# Fundraising Academy launches entry-level fundraising training programme

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/05/02/fundraising-academy-launches-entrylevel-fundraising-training-programme/
- Published: 2007-05-02T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The UK’s first-ever entry-level training programme and qualification for fundraisers
is now accepting its first students. According to the Academy’s founders, until 
the launch of the Foundation in Fundraising Certificate, “fundraising was alone 
among the professions in not having any kind of entry-level training programme”.**

The first 40 students of the Foundation in Fundraising Certificate (FFC) will take
15 modules covering every aspect of fundraising when they begin their studies on
30 May. It will culminate in a summer school in mid-August consisting of practical
workshops and career-development training.

The Foundation in Fundraising Certificate – has been devised and set up by Rupert
Tappin, Managing Director of professional fundraising organisation Future Fundraising
and its sister company Fundraising Recruitment. He wants it to offer a “new route”
into fundraising for people who have little or no relevant charity experience.

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“We keep finding that a significant number of charities experience difficulty in
recruiting suitably experienced or qualified people to take up fundraising positions
at the entry-level,” he explained.

“If fundraising is to become more professionalised, then there has to be a more 
professional route into the sector. Fundraising is alone among the professions in
not have a serious entry-level training programme and qualification.

“Our vision is the creation and continual development of a training programme specifically
designed for individuals wishing to enter the fundraising sector. I’ve been working
in fundraising for eight years and I’ve never been able to understand why all the
training and qualifications are aimed at people who are already doing the job but
there is nothing for those who’ve never done it but want to.”

The Fundraising Academy will be aiming to appeal to five groups of people:

* people at the beginning of their work career who want to get a job in the voluntary
sector, but who need to work full-time and cannot afford to volunteer

* people wishing to transfer into the sector from the commercial side

* face-to-face and door-to-door fundraisers wishing to step up and work directly
for a charity

* people starting out their careers in fundraising who are looking to broaden

their skills base

* Student fundraisers.

Tappin realised some time ago that street fundraisers offered a valuable potential
ongoing resource for the fundraising sector. “Many people become street fundraisers
because they see this as a first step towards a career in the voluntary sector, 
but once they are working for an F2F agency, there is nothing to help them make 
the leap to the charity side,” he said.

Registrations for the course can be made via the Academy’s website but must be received
by 22 May 2007.

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