Translating CFRE Skills into Success for British Academic Institutions

with Sarah-Kate Roberts, CFRE | England, United Kingdom

Sarah-Kate Roberts, CFRE, is a fundraising professional in Cambridge, England. She has more than a decade of experience with various philanthropic programmes, coordinating with donors, and managing a variety of fundraising and communications campaigns for athletic programmes, colleges, and universities. We reached out to Sarah-Kate to learn more about how earning the CFRE has supported her in cultivating donor communities and improving the impact of the organizations she supports.

An International Perspective

My experience includes working for American institutions, but much of that work does not directly translate into British philanthropy. While I do utilise all of my skills, I must also make cultural adjustments, finding the right times to prioritise a more subtle approach to fundraising in the United Kingdom (UK), and when to pull back.

The culture of philanthropy in the UK is growing and many institutions actively recruit fundraisers based elsewhere, as the demand for skilled fundraisers is high. It was a long-term goal for me to move back to the UK after completing my post-graduate degree at Loughborough University a decade ago.

Building a Stronger Foundation

I decided to pursue the CFRE to gain an understanding of best practices across all areas of fundraising and to further my career in the field. I wanted to better prepare myself to serve in a leadership role. It helped build on the existing knowledge and skills I’ve gained working in the sector by teaching best practices that I could apply across every function of an Advancement Office. Front-line fundraisers need this training to better understand the roles and skill sets of their colleagues. 

So many fundraisers who find their way into the industry must learn on the job. Whilst this is wonderful, it often means that making transitions between organisations requires relearning and significant adjustment. Having a foundational understanding of industry-wide best practices is an incredibly valuable skill set that the CFRE offers. Many fundraising roles in the UK require building a culture of philanthropy and other ‘start up’ functions of new or younger programmes. Attempting to do this without that baseline of knowledge makes the process difficult for the fundraiser and less efficient for the organisation.

From the Ground Up

Obtaining the CFRE also had a broader impact on the organisations I’ve worked for and communities I aim to improve. In my current role, I built the fundraising function from scratch which has been demanding but very rewarding. It prepared me to “zoom out” and understand that we needed more than just an infrastructure for fundraising. We needed a strategic plan, a new database, a volunteer management strategy, a communications and marketing plan, and an events and alumni engagement plan.

The CFRE prepared me to lead new initiatives on all of these fronts by arming me with best practices rather than solely relying on the individualised ways of working in my previous roles. In three years, we’ve built a programme with 19 percent participation, in line with collegiate Oxbridge averages.

Decisions at the University of Cambridge are most often made by consensus. It was important to me in building the programme to seek input and feedback from our alumni and supporters and craft a strategy that was highly specific to my organisation’s culture.

Preparing for the CFRE Exam

Obtaining the CFRE is a rigorous and thorough process, but it is an incredibly affordable way to boost your skill set! The first step is submitting your CFRE application. Document all of your continuing education. Use your calendar to track your progress and make sure nothing is overlooked. 

Then, you’ll take the CFRE exam. Give yourself ample time to study, and find a study buddy! When taking the test, I recommend everyone take a break to pause and breathe after every 25 questions. The test can be daunting unless you mentally break it up.

Earning the CFRE takes time and dedication, but I’m confident that doing so will help advance your career, boost fundraising for your organisation, and result in better outcomes for the communities you serve!