I worked in development in the education and healthcare sectors for nearly 10 years before initially gaining my CFRE credential in 2005. It was important to me to demonstrate my experience, capabilities, and knowledge to my peers, the board of trustees, and donors. I also wanted to grow in my career.
When it was time to recertify three years later, I wondered if holding the CFRE really mattered. I almost let it drop. Fortunately, my husband encouraged me to renew the credential. Fast forward to 2018 … it’s the primary reason I secured an interview and was hired for my current position as President/Executive Director of the Civil Air Patrol Foundation.
Building Trust and Credibility with Donors
Holding the CFRE means I have the education, documented experience (with results), and knowledge to serve donors to my fullest ability. As I teach and train others about fundraising, it provides credibility.
It's also a conversation-starter with donors. While I'm unable to measure it, I believe it creates credibility in my communications with donors and partners.
Advice to Those Starting Their CFRE Journey (or Considering Recertification)
Whether you’re pursuing initial certification or considering your recertification, I know how daunting the continuing education aspect of the applications can feel sometimes. For those of us who have been doing this a long time, I agree … how many development plan seminars can you attend after more than 30 years? But there is so much more to engaging with donors, especially post-pandemic.
And there’s so much continuing education available online these days—through associations, vendors, consultants, and more. In the past, I attended the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference and did a survey with NextAfter. For me, it was confirmation that we have to stay relevant.
Pro Tip: If you haven’t discovered it yet, look for the speed settings in Zoom recordings. You can listen to topics in half the time and still pick up the main points. The key is continuous learning so you can lead, grow, and evolve your program.