CFRE International is pleased to announce completion of a new International Job Analysis of Fundraising Executives.  To assure the content-validity of the CFRE examination, CFRE International undertakes this extensive research approximately every five to seven years.  This most recent study on an international scope serves as the objective measure of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for successful fundraising practice beginning with exams administered in 2004.
 
The study was conducted across randomly selected fundraising professionals in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.  A total of 2,100 individuals were sent the survey and 52% responded.  Both CFRE certificants and non-CFRE certificants participated in the study.
 
The survey instrument included a listing of TASK statements which fundraising professionals might perform in the course of their duties.  Respondents were asked to indicate how FREQUENTLY they performed each task and how CRITICAL the task is to achieving fundraising objectives.
 
The instrument also included a list of KNOWLEDGE areas.  Respondents were asked to rate at which level they used the knowledge in the performance of their fundraising duties, according to Bloom’s Taxonomy (i.e., do not use knowledge; understand the knowledge; understands and applies the knowledge).  
 
The average respondent was a 45 year old, white female in middle management with ten (10) years of experience in fundraising.  She is just as likely to work for an Educational institution, as in Healthcare or for a Human Service agency.  She works in a fundraising office with an average of seven (7) full-time employees.  She works an average of 45.5 hours a week and spends 35.7 of those hours (79%) directly on fundraising duties.
 
The Job Analysis Task Force then reviewed the results of the survey as follows:
 

• the mean FREQUENCY rating of each TASK by the respondents as a whole and by country
• the mean FREQUENCY rating of each TASK by Certification Status (CFRE vs. non-CFRE) by respondents as whole and by country (US, Canada and Australia only)
• the frequency DISTRIBUTION of each TASK by the respondents as a whole and by country
• the mean CRITICALITY rating of each TASK by the respondents as a whole and by country
• the frequency DISTRIBUTION of criticality ratings of each TASK by the respondents as a whole and by country
• the mean USAGE rating of each KNOWLEDGE area by the respondents as a whole and by country
• the mean TIME PERCENTAGE spent in each DOMAIN by the respondents as a whole and by country
• the mean TIME PERCENTAGE spent in each DOMAIN by Certification Status (CFRE vs. non-CFRE) by the respondents as whole and by country (US, Canada and Australia only)
• the mean CRITICALITY ratings for each DOMAIN by the respondents as a whole and by country
• the frequency DISTRIBUTION of criticality ratings for each DOMAIN by the respondents as a whole and by country

 
The Task Force put forward fundraising tasks that were grouped into six (6) major categories:
•           Current and Prospective Donor Research
•            Securing the Gift
•            Relationship Building
•            Volunteer Involvement
•            Management
•            Accountability
 
Respondents were asked to distribute the average percentage of their time they spend conducting fundraising activities across those six categories.   
 
The average respondent divisions were as follows:
•           Current and Prospective Donor Research – 17.7%
•            Securing the Gift – 17.5%
•            Relationship Building – 23.7%
•            Volunteer Involvement – 9.06%
•            Management – 19.08%
•            Accountability – 7.7%
 
Survey respondents were also asked to rate their perceived criticality of these same six domains of fundraising practice.  The question was posed: “How critical is it that you be able to perform the tasks required of the listed function areas?”  The rating scale was:  0- Not critical; 1- Minimally critical;  2-Moderately critical; and 3- Highly critical.
 
The average respondent rated criticality as follows:
•           Current and Prospective Donor Research – 2.5
•            Securing the Gift – 2.7
•            Relationship Building – 2.8
•            Volunteer Involvement – 1.9
•            Management – 2.2
•            Accountability – 2.5
 
The survey listed a total of 34 tasks in the six major content areas.  Respondents were asked to rate each individual task on the following scales: Frequency and Criticality.
 
With regard to frequency, the question was posed, “How frequently did you perform this task in your work as a fundraising professional during the past year?”  The rating scale was as follows:
 

• 0 - Never
• 1 – Rarely
• 2 – Occasionally
• 3 – Frequently
• 4 - Routinely

 
Frequency ratings for all tasks differed by no more than .2 between the average respondent and respondents from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
 
With regard to criticality, the question was posed, “How critical is this task to achieving fundraising objectives?”  The rating scale was as follows:
 

• 0 - Not critical
• 1 - Minimally critical
• 2 - Moderately critical
• 3 - Highly critical

 
Criticality ratings for all tasks differed by no more than .2 between the average respondent and respondents from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
 
Because no statistically significant differences were found in participant responses from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States when compared to the average respondent, the Test Content Outline for all candidates can be the same.  Of course, test questions will differ - but not the topics covered.
 
It’s exciting to confirm the extensive similarity among tasks judged significant to fundraising practice globally.  Of the original 34 tasks included on the survey instrument, none were eliminated from the new outline because of differences in practice between the countries surveyed.  Responders from all five countries indicated the survey instrument completely or adequately covered the fundraising field. 
 
New exams reflecting the revised description of fundraising practice will be first administered on March 14, 2004 at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conference in Seattle, WA.  The first-ever United Kingdom version of the CFRE exam will be administered in London on June 14, 2004.
 
The complete Test Content Outline, as newly revised, is available on the CFRE website.