Created and offered for you by Fundraising Academy at National University, the Fundraising Essentials Certificate leads you through a journey of nine courses that will help you to form lasting, beneficial relationships with donors, or investors, who have an interest and are motivated to invest in your cause or product. Each of the courses in the Fundraising Essentials Certificate are closely related to, build on, and support each other. Course topics range from Fundraising Fundamentals - equipping you with foundational skills such as time management, positioning statement, and more - to Cause Selling: the eight-step relationship-driven fundraising approach.
For more information about the Fundraising Essentials Certificate, please visit: https://www.fundraising-academy.org/certificate/.
Courses Included:
i. FUN600: Introduction to Cause Selling
ii. FUN610: Fundraising Foundations
iii. FUN620: Fundraising Basics
iv. FUN630: Fundraising Essentials
v. FUN640: Prospecting
vi. FUN650: Donor Cultivation
vii. FUN660: The Ask: Confirming the Gift
viii. FUN670: Stewardship
ix. FUN680: Fundraising Capstone
Upon completing the FUN600 prerequisite course, you can take FUN610-670 in any order you'd like. Culminate your learning with FUN680, the Fundraising Capstone, and develop your individual pitch and fundraising development plan.
Certificate Learning Outcomes:
i. Understand Core Fundraising Principles: Learners will develop a comprehensive understanding of fundamental fundraising concepts, including donor engagement, fundraising cycles, and relationship-driven techniques.
ii. Build and Sustain Donor Relationships: Participants will acquire skills to establish and nurture long-term relationships with donors or investors, ensuring ongoing support for their cause, product, or vision.
iii. Apply the Cause Selling Model to Fundraising: Learners will be able to implement the eight-step Cause Selling fundraising cycle, using a relationship-centered approach to secure funding and advance their mission.
iv. Develop a Strategic Fundraising Plan: By the end of the Capstone course, learners will create an actionable development plan with the potential to significantly impact their organization’s long-term success.
v. Adapt Fundraising Skills to Various Sectors: Participants will gain the ability to apply fundraising and Cause Selling strategies across both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, benefiting any initiative seeking resources, talent, or investment.
