New qualifications for fundraisers - a must-have or an expensive extra?

Leila Fazal's fundraising team last year generated just under £1 million for their charity the Terrence Higgins Trust . Fazal, a history graduate who has been a fundraiser for a decade says the figure speaks for itself and shows that she is good at her job. "To me you can't prove that you can do fundraising because you have a qualification, it's more about the amount of revenue that you have raised," she says. But that could all be about to change. The Institute of Fundraising – the membership organisation for fundraisers - is launching four new professional qualifications which are aimed at those new to the job to others who are experienced managers looking for leadership development. Costing between £150 for the lowest certificate to £2,000 for the diploma - and more for the advanced diploma which has yet to be priced – the Institute hopes it will create a definite career structure for fundraisers and help boost their professional status. This month it officially launched its own academy which will deliver the new qualifications the first of which will be available from next January. The overhaul of professional development, may be overdue – the only professional qualification for fundraisers the Institute has offered in the last decade has been the Certificate in Fundraising Management which has been completed by around a fifth of its 5,000 members. But at a time when the sector is facing between a drop in income of between £3.2 to £5.1 billion is this overhaul of professional development affordable? The Institute's director of learning Paul Marvell thinks that it is. He believes that as the cuts hit, fundraisers will become increasingly important as they look to find income from a shrinking market so quality professional development is crucial. He says: "Now is the time when fundraisers absolutely need to be at the top of their game and organisations need to be absolutely sure that their teams are delivering maximum return for their money. Despite the cuts in spending, and the implications of that, you still need to invest in professional development otherwise you will be left at a disadvantage." Both large and medium charities say they are having to look at their professional development budgets "very, very carefully." Where they are spending money they are looking for extra return. "It's less to do with the spend, it's more about making sure that we get added value; in this case it would be evidence that they [fundraisers] were getting a level of study, of robustness, that would develop their knowledge and skills which they could not get on the job," says Hilary Oakley head of learning and development fundraiser and supporter marketing at Cancer Research UK. Director of fundraising at the Terrence Higgins Trust, Debbie Holmes, says the new qualifications will have to prove their worth first before she would recommend them to other fundraisers but adds: "I would hope that these qualifications would attract people into the profession and enhance their skills and professional status. I think it's a positive thing to make fundraisers 'official.'" Those working on the front line have mixed feelings about the value of bringing professional qualifications to fundraising. Historically, fundraisers rely on more experienced staff passing on their skills in the workplace, backed up with short training courses. It is a tradition some are reluctant to see change. Intern at Cancer Research UK Paul Draper says: "My first impression is that these new qualifications might be elitist and create a division in the profession. I don't think anything beats volunteering for learning skills. What I have gained from experience is more valuable than qualifications." John Tasker, head of events at the same charity though believes the new qualifications may be worthwhile if they provide a broader understanding of the sector and its different fundraising roles. "I think the qualifications would influence my decision to interview somebody. It would show me that they have a commitment and an interest in the sector. I think they could open up more avenues and that would appeal to me, and to members of my team." To join the Voluntary Sector Network, click here This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional.