CFRE TEST OUTLINE

Domain 1: Current and Prospective Donor Research (14%–28 items)

Tasks

1.1 Develop a list of prospective donors by identifying individuals, groups, and entities, such as foundations, corporations, and government agencies, with the linkage, ability, and interest to give in order to qualify prospective donors for further research and cultivation.

1.2 Implement and utilize a secure data management system to ensure data privacy, store information on current and prospective donors, and enable segmented retrieval and analysis.

1.3 Collect and analyze current and prospective donor information including demographics, psycho-graphics, interests, values, motivations, culture, ability, giving and volunteer history, relationships, and linkages to select potential donors for particular projects and fundraising programs.

1.4 Rate current and prospective donors on linkage, ability, and interest to prioritize and plan cultivation and solicitation.

1.5 Communicate and validate relevant donor information with key organizational stakeholders to establish a plan of action for engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

Key Knowledge Areas for Above Tasks

Indicators that identify trends and define characteristics such as the socioeconomic status, giving history, generation, gender, and culture of a constituency
Donor acquisition and retention principles
Sources of financial support such as individuals, corporations, grant-making bodies, foundations, governmental agencies, and gaming
Types of information needed to identify prospective donors and determine specific fundraising strategies
Donor profile components
Indicators of the donor’s ability to give, linkage, and interest
Donor giving patterns such as recency, frequency, renewal rates, and value
Data analysis techniques such as statistical analysis, data mining, and segmentation
Data gathering techniques such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, and social networking
Elements of a comprehensive data management system including data capture, storage, retrieval, maintenance, and security
Prospective donor screening, qualifying, and rating methods
Motivations, practices, and policies of various funding sources
Prospective donor information sources such as people, written or published sources, and electronic or online sources, and their uses and limitations
Elements or components of a fundraising program, including annual giving, capital/major giving, and planned giving/legacies
Relationships between and among annual giving, capital/major giving, and planned giving/legacies programs
Market research components and uses
Privacy legislation and regulation
Ethical use of data
Elements of engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans

Domain 2: Securing the Gift (23%–46 items)

Tasks

2.1 Develop a case for support by involving stakeholders in order communicate the rationale for supporting the organization’s mission.

2.2 Identify solicitation strategies and techniques appropriate to current and prospective donor groups.

2.3 Develop and implement specific solicitation plans for the involvement of individual donors, donor groups and/or entities.

2.4 Prepare donor-focused solicitation communications in order to facilitate informed gift decisions.

2.5 Ask for and secure gifts from current and prospective donors in order to generate financial support for the organization’s mission.

Key Knowledge Areas for the Above Tasks

Psychology of giving
Sociological and cultural influences on giving
Elements of an effective case
Case statement construction
Elements of an effective solicitation plan
Types of gifts such as cash, securities, trusts, property, and gifts in kind
Solicitation strategies and their effectiveness with different donor groups
Components and uses of feasibility/planning studies
Negotiation techniques
External factors that may affect the viability of the organization and its programs and services
Donor motivations, barriers to giving, and giving behavior
Peer relationship principles and their application to fundraising
Fundraising program evaluation standards, procedures, and methods including benchmark calculations such as cost of fundraising, ROI, fundraising metrics, average gift, and response rates
Gift agreements and payment structures for contributions such as outright gifts, pledges, and installments
Communication methods and messages to reach target audiences
The use of prospect research to inform cultivation and solicitation strategies
Fundraising techniques and programs such as:
Direct marketing (for example, mail, telephone, electronic, direct response television [drtv], direct dialogue)
Special events (for example, dinners, walk-a-thons, tournaments, auctions)
Grant proposal writing (for example, foundations, corporations, government)
Corporate sponsorships, partnerships, and cause-related marketing
Gift planning such as bequests, legacies, and trusts
Major gifts
Memorial and tribute gifts
Capital and endowment campaigns
Membership and alumni programs
Gaming and lottery programs
Workforce and payroll giving/federated campaigns
Community, peer-to-peer, and third-party fundraising
Involvement of donor advisors, consultants, and legal and financial experts
Use of electronic media, such as web sites, email, text messages, and social media

Domain 3: Relationship Building (26%–52 items)

Tasks

3.1 Initiate and strengthen relationships with constituents through systematic cultivation and stewardship plans designed to build trust in, and long-term commitment to, the organization.

3.2 Develop and implement a comprehensive communications plan to inform constituents about the organization’s mission, vision, values, financial and ethical practices, funding priorities, and gift opportunities.

3.3 Promote a culture of philanthropy by broadening constituents’ understanding of the value of giving.

3.4 Acknowledge and recognize donor gifts and engagement in ways that are meaningful to donors and appropriate to the mission and values of the organization.

Key Knowledge Areas for the Above Task

Elements of a cultivation plan
Components of a comprehensive communications plan
Donor acquisition and renewal strategies
Communication methods and messages to reach target audiences
Oral and written communication techniques
Components and uses of active listening
Aspects of nonverbal communication such as body language and eye contact
Interpersonal communication (for example, trust building, team building,)
External spheres of influence such as corporate, governmental, social, civic, professional, and religious affiliations and their interrelationships
Methods for optimizing relationships between and among constituencies
Relationship between philanthropy and fundraising
Benefits of fundraising programs for organizations
Using incentives such as member benefits, special invitations, premiums, and naming rights
Stewardship techniques such as recognition and impact reporting
Use of electronic media in relationship building
Definition of a culture of philanthropy

Domain 4: Volunteer Involvement (8%–16 items)

Tasks

4.1 Identify organizational readiness and opportunities to engage volunteers.

4.2 Create structured processes for the identification, recruitment, orientation, training, evaluation, recognition, retention and succession of volunteers.

4.3 Develop specific role descriptions and terms of commitment to empower and support volunteers and enhance their effectiveness.

4.4 Engage various types of volunteers (for example, board, program, campaign) in the fundraising process to increase organizational capacity.

4.5 Participate in recruiting experienced and diverse leadership on boards and/or committees to ensure these groups are representative of, and responsive to, the communities served.

Key Knowledge Areas for the Above Tasks

Personality types and attributes
Volunteer roles in fundraising
Components and uses of volunteer role descriptions and term commitments
Skills training and competency development methods
Strategies for optimizing volunteers’ time and talent
Volunteer recruitment, orientation, training, management, motivation, retention, recognition, and evaluation techniques
Governance principles and models for not-for-profit organizations
Value of diversity and community representation
Respective roles of volunteer board members and staff with respect to governance and management
Trends and preferences in volunteering
Organization’s structure, functions, and culture

Domain 5: Leadership and Management (19%–38 items)

Tasks

5.1 Demonstrate leadership that advances fundraising practice.

5.2 Advocate for and support a culture of philanthropy and the advancement of fundraising across the organization and its constituencies.

5.3 Ensure that sound administrative and management policies and procedures are in place to support fundraising functions.

5.4 Participate in the organization’s strategic planning process to ensure the integration of fundraising and philanthropy.

5.5 Design and implement short- and long-term fundraising plans and budgets to support the organization’s strategic goals.

5.6 Employ marketing and public relations principles and tools to support and grow fundraising programs.

5.7 Conduct ongoing performance measurement and analysis of fundraising programs using accepted and appropriate standards and metrics in order to identify opportunities, resolve problems, and inform future planning.

5.8 Recruit, train, and support staff by providing professional development opportunities and applying human resource principles to foster professionalism and a productive, team-oriented work environment.

5.9 Utilize external services as needed to optimize the efforts of the fundraising function.

Key Knowledge Areas for Above Tasks

Components and uses of mission, vision and values statements
Strategic and action planning methods
Fundraising program evaluation standards, procedures, and methods
Policy and procedure development and evaluation
Elements of a fundraising plan
Role of fundraising in the strategic planning process
Impact of organizational structures and team dynamics on the effectiveness of fundraising programs
Methods for ensuring the integrity of data management and record-keeping systems
Components and uses of development audits
Financial management including budgeting, financial statements, and audits
Use and application of market research
Marketing and public relations principles
Methods for assessing the organization’s impact on the community
Training resources appropriate to the different fundraising program elements
Human resource management principles, strategies, and practices
Fundraising roles, job design, and structure
Culture and definition of philanthropy
Tools to assess the need for contracted services or other resources
Techniques for selecting, evaluating, and managing contracted services
Principles of managing meetings
Methods and strategies for managing change
Principles of effective leadership
Sources of historical and contemporary information about philanthropy and fundraising
Concepts of organizational development

Domain 6: Ethics, Accountability, and Professionalism (10%–20 items)

Tasks

6.1 Ensure that all fundraising activities and policies comply with ethical principles and legal standards and reflect the values of the organization and the community.

6.2 Communicate principles of ethical fundraising to stakeholders to promote ethical practices and strengthen a culture of philanthropy.

6.3 Promote ethical fundraising as a crucial component of philanthropy to strengthen the non-profit sector and support the sector’s role as a pillar of civil society.

6.4 Clarify, implement, monitor, and honor donors’ intent and instructions regarding the use of gifts.

6.5 Ensure that allocations of donations are accurately documented in the organization’s records.

6.6 Report to constituents the sources, uses, impact, and management of donations to demonstrate transparency and enhance public trust in the organization.

6.7 Participate as an active and contributing member of the fundraising profession through activities such as mentoring, continuing education, research, and membership in professional associations.

Key Knowledge Areas for the Above Tasks

Laws and regulations affecting not-for-profit organizations, including interactions with stakeholders such as donors, staff, and volunteers
Legal and ethical practices related to donor record maintenance, gift accounting, financial management and audit trails
Methods of recording, receipting, recognizing, and acknowledging gifts
Elements of gift acceptance policies
Elements of gift agreements
Accounting and investment principles for not-for-profit organizations
Organizational transparency, including methods for reporting fundraising performance, outcomes, and impact to constituencies
Donor Bill of Rights/Donors’ Charter and International Statement of Ethical Principles in Fundraising
Personal privacy and information protection
Ethical principles relevant to cultivating, securing, and accepting gifts
Methods and processes for ethical decision making
Continuing professional development opportunities in fundraising such as professional organization membership, mentorship, research, committee involvement, and sources of continuing education
Mentorship principles
Professional organizations’ roles and resources to support advocacy
Appropriate avenues for advocacy

Test content outline is effective January 1, 2016.

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