Aaron Sanderson Earns Highest Professional Credential from AFP

Contact: Hannah d’Entremont, Communications Coordinator, hannah.dentremont@afpglobal.org

(Arlington, VA) – The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the world’s largest community of professional fundraisers, has awarded the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) certification to Aaron Sanderson of Toronto, Ontario.

A distinguished achievement, the ACFRE is available only to senior-level fundraisers who have worked in the professions for 10 years or more, and since its inception in 1992, only 112 professionals have earned the credentials. Sanderson is one of only 10 other Canadians who have earned the accreditation. (Learn more about the ACFRE.)

Sanderson holds a master’s degree in philanthropy and development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He is currently the vice president for philanthropy at Plan International Canada, as well as an adjunct faculty member for Humber College. With more than 12 years of nonprofit experience, Sanderson was also named “Top 40 Under 40” by the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy in 2018 and selected as a “Difference Maker” by the Rick Hansen Foundation during its 25th anniversary national relay. In addition to his ACFRE, Sanderson holds the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP) accreditations. 

“It is a great honor to receive this recognition from an extraordinary group of colleagues,” said Sanderson. “To me, it signifies a personal commitment to the advancement of the fundraising profession. I encourage others to consider this challenging and deeply reflective journey.”

The ACFRE program is the most rigorous certification process available to professional fundraisers. The process includes a comprehensive application, detailing achievements in practice, education, publishing, teaching, and service to the profession; a portfolio representing the candidate’s body of professional work; a written examination that measures a candidate’s knowledge of fundraising as well as the philosophical, ethical, and social aspects of philanthropy; and an oral peer review in which the candidate must articulate a mastery of advanced-level knowledge in fundraising management, leadership, and ethics.

The ACFRE Certification Board of AFP, chaired by R. Scott Fortnum, MA, CFRE, ACFRE, oversees the ACFRE candidate review process.