12 further learning courses for experienced fundraisers

Melanie May | 13 July 2022 | News

• Tagged with:
• further learning
• online learning

For fundraisers wanting to learn rather than train, there are a number of higher-level opportunities to further your knowledge, from certificates and diplomas, to MScs and MAs, and even a PhD.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next step, here’s a list of 12 of those on offer, with all the key details you need to take the plunge into some further research.

Course: Post Grad Certificate or Diploma, or MSc in Charity Management

• From: St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London
• Format: In-person. 2 days a week for full-time study, and one day a week for part time.
• Duration: 1 year
• Cost: £9,750
• Next start date: September
• Application deadline: Suggested by mid-August although some applications may be accepted after this.
• Course link

Course: Post Grad Certificate or Diploma, or MA in Philanthropic Studies

• From: University of Kent, Canterbury.
• Format: Online
• Duration: 2 years part-time
• Cost: Last year’s fees were £4050 for the MA, £2700 for the PgDip, &£1350 for the PCert
• Next start date: September
• Application deadline: At least 3 months before intended start date
• Course link

Dr Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy, University of Kent:

“Our MA Philanthropic Studies is unique in its content – we teach fundraising, volunteer management and philanthropy – and in its delivery. We understand the difficulty in juggling a job, family and study so our MA is taught part-time and fully online so that it fits around professional and personal commitments. We do hold in person gatherings on campus but these are optional. It’s greener and makes the course accessible and inclusive for everyone, wherever they live.”

Course: PhD in Philanthropic Studies

• From: University of Kent, Canterbury
• Format: Remote
• Duration: 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time.
• Next start date: September, January or May
• Application deadline: At least 3 months before intended start date
• Course link

Course: Post Grad Diploma or MSc in Charity Marketing and Fundraising

• From: Bayes Business School at City, University of London
• Format: Part-time, requiring in-person attendance one weekend a month
• Duration: 12 months (PgDip), or 24 months (MSc)
• Cost: Currently £10,700 or £6,800 for the diploma
• Next start date: October
• Application deadline: 1 August
• Course link

Course: Post Grad Diploma or MSc in Charity Accounting & Financial Management

• From: Bayes Business School at City, University of London
• Format: Part-time
• Duration: 12 months (PgDip), or 24 months (MSc)
• Cost: £6,800 (PG Dip), £10,700 (MSc) for October 2022 entry
• Next start date: October or April
• Application deadline: rolling applications
• Course link

Course: Post Grad Cert, Diploma or MSc in Philanthropy, Grantmaking & Social Investment

• From: Bayes Business School at City, University of London
• Format: Part-time
• Duration: 6 months (PgCert), 12 months (PgDip), or 24 months (MSc)
• Cost: £3,400 (PG Cert), £6,800 (PG Dip), £10,700 (MSc) (for April 2022 entry)
• Next start date: October or April
• Application deadline: rolling applications
• Course link

Course: Post Grad Diploma or MSc in Voluntary Sector Management

• From: Bayes Business School at City, University of London
• Format: Part-time
• Duration: 12 months (PgDip), or 24 months (MSc)
• Cost: £6,800 (PG Dip), £10,700 (MSc)
• Next start date: October
• Application deadline: 1 August
• Course link

Course: Post Grad Diploma or MSc in NGO Management

• From: Bayes Business School at City, University of London
• Format: Part-time
• Duration: 12 months (PgDip), or 24 months (MSc)
• Cost: £6,800 (PG Dip), £10,700 (MSc)
• Next start date: October
• Application deadline: 1 August
• Course link

Course: Diploma in Fundraising

• From: Chartered Institute of Fundraising
• Format: Live virtual delivery or online
• Duration: Average 9-month commitment
• Next start date: To be announced
• Cost: Members – live virtual £2557, online £2285. Non-members – live virtual £2741, online £2442
• Course link

Course: International Advanced Diploma in Fundraising

• From: Chartered Institute of Fundraising
• Format: Online
• Duration: 30 August 2022 – 19 February 2024
• Next start date: 30 August (booking deadline 28 July)
• Cost: Member – £3950. Non-member – £4100
• Course link

Course: The Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification

• From: CFRE
• Format: a third-party certification that assesses fundraising competence it has two steps – an application and an exam
• Duration: Once an application is approved, candidates have a 1-year eligibility period to sit for and pass the CFRE Examination
• Next start date: 4 testing windows a year. Next application deadlines: 15 July & 1 October
• Cost: Standard fee for initial certification is USD $875 (roughly £733)
• Course link

Ashley Gatewood, Communications and Marketing Director, CFRE International:

“We don’t offer courses per se, but the certification attracts fundraising professionals across the span of their careers. Certificants may be three years into their career (the minimum amount of professional experience required to become a CFRE) up through those with decades in the field.

 

“The Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification is the only globally-recognised, accredited certification for fundraising professionals. The exam covers six domains: Current & Prospective Donor Research; Securing the Gift; Relationship Building; Volunteer Involvement; Leadership & Management; and Ethics, Accountability & Professionalism.”

Course: Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology

• From: Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy
• Format: Online
• Duration: 40 hours over 8 weeks
• Next start date: 5 September
• Cost: £1360 plus VAT
• Course link

Professor Adrian Sargeant, Co-founder and Co-director, Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy:

“The dimension that runs through all our courses is Philanthropic Psychology. Yes, we teach fundraising, but we do it through a very particular lens, with the goal of developing more meaningful and loving donor relationships.

 

“We have a 40-hour introduction to fundraising class, our Fundraising Standard, which teaches donor behaviour through our PhilPsych lens and then a range of specialist certificates including our flagship, the Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology.

 

“All our courses are taught online, where students can learn at their own pace and they all provide a window on the very latest academic research alongside the best of professional practice. We also feed in new data from our own experiments and reports to keep the experience fresh.”

Looking for funding help?

Here are a couple of links.

Funding for post graduate study – Government info

St Mary’s post grad funding info

University of Kent post grad funding info

Blackbaud Scholarship – the Blackbaud Scholarship provides two partial scholarships of £2,500 (£1,250 towards tuition fees each year of the degree programme), assessed by application, for entrants to the University of Kent’s MA in Philanthropic Studies. More info here

About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.