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[Not starting over again]

I realize the topic posting was done on 10/02. However, I am compelled to respond.

Originally, I believed in obtaining a CFRE. However, life happens. First, I had an emergency surgery and was under doctor's care for several months and lost my job. Five years later, I was in a car crash and under doctor's care for more than a year. About four years later, I helped my family with respite-care issues for several years. Unfortunately, in order to get a CFRE one must have five consecutive  years in fund development positions beginning with the most recent year. They will "consider" a small break and go no further back than eight consecutive years.  Well, that didn't work for me. (I haven't included the time lapse in finding a position because of economic conditions, etc.)

In my career summary, the five years I had as an executive director is out of the time limit, so it doesn't count. The significant money I raised for organizations (including capital-campaign experience) is also out of their time limit and does not count. I was one of several founders of a fund-raising group that evolved into a NSFRE Chapter and that experience is also out of their time limit and doesn't count.  I was one of two co-chairs for a fund-raising day conference -- again, out of their time limit so it doesn't count either.  I obtained a certificate in fund raising from a university -- again, out of their timeline, so it doesn't count.    

Sherry, who responded in one of the previous threads, made an excellent point in stating that development directors working in small shops will never garner enough points to get a CFRE.   (Most of my career is working with agencies with budgets less than $2-million.) I believe it is far easier and faster for people working in institutions such as colleges, universities, hospitals, and other well-established national/regional nonprofit organizations to obtain the needed points for a CFRE. The point system favors people who are working in institutions generating millions of dollars in income and are conducting capital campaigns.

Contrary to the above, I've known one case where an individual obtained a CFRE with five years experience as an assistant director in a relatively  smaller organizaton.  (The position was her first job.) I wondered who actually raised the money in the organization -- the development director or the assistant. It truly seemed odd to me, particularly in that case, that one can accumulate all the points required, in so many areas, so fast. When one thinks about it, a person can graduate from college at 22, fall into a great job (as was done in the situation described above), and have their CFRE by 27 or 28. That's super for them, however, I'm sure that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people -- like myself -- who are penalized for their experiences and achievements that fall outside of the five- to eight-year time limit.  Truly, it is sad, and there is no need for a person to continually "start over" with the five-year time-frame requirement when they have verifiable records of their career achievements.

I believe that the Association of Fundraising Professionals  needs to evaluate the body of work achieved in a person's career rather than what they've done in the most recent five or eight years.

I'm in agreement with several people who responded in the previous threads and have "hit the mark" (Christine, Betsy, etc.) in regard to obtaining a master's degree rather than a CFRE. I'd rather put my time and money into obtaining a master's degree, which is permanent -- and I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars each year to maintain the certification, which is temporary, can be revoked, or expire (that's another story I know about).

In summary, I'll continue to let the employer make the decision about how important a CFRE is when comparing my 14 years of broad-based experience in fund development (more than 20 years experience in the nonprofit sector, including working in two foreign countries as an executive director), raising millions of dollars, etc., to a person with a CFRE designation and five years experience.    

Thank you.