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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Fundraising and Development Foundations by University of California, Davis

4.7
stars
269 ratings

About the Course

In this course, you will gain an introduction to the basic terminology and concepts in the field, along with an overview of the development cycle from identification and cultivation through stewardship and recognition. You will learn how to develop a case for support, identify and assess prospective donors, match a donor’s interests and needs with your organization’s mission and goals, recognize planned giving benefits to your donors, structure a successful solicitation, and respond to ethical dilemmas. You’ll also examine career opportunities in the field, along with contemporary issues and trends confronting today’s fundraising managers. Throughout the course you’ll gain hands-on practice developing an array of written products for your fundraising and development portfolio....

Top reviews

AK

Dec 22, 2020

This is one of the best courses which has given me all the basic information. I have also started the advanced courses which are related to fundraising and development offered by UC Davis.

SS

Sep 18, 2023

I found the content of this course very well written and to the point. It was a good and crisp course designed for someone who would wish to consider exploring the world of fundraising.

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1 - 25 of 80 Reviews for Fundraising and Development Foundations

By Laura C

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Apr 23, 2019

Very helpful course in terms of learning the basics of fundraising. Elevator pitch was critical for me. Thank you for great course content and presenters were passionate and knowledgeable. Negative: too much focus on and examples used - on University / Education fundraising. Also not enough information on Grant Writing or resources on Grant Writing.

By Sidney W

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Sep 23, 2019

I learned a lot. I would have liked to have a "teacher" review my work, too. It was good to get peer reviews, but having an "Expert" give feedback would add to my confidence.

By Ingrid E N

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Sep 4, 2020

Although the material and tests and expertise of professors are great, there is a disconnect on the way the grade the work. The first four exams are 60 percent of the grade and then we have to write a paper that has to be review by our peers and we have to review 3 peers papers. Well in my case, there is no other peer to review mine and no paper for me to review and I have no one to contact. I sent an email yesterday and no answer at all.

By Cynthia B

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May 30, 2020

I would have like to learn more about Grant Writing in the Development section.. I learned a lot about the functions of Fundraising. My background is in back office sales work. I see how my skills could really be important ion a fundraising campaign. I am going to keep going and find that Grant writing course.

By Aleksandra S

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Sep 24, 2018

It's very US oriented. Also the instructions for assignments are not clear; eg. "Elevator Speech" was supposed to be 1 min long (150 words max) , but was marked according to "Case for Support" structure.

By Andy A

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Sep 3, 2019

Great course, very many good and practical insights. Timing is great to combine with a busy schedule

By Arbab N K

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Dec 23, 2020

This is one of the best courses which has given me all the basic information. I have also started the advanced courses which are related to fundraising and development offered by UC Davis.

By Lorrain I A

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May 28, 2020

Not only this course is interesting and covers everything you need to know, but this is also very operational and you can use it right away in real life. I highly recommend it.

By Francisco P

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Sep 12, 2021

Great overview of everything related to development! It's a good way to get your feet wet and start thinking about how fundraising works!

By Caylee W

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Dec 29, 2021

This course was very informative and covered a lot of topics related to fundraising. I am excited to move on to the next course!

By Daniel J K

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Dec 30, 2019

Great content and concise. Learning the terms of how to raise money is essential. UC Davis provides a great curriculum.

By Jaime F G

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May 19, 2020

Excellent insights and basis for fundraising and foundation development

By Martha G

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May 11, 2020

The instruction and information was excellent. I learned a great deal.

By Emiliano M

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Oct 11, 2018

A must for anyone aspiring to work in fundraising and development work.

By Randy K

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Nov 24, 2022

This was a very good introduction into the world of fundraising and development. One frustration is with the peer review of assignments that can delay progress or completion. There is a sense of uncertainty regarding when or if there will be someone to do that. But, someone did review my work, so I could complete the course. Anyway, apart from that frustration, it was very good.

One other thing that could be improved is the text of the lectures. This is downloadable as a text file, but it is just a lump of text without separation of paragraphs or formatting. It would be helpful if there was some level of formatting to allow the text to be used for notes.

By Vijay A

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Sep 21, 2019

This is a great course, very well put together.

I went into this course having a sense of what Fundraising for a Non-Profit would be, and came way with far more clarity and thought process in terms of how to structure the fundraising process. It is not just theory but also hands-on takeaways that I find extremely helpful and will be put to use right away in our non-profit.

By Brittany J

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Oct 24, 2018

Great overview! I refreshed on basics and learned some new things. The only con for me was that the peer-graded assignments were sometimes difficult to get peers to grade on time.

By Sheree W

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Jun 7, 2023

I am incredibly happy that I took this course. I'm working toward my CFRE and need to augment my corporate experience with a better understanding of fundraising terms and concepts. I feel like the course helped me understand concepts at a deeper level in a short period of time. The course and assignments were well paced. I also appreciated that I had to take notes and read the transcript or listen carefully to get the full context of what was being taught. When I received a poor grade on one quiz, I realized I needed to do a better job of actually studying the ideas so they would stick. I'm glad I was able to learn this but also improve my grade. Thank you for this course.

By Gunawan E

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Aug 21, 2021

I had always wondered how to raise more funds for my organization until I found this Fundraising and Development foundation program. I signed up a month ago and found out this program is what I need as the instructions are practical, too. Now, I am putting the four steps of the donor and development process into practice. The short-term results of this learning application are that our staff are more aware and appreciative of donors. They put in place a proper procedure to manage the relationship with the donors. It really gives me a satisfying feeling that I can gain knowledge and transfer it to our staff.

By Dexter D E

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Dec 21, 2020

Thanks to MOOC's like Coursera, emerging leaders like myself can get a leg-up in competencies that peak our interest and are necessary to our professional development. The Foundations of Fundraising and Development course I took through University of California, Davis was timely, tactical, and thorough. I appreciate the peer-reviewed assignments and supplemental readings offered, as they taught me development strategies used by other global organizations doing progressive and substantial work.

By Zoran S

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Jan 23, 2021

I was enjoying the Fundraising and Development Foundations Course. I like the way the videos, assignments, tests are structured because they secure the learning process. For me, through the course, I have learned many new and have refreshed old things. All my expectations are met and thank you for giving me this opportunity to reflect and to learn a lot in fundraising and development. Looking forward to future cooperation.

By Devon

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Aug 31, 2020

This was a well planned course with engaging learning assessments. It was very helpful to review the work of other students as well as receive feedback on my work. The course was well planned and I learned a lot that I immediately applied. The concepts and nuances changed my way of thinking when it comes to fundraising and development.

By Damaris W

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Feb 22, 2021

The course was very enlightening. I learnt much about the jargon used in this field and practical knowledge on developing relevant communication and the various levels of engagement with donors. Peer review exercises ensured that I picked other learners' brains . A wholesome learning experience indeed!

By steve W

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Aug 12, 2019

This course was very well done and very thorough. Aside from a few sections where the presenters were a bit speedy, this course was very informative. This is the first course I've done in Coursera and I must say, I'm impressed! I plan to finish the entire certification.

By Gaius S C

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Dec 9, 2020

This course was my first foray into the topic of fundraising and development. I learned alot and am now inspired to learn even more, and take more specialized courses in the topic. The format did great and the instructor videos were very helpful. Thanks!