EFA Certification – Launch of new competence framework
Following a comprehensive review of the EFA Certification programme, the European Fundraising Association is pleased to invite you to the launch of the revised competence framework. The launch will take place online on Friday, 18 September at 14.00-15.00 CET.
The nonprofit sector in Europe is going through a period of intense change. Societal needs, consumer trends, communication channels and digital platforms are all evolving rapidly, along with changes in best practice and regulation. Fundraising organisations are finding innovative new funding solutions and stepping up to these challenges in ways that have never been seen before. Today’s fundraisers are developing new skills in what has become one of the most dynamic, exciting and rewarding professions. And, perhaps what is most encouraging of all, we are seeing more and more people choose to become fundraisers, developing their careers within the profession. Currently, there are an estimated 60,000 fundraising professionals working across Europe, and this figure is predicted to rise by a factor of five by 2030.
In recent years, we’ve seen considerable advances in fundraising training across Europe. EFA Certified qualifications have been developed and accredited in 11 countries. These have been completed by 5,500 fundraisers, serving as a fundraising passport and giving them the mobility to work across the world with a recognised professional qualification. As fundraising has evolved, so too has the Certification framework and we’re delighted to launch the second edition of this handbook, identifying the competencies and skills required in any EFA Certified fundraising qualification, together with guidelines for delivery and assessment.
- Welcome and acknowledgements
- EFA’s role in promoting professionalism in fundraising
- ‘I fell into fundraising by accident’
Ian MacQuillin, Director Rogare – The Fundraising Think Tank, will share recent research on entry routes into fundraising. Read more about this presentation further down. - Highlights of the new competence framework
- The EFA Certification application process
- Closing remarks
‘I fell into fundraising by accident’
Many, perhaps most, fundraisers fall into the role by ‘accident’. But is relying on people to make an accidental career choice going to help us solve the skills shortage we face in the fundraising profession. Ian MacQuillin presents an overview of an analysis – recently completed for Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy and Cause4 in the UK – of current entry routes into fundraising and the ways by which fundraisers acquire their professional knowledge. He then looks at how fundraising can create a unified entry pathway that will clearly signpost how anyone can become a fundraiser, without needing to rely on chance.
