4 Tips for Getting Your Nonprofit CFRE Certification

For you, as a charity nonprofit professional working to advance your career and establish your expertise, earning your Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation may be your next best step.  Founded in 2001, CFRE International is an independent nonprofit organization whose sole mission is dedicated to setting standards in philanthropy through a valid and reliable certification process for fundraising professionals. – CFRE.org

Personally, when I moved to a new city a few years ago, I found that many nonprofit job postings included, “CFRE preferred.”  Having now passed the exam, I see why.

The CFRE examination is a practice-based exam that assesses candidate mastery of the six core knowledge areas of fundraising considered requisite for individuals with at least five years of professional fundraising experience…” – CFRE.org 

This is not an easy test.  Passing it shows others that you have a strong body of nonprofit knowledge.

Tip # 1 Start your application now.

Meeting the application requirements can take time, even a number of years.  You can save your application as a work in progress on the CFRE website.  Working on meeting their application requirement along the way will show you:

1. where to focus some of your professional efforts
2. which accomplishments to track and document

I had been a nonprofit executive for 15 years; concurrently consulting for 5 years, when I applied to take the exam.  With my somewhat broad experience, I met their application requirements.  I took the test right away, hoping to pass without studying anything beyond the study guide provided on the CFRE website.

Tip #2 Personalize your study document. 

The CFRE study guide lists 6 bodies of knowledge, with multiple subheadings:

• Relationship Building
• Securing the Gift
• Leadership and Management
• Current and Prospective Donor Research
• Ethics, Accountability, and Professionalism
• Volunteer Involvement

I copied this detailed study guide and rearranged these 6 main headings by their proportionate weight on the exam.

Tip #3 Know yourself.

Identify the areas you need to strengthen.  I copied key phrases into searches and skimmed relevant articles and resources.  Then, I copied new knowledge into my personalized study document for further review.

With this preparation, I missed a passing score by only 6 points.  I applied to retake the exam one month later.  I only needed to gain 6 points, right?

Tip #4 Learn the “Canadian” language of nonprofits. 

I live and work in the United States.  As I took the test the first time, I needed to re-read many of the questions to be sure I understood what was being asked:  A fair amount of the nonprofit terminology, vocabulary and phrasing was unfamiliar to me.  To prepare for my second test, I read Strategic Fund Development, by Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE.  Simone is a Canadian Author whose work I already respected.  The CFRE website recommends her book for exam prep because she addresses several of the core topics in detail.

When I retook the exam, I found that the test was written in the language Simone speaks in her book.  My score improved by 95 points.

Many nonprofit professionals know that, “A CFRE has successfully demonstrated competence, credibility, and commitment to philanthropic fundraising…” – CFRE.org

Shortly after completing my certification, I was asked at a seminar to share a recent success.  In a room with 30 nonprofit professionals, I shared my new CFRE credential.  A well-respected colleague across the room spoke up, “That’s not easy to get!”

Your CFRE certification is a well-respected voice, speaking to your credibility and valuable skill set.

Start your application today.

Quoting CFRE.org – By: Elizabeth Fitzgerald