Certificate in Fundraising - Fundraising Planning Unit

Certificate in Fundraising

The Certificate in Fundraising gives a solid grounding in the theoretical concepts and principles behind fundraising. It examines the role of fundraising within the sector and the role it plays in Irish society.

*for the Certificate in Fundraising in Cork please click here*

Who is this qualification for?

This qualification is designed for individuals responsible for the frontline implementation of fundraising activities. As a guide you should have a minimum of one to three years fundraising experience either in a paid or voluntary capacity.

What are the benefits to you and your organisation?

You will become a more confident fundraiser and understand how to improve your results. You will learn practical, effective fundraising skills to apply in your current role. These skills will enable you to make a positive immediate impact on your own, and your organisation's fundraising results.

What will you learn?

The syllabus blends the very latest ideas from professional practice with practical Irish case studies. You’ll gain knowledge and skills at the very cutting edge of the profession that you can take to any employer and make a genuine difference to their fundraising programme.

There are four units on this course, they are:

The Fundraising Environment unit provides an introduction to the nonprofit sector and the role of philanthropy as a primary source of income for many organisations. We will also examine the critical topics of ethics and the development of best practice for fundraising charities. We’ll look at ethical frameworks, the Code of Fundraising, the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations Fundraising from the Public, the Governance Code, GDPR, Charities SORP and common place ethical issues that fundraisers will typically encounter in the course of their employment.

The Fundraising Planning unit is designed to give students an understanding of the fundraising planning process, an overview of how to conduct a fundraising audit, and an understanding of how to set fundraising objectives and how to develop strategies and tactical plans.

The Donor Behaviour unit is split into two parts. The first provides students with an understanding of best practices in donor care and retention, an understanding of the value of data in donor care and retention, and an introduction in to the key stages in building a donor retention strategy. In the second part of the day students will learn why people donate and why they stop, an understanding of the key stages in the donor recruitment process and an overview of the essentials of creative briefing.

The Fundraising in Practice unit develops the notion of a fundraising mix, developing the detail of how to implement key forms of fundraising. It provides an introduction to direct response fundraising, examining the use of both traditional and digital media. It will also provide an understanding of best practice in relation to major gift fundraising, community fundraising, legacy fundraising, face to face fundraising, institutional fundraising including both corporate fundraising and fundraising from grants, trust & foundations. A case study approach will be adopted, allowing participants to apply their learning to a local organisation.

Assessment

You will need to complete a series of work based and case study assignments.

Course format

The course is taught via face to face courses (5 full days) in Dublin. The course units will be delivered over a 3 month period starting in September 2019:

Unit 1 - Friday September 13th

Unit 2 - Saturday September 14th

Unit 3 - Friday October 11th

Unit 4 (Part 1) - Friday November 8th

Unit 4 (Part 2) - Saturday November 9th

What level of commitment is needed?

You are expected to attend every session and actively engage with your class and tutor. If you fail to attend and/or engage you will disrupt your own learning experience and the shared learning experience of your group.

You are also expected to study in your own time and try to attend the facilitated study groups. On average the length of time needed to complete the Certificate in Fundraising is approximately six months, this includes assessments. You are expected to commit approximately 6-8 hours a week until the completion of the programme. This amounts to approximately 300 hours of individual study.

To ensure you are not placed at a disadvantage when studying for the Certificate you should have a good command of written and spoken English to complete assignments to the required standard.

A Student Course Handbook will be made available to all students and will include all of the above plus information on assessments and reading materials. You will need to purchase the course textbook Sargeant, A. and Jay, E. (2014) Fundraising Management: Analysis Planning and Practice (third edition), Routledge, London - it is not included within the course fee.

Course Fees include:

Course tutors

All 5 course days will include lunch and refreshments.

European Fundraising Association (EFA) Certification.

Commitment:

150 hours (6-8 hours/week for three months, including five full attendance days for face to face courses)

Experience:

Minimum 1-3 years paid or voluntary

Fees:

€1375 - Member Rate (Organisational or Academy)

€1675 - Non-member Rate (includes Academy membership)*