Have you been in fundraising for five years? Do you thrive on helping organizations achieve their goals? Do you keep current with fundraising trends? Has it been awhile since you took an exam? Is giving back to your profession important to you?

Review and Preparation Courses

As a certifying agency, CFRE International adheres to international standards for the development and operation of a certification programme.

These standards state that the same organisation which assesses candidates (CFRE International) cannot also prepare them for the exam. In order for the certification process to be fair and reliable, CFRE International cannot sponsor or endorse any review or preparation courses.

CFRE International does make available details on the content covered on the exam to our Participating Organisations but cannot provide access to current test questions. CFRE International cannot be held responsible for how well course content matches exam content.

The following organisations offer programmes which they promote as serving as a review for the CFRE Exam:

Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP)

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)

Council for Recource Development (CRD)

How to Prepare

ANY educational programs which discuss fundraising or not-for-profit management will add to your body of knowledge and therefore assist you on the exam.

Most people are accustomed to exams from academic settings where the exam tests material covered in a specific book or a series of lectures. The CFRE exam is different in that it is practice-based. It is designed to test the knowledge and skills you use on-the-job on a daily basis. As a result, it is not the kind of exam you can "cram" for.

Candidates should carefully review the Test Content Outline and compare it to their own professional experiences. If there is an area in which you have not had much direct experience, that would be an area to focus your review.

After selecting topics for review, candidates can review the Resource Reading List for publications - or chapters within publications - that cover those topics. Candidates should not plan to read through all of the publications on the list, as there is a great deal of overlap. Start with those books you have on your own bookshelf.

Still Have Questions?

If you have any questions about any courses you see offered, please do not hesitate to call CFRE International at +1 703/370-5555 or use our CFRE Contact Form.