Building Philanthropic Connections & Community in Anchorage
CBPP Professor Dr. Sandra G. Ehrlich Launches “AFP Teaches Tuesdays”
1 of 4 Accredited CFRE Study Groups in the World
On seven Tuesday evenings between September and November, CBPP Management & Marketing Associate Professor Dr. Sandra Ehrlich hosted the Alaska Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals “AFP Teaches Tuesdays” Study Group in Anchorage for fundraising professionals preparing to take the CFRE—Certified Fund Raising Executive—exam.
“Trust and integrity have never been more important in the fundraising profession. The CFRE credential is a testament to a continuing commitment to the highest ethics and standards of practice,” Ehrlich said.
“The CFRE credential is recognized as the international standard for certification of fundraising professionalism. As a practicing development professional and leader, I value the CFRE designation for its representation of the time, commitment, and knowledge of best practices in the nonprofit sector,” she said.
Serving as the Educational Cornerstone for Nonprofit Professionals. The Association of Fundraising Professionals, AFP, Alaska Chapter is a statewide organization that serves as the educational cornerstone for nonprofit philanthropic success for its 154 members.
“As VP of Education of the AFP AK Chapter, my role is to ensure relevant professional development training is available for our members through webinars, Lunch & Learns, and workshops,” said Ehrlich.
Listening to Meet AFP Members’ Needs. “Each year during our AFP Board strategic planning session, member education and engagement are front and center. One of the most frequently asked questions from our AFP members is how to prepare for their CFRE certification exam,” she said.
Translating Success from the Classroom to Fundraising Professionals. “Our members were searching for a way to make a CFRE connection with local community nonprofit professionals,” Ehrlich said.
“In marketing, we see a need and fill it. As the UAA Team-Based Learning Faculty Associate and in the CBPP classroom I have experienced the value-added component of teams. My goal was to replicate that success with fundraising professionals in the nonprofit realm,” she said.
Taking AFP Education to the Next Level. “CFRE candidates in Toronto, Australia, and New York have found participating in a study group helped them prepare for the CFRE exam,” said Ehrlich.
“To meet our members’ needs and take our education programs to the next level, I began to assemble the pieces to launch a CFRE study group in Anchorage,” she said.
“This was a significant undertaking. The CFRE credential is the world’s only accredited certification for philanthropic fundraising professionals. Anchorage is now one of four CFRE-accredited study groups in the world,” Ehrlich said.
Launching the Study Group Concept for AFP Member Success. “As a staunch advocate for the CFRE credential, over the past three years I have hosted and delivered AFP workshops, including the Fundamentals of Fundraising, Donor Retention, and CFRE Refresher workshops to help our members succeed,” said Ehrlich.
“Once the time and location at the Credit Union 1 Community Room was secured, I wanted a name that would resonate with our members. Thus, “AFP Teaches Tuesdays” was launched,” she said.
Assembling the CFRE Study Group Facilitation Team. “Philanthropy is practiced in an environment of trust, respect, and accountability. I sought professional expertise from Alaska’s 36 CFRE’s to facilitate the sessions. The CFRE Study Group study guide and working sessions mirrored the six testing domain areas: current and prospective donor research, securing the gift, relationship building, volunteer involvement, leadership and management, and ethics and accountability,” Ehrlich said.
“The AFP Alaska Chapter is an Approved Provider for Continuing Education by CFRE. The goal of the certification process is to ensure the continuing competence of each Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and maintain the professional standards of those engaged in the fundraising profession,” she said.
Building Philanthropic Connections & Community. “AFP serves as the connection point for professional development and success in the nonprofit sector. To maintain that environment, the AFP Alaska Chapter offers professional development workshops to build strengths, skills, perspectives, and connections among fundraising professionals,” said Ehrlich.
One of the most affirming comments came from one of the AFP Teaches Tuesdays CFRE Study Group participants: “AFP Teaches Tuesdays has been instrumental in helping me study for my upcoming CFRE exam. The instruction by certified professionals and the camaraderie of fellow colleagues in this study group helped me prepare for this rigorous exam.”
About CFRE. Founded in 2001, CFRE International certifies fundraising executives and sets standards in philanthropy. The CFRE® credential the world’s only accredited certification for philanthropic fundraising professionals. CFRE International certifies experienced fundraising professionals aspiring to the highest standards of ethics, competence and service to the philanthropic sector CFRE International and the CFRE credential are endorsed by 24 professional organizations with representation in 29 nations. There are approximately 6,200 CFREs worldwide.
About the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is the professional association of individuals and organizations that promotes stewardship, donor trust, and effective and ethical fundraising to generate philanthropic support for charitable institutions.
Dr. Sandra G. Ehrlich, CFRE, is an Associate Professor of Management & Marketing in the College of Business & Public Policy. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive, CFRE, a certified Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Master Trainer, and a certified Team-Based Learning (TBL) Trainer-Consultant. Sandra serves as the UAA CAFÉ Team-Based Learning Faculty Associate. One of 36 Certified Fund Raising Executives, CFRE’s, in Alaska, Dr. Sandra Ehrlich has been an AFP member since 2001 and a CFRE since 2007. She is the AFP Alaska Chapter VP of Education, and the Board President of The Friends of Talkeetna Library. Dr. Sandra Ehrlich is the CIS 280—Managerial Communications—Course Coordinator.