CFRE 2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔designated gift - ✔✔A restricted or commemorative gift made for a specific purpose
and designated for a specifi c use.
✔✔development - ✔✔Refers to all dynamics of a continuing fundraising program
(annual giving, special gifts, planned gifts, public relations).
✔✔direct mail - ✔✔Solicitation of gifts or volunteer services and distribution of
information pieces by mass mailing.
✔✔director of development - ✔✔The individual who heads an organization's
development program, with either this title or another, such as vice president for
development or vice president for external affairs and development.
✔✔donor - ✔✔The individual, organization, or institution that makes a gift.
✔✔donor acquisition - ✔✔The process of identifying and obtaining donors.
✔✔donor - directed gift - ✔✔A gift or bequest to a foundation, organization, or institution
whose donor specifi es to whom the money should be distributed.
✔✔donor list - ✔✔A list of contributors prepared for a particular purpose or in
conjunction with list building.
✔✔donor recognition - ✔✔The policy and practice of recognizing gifts, fi rst through
immediate acknowledgment by card or letter and subsequently through personalized
notes, personal expressions of appreciation directly to donors, published lists of
contributors, and other appropriate ways.
✔✔donor relations - ✔✔Planned program of maintaining donor interest through
acknowledgments, information, personal involvement, and the like.
✔✔drop date - ✔✔Date on which direct mail letters must be delivered to a post offi ce
for mailing.
✔✔electronic funds transfer (EFT) - ✔✔A method whereby donors instruct their banks
to make monthly deductions from their accounts, designated for the charitable
organization of their choice.
✔✔employee matching gift - ✔✔A contribution made by an employee to a 501(c)(3)
organization, matched by a similar contribution from the employer.
✔✔endowment (pure) - ✔✔Principal or corpus maintained in a permanent fund to
provide income for general or restricted use of an agency, institution, or program.
, ✔✔endowment (quasi) - ✔✔A fund, the principal of which can be and often is invaded
by a board in order to meet its operating costs. Such endowments include gifts for which
donors specify their use; they may also include gifts that are given for no specifi c
purpose, which a board treats as an endowment.
✔✔enlistment - ✔✔Involvement and agreement by an individual to serve an agency,
organization, or institution in some voluntary capacity.
✔✔estate - ✔✔The total assets of a deceased person; also, the legal status or position
of an owner with respect to property and other assets.
✔✔ethics - ✔✔The moral considerations of the activities of a philanthropic organization.
Also, standards of conduct and methods of doing business by organizations of
fundraising counsel that provide assurances of professionalism in client relationships.
✔✔face - to - face solicitation - ✔✔Soliciting a prospective contributor at the prospect ' s
home or offi ce or other location.
✔✔family foundation - ✔✔A foundation whose funds are derived from members of a
single family. Generally, family members serve as offi cers or board members of the
foundation and play an infl uential role in grantmaking decisions.
✔✔feasibility study - ✔✔An in - depth examination and assessment of the fundraising
potential of an institution or agency, conducted by fundraising counsel and presented in
the form of a written report setting forth various conclusions, recommendations, and
proposed plans.
✔✔fundraiser - ✔✔One who makes his or her living from working as a member of an
organization 's or institution' s development department, as an independent fundraising
consultant or as a member of a fundraising counseling fi rm; a volunteer who raises
funds for a cause is also referred to as a fundraiser; a fundraising event has come to be
called a fundraiser.
✔✔fundraising counsel - ✔✔An individual operating as an independent, or a fi rm
organized specifi cally for the purpose of counseling charitable institutions in all aspects
of fundraising.
✔✔fundraising executive - ✔✔An individual employed by an institution or organization
to provide direction, counsel, and management of its fundraising operations.
✔✔fundraising plan - ✔✔All of those elements comprised by an organization ' s
procedure for attaining a campaign goal: a fundraising program, including objectives,
case, leadership requirements, timetable, personnel requirements, and budget; and the
overall strategy or grand design for successful implementation of a campaign.
✔✔designated gift - ✔✔A restricted or commemorative gift made for a specific purpose
and designated for a specifi c use.
✔✔development - ✔✔Refers to all dynamics of a continuing fundraising program
(annual giving, special gifts, planned gifts, public relations).
✔✔direct mail - ✔✔Solicitation of gifts or volunteer services and distribution of
information pieces by mass mailing.
✔✔director of development - ✔✔The individual who heads an organization's
development program, with either this title or another, such as vice president for
development or vice president for external affairs and development.
✔✔donor - ✔✔The individual, organization, or institution that makes a gift.
✔✔donor acquisition - ✔✔The process of identifying and obtaining donors.
✔✔donor - directed gift - ✔✔A gift or bequest to a foundation, organization, or institution
whose donor specifi es to whom the money should be distributed.
✔✔donor list - ✔✔A list of contributors prepared for a particular purpose or in
conjunction with list building.
✔✔donor recognition - ✔✔The policy and practice of recognizing gifts, fi rst through
immediate acknowledgment by card or letter and subsequently through personalized
notes, personal expressions of appreciation directly to donors, published lists of
contributors, and other appropriate ways.
✔✔donor relations - ✔✔Planned program of maintaining donor interest through
acknowledgments, information, personal involvement, and the like.
✔✔drop date - ✔✔Date on which direct mail letters must be delivered to a post offi ce
for mailing.
✔✔electronic funds transfer (EFT) - ✔✔A method whereby donors instruct their banks
to make monthly deductions from their accounts, designated for the charitable
organization of their choice.
✔✔employee matching gift - ✔✔A contribution made by an employee to a 501(c)(3)
organization, matched by a similar contribution from the employer.
✔✔endowment (pure) - ✔✔Principal or corpus maintained in a permanent fund to
provide income for general or restricted use of an agency, institution, or program.
, ✔✔endowment (quasi) - ✔✔A fund, the principal of which can be and often is invaded
by a board in order to meet its operating costs. Such endowments include gifts for which
donors specify their use; they may also include gifts that are given for no specifi c
purpose, which a board treats as an endowment.
✔✔enlistment - ✔✔Involvement and agreement by an individual to serve an agency,
organization, or institution in some voluntary capacity.
✔✔estate - ✔✔The total assets of a deceased person; also, the legal status or position
of an owner with respect to property and other assets.
✔✔ethics - ✔✔The moral considerations of the activities of a philanthropic organization.
Also, standards of conduct and methods of doing business by organizations of
fundraising counsel that provide assurances of professionalism in client relationships.
✔✔face - to - face solicitation - ✔✔Soliciting a prospective contributor at the prospect ' s
home or offi ce or other location.
✔✔family foundation - ✔✔A foundation whose funds are derived from members of a
single family. Generally, family members serve as offi cers or board members of the
foundation and play an infl uential role in grantmaking decisions.
✔✔feasibility study - ✔✔An in - depth examination and assessment of the fundraising
potential of an institution or agency, conducted by fundraising counsel and presented in
the form of a written report setting forth various conclusions, recommendations, and
proposed plans.
✔✔fundraiser - ✔✔One who makes his or her living from working as a member of an
organization 's or institution' s development department, as an independent fundraising
consultant or as a member of a fundraising counseling fi rm; a volunteer who raises
funds for a cause is also referred to as a fundraiser; a fundraising event has come to be
called a fundraiser.
✔✔fundraising counsel - ✔✔An individual operating as an independent, or a fi rm
organized specifi cally for the purpose of counseling charitable institutions in all aspects
of fundraising.
✔✔fundraising executive - ✔✔An individual employed by an institution or organization
to provide direction, counsel, and management of its fundraising operations.
✔✔fundraising plan - ✔✔All of those elements comprised by an organization ' s
procedure for attaining a campaign goal: a fundraising program, including objectives,
case, leadership requirements, timetable, personnel requirements, and budget; and the
overall strategy or grand design for successful implementation of a campaign.
