WVIA Employee’s Awarded Designation Members News March 21, 2023 WVIA’s Sarah Marie Thomas and Alecia Panuski have been named CFRE International Certified Fund Raising Executives (CFRE). Sarah, Director of Membership, and Alecia, Major Gifts Officer, at WVIA, join over 7,700 professionals around the world who hold the CFRE designation. Individuals granted the CFRE credential have met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, and demonstrated fundraising achievement. They have also passed a rigorous exam testing the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a fundraising executive, and have agreed to uphold Accountability Standards and the Donor Bill of Rights. “The CFRE credential was created to identify for the public and employers those individuals who possess the knowledge, skills, and commitment to perform fundraising duties in an effective and ethical manner,” states CFRE International President and CEO Eva E. Aldrich, Ph.D., CAE, (CFRE 2001-2016). “As the certification is a voluntary achievement, the CFRE certification demonstrates a high level of commitment on the part of Sarah and Alecia to the fundraising profession and the donors who are served.” CFRE recipients are awarded certification for a three-year period. To maintain certification status, certificants must demonstrate on-going fundraising employment and fundraising results and continue with their professional education. Employers and donors who work with CFREs know they are getting a professional who is committed to the best outcomes for their organization and has the requisite knowledge and skills. The CFRE certification signifies a confident, ethical fundraising professional. Since 1981, CFRE has set standards for fundraising professionals. As the only globally-recognized fundraising certification, CFRE indicates professionalism, confidence, and ethics. It is how today’s fundraiser shows accountability, service, and commitment to making a difference for good. The CFRE certification program is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and is the only accredited certification for fundraising professionals. The CFRE designation is endorsed and supported by the world’s leading professional and philanthropic associations, including: • Association for Christian Fundraising (ACF) • Association of Fundraising Consultants (AFC) • Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) • Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) • Association of Philanthropic Counsel (APC) • Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (BBB) • Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) • Boy Scouts of America (BSA) • Brazilian Fundraisers Association (ABCR) • Canadian Association of Gift Planners—Association Canadienne des Professionnels en Dons Planifies (CAGP-ACPDP) • Educate Plus • European Fundraising Association (EFA) • Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) • Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ) • The Giving Institute • Habit for Humanity International (HFHI) • Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) • International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC) • Japan Fundraising Association (JFRA) • Kenya Association of Fundraising Professionals (KAFP) • Korea Society of Philanthropy (KSoP) • National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers (NACCDO) • National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) • Nepal Center for Philanthropy and Development (NCPD) • New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (NEAHP) • North American YMCA Development Organization (NAYDO) • Shanghai Jing’an Fundraising Social Charity Innovation Development Center (FIDC) • Texas Association of Community College Foundations (TACCF) • Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance (TVNPA) • United Negro College Fund (UNCF) • Virginia Association of Fund Raising Executives (VAFRE) CFRE International congratulates Sarah Marie Thomas and Alecia Panuski for achieving the CFRE designation.
