CFRE ALL STUDY
QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
GRAEDED A+ 2025-2026
Philanthropy - ANS-voluntary action for the common good... - Robert L. Payton, as
quoted in Greenfield's Fundraising Fundamentals
Number of nonprofits registered with IRS - ANS-US: 1.4 mil; 63% registered as 501c3...
161K in Canada
Donors give for the following reasons - ANS-moral obligation to help... personal
satisfaction of helping others... to remove guilt for not giving... to maintain/improve
social status... peer pressure... compassion/empathy... personal identification... self-
interest... religious influence... need to be needed... substitution for active
participation... support for mission and purpose... personal relationship... appreciation
for mission... evidence of one's success... to express anger, or love, or hope... to end
fear... out of the cause's appeal... to be remembered... to gain recognition... to join
group, sense of belonging ... to preserve the species... to gain immorality... for psychic
self-satisfaction... desire to provide public goods... to fulfill condition for
employment... in response to leadership from peers... to be agent for public good...
satisfaction from seeing others satisfied... tax benefits
giving nearly always implies - ANS-some sort of connection to the org
giving may provide - ANS-some type of return in what the org will do for them or
someone close to them
effective fundraisers seek to discover... - ANS-what is important to any potential donor,
and tap that need to encourage and support giving. This requires being able to look at
,the org's mission and programs through the eyes of the donor rather that from the
perspective of those who run the org.
key activities in fundraising - ANS-research, marketing, relationships, ethics &
accountability
Research supports fundraising by - ANS-identifying stakeholders and potential donors,
providing info about stakeholders, ensuring appropriate resource allocation, planning,
evaluation, rating stakeholders for relationship building and service priorities
Roles of marketing in fundraising - ANS-communicate purpose and activities, promote
mission and case for support, encourage participation in fundraising activities,
encourage donations, communicate fundraising results, advocate the case
Relationships - ANS-the heart of fundraising
Relationships support fundraising by - ANS-adding prospects and developing them
into active/regular donors, support other types of contributions, engage stakeholders
in the organization, integrate with research and marketing, allow getting to know
prospects and interests, support stewardship
ethics and accountability ensure - ANS-stakeholder trust and confidence, assets are
managed and accounted for data collected and used properly, donor privacy and rights
maintained, reporting/other requirements fulfilled, programs executed as promised,
donors are retained
Why research? - ANS-ensures appropriate resource allocation, helps build staff and
volunteer confidence, adds element of joy an discovery to prospecting
How does Research ensure appropriate resource allocation? - ANS-allows
staff/volunteers to focus efforts on prospects who can provide the most good.... Helps
in planning how to use volunteers in the organization (number and types of volunteers
needed)
How does Research help build staff and volunteer confidence? - ANS-Backed by good
information, the process of cultivation and solicitation has greater chances for success.
,How does good Research add an element of joy and discovery to prospecting? - ANS-
adds confidence, which eliminates anticipation of prospecting as a chore, makes it
more like solving a good mystery - with whom can we successfully connect? How can
we make our case compelling? How much will they give?
Marketing - a formal definition - ANS-the process of gathering, recording, and
analyzing information pertaining to the marketing of goods and services
Marketing - a simpler definition - ANS-the process of finding out the wants and needs
of current and potential markets
Rosso's Concentric Circles - outer circle - ANS-People with similar interests
Rosso's Concentric Circles - at the core - who are these primary stakeholders? - ANS-
Major Donors, Board, Management Staff (these people have the responsibility to bring
those in the outer circles closer)
Rosso's Concentric Circles - second to outer circle - ANS-Former Participants
Rosso's Concentric Circles - closes to core - ANS-Clients, Members, Employees,
Volunteers, General Donors
Critical Factors for a Philanthropy-Friendly Environment - ANS-donor-focused
research... targeted cases, constituents, methods... strategic communications...
stewardship - the most important of all
The critical balance - ANS-Development professionals must find a way to balance the
needs of the community with the interests/needs of donors and the needs of the
organization
Prospecting: the definition - ANS-The systematic acquisition and recording of data that
forms the basis for establishing, maintaining, and expanding the long-term gift
relationship, with the ultimate goal of converting donors into major gift donors
(looking for the fundraising gold!)
, 7 points of constituency development - ANS-Identify fundable projects (part of org's
strategic plan and objectives)... match prospects to projects (use Rosso's model)...
Conduct research in ways that are: thorough and realistic, cumulative and ongoing
(keep current), organized, ethical and confidential... Identify opportunities to involve
prospects
What's the difference in a Prospect (suspect) and a Qualified Prospect? - ANS-
Prospect/suspect is a possible source of support whose philanthropic interests appear
to be a match with your organization, whose ability to give, interests, and linkages
have not been qualified via research..... Whereas a Qualified Prospect is a prospect who
continues to qualify as a logical source of support for the organization throughout a
research, evaluation, and cultivation process
the best research method depends on... - ANS-the org's scope, resources and
objectives... and on whether prospects are individuals, business/corp's, foundations,
gov agencies, or other nonprofits
Research methods to consider... - ANS-mailed/electronic questionnaires... internet
databases... in person interviews... telephone interviews
Four sources of information for Research - ANS-1. Personal contacts (conversations,
interviews, surveys)... 2. Publications/reports (journals, newspapers, directories,
magazines, philanthropic directories, annual reports, corp/foundation community
involvement reports... 3. Participation records (event attendees, program participants,
those who inquire)... 4. Public information
information to include in a useful prospect profile - ANS-complete contact info,
biographical data, business history, giving history with your org,
cultivation/solicitation contact records, publicly available giving info from other orgs,
sources of info checked for prospect and most recent review dates, general and
specific interests
Research pitfalls - ANS-putting off research until you "have time", expecting interns or
new volunteers to know what to gather, sending out cultivation/solicitation teams with
incorrect information, trying to find out everything about everybody
QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
GRAEDED A+ 2025-2026
Philanthropy - ANS-voluntary action for the common good... - Robert L. Payton, as
quoted in Greenfield's Fundraising Fundamentals
Number of nonprofits registered with IRS - ANS-US: 1.4 mil; 63% registered as 501c3...
161K in Canada
Donors give for the following reasons - ANS-moral obligation to help... personal
satisfaction of helping others... to remove guilt for not giving... to maintain/improve
social status... peer pressure... compassion/empathy... personal identification... self-
interest... religious influence... need to be needed... substitution for active
participation... support for mission and purpose... personal relationship... appreciation
for mission... evidence of one's success... to express anger, or love, or hope... to end
fear... out of the cause's appeal... to be remembered... to gain recognition... to join
group, sense of belonging ... to preserve the species... to gain immorality... for psychic
self-satisfaction... desire to provide public goods... to fulfill condition for
employment... in response to leadership from peers... to be agent for public good...
satisfaction from seeing others satisfied... tax benefits
giving nearly always implies - ANS-some sort of connection to the org
giving may provide - ANS-some type of return in what the org will do for them or
someone close to them
effective fundraisers seek to discover... - ANS-what is important to any potential donor,
and tap that need to encourage and support giving. This requires being able to look at
,the org's mission and programs through the eyes of the donor rather that from the
perspective of those who run the org.
key activities in fundraising - ANS-research, marketing, relationships, ethics &
accountability
Research supports fundraising by - ANS-identifying stakeholders and potential donors,
providing info about stakeholders, ensuring appropriate resource allocation, planning,
evaluation, rating stakeholders for relationship building and service priorities
Roles of marketing in fundraising - ANS-communicate purpose and activities, promote
mission and case for support, encourage participation in fundraising activities,
encourage donations, communicate fundraising results, advocate the case
Relationships - ANS-the heart of fundraising
Relationships support fundraising by - ANS-adding prospects and developing them
into active/regular donors, support other types of contributions, engage stakeholders
in the organization, integrate with research and marketing, allow getting to know
prospects and interests, support stewardship
ethics and accountability ensure - ANS-stakeholder trust and confidence, assets are
managed and accounted for data collected and used properly, donor privacy and rights
maintained, reporting/other requirements fulfilled, programs executed as promised,
donors are retained
Why research? - ANS-ensures appropriate resource allocation, helps build staff and
volunteer confidence, adds element of joy an discovery to prospecting
How does Research ensure appropriate resource allocation? - ANS-allows
staff/volunteers to focus efforts on prospects who can provide the most good.... Helps
in planning how to use volunteers in the organization (number and types of volunteers
needed)
How does Research help build staff and volunteer confidence? - ANS-Backed by good
information, the process of cultivation and solicitation has greater chances for success.
,How does good Research add an element of joy and discovery to prospecting? - ANS-
adds confidence, which eliminates anticipation of prospecting as a chore, makes it
more like solving a good mystery - with whom can we successfully connect? How can
we make our case compelling? How much will they give?
Marketing - a formal definition - ANS-the process of gathering, recording, and
analyzing information pertaining to the marketing of goods and services
Marketing - a simpler definition - ANS-the process of finding out the wants and needs
of current and potential markets
Rosso's Concentric Circles - outer circle - ANS-People with similar interests
Rosso's Concentric Circles - at the core - who are these primary stakeholders? - ANS-
Major Donors, Board, Management Staff (these people have the responsibility to bring
those in the outer circles closer)
Rosso's Concentric Circles - second to outer circle - ANS-Former Participants
Rosso's Concentric Circles - closes to core - ANS-Clients, Members, Employees,
Volunteers, General Donors
Critical Factors for a Philanthropy-Friendly Environment - ANS-donor-focused
research... targeted cases, constituents, methods... strategic communications...
stewardship - the most important of all
The critical balance - ANS-Development professionals must find a way to balance the
needs of the community with the interests/needs of donors and the needs of the
organization
Prospecting: the definition - ANS-The systematic acquisition and recording of data that
forms the basis for establishing, maintaining, and expanding the long-term gift
relationship, with the ultimate goal of converting donors into major gift donors
(looking for the fundraising gold!)
, 7 points of constituency development - ANS-Identify fundable projects (part of org's
strategic plan and objectives)... match prospects to projects (use Rosso's model)...
Conduct research in ways that are: thorough and realistic, cumulative and ongoing
(keep current), organized, ethical and confidential... Identify opportunities to involve
prospects
What's the difference in a Prospect (suspect) and a Qualified Prospect? - ANS-
Prospect/suspect is a possible source of support whose philanthropic interests appear
to be a match with your organization, whose ability to give, interests, and linkages
have not been qualified via research..... Whereas a Qualified Prospect is a prospect who
continues to qualify as a logical source of support for the organization throughout a
research, evaluation, and cultivation process
the best research method depends on... - ANS-the org's scope, resources and
objectives... and on whether prospects are individuals, business/corp's, foundations,
gov agencies, or other nonprofits
Research methods to consider... - ANS-mailed/electronic questionnaires... internet
databases... in person interviews... telephone interviews
Four sources of information for Research - ANS-1. Personal contacts (conversations,
interviews, surveys)... 2. Publications/reports (journals, newspapers, directories,
magazines, philanthropic directories, annual reports, corp/foundation community
involvement reports... 3. Participation records (event attendees, program participants,
those who inquire)... 4. Public information
information to include in a useful prospect profile - ANS-complete contact info,
biographical data, business history, giving history with your org,
cultivation/solicitation contact records, publicly available giving info from other orgs,
sources of info checked for prospect and most recent review dates, general and
specific interests
Research pitfalls - ANS-putting off research until you "have time", expecting interns or
new volunteers to know what to gather, sending out cultivation/solicitation teams with
incorrect information, trying to find out everything about everybody
