UK National Fundraising Qualification Achieves European Recognition

Howard Lake | 23 October 2007 | Newswire

The UK professional fundraising qualification, the Certificate in Fundraising Management, is recognised as a leading European qualification. The Certificate in Fundraising Management has been developed by the Institute of Fundraising and is accessible through a variety of routes including higher education, private training and distance learning providers.
At launch of the first Europe-wide qualification framework for fundraising, EFA Certification, the Certificate in Fundraising Management, is one of only 5 nations to be awarded EFA Certified status, alongside France, Germany, Hungary and Sweden.
Aiming to raise standards in fundraising across Europe and to promote philanthropy, EFA Certification recognises professional fundraising qualifications of the highest standard. All EFA Certified fundraising qualifications must meet EFA’s common competency framework and syllabus, and be delivered in accordance with their successful training delivery guidelines.
Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive of the Institute of Fundraising – the professional body for fundraisers in the UK, says:
European recognition of the Certificate in Fundraising Management enables UK fundraisers to demonstrate that they are a leading, qualified European practitioner.
With the growth of the internet and widespread media interest in charities, fundraising is becoming more and more visible beyond national boundaries. Standards are ever more important and the need for professional qualifications cannot be underestimated.”
Dr Marita Haibach, President of the European Fundraising Association – a network of national fundraising organisations from across Europe – adds:
Only by establishing robust and professional standards, can we build public trust in not for profit organisations, and encourage philanthropy. With EFA Certification, we aim to raise the bar in fundraising training and, ultimately, to enable the European fundraising community to raise more money for the good causes they work for.
An EFA Certified qualification is a fundraising ‘passport’ that brings both recognition and mobility to work in other cultures to a shared set of principles. We are delighted to announce that qualifications from France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the UK have all been EFA Certified. We would encourage more European nations to develop training to such a high standard.”
The EFA Certification programme has been developed with funding from the European Commission’s Leonardo da Vinci programme.
For more information, visit www.efa-net.eu.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Institute of Fundraising (www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
The Institute of Fundraising represents fundraisers and fundraising throughout the UK and is committed to the highest standards in fundraising management and practice. The Institute of Fundraising is the largest individual representative body in the voluntary sector with 4500 Individual members and 250 Organisational members.
2. Certificate in Fundraising Management
The Institute of Fundraising offers a broad spectrum of professional development opportunities and training courses. The flagship course, the Certificate in Fundraising Management, is the UK professional qualification for fundraising. It meets the needs of charities, consultancies and their fundraisers. It is based upon a robust competency framework that maps out the core skills required by professional fundraisers.
3. European Fundraising Association (www.efa-net.eu)
The European Fundraising Association (EFA) is a network of the leading national fundraising associations across Europe, founded in Brussels in 2002.
EFA is leading the way in developing training, education and ethical fundraising across Europe to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s civil society.
4. EFA Certification
EFA Certification is the first European qualification framework for fundraising, built upon a shared set of competencies and a syllabus which all professional fundraising qualifications should meet. The programme has been developed by EFA, in partnership with its member bodies, with funding from the European Commission’s Leonardo Da Vinci Programme.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.