Our comprehensive on-demand course will teach you the core fundraising content skills you need to get started.
In this introductory course comprising five modules, you’ll learn the basic building blocks of fundraising appeals – from choosing and telling a strong, emotive story and the crucial elements of a direct mail pack to how to adapt DM packs for online and the key things to cover when venturing into the digital space.
We’ll also cover the use of personalisation to increase response and boost donor loyalty.
PLUS gain 8.75 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification upon course completion.
Course Information
Features of this course
- 5 hours of course content
- On demand – complete the course in your own time
- Includes videos, walkthroughs, activities and downloadable resources
Meet your presenter
Who is this online course designed for?
Perfect for
- Fundraisers responsible for writing fundraising and donor care copy.
- Members of small fundraising teams with limited resources.
- People looking to build a successful career in fundraising communications.
- Those wanting to earn CFRE certification points.
Course modules
Each of the following modules comes complete with video walkthroughs of best-practice fundraising examples, downloadable resources and take-home resources to embed your learning:
- Module One – How to find stories
- Module Two – How to craft an effective fundraising letter
- Module Three – How to build out a fundraising pack
- Module Four – How to use personalisation
- Module Five – How to start fundraising for digital
What our graduates say
Got a question about our Essentials course? Get answers from our FAQs
We know work and life can get busy at times. That’s why our lifetime, on-demand access Essentials course is designed for you to complete whenever you can.
The simple, intuitive interface of our self-service, on-demand training platform should make completing the course easy and enjoyable. But if you run into any difficulties (like forgetting your password) at any stage, email info@changeand.co and we’ll help you out.
The course modules and take-home activities should take you approximately five hours to complete.
This course is designed for people with some exposure to the fundraising sector. They might not work directly in fundraising (perhaps a marketing or support service team member) but want to learn how to write compelling and effective fundraising appeal content.
Absolutely! If you are passionate about writing and want to make a difference in the world, then this is a perfect first step towards building a career in fundraising communications. Even if you don’t plan on writing fundraising appeals directly but want to be involved in bringing a fundraising campaign to life, then, at the very least, you should have a good understanding about basic fundraising communications principles.
The CFRE program is a globally recognised, voluntary fundraising certification that recognises your commitment to a higher standard in fundraising. The CFRE process measures your knowledge and skills in best practice and ethical philanthropic fundraising. CFRE is a means to demonstrate credibility, skills and knowledge, and commitment to the profession.
By working toward CFRE accreditation, you’ll:
- improve career opportunities and advancement by demonstrating mastery of best-practice fundraising principles and techniques
- be better prepared for greater on-the-job responsibilities
- improve your skills and knowledge with regular recertification, keeping you up-to-date with the latest industry standards
- be better placed for greater earnings potential, as CFRE’s impartial, highly-regarded third-party endorsement is in high demand internationally.