, as well as in response to the strange mixture of energy crisis, inflation and uncertainty of peace in general that we face across Europe, we must be ready for anything.”

Responding to increasing demand – & decreasing income

A common concern voiced among fundraisers across Europe is how much the ongoing crises will affect donation levels and the need for their organisation’s services this year. According to the 2022 Nonprofit Pulse report, released today (18 January), 32% of the 658 nonprofit representatives surveyed saw individual giving decrease across 2022. At the same time, more than a third saw demand for their services rise.

Jeroen Brugge, Fundraisers Alliance Belgium board member and senior consultant on fundraising and marcom strategy at Strategies & Leaders, says it is clear that the problems faced in 2022 aren’t going away, with Belgian nonprofits amongst those fearing a drop in donations as a result. In Belgium, he says, this will lead to a greater focus on the donor experience, on successfully communicating impact, and further experimentation with digital to better engage supporters. In addition, with less funding likely to come from the government, Brugge expects to see a greater emphasis this year on finding private funding.

He says:

“More and more organisations will feel the effects of a retreating government and turn to the private market to find funding. There will be more people at the table for a cake that won’t get any bigger. And, with organisations fearing a drop in donations due to the crisis context, the donor’s giving experience and the extent to which donors are personally involved will only grow in importance. Those who demonstrate direct impact win the race.”

It’s a familiar story elsewhere in Europe. In Finland for example, rising costs are also expected to be an issue, impacting organisations’ financial outlay as well as donations. On top of this, the sector here will have to deal with the upcoming reform of the country’s public funding system.

Pia Tornikoski, secretary general of Finnish fundraising association VaLa, comments:

“2022 was again an exceptional year, this time because of the Ukraine crisis. Those charities that are giving aid to Ukraine or helping Ukrainians in Finland will have raised a record amount of funds, and as a result other charities probably will not have managed to reach their fundraising goals. On the other hand, Finns seem more generous to all kind of causes.

“In 2023, the rise in costs that started in 2022 will continue to affect both organisational costs and the ability to donate. The reform of the public funding system will also impact the Finnish nonprofit sector’s funding and fundraising.”

In the UK, 2023 is also expected to be a difficult year for fundraising, with a ‘perfect storm’ of challenges impacting nonprofits. Maintaining income will be the achievement this year, says John Green, fundraising manager at Jesuits in Britain. He adds:

John Green, fundraising manager, Jesuits in Britain

“The perfect storm of ongoing war in Ukraine driving energy and cost of living costs, tailwinds from Brexit, possibilities of new Covid variants from China and a battered stock market all mean that donors and trusts have less capacity to give and may well defer giving decisions until after 2023. The two bright spots are legacy giving and a government reversal of a decision to cut Gift Aid.”

Yet despite all these challenges, of the 658 people across 30 nations surveyed for the Nonprofit Pulse report only 10% said they were cutting back on services. 1 in 7 said they were increasing their service delivery to meet needs.

Emphasis on supporter relationships

To cope, nonprofits are again focusing hard on finding ways to keep donors close, costs down, and services running ­– and plan to continue doing so throughout 2023.

And it’s this approach, fundraisers agree, that will really make a difference to an organisation’s ability to survive and thrive this year. Facing increasing pressure themselves, donors for example will need to be kept close so that those who can continue to support, want to do so. Focusing on strengthening this relationship then will be essential to ensuring they feel part of the organisation, and understand how their donations help.

Gregor says:

“The difficulties of the past few years have shown us, like never before, that fundraising success affects not only the finances and philanthropy of our countries’ citizens, but equally the capabilities and capacities of CSOs themselves. So, more than ever, the CSOs that are successful in 2023 will be those able to build and maintain strong relationships with their supporters and with strong organisational cultures that are oriented towards impact, accountability, communication and maybe just as importantly: towards finding ways to achieve their impact collaboratively.”

How well nonprofits communicate both with supporters and the public will be critical to fundraising success in 2023, agrees Swissfundraising director Roger Tinner. In Switzerland, he says:

“Although Switzerland is less affected by inflation compared to the rest of Europe, many people are likely to face the question of how to allocate their budgets in the face of rising prices and rents in the new year. When it comes to fundraising, it is therefore even more important to show that solidarity is particularly important in difficult times.”

And in fact, the Nonprofit Pulse survey shows, many are doing just that. 35% said they were focusing on supporter retention, and 31% on creating engaging communications that inspire regular giving and long-term loyal support. Despite the financial challenges, almost a quarter of respondents said their organisations intend to invest more in fundraising, marketing and communications this year. Organisations are also looking to the future to build security and resilience, with 17% increasing their focus on legacy fundraising.

Time to adapt & innovate

The innovation and agility shown throughout the past three years will also continue to be essential this year as nonprofits strive to find new avenues for reaching supporters and deepening relationships. 2022 saw 38% of Nonprofit Pulse respondents increase their use of digital, and many are also ramping up their use of more traditional channels to both find and communicate with supporters.

In Spain for example, the second half of last year saw the impact of the energy crisis driving more organisations to focus on managing donor loyalty. And, after two years of the pandemic’s limitations, Spanish nonprofits were also focusing on putting their fundraising channels in order, with more F2F activity and a consolidation of telemarketing.

Now, Fernando Morón, director of the Spanish Fundraising Association, notes:

“The main challenge in 2023 is fundraising innovation. Organisations have to innovate with collaboration models, channels and messages. Spain needs to rejuvenate its donor base. The average age of the donor is increasing and it is necessary to connect organisations with younger audiences.”

Increasing collaboration

Across Europe, nonprofits are also considering greater collaboration in response to the challenges and to ensure services can continue to be delivered, and impact achieved. This is certainly something more nonprofits should be looking at and not just within the sector itself, says Dr. Josephine Sundqvist, secretary-general of LM International, which is headquartered in Sweden.

Dr. Josephine Sundqvist, secretary-general of LM International

She comments:

“To meet the increased needs we see in the light of the global climate, security and health crisis, new innovative partnerships across sector boundaries are required. Everyone should be involved: academia, the public and nonprofit sector, as well as the business world. In 2023, we will see more civil society actors financing activities by selling goods and services, and more business actors with a clearer democratic and sustainability agenda. To deal with the major social challenges, both in Sweden and the world around us, adaptation and a rapprochement with other sectors is required.”

In addition, with donors increasingly looking for a level of impact and scalability in projects that can only be realised through greater collaboration between civil society and the private sector, she says:

“Nonprofits who understand the embedded power of innovative partnerships and the quadruple helix model will come out as winners in terms of securing both long-term and sustainable funding.”

Overall then, the top tips for getting through the year ahead can be summarised as follows:

• Be prepared for anything
• Strengthen your supporter relationships
• Focus on your impact, accountability, and communication
• Look at where collaborating with others – both inside and outside of the sector – offers advantages

While it may be another year of challenges, what’s certain is that over the last three years Europe’s nonprofits have already shown just how agile they are in the face of difficulty. And now they are firmly focused on getting through the crisis conditions that look set to continue well into 2023.

Picture by Arek Socha from Pixabay.

Conducted by HOGENT and Fundraisers Alliance Belgium, and published in a 160-page downloadable ebook, the study shares insights into how Belgian organisations and fundraisers work, the channels they use and opportunities they see. It also shares how successful they were in the pandemic year of 2020 and what actions contributed to this.

Overall in Belgium, the study shows that donations to charities remained fairly favourable, despite the corona crisis. 65% of the organisations surveyed did not experience a decrease in income from donations and legacies during this time. And, despite today’s challenges, the majority of fundraisers also view the future positively, with more than 80% expecting to see no decline in donations and legacies in the coming years.

Examining what makes them successful even in difficult times, the study found that a nonprofit’s success in maintaining income from donations and legacies is strongly linked to their degree of professionalism in fundraising. Taking a personal approach to donor and potential donor communications as well as effective data management were highlighted as particularly important.

Commenting, Jeroen Brugge, FAB Board Member, said:

“We heard quite a few cries of distress from organisations that experienced a sudden drop in income due to the corona crisis and the change in direction of Belgium’s 2020 Warmest Week (where the focus was on volunteering rather than donations). But we also note that the fundraising sector has held up relatively well so far. 

“The study shows a drop in income in about a third of organisations, and also shows that a lot depends on the type of organisation, its size and whether it has a professional framework to enable it to respond quickly in a crisis situation.”

The publication, which can be downloaded here, also includes tips for both new and established nonprofits, and shares two basic rules for good fundraising:

– Dare to ask. Additional research by HOGENT shows that 15% of Flemish donors and 10% of Flemish non-donors did not donate in the past month simply because they were not asked.
– Thank your donors. Fundraising is all about building trust and lasting relationships.

Picture by Liza Summer on Pexels

With Covid cases continuing to rise at lightning speed in Europe, if there’s one thing we can be certain of from 2022, it’s that this pandemic is far from behind us. The year is unlikely to be a smooth ride for fundraising, with limitations on events and reduced face-to-face interaction looking set to continue, and economic pressures only increasing the need for charitable services.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Fundraisers are all too used to working in a climate of perpetual change – developing new skills and, as our recent Nonprofit Pulse report shows, focusing on strengthening and deepening their supporter relationships.

With two years’ experience of the pandemic under their belt, agility has become second nature for many, bolstering resilience and massively accelerating innovation and digital transformation across the sector. We’ve seen some incredible examples of digital fundraising and storytelling, ranging from live broadcasting on social channels to gaming events, brand-jacking, and nonprofits making great use of TikTok.

As time moves on, the pendulum is shifting towards a more hybrid world, with the sector working hard to build on their digital offering, while reintroducing and reshaping fundraising activities and services in the physical world.

Predictions for the year ahead

With this in mind, we ask eight fundraising experts to share their predictions for 2022. Spanning a range of topics, digital channels are of course front of mind within the group, with exciting opportunities for further innovation and supporter engagement cited. Still, the question remains over how to build and strengthen the most committed supporter relationships in this hybrid space.

Recognising that different people, different demographics want different things from the organisations they engage with, those relationships and supporter insight will surely be even more important as nonprofits seek to draw supporters closer to the organisation and inspire them to become part of their community and movement for change. Similarly, relationships with government and other funding bodies will be key.

Legacies are predicted to flourish in the coming years with the Baby Boomer generation, but acquisition of individual and committed givers through more traditional channels is becoming increasingly costly, particularly in the current climate. The challenge is whether – in a crowded digital space – social marketing tools, online and email will be sufficient to plug that gap and recruit new regular givers to the cause.

Nonprofits are becoming bolder in their communications, using social channels more widely to share behind the scenes stories of their work. But in today’s ‘cancel culture’, where loyalty and trust are hard won and easily lost, managing risk and reputation is a critical factor.

When it comes to the profession itself, there’s greater understanding that fundraising really isn’t easy and of the need for skilled professionals to do the job. This makes it all the more important that fundraisers are paid properly for their work and inspired to progress. And yet, with nonprofits facing increasing financial pressures, will the sector be able to stem the tide of good people leaving the profession?

Building on the digital advances and agility shown in recent times, 2022 brings an opportunity for further innovation and growth. But if the sector is to achieve its potential with fundraising and in creating the most engaging and nurturing supporter experiences, renewed focus on the workforce will surely be vital.

Charlotte Rydh: Drawing supporters in to join our movement, not just fund it

Charlotte Rydh, Give Sweden / EFA

It’s always hard to think about fundraising trends at a European level as there are so many cultures and nations at play, but there are several common threads. Of course, there’s been huge re-adjustment in the way nonprofits work after the chaos of Covid. The pandemic isn’t behind us, but we’ve become more accustomed to working through change, to being agile and constantly reviewing how we do things, and to combining digital with traditional fundraising activities. We’re all still finding our way with this new hybrid environment, but what I see is a welcome shift in drawing supporters closer to the cause and encouraging them to get more involved. Increasingly, nonprofits aren’t simply asking supporters for help, but inviting them to join their movement – and I think that’s really exciting. The challenge for us now is how best the sector can channel that, what can we offer supporters and how does this sit with the equally important need for funds.

Charlotte is general secretary of Giva Sverige (Give Sweden) and president of EFA.

John Baguley: Building trust, respect and returns from digital

John Baguley, International Fundraising Consultancy

Trust has always been key. As Covid keeps major donors away from charities and projects, we’ll see those touchpoints that confirm the bona fides (trustworthiness) of charities replaced by the personal relationship between the wealthy and major donor fundraisers. But the danger is that we’re losing a constant stream of excellent fundraisers. We need to pay them better, give them more respect and improve their career path – above all listen to those exit interviews!

When it comes to digital, research into returns from social media marketing will be crucial. The percentage returns will lessen and the blunt messaging instruments will need constant refining. New opportunities are emerging all the time. Profitable and fun, I’d expect to see non-fungible tokens (NFTs) starting to take their place in the fundraising mix with charities accepting cryptocurrencies to pay for the donated art. Who will be the first out of the block on this?

John is executive chair of the International Fundraising Consultancy   

Michelle Chambers: Greater focus on the desires and needs of different demographics

Michelle Chambers, THINK Consulting Solutions

This year it will be increasingly important to develop an understanding of how different demographics want to engage with and support your cause. For the first time, we are seeing a move to a wider demographic spread amongst supporter bases, with all age groups giving voice, money and time, and a particular set of trends for giving amongst Millennials and Gen Z. Understanding what these different audiences want, using research rather than supposition, is key and 2022 will see more and more charities expanding their knowledge base in this way. There is much freely available research and insight for broad demographic trends, which should be supplemented with bespoke intelligence gathering. This needs to be underpinned by robust systems for storing, retrieving and analysing data to drive insight and inform business decisions.

Michelle is managing director of THINK Consulting Solutions

Elly Lont: A step closer to normalising legacy giving

Elly Lont, Greenpeace-NL / legacygiving.eu

In the last years, many organisations saw an increase in legacy income, not caused by Covid-19 only. For the following years, an increase of visible legacy fundraising campaigns will shift the public awareness about legacy giving more. Combined with altering social conventions, a shift from the Silent Generation to the more unconventional and idealistic Baby Boomers, where more and more people do not only want to leave to their loved ones but also to their ideals, make the coming years promising and exciting.

We are not there yet, but 2022 will bring us steps further in making ‘leaving a gift in your will’ a social norm. More and more organisations worldwide see and seize the beautiful opportunities of legacy fundraising. This will provide charities significant financial resources to make this world a better place – the reason why we, as fundraisers, do what we do.

Elly is senior fundraiser at Greenpeace-NL and co-founder of legacygiving.eu

Nana Crawford: More of a focus on risk management, and honest communications

Nana Crawford, British Red Cross

I believe organisations should be focusing on risk and reputational management especially for their social teams. With ‘cancel culture’ alive and kicking, sometimes apologies won’t cut it anymore. Nothing is ever really gone from social, and we know it can spread very fast, so if organisations are preparing to be bolder with their comms, they need to make sure they have the right steps in place to handle any risks.

I don’t want this to put people off from speaking out or trying something new but rather be prepared to be more honest, transparent if it doesn’t quite work. If you make a mistake, don’t just apologise, show us how you’ll learn from it.

Nana is social media manager at the British Red Cross

Ricard Valls Riera: Fundraising costs will continue to spiral

In 2022, hybrid fundraising will be the norm, there will be continued growth in online giving, with traditional channels playing a key role too. But the concern here in Spain is that fundraising costs from the main acquisition channels (face-to-face and telemarketing) will keep on rising. There’s now a lack of good face-to-face providers, and although we’re seeing salary growth, it’s difficult to find good ‘facers’ – likely a symptom of the ‘great resignation’, following the pandemic.

The contact level for telemarketing is dropping, even when it comes to mobile numbers, and the cost per donor is increasing, particularly on lead conversion. So this begs the question: what is the acceptable cost for donor acquisition? And what happens when that cost climbs too high? As online giving takes on a bigger role, digital marketing tools will be critical and organisations will need to try new strategies to attract regular donors online.

Ricard is CEO of Zohar Consultoria Marketing & Social (Spain)

Nolwenn Poupon: French presidential elections add to the shadow of uncertainty

Nolwenn Poupon, France générosités

2022 will be another challenging year for fundraising all over the world because of Covid-19, but in France, the presidential elections make it even more uncertain. Here, studies show that presidential election years are not the best for fundraising or generosity. The climate of elections and the risks of changes, especially on taxes, may disrupt individual donor actions. Thankfully, around half of individual giving comes from Direct Debit, sustaining an important part of the annual income stream. After Emmanuel Macron’s elections, individual donations dropped by 4.8% from 2017 to 2018 in France due to tax changes put in place by the new government. It was the only fall in 15 years of fundraising. This is why France générosités will meet all the 2022 candidates to explain the impact of charities’ actions, the importance of private resources and propose several measures to develop generosity and fundraising in France.

Nolwenn is head of studies and communication at France générosités

Robert Kawalko: Growth of the fundraising profession

Robert Kawalko, Polish Fundraising Association

Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a positive shift in Poland, with fundraising being taken more seriously as a profession and I think we’ll see continued growth in that respect.  More charities are recruiting and asking for our help with that and what is even more interesting is that each time there are valuable candidates ready to take up the challenge of becoming fundraisers, although they know that it will not be easy. Increasingly, these people are new to the profession. They like the idea of working in line with their values and with people who live by ideals. Fundraising is gaining more recognition and it’s starting to seem feasible that the presence of fundraisers will become a norm in organisational teams.

Robert is president of the Polish Fundraising Association

Main photo by Rob Wicks on Unsplash

The early stages of your fundraising career can be exhilarating. After all, anything is possible! But it’s often a daunting experience too – there’s much to learn and all of it feels new.

As with most things in life, starting out right can make all the difference in your future success. Let’s examine a few ways you can set yourself apart while putting yourself on track to grow in your fundraising career.

Don’t get overwhelmed – Break down your goals

Fundraising is driven by goals – occasionally scary goals that feel out of reach. Most fundraisers have lost at least one night of sleep along the way, counting how far they are from their goal instead of sheep.

Konstantina Papadimitriou, CFRE, a fundraiser in Greece working at Inuksuk Consulting, has these wise words: “Break down yearly goals in a monthly plan and focus on opportunities that have the greatest potential. Engage the leadership of your organisation in fundraising efforts and share challenges to help them set realistic expectations. Don’t hesitate to ask for support when needed.”

Staying level-headed and not being afraid to speak up when you need support are two traits that will serve you well across your career.

Use your ears

You’re on fire for your mission. You love the difference your work makes in moving the needle forward for your cause.

In donor interactions, it is tempting to kick-off the conversation by sharing details of the extraordinary work your organisation performs. Before you start declaring the myriad of ways your organisation is remarkable, listen to your donors.

Give your supporters space to talk about why your mission matters to them and why they support you. Most donors have a personal connection to a mission. Listening to what motivates your donors’ involvement will reveal powerful insights you can infuse into future campaigns and help build your successful track record.

Plug into a fundraising network

The chances are that there is a professional association or network for fundraisers in your country. Become a member early in your career. Even if you need to pay for membership yourself, it is an investment that will come back to you manifold over your career.

If you’re not a natural at networking, don’t worry. Many people aren’t. It is a skill to develop. Don’t be intimidated to strike up conversations with others at professional events. Every experienced fundraiser started out just like you. Most will enjoy sharing their advice and feedback to help you on your career trajectory.

Graham Papenfus, CFRE, director of development at Kingswood School in the UK, advises:

“South African golfer Gary Player once said, ‘The more I practice, the luckier I get!’ One thing I have learnt over my 25+ years in fundraising is that being in the right place at the right time is often a bit of luck BUT you make your own luck. Get out and meet people, attend events, support your community in any way you can as every interaction, planned or by chance, will always result in a connection made and often an offer of help or even a gift.”

It’s good to be a smarty pants
Being new to a profession can feel like walking on the moon, and fundraising is no different. There’s lingo to learn and best practices to absorb.

No matter how busy your job gets, don’t put continuing education on the backburner. It is easy to get swept away by appeal deadlines and putting out fires, so make a promise to yourself about how much time you will devote each month to expanding your fundraising knowledge.

This could be as simple as saying you will spend three hours per month participating in fundraising education. With a bevy of on-demand and virtual options, it is a cinch to squeeze in learning over your lunch break or when you have a pause between projects.

Earn a qualification

Many fundraisers landed in their profession via happenstance and then learned their craft on the job. While that can be well and good, it can also mean gaps in your fundraising knowledge.

Check if your local fundraising association offers a diploma course or other formalised learning pathway. A structured course will imbue you with a comprehensive overview of how various aspects of fundraising knit together. Even if your role is specialised, such as major giving, you’ll benefit tremendously from learning how bequests, events, digital fundraising, volunteer management, and more all work in concert to create a meaningful donor experience.

Once you hit three years’ fundraising experience, you may want to explore earning the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification. It is not only comprehensive and accredited, but globally-recognised.

Holding a qualification or diploma bolsters your knowledge while setting you up for a successful job hunt. It can ensure your CV stands out to future employers and communicates you are a dedicated professional serious about your fundraising practice.

Ashley Gatewood, CFRE International

Ready, steady, go
As a fundraiser new to the profession, you’re embarking on an exciting career journey where you wake up every weekday ready to advance your cause. While it can be easy to feel discouraged when things don’t go to plan, never forget the rewards are second-to-none. Stay positive, curious, and dedicated and you’ll enjoy a rewarding career like none other.

About Ashley Gatewood

Based in Baltimore, Ashley Gatewood is Communciations and Marketing Director for CFRE International, where she has worked since January 2018. Previously, she was the events and marketing manager at the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand, where she helped bring world-class fundraising programming to the country. She is on a life quest to visit 100 countries.

Main photo (top) by Noémi Macavei-Katócz on Unsplash

For over 40 years, the IFC – a 4 day residential conference – has provided a space for fundraisers from across the world to come together, to learn and share with and from each other, leaving them inspired and energised to grow and transform their work for good causes, maximising their impact.

Resource Alliance CEO Brian Higgins, describes the IFC as a unique event, which delivers a generous sharing of best practice, insights, and mutual support from other fundraisers, with past delegates saying that their work and careers have benefitted enormously from their time at the event.  He adds that the IFC was the birthplace of many national fundraising associations, which are the keystones in the development of the fundraising profession.

Speaking in a video appeal, Higgins says: “Not being able to deliver IFC, our flagship event, in 2020 and now again this year has hit us hard.  To ensure the future of IFC, which is focused on supporting and developing fundraisers around the world, we need your help.

“In a world that truly needs us to work together, we need the IFC.  We are asking for your support to give us the working capital to deliver the best-ever IFC in 2022 and we commit to engaging deeply with the global fundraising community to understand your needs and wishes, and to re-build to meet the needs of fundraisers across the globe, for today’s fundraisers and the fundraisers of tomorrow.”

Donations can be made to the IFC Springboard Fund from the Resource Alliance’s website.

Discounted entry for national fundraising association members to IFC Online

In related news, 2020 saw the launch of a new 3-day virtual event from the Resource Alliance – IFC Online. Building on last year’s success, Resource Alliance is hosting IFC Online 2021 on 20-22 October 2021.

The event offers practical workshops, themed conversations designed to challenge and disrupt, inspiring keynote speeches and community-driven fringe sessions. Discounted tickets are available for all members of national fundraising associations at the reduced price of £59 for a 3-day pass. To find out more and book tickets, click here.

EFA Certified fundraising qualifications are now available through fundraising associations in 12 European nations. While each qualification reflects the national environment, culture and relevant regulations, they all feature a common set of fundraising competencies.

Originally modelled on the Institute of Fundraising’s Certificate in Fundraising, the certification programme gives EFA members the tools they need to develop their own national training programmes and fundraising qualifications, in conjunction with education partners.

Welcoming the news that the Polish course has been certified, Robert Kawalko, President of the Polish Fundraising Association, says:

“This move has been greeted with great enthusiasm by our students. There is a real appetite to learn and achieve. EFA Certification enables them to feel that they are a part of this international community, and to feel confident in the quality of training that we can offer them.”

Growth for the Polish fundraising community

This news comes at a pivotal moment for the Polish Fundraising Association, which has invested in enhancing its professional development and training services to meet the demand of the expanding fundraising community.

Robert Kawalko, Polish Fundraising Association

Kawalko says: “Not so long ago, the very concept that someone worked as a fundraiser in Poland was greeted with surprise. There’s far greater awareness now – people recognise why charities need to fundraise. There may not be a huge depth of understanding among the public, but it’s growing all the time and the pandemic has really accelerated that.

“Fundraisers have carried out record appeals, raising funds for urgently-needed face masks and sanitation equipment. When it came to funding new healthcare provisions, the public quickly realised that NGOs could achieve this faster and often with greater transparency and rigour than the government. That has big implications for how the public perceives fundraising.

“And within the sector, the way we fundraise has changed considerably. We can’t rely on public events in the same way, but new channels are emerging and the situation has forced organisations to focus on technology – to invest in better equipment, to learn how to broadcast, to increase their visibility and reach.”

Implications for the Polish Fundraising Association

With a focus on helping fundraising organisations operate successfully and to adapt to the fast-changing environment, the Polish Fundraising Association also supports members with information about new opportunities to raise funds including digital platforms.

Kawalko adds: “While fundraisers come to us for training, networking and practical guidance, our role is very much about helping organisations to manage their teams well, strengthening international relationships, just as much as their external ones.”

The Association also emphasises the need to look after fundraisers and to provide good working conditions and salaries.

He concludes: “We encourage fundraisers to ask be bold and ask for more. Their work is hard and they deserve to be paid decently for what they do. It’s important for them, their family and the organisations they work for and, ultimately, I’m a big believer that they will raise more money for the cause if they are treated well.”

Photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash

By January 2022, all qualifications submitted to EFA will need to meet the new syllabus in order for certification status to be awarded or maintained (re-certification).

EFA has been certifying national fundraising qualifications since 2007, with 11 accredited qualifications now offered across Europe. The scheme enables fundraising associations to develop professional qualifications that share a common set of fundraising competencies, while reflecting the cultural, economic and geographic backdrop of the national fundraising environment.

Charlotte Rydh, Chair of EFA’s Certification Committee and Secretary General of Give Sweden (Giva Sverige), says:

“EFA’s new syllabus has been developed to ensure that certified qualifications reflect current fundraising trends, channels and technological advances, as well as changes to regulation and best practice. Moving over to this syllabus is an important step to ensure that the qualifications we offer practitioners really do reflect the realities of working as a fundraiser in today’s world.”

EFA certified fundraising qualifications are delivered in partnership by fundraising associations and specialist training providers. Qualifications must be re-certified every three years to retain EFA’s accreditation. While first-time applications for EFA Certification are already required to meet the new syllabus, this applies for re-certification applications from 2022 onwards.

For more information about certification, the new Certification Handbook, (including the syllabus or competency framework), guidelines for delivery and application forms, see our certification resources page.

Rydh adds: “In such a fast-changing world, it is essential that there is clarity over the standards, skills and knowledge required for fundraising, and a clear pathway to help industry bodies and training providers develop qualifications that meet their needs.”

EFA certified fundraising qualifications align with levels 3 and 4 of the European Qualification Framework (EQF)1.

Main photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash

In the paper ‘One Damn Ask After Another – How Should We Study the History of Fundraising‘, Rogare points out that while there are many histories of philanthropy, there are only a handful of book chapters and papers that consider the history of fundraising. The paper highlights that many of these take a superficial approach, adopting the so-called ‘great man’ view of history, where historical facts are attributed to the actions of a few remarkable people (usually men). However, there are alternative social, cultural and economic lenses through which to study history.

The project is led by Rhyannon Boyd, head of fundraising of the Forever Friends Appeal at Bath NHS Foundation Trust, and a history graduate of the University of York. She says: “When we study the historiography of fundraising, we must proactively seek out and critically analyse sources and interpretations to give us context, voices and stories of those not traditionally heard through the ‘Great Man’ approach or a simple chronology of events. How we study the history of fundraising enables us to examine and critically question the cultural, political, social and economic influences across time that have formed the narratives around how our profession has developed and what we believe to be true.

“I very much hope that by shining a light on the historical analysis of fundraising that fundraisers now and in the future can better understand the errors of the past and shape future success.”

The project will explore a range of issues, including:
– The so-called ‘social problem’ of fundraising (a term used by Beth Breeze in her 2017 book The New Fundraisers) – how and why fundraising has caused so much unease with the public going back decades and perhaps even centuries, and what is the media’s role in addressing, solving or exacerbating the ‘social problem of fundraising’.
– Why do so many people fall into fundraising by ‘accident’?
– What is the role of women in the development of the profession/organisation of fundraising
– Decolonisation of fundraising
– Histories of particular types of fundraising
– National fundraising histories, particularly in non-English speaking countries.

The project will be run as a discussion group or study group, with teams to explore each of these research questions, and other research areas as and when they arise. While a core team of fundraisers have been appointed to work on this project, anyone with an interest in contributing to the project is encouraged to contact Rhyannon Boyd on LinkedIn or via Ian MacQuillin at Rogare.

See more about the Rogare history of fundraising project at Rogare.net/fundraising.

Rogare launches new Knowledge Collectives

Rogare has announced the launch of a series of ‘Knowledge Collectives‘ that are designed to help fundraisers find the best theory and evidence to inform their professional practice. These collectives are composed of international representatives – members of Rogare’s Critical Fundraising (CFR) Network who have a keen and specialist interest in the subject matter. Each collective has a project leader and a core team to deliver its main roles. The first two collectives will focus on legacy and corporate fundraising, with three more likely to launch by the end of the year. Find out more, including how to contribute to one of the working groups, via Rogare’s website.

Photo by C M on Unsplash

*This article was updated on 21st May to include the new Knowledge Collectives.