Fundraising & Board Development

About the Certificate Program (main)
Course Descriptions (all)
Academic-Year Courses (Fall, Spring)
About the Instructors

About the Certificate Program

Purchase College is pleased to partner with the Association of Development Officers to raise the bar for fundraising excellence in Westchester County by offering this comprehensive program in fundraising and board development. The program is intended for development officers, executive directors, board members, and fundraisers, as well as those interested in the fields of philanthropy and fundraising.

The coursework covers all of the major components of a successful fundraising effort, including annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, grant writing, capital campaigns, volunteer program management, and more.

Earn the certificate in one semester! Students may take individual courses without commitment to the entire program. Students who successfully complete the required and elective courses are awarded a certificate from the School of Liberal Studies & Continuing Education, reflecting 6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). (Two electives are required for the certificate, five electives for the advanced certificate.)

Note: Certificate programs must be completed within three years unless approved by the director of continuing education.

Scholarships are available through the Association of Development Officers (ADO).

To qualify for the certificate, students must:

1. submit a Certificate Form of Intent
2. attend at least 80 percent of the classes
3. achieve a “Pass” designation in coursework from the instructors
4. submit a Certificate Request Form after all requirements have been met
5. submit a Professional Certificate Program Survey

Graduates of this program receive a 50% discount on their first ADO membership. For more information, email ADO at info@adoonline.org.

For Certified Fundraising Executives (CFRE):
Full participation in this certificate program is applicable to 54 CFRE points for the required courses and additional CFRE points for your choice of electives (based on contact hours) in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification or recertification. Use this handy sheet (PDF) to track your CFRE points that can be used towards CFRE Certification.

Required Courses

1. Starting a Development Program
2. The Principles of Fundraising
3. Grant/Proposal Writing
4. Fundraising Strategies and Tactics

Elective Courses
Choose two electives for the certificate, five electives for the advanced certificate.

• Annual Giving
• Financial Management for Nonfinance Professionals
• Fundraising Communications
• Fundraising Research
• Fundraising Public Relations and Advertising
• Making “The Ask”
• Project Management
• Internet Fundraising
  Offered by the Social Media Marketing Certificate Program:
  
• Social Media Marketing: Strategies and Tactics (counts as two electives)
  Offered by the Nonprofit Management Certificate Program:
• Budgeting in a Nonprofit Organization
• How to Read a Nonprofit Financial Statement
• Principles of Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
• Leadership in a Nonprofit Organization
• Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations

Costs
In addition to the tuition, there is a $25 nonrefundable registration fee paid once per semester.

 Visit our blog for interesting articles about fundraising and board development.

Updated April 25, 2013