UK: EFA recognises UK fundraising qualification

The Certificate in Fundraising Management, a professional fundraising qualification in the UK, has been recognised as a leading European qualification by the European Fundraising Association (EFA).

This makes the UK one of only five nations to offer a qualification awarded Certified status from the EFA, which is an umbrella organisation of fundraising associations across Europe. The other nations offering EFA Certified qualifications are France, Germany, Hungary and Sweden.

The Certificate in Fundraising Management has been developed by the Institute of Fundraising – an organisation that represents fundraising throughout the UK and offers a broad spectrum of professional development opportunities and training courses. The qualification aims to meets the needs of charities, consultancies and their fundraisers and is based upon a robust competency framework that maps out the core skills required by professional fundraisers.

EFA certification is the first European qualification framework for fundraising, built upon a shared set of competencies and a syllabus that 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.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive of the Institute of Fundraising, says: ?European recognition of the Certificate in Fundraising Management enables UK fundraisers to demonstrate that they are a leading, qualified European practitioner. Standards are ever more important and the need for professional qualifications cannot be underestimated.?

Dr Marita Haibach, President of the EFA, adds: ?Only by establishing robust and professional standards, can we build public trust in not for profit organisations, and encourage philanthropy?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.?

www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
www.efa-net.eu