Designed for individuals with less than 2 years of professional fundraising experience. These six self-paced modules provide a fundamental level of fundraising knowledge to animal welfare leaders. 

Modules in the Fundraising Professional Program:

1. Fundraising in Animal Welfare 
2. Sustainable Fundraising
3. Fundraising Methods
4. Special Events
5. Stewardship & Donor Relations 
6. Generational Giving

Each module contains:

Upon completion of the course, participants will be provided with two hours of virtual coaching with the course developer, Mike Buckley, CFRE, to review an in-depth evaluation of their program, discuss the major takeaways, and answer any additional questions the participants may have.

Plan to spend at least 6 hours on this program. You may earn 6 hours of CAWA CE upon successful completion of the Fundraising Professional Certificate Program. This program has also been approved by CFRE for 6 CEs.

Rate for Professional & Student Members: $199  (Learn about Membership); $325 for Learning Non-Members

BULK REGISTRATION: Enroll 5 or more of your staff/volunteers for the program at once and save $50 per person. Not valid with other discounts. Contact learning@theaawa.org for instructions.

Module Descriptions

I. Fundraising in Animal Welfare

As a unique subset of nonprofits, animal welfare organizations have both an opportunity and challenge when raising money.  In this course, participants will discuss giving trends in animal welfare and about learn basic fundraising tools and resources that will set an important foundation for the following courses.  Participants will review important fundraising terminology, discuss common donor motivations for giving, learn about ethical issues in fundraising, and get started on creating a fundraising toolbox for their organization.

II. Sustainable Fundraising

Simply put, nonprofits cannot function without the financial support of others.  Our organizations must build long term relationships with donors that will sustain them.  During this course, participants will learn the importance of building a robust annual giving plan and integrating their marketing and communications efforts.  Participants will discover necessary components of an annual integrated calendar including direct mail, donor acquisition, and digital communication. The course also provides a review and discussion of trackable metrics beyond dollars raised to your giving program.

Unlocking diverse funding sources requires an understanding of multiple fundraising strategies, as different donors resonate with different approaches. An integrated fundraising approach that encompasses a spectrum of methods is key and will help enhance your ability to connect with a broader donor base. This course serves as a comprehensive how-to guide, delving into essential fundraising vehicles including: direct mail, email marketing, social media outreach, website development, and the establishment of monthly or consistent giving programs.

Special events play an important role at every organization as they can be both important fundraising and friend raising tools.  Although special events can be very labor intensive for the organization, there are ways to make these events both effective and efficient.  During this course, participants will review and discuss the components of a special events plan, discuss appropriate post-event follow up, discover creative ways to raise funds beyond the typical gala format, and consider some lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on event planning and preparation.

Showing appreciation to donors is the number one way to ensure donors keep giving to your organization. While thank you letters are important, effective stewardship is much more than a simple letter. This course delves into the important differences between donor stewardship and donor relations and how the two strategies work together to support donor retention.  Participants will discover new, unique ways to steward donors to ensure donor retention, discuss effective language for stewardship messages, and review best practices. Participants will also learn how to craft an impactful donor relations plan.