2024 Global Education Courses

2024 AFP Fundraising Fundamentals Course

The AFP Fundamentals of Fundraising Course offers a complete overview of the development function, featuring the most current information and techniques for individuals with 0 to 4 years of fundraising experience.

This intensive program is composed of seven modules that have been designed by experienced fundraising professionals to meet the real-world needs and challenges nonprofit organizations face every day. The 16-hour program includes case studies and projects for groups and individuals, making the learning experience both substantive and enjoyable, and will be taught by seven of the Central Ohio chapter’s own CFREs.

Who: For individuals with 0-4 years fundraising experience
When: April 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th, 2024, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (each day)
Where: American Red Cross, 995 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43205
Cost: $390 for members; $490 for non-members
Scholarships are available! Apply here.

Full participation in the Fundamentals of Fundraising course is approved for 16 CFRE points!

The deadline to register for this course is April 12, 2024.

Scholarships are available. Deadline to apply is April 3, 2024.

Cancellation Policy: This event is non-refundable after April 10, 2024. Prior to this date, you may choose to cancel your registration for a refund.

Additional Information on the

2024 AFP Fundamentals of Fundraising Course

Module 1: Overview of Fundraising. A big-picture look at professional fundraising, including the important role philanthropy plays in organizations and key motivations behind why people give. Also included: the primary sources of contributions; the importance of ethics and accountability; what an integrated development program looks like and which essential components aid success; the fundraising profession as a career, focusing on key qualities for success and a basic path for personal and professional development in the field.

Module 2: Developing an Integrated Fundraising Program: To effectively raise funds for an organization’s mission, it’s important to have a comprehensive plan in place that articulates the organization’s case for support and includes appropriate giving opportunities. This module covers the importance of connecting that comprehensive plan with the organization’s overall mission and strategic plan. The module features an overview of campaign types (annual giving, major gifts, planned giving) with a focus on the key role of annual giving. Content includes establishing/ensuring that appropriate policies and procedures are in place to both ensure integrity of donor intent and to honor donors/volunteers inappropriate ways.

Module 3: Marketing for Ongoing Success: Communicating information about fundraising activities to appropriate audiences (donors and prospective donors alike) and keeping all stakeholders informed about the organization’s progress is critical to ongoing and future success. Effective marketing is a key part of building and sustaining relationships for fundraising purposes. This module will cover creating a plan for marketing and communications activities that support development goals and strategies. It will also touch on the growing roles and importance of the Internet and social media in fundraising.

Module 4: Building & Sustaining Relationships: Relationships are the key to fundraising success, and successful relationships start with knowing current and prospective donors well. This module will introduce the powerful role of prospect and donor research, including identifying and segmenting prospective donors and donors according to appropriate variables as well as effective donor records management to support ongoing relationships. Finally, cultivation, establishing and maintaining relationships with individuals and organizations, and optimizing relationships to retain donors rounds out the module.

Module 5: Securing the Gift: Once the development plan is in place and appropriate policies and procedures are set up, it’s time to actively solicit gifts from donors and prospective donors. In this module, a closer look will be taken at solicitation strategies for campaign types, focusing most closely on solicitation techniques for annual giving. Additionally, there will be an overview of techniques for soliciting major and planned gifts.

Module 6: Volunteers-Partners in Fundraising: Fundraising just wouldn’t be possible without dedicated volunteers supporting the organization’s efforts. Establishing and maintaining a respectful relationship with volunteers is both art and science, beginning with how they are recruited. This module will explore effective ways volunteers can be recruited, trained, managed, motivated, evaluated, and recognized. As importantly, there are times when volunteers are best included in the development process to ensure they experience a sense of ownership in the organization’s work and can effectively perform their roles.

Module 7: Management & Accountability: Fundraising is about more than soliciting donors and prospective donors, and the development office is responsible for managing the development plan. This module will present an overview of the management aspects of fundraising including budgeting, records management, gift processing, program evaluation, and the key roles and responsibilities of staff and volunteer leadership. The module ends with a look at accountability, basic legal requirements, and fundraising ethics in practice.

More Benefits: Each day is devoted to two modules with some of the best fundraisers in Columbus as your presenters. On the last day of the class, you will also have the opportunity to have lunch with the presenters (as many as can return) to ask them any questions that may have surfaced since you last saw them. We want this course to provide you a solid foundation of fundraising while also introducing you to other newer fundraisers in the community. Our hope is that you will be able to use what you learned from the class (and the connections you formed during it) long after the class ends.

2024 Fundamentals of Fundraising Sponsor

2023 Global Education Courses

2023 AFP Donor Retention: A Self-Assessment Workshop

This course is a comprehensive 4-hour workshop focused on developing a donor retention plan based on what research shows REALLY WORKS. Facilitated by Lori Hunter Overmyer, CFRE, you will learn to track overall gains and losses in donors and gifts and use that information to develop better cultivation and retention strategies.

WHO: Designed for fundraising professionals at the intermediate to advanced level with responsibility for donor cultivation. Teams of two from each agency should include a development professional and a data collection professional. If your organization does not have a data professional, your organization can send any additional team member who would have insight into your data or find value in a better understanding of it. You may also attend as a team of 1, for the same registration fee listed below.

WHEN: Friday, August 18, 2023

             8am-12pm: for Organizations/agencies with budgets under $1,000,000

             1pm – 5pm: for Organizations/agencies with budgets over $1,000,000

WHERE: Columbus College of Art and Design Joseph V. Canzani Center 60 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43215

COST: $120 per team (teams of one and two people will be charged the same registration fee). Registration is limited to the first 12 teams in each cohort!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: August 11th, 2023

Approved for 4 CFRE CE Credits.

2023 CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) Information Session and Panel – Thursday, June 15, 2023 (Registration Closed)

The two hour mini-course which will cover an overview of the benefits of becoming a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), the application process, and the subjects covered on the certification exam. The second half of the session will feature a panel of experienced CFREs to share their tips and tricks and the benefits of pursuing certification. This course is suitable for anyone who is pursuing their CFRE, whether just starting their application or preparing for the exam, or anyone who wants to learn more about the certification and may be interested in pursuing it in the future.
A voluntary credential that is recognized worldwide, the CFRE signifies a confident, ethical fundraising professional. It is the only globally recognized certification for fundraising professionals. To learn more, visit www.cfre.org.
A light continental breakfast will be provided. Due to limited space, reservations are limited.
Date: June 15, 2023
Time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Location: The Women’s Fund Community Room
2323 W 5th Ave., Ste 230
Columbus, OH 43204
Cost: $10 for AFP Members, $15 for Non-Members
Registration Deadline: June 9th

2023 AFP Fundraising Fundamentals Course (Registration Closed)

The AFP Fundamentals of Fundraising Course offers a complete overview of the development function, featuring the most current information and techniques for individuals with 0 to 4 years of fundraising experience.

This intensive program is composed of seven modules that have been designed by experienced fundraising professionals to meet the real-world needs and challenges nonprofit organizations face every day. The 16-hour program includes case studies and projects for groups and individuals, making the learning experience both substantive and enjoyable, and will be taught by seven of the Central Ohio chapter’s own CFREs.

Who: For individuals with 0-4 years fundraising experience

When: April 26-27, 2023, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (each day)

Where: 110 Riverbend Avenue, Powell, OH 43065 (the Delaware County Foundation office board room)

Cost: $390 for members; $490 for non-members

The deadline to register for this course is April 19th, 2023. Register today!

Scholarships are available! Deadline to apply is April 5th, 2023. Apply here.

Full participation in the Fundamentals of Fundraising course is approved for 16 CFRE points!

Cancellation Policy: This event is non-refundable after April 19, 2023. Prior to this date, you may choose to cancel your registration for a refund.