The Unlock-Grants course has already achieved a milestone!
Completing the Unlock-Grants online self-paced course — developed just for those new to grants — now entitles you to FIVE points towards your CFRE certification! From CFRE International:
“Full participation in the UNLOCK-GRANTS COURSE is applicable for 5.0 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.”
The CFRE is the designation for Certified Fund Raising Executives. For anyone working in the fundraising profession — even grant professionals like me — working towards and attaining your CFRE means:
- More credibility
- Improved career opportunities and advancement
- Preparation for greater on-the-job responsibilities
- Improved skills and knowledge
- Possibly higher pay
- A demonstrated commitment to the fundraising profession
- Enhanced image of the profession
- Reflected achievement
- Builds self-esteem
- Greater recognition from peers
The CFRE is achieved by earning points to become eligible to take the CFRE exam, a rigorous 200-question test that assesses knowledge of ethical best-practice fundraising.
The points need to be earned in three categories. The bulk of the points need to be in the Education category, and may include Continuing Education, where you can earn 1 point for each hour spent attending an Approved Provider’s educational workshop such as Unlock-Grants!
My CFRE story goes back well beyond my certification year of 2019. I started tracking my CFRE points long ago, and prioritizing my professional development definitely helped me rack up the 80 Education points I needed to be eligible for the exam. I would attend every Approved Provider education session I could: my AFP chapter’s (Association of Fundraising Professionals), and AFP and GPA (Grant Professionals Association) conferences. I even earned points presenting at a few conferences and in webinars and such.
Before I knew it, I had enough points in all three categories to apply for and take the exam. I won’t lie: those 200 multiple-choice questions were grueling, and some of them were not clearly one option over the others. The takeaway for me: ALWAYS consider Best Practices at every turn, and that will guide you to the right answer.
Fortunately, the exam is now scored immediately, so the anxiety of “not knowing” is relieved. I had passed!
I was elated, and my self-esteem shot through the roof! Through the years of earning points, the studying in advance, and the taking of the exam, I gained so much knowledge, and definitely saw what a different level of fundraiser I had become over time.
My leadership skills had also improved with the confidence the knowledge gave me.
And my grantsmanship was furthered; I gained a very clear concept of where grants fit into a whole development plan, and how grants’ “seat at the table” factors in to a development team.
So having the Unlock-Grants course approved for CFRE points is more than a notch in its belt, it’s personal to me. Being a well-rounded fundraiser is why I did all the prep work needed for the CFRE, and shining a light on the designation — and giving YOU a chance to earn points! — gives me great satisfaction.
It’s just one more reason to invest in yourself, and take the Unlock-Grants course. Sign up today, and start learning while you’re earning CFRE points! https://unlock-grants.com/product/course/
