 I would like to say welcome and thank you to everyone who has joined us today on your Friday or as we like to say Friday. Today's are asked and answered with Fundraising Academy cause selling education. And I am thrilled to have also Fundraising Academy as our ongoing presenting sponsor, as well as these other presenting sponsors that you can see their logos and their names right in front of you. Most episodes I say the same thing and it's so true but these organizations exist for you to help you do more good to forge your mission driven causes and really to help solve those problems in your community. So please do check them out. They are phenomenal providers in the nonprofit sector. We are so grateful to have their investments not only in the show but truly in the sector at large. So please do check them out. And of course, thank you to Fundraising Academy because we are able to have Jack Alotto here. Jack is a consultant with Fundraising Academy and you're joining me today. So I'm thrilled for that. I'm Jarrett Ransom, also known as the nonprofit nerd, CEO of the Raven Group. And as most of you know, on Fridays we have reserved this day of the week. I forget when we started it because we're, can you believe it, Jack? Up to about 400 episodes. But at some point, Julia and I decided, you know what, we receive a lot of questions and we really need one solid episode to really filter some of the questions for many of our viewers. So Jack, if you're ready, I say we hit it. There's several to answer. Yes, let's do it. Okay, so I'll read these aloud and you just jump in and share with me your thoughts on it. For those of you, we have seen these questions but we really have nothing scripted. So this is really coming from years of expertise in the field. So Marcie Wrightson from Portland, Oregon and wanted to know, although I have a college education in business, I would like to move into the nonprofit sector. My degree is about 20 years old and from a very reputable university. Do I need a degree in nonprofit management to make this transition? Absolutely not. I think that first of all, she's at the right place. The nonprofit show is a place where you can learn so many skills and concepts around fundraising. The Fundraising Academy at National University, my employer is another great place. There are so many webinars and free things that you can access which are so good in learning more about fundraising, et cetera. So I say, no, you don't need a degree in nonprofit management. I don't have a degree in nonprofit management. I have a degree in psychology. That comes in handy. I also agree with you, Jack. And I would say, Marcie, your question actually reminds me a lot of myself. I have a master's degree in business administration. I have an undergrad in mass communication. And I was never truly trained, I'm gonna say by the books, for nonprofit fundraising or really nonprofit management. Since being in the career, as Jack said, there's so many amazing resources where you can really gain and gather help and really just knowledge when it comes to the sector. I also think every organization is different, but I do think that there's a lot of transferable skills. So I say pursue it. It might mean finding the right fit, as well as so the job, the task at hand, but also the organization and where you will be working or serving because I think that, Marcie, plays a big role as well. But yes, stay with us. Love that you asked this question. Love that Jack reiterated this is a wonderful platform and we now have over 400 episodes, or I should say nearly 400 episodes. So Marcie, take a look at many of our archives. The American Nonprofit Academy also has courses, so you can find that online, as well as Fundraising Academy. So check out both of those options and see what fits. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, and good for you, Marcie. I'm excited. It's a great question. Welcome, welcome to the field. Welcome. Okay, well, I know Julia's remiss and missing today because she loves these name withhelds. So this comes from San Diego. We have a matching gift program in our for-profit business. The CEO wants us to shift away from the self-selection and towards an organization that he is supporting and is on the board. Do you think we will have a reduction in participation if we go this route? Yes, absolutely. You're gonna have a reduction in giving, and I'll tell you why. One of the major tenets of fundraising is matching the donor's interest, needs, and motivation with the nonprofit. Now, what's happening here is the CEO is matching his or her needs, interests, and motivation and discounting the donor. So they're gonna drop off. I have no doubt about it. The second thing about this, which I think is really wrong, is this may be an ethical violation. And both the association of fundraising professionals and the association of healthcare philanthropy, they talk about freedom of choice in giving, fairness and trust. And this violates freedom of choice in giving, definitely, and fairness. The other thing is I always like to quote Josephson, who talks about the 10 things that should inform us ethically. And he talks about fairness, individual autonomy in giving decisions and respect. And these things are all violating. The other thing I would say is I wonder if this nonprofit knows about this corporate CEO edict. And if not, maybe they should find out about it because I think they may have some issues with it as well. Yeah, that's very interesting. And I think Jack, you and I have also talked a little bit about donor-centric funds and really being in alignment with the donor thoughts and their donor wishes or desires. So really having that top of mind, I think is critical. I agree wholeheartedly. I think everything you said, Jack, is spot on. And I think this is really a selfish and self-serving opportunity for the CEO. And so I would, I don't know, Jack, if you're prepared, but I would love to toss it back and add on a question to this. How would you recommend this person go about addressing the issue? So I think the way that we help out in ethical decisions and inform ethical decisions is by training. Maybe they need to talk to their immediate supervisor and talk to them about some, you know, fairness in giving and choice in giving and why that is so important. And gradually work up the ladder. I think the way we do that is by informal training. And I think that the CEO definitely, once they realize that this is, there's no autonomy in giving and people are not gonna give. And maybe what will happen as well, Jared, is that they may see a decrease in matching giving because of this. Very possible. That is very possible. And I don't think that's what you really want to do or you want to happen. So thank you for that. I know that was not part of the question, but I thought if we could go a little beyond that might help the questionnaire. So thank you for that. You're welcome. John Ritzen from Shietown. I am looking to build a new board. And I'm wondering if it is essential that potential board members have served on nonprofit boards before. I don't want to train new board members, which sounds bad, but it is a concern. So I think this is a great question. And I don't necessarily believe that because you've served on a board before, that makes you a great board member on my board. In fact, what I would do instead are two things. One is I would conduct a board needs assessment to determine what you need in board members. And that needs assessment could be around skills, gender, diversity, equity and inclusion, those kinds of things. But the second thing that I think is equally or more important is what characteristics do we look for in board members? First thing is gender and diversity, equity and inclusion. Listening skills, believe in equality and inclusion and diversity. They have to be able to think clearly, take responsibility, work well with others. But here is one of the other key characteristics I would look for, a desire to learn and develop skills like prospecting for donors, like cultivating donors, like soliciting gifts. And then finally, I would also be interested if they could help us obtain gifts from their employer, especially a corporate, a large corporate employer. All great, great points. And to add on to that, I would like to share, every organization is different. And John, I think your question here, I'm reading between the lines. So you're looking to really develop your board, but maybe you yourself don't have the capacity to train. So there's a little unbalance there. So I would say, every organization is different. I would first and foremost, to add on to what Jack said, because I would say ditto to all of that, as well as make sure does this person truly have a desire and a propensity towards the mission. That to me is number one. Are they passionate about the cause? Because the rest can be trained. You may not have that time, John, but there are many training options in various communities. And of course now so many online that are available to really know how to serve as a board member. But I think there comes in a time where, other board members can also help to shape the expertise of incoming board members. So I've heard many times, and I don't know if you have as well, Jack, of having like that mentor, mentee. So a board member that has, you know, 10 year, let's say a 10 year of service on this specific board can help onboard new board members. Yes. And you know, the other thing about it, when you have a board member who hasn't served on a previous nonprofit board, it's Tabalorasa. You can, with your mentorship that you just talked about here, which is a brilliant idea, you could have this blank slate where you can train them and mold them and develop them into a great board member. And also they're not bringing any baggage from their last board membership to this board. It's a blank slate and it's a wonderful opportunity. I tell people all the time, I want you to enjoy serving on your board. I want you to enjoy serving your community by being part of the nonprofit sector. So I think we really have a due diligence, John. Not only, I don't know your role, but you know, see what other board members would be willing to do as well as budget lines for training because that's a great opportunity. The other thing I want to say here is when it comes to an equitable practice, I think you might want to consider board members that perhaps have never served because you have to remember at some point it was our first board appointment, right? At some point, we were all the new board member for the very first time and it really takes, you know, it takes all of us that opportunity to become a seasoned experienced board member. Absolutely. Yeah, so good luck, John. I hope we were able to assist you with that wonderful question. This one comes in from Julia here in Arizona, excited for this one. And this one, Jack, has your name written all over it. So as a trainer for CFRE testing, can you share with the audience of the nonprofit show how this process works? And then also if you go in a little bit further to let us know, Jack, is it worth the financial and the time investment that's required? Yes, so CFRE is Certified Fundraising Executive. That's what the credential stands for. And yeah, it does take time. You know, I run study groups. There are other study groups out there that you can engage in or you can engage it in a self-study program. CFRE on their website gives you lots of great things. But what I think is really important, what does the credential do for you in your career? And what it does is it shows that you are committed to the field. You're already showing you're committed to the field by attending the nonprofit show. That's a great commitment. This is also a commitment that you show to the field. It gives you credibility with your peers, with your leaders in your organization, with your boards, and also with donors. And that's really important. It improves your career opportunities. There are more job opportunities for you. It improves your skills and it also enables greater earning potential. I love to tell the story of a woman who was in my study group, Jared. She had dropped out of the workforce. She had worked for nonprofits and she had dropped out of the workforce to raise her children. When she came back to the workforce, what happened is some people thought you've lost your skillset around fundraising. So we're gonna make you an administrative assistant and you could build your way up. Well, after 10 years, and it didn't take her 10 years to get her CFRE, it took about five months, of working hard, learning, she achieved her CFRE. And she called me up when she passed the exam and she was so excited because now she was gonna show those people who didn't believe in her that she could do it. And I love that story. And I'm sure there are a lot of, not only moms, but dads as well who may have dropped out of the workforce, the nonprofit workforce. And now they wanna get back in and this is a great way to show everyone in the field that you really care about the skills you acquire. The other thing about the CFRE, even if you do not achieve the credential, it improves your skillset. That's a great story that you shared and it is all too familiar. I know I've heard the story many times for women is really that reentry back into the workplace. And we had shared previously on this same episode with another question that came in, does this person need a nonprofit degree? And so the CFRE is one of those options to really help to further your knowledge or education. But I really think the CFRE question, Jack, ironically fits into all of today's questions because to me, that CFRE designation as you spoke so beautifully about, it's the commitment to the sector. So it's also that commitment to best practices. It's that commitment to the ethical practice and all things that come with that culture of philanthropy and providing that social service, that social profit to our community and those communities in need. So I think that is fantastic. I myself have not pursued the CFRE. So a little bit of devil's advocate here, but I hope we can still be friends, Jack. Oh, of course. So I personally have chosen not to and I just, I think this is equally important to share. So previously I shared, I do have my master's degree. I will also say when I went through school, nonprofit management degree was not an option. That was not an option for me. And now it is, and we have so many amazing leaders that have truly studied in this realm and are now putting that practical practice into place. So for me, I will also say rarely have I had anyone ask for that designation if I have that designation. I have seen many job opportunities on the flip side that require that designation or have a preference towards that designation. So there is a lot of pros for that. There's also the grants, what is it, grant writer, professional association. So that's, you know, you can become a professional grant writer. So, you know, specific to the writing and not so much the overall broad stroke of fundraising. So many good things I think come with that designation and you also have to keep it up. So you have so many continuing educations that you need to do, is it annually? Would you be willing to do that? It's every three years that you recertify. I'm gonna give a big advertisement for the fundraising academy because all of our webinars, all of our classes, everything, you can earn CFRE continuing the education price, which is great. So that is good. And you know, Jared, I think you brought up a good point. There are so many fabulous fundraisers who do not have the CFRE. Now, I happen to advocate for it, especially for people who don't have a college degree, but want to have some credential who don't have that master's degree and that MBA like you do, which gives you a lot of credibility or a marketing or a nonprofit degree or any of the associated skill sets that go with fundraising. So if, and I've had people come to me and say, you know, I dropped out of college, my mom got sick, I had to take care of her, whatever the reason is. And I want to have some credibility. This is a good place to do it. And you could do it in six to 12 months kind of thing. So I do advocate for people who want to show their peers, their board members, that they really care about this profession. So that's my take on it, but definitely you don't have to have the credential to be a good fundraiser. That's a great point. And thank you for the shout out fundraising Academy, because you can continue your education, your CFRE, I don't know if they're points or what they're called, but really earning that credit through fundraising Academy. So that is a wonderful opportunity. I think it really depends on is it right for you? And I think that decision is made individually per person. I would love to say absolutely pursue it and hopefully your employer will invest in that commitment. And that is really, I would say the goal, is to really have your employer be just as invested in your designation as you are. Yeah, that's a really key point. I mean, if you go to your employer and say, hey, I want to pursue this credential, it costs several hundred dollars. I need to get these books. Will you support me in that? That's a good indication that you're working at an organization that really values what fundraising is and does and not siloing as we talk about on the nonprofit show, you into some department, no, you do it. I gotta tell you when I took my CFRE exam, I had a run from dinosaurs to the exam center. But when I passed the test, I went into my employer and I'm gonna not tell you who they were at the time. I said, hey, I passed the CFRE today and they said, what's that? So there are still a lot of people out there who don't know what it is, but it served me well. I'm happy I did it. Did you say, here's my resignation? I knew that I needed to move on to a different employer who understood the value of fundraising, whether it's the CFRE fundraising training, let me put it this way, whether it's at the fundraising academy, the nonprofit show or CFRE, your employer has to value what you're doing and give you the time, the space and the financial resources to do it. Amen. I couldn't agree more. And I know that's a budget issue. So don't get disheartened if it doesn't come right away. It might need to be built into next year's budget but continue to advocate for that because I do think that it's very valuable to have that additional training. Jack, you need some tape right there on your glasses because I think you are just as nerdy as I am when it comes to these conversations and that is a huge compliment. I hope you'll take it as one. I do. Listen, I've said this to you guys, you and Julia, what you do is so important and I love the work you do. Well, thanks. And I'm gonna be one of the biggest advocates for the nonprofit show going forward. Well, thank you. We are so pleased that we get to do it alongside amazing talent and expertise like yourself and others from Fundraising Academy. So please do reach out to Jack, Jackalotto Masters of Arts and that CFRE destination. He's a consultant with Fundraising Academy. He's got a lot up here. He's got a lot of really good knowledge. So make sure you tap into that if you're interested. Very generously, there's his direct email. So if you do want to reach out to Jack, maybe even talk specifically to Siri. Sorry, I'm gonna like get her going. I think my watch decided to make a response to you talking about me. That's okay. That's totally fine. Yeah, so if you do have any questions about the CFRE designation in particular, Jack's your man, so make sure you reach out and it's just been a great pleasure. Julia Patrick will be back with me on Monday. She's enjoying some time off and maybe some gardening because it's great weather to do that. I'm Jarrett Ransom, also known as your nonprofit nerd and we are so pleased to have all of our presenting sponsors here with us today and every day and they are with you every day because they exist to help you do more good. So please do check them out. Jack, thank you. It's been wonderful. It's Friday and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend doing all that great work that you have ahead of you. Thank you. I really love being on the show. Thank you. And for those of you that are also wrapping up your Friday and ending your week, please stay well so you can do well and we'll see you back here on Monday. Thanks everyone.