Join us to learn from AFP Yosemite Chapter Members Tammy Menezes, CFRE, and Amber Flores, CFRE, to learn about becoming a CFRE - Certified Fund Raising Executive. Amber will share her journey through fundraising to her current CFRE accreditation. Tammy will detail the Return on Investment (ROI) that becoming a CFRE can offer. If you are in a fundraising career, you will want to hear from these two local experts in the field.
Register below to receive meeting materials.
AFP Yosemite Chapter Members: $10.00
All others: $15.00
Tammy Menezes, CFRE, SPHR,
Tammy Menezes, CFRE, SPHR, is the Director of Operations at St. Joseph’s Church in Modesto, where her role has expanded to grow the digital ministry and support for the church, while overseeing parish operations. Although the Covid-impact on churches and other venues has been devastating, she is proud that her team has developed a digital marketing plan that resulted in a 40% growth in recurring giving and the largest digital faith-based engagement in the region. Prior to St. Joseph’s Church, she worked in regional elder abuse prevention and training, and was a director of marketing and sales for a construction company.
In 2013 Tammy achieved the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resource Management) and in 2015 was awarded the CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive designation.) She served as the AFP Yosemite President from 2013-2015, and has facilitated meetings at AFP Conferences in Puerto Rico and San Antonio, as well as providing local organization presentations. She values the professional collaboration of her AFP peers and the career growth AFP has provided.
Tammy holds a Bachelor’s degree from the City University of New York and is a proud alumnae of the best junior college in the state of California: Modesto Junior College. She lives on a small almond farm in the Wood Colony area with her husband, Jace, where they do much of the work themselves. In her free time, Tammy enjoys spending time with their three (and one more on the way) grandchildren, reading and traveling.
Amber Flores, CFRE, is a proud Central Valley native that brings fifteen years of extensive non-profit fund development management experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from California State University, Stanislaus and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Management from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Upon graduation, she was hired as the Managing Director for the Sonoma County Repertory Theater. By mid-2010, she moved back to the Central Valley to work for the Gallo Center for the Arts as its Development Manager. In 2016, she was promoted to the Director of Development - Foundation & Annual Giving, where she and her team raised more than $1.5 million annually.
In the summer of 2020, she departed the Gallo Center for the Arts to take a new position at the University of California, Merced as its Executive Director of Annual & Special Giving. Amber is a past-president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Yosemite Chapter, and a Certified Fundraising Raising Executive (CFRE).
Top 10 Reasons to Become CFRE-Certified
1. Certification grants you more credibility. CFRE certification serves as an impartial, third-party endorsement of your knowledge and experience against international standards in philanthropy. It adds to your credibility as a fundraiser and sets you apart from other professionals.
2. Certification can improve career opportunities and advancement. CFRE certification can give you the “edge” when being considered for a promotion or other career opportunities. CFRE certification clearly identifies you as an employee who has demonstrated mastery of fundraising principles and techniques based on accepted best practices.
3. Certification prepares you for greater on-the-job responsibilities. CFRE certification is a clear indicator of your willingness to invest in your own professional development. Certified professionals are aware of the constantly changing environment around their profession and possess the desire to anticipate and respond to change.
4. Certification improves skills and knowledge. Typically, achieving CFRE certification requires training, study and “keeping up” with changes. CFRE certification showcases your individual mastery by confirming proficiency and knowledge in the field. CFRE certification also requires recertification every three years, proving you stay ahead of the curve in fundraising.
5. Certification may provide for greater earnings potential. Many fundraising professionals who have become CFRE certificants experience salary and wage increases based on their certification status. Studies show that on average CFRE certificants earn 17% more than their non-certified counterparts. In addition, CFRE certificants are in high demand internationally.
6. Certification demonstrates your commitment to the fundraising profession. Receiving CFRE certification shows your peers, supervisors and, in turn, donors your commitment to your chosen career and your ability to perform to set standards.
7. Certification enhances the profession’s image. CFRE certification programme seeks to grow, promote and develop certified professionals, who can stand “out in front” as role models in the fundraising field.
8. Certification reflects achievement. CFRE certification is a reflection of personal achievement because the individual has displayed mastery of his or her field by meeting requirements and standards set in philanthropy.
9. Certification builds self-esteem. CFRE certification is a step toward defining yourself beyond a job description or academic degree while gaining a sense of personal satisfaction.
10. Certification offers greater recognition from peers. As a CFRE certificant, you can expect increased recognition from your peers for taking that extra step in your professional career.
This class is approved for 1.5 CFRE CEUs.