What The Fund Raising School does

The Fund Raising School, founded in 1999 in Forlì, Italy, is the country's first and longest-running specialized training institution for fundraising professionals. Operated as an educational initiative of AICCON (Associazione Italiana per la Cultura della Cooperazione e del Non Profit), a research center promoted by the University of Bologna and the Third Sector, the school delivers professional development to Italian nonprofit fundraisers, association leaders, foundation staff, and social enterprises.

The core product is a catalog of instructor-led courses covering fundraising masterclass, community fundraising, cultural sector fundraising, data-driven fundraising, impact-driven strategic planning, and international philanthropy. Course prices are published at €400 + VAT per course, with an intensive three-day Fundraising Masterclass at €630 + VAT. Two structured professional pathways — Community Fundraiser and Cultural Fundraiser — package courses into specializations, and all completions earn Open Badge digital certifications that are shareable on LinkedIn. The school also offers "Formazione Personalizzata," a bespoke on-site corporate training product for organizations, and accepts payment via Foncoop, the national interprofessional training fund for cooperatives. Delivery is hybrid: live online and in-person at venues in Bologna and Bertinoro (FC).

Revenue is generated almost entirely from course fees and corporate training contracts. Distribution is direct via the school's website, email newsletter, alumni referrals, and association partnerships (AICCON, ASSIF, Confcooperative, Legacoop, AGCI, Forum Terzo Settore, Istituto Italiano Donazione). Named customers span major Italian nonprofit and cultural institutions — Collezione Peggy Guggenheim, Università di Bologna, Fondazione Veronesi, Fondazione Torino Musei, San Patrignano, Banca Etica, CONI, Caritas Ambrosiana, Camera di Commercio Torino, and others — alongside public bodies. Leadership is Paolo Venturi (Director of AICCON and The FundRaising School) and Pier Luigi Sacco (Scientific Director).

Name

The Fund Raising School

Legal name

AICCON

Website

https://fundraisingschool.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fund Raising School is Italy's first specialized fundraising training institution, founded in 1999 under AICCON and the University of Bologna. It delivers instructor-led courses, professional pathways, Open Badge certifications, and customized corporate training to Italian nonprofit, foundation, association, and cultural-sector professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Fundraising Education and Training

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

Keywords

• Fundraising training
• Nonprofit education
• Professional development courses
• Corporate training services
• Social economy learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Forlì

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: Professional training courses on fundraising, offered at various price points ranging from €400 to €630 + VAT per course. Additional revenue from corporate customized training programs for organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The FundRaising School is Italy's first school specializing in fundraising education, offering a catalog of professional training courses (Fundraising Masterclass, Community Fundraising, Cultura e Fundraising, Better Data, Progettazione e Fundraising per l'impatto, Filantropia e Fondazioni Internazionali), professional specialization pathways, Open Badge digital certifications, and customized corporate training programs for nonprofit, foundation, and public-sector organizations. Courses are delivered online and in-person in Bologna and Bertinoro, with fees of €400–€630 + VAT per course.

Product overview

The Fund Raising School is Italy's first school specializing in fundraising education, founded by AICCON (promoted by the University of Bologna and the Third Sector). The school operates as an educational institution offering a portfolio of core courses (Fundraising Masterclass, Community Fundraising, Cultura e Fundraising, Better Data, Progettazione e Fundraising per l'impatto, Filantropia e Fondazioni Internazionali), professional certification pathways (Community Fundraiser and Cultural Fundraiser specializations), digital Open Badge credentials, and customized corporate training services. The offerings range from fundamental to advanced fundraising skills, serving both individual professionals and organizational clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fundraising Masterclass

Named customers18 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AICCONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICCON (Centro Studi di Economia Sociale e Imprenditorialità Sociale) is the founding organization of The FundRaising School. It is a research center promoted by the University of Bologna and the Third Sector, dedicated to social economy and social entrepreneurship studies.
• Università di BolognacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Bologna, along with the Third Sector, promotes AICCON which founded The FundRaising School. Several faculty members are professors at the University of Bologna.
• FoncoopminorOthersFoncoop is the national joint interprofessional fund for continuing training in cooperative enterprises. Member organizations can request funding for The FundRaising School courses through various channels.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• European Fundraising Association (EFA): Pan-European umbrella body for national fundraising associations, including ASSIF. Represents the broader professional infrastructure within which The Fund Raising School operates and could partner with.
• ASSIF — Associazione Italiana Fundraiser: The Italian professional association for fundraisers — provides training, networking, and certification for Italian fundraising professionals. Overlaps with The Fund Raising School's mission and offers industry-recognized credentials.
• AFP — Association of Fundraising Professionals: Global professional association for fundraisers, offering the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential. Operates in the same training-and-credentialing category as The Fund Raising School at international scale.

Direct peers

• Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy — The Fund Raising School: The original US-based 'Fund Raising School' founded in 1975, now housed at Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Offers fundraising certificate programs and serves as the conceptual model that Italy's The Fund Raising School was patterned on.
• SDA Bocconi School of Management: Italy's leading business school offering nonprofit management and fundraising executive education in Italy. Directly comparable as a domestic provider of professional training for the nonprofit management workforce.
• MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business: Major Italian business school offering executive and continuing education, including programs relevant to nonprofit leadership and social enterprise. Competes for the same pool of Italian professionals seeking accredited management training.

Others

• CFRE International: Independent credentialing body administering the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation. Functions as a complementary certification authority in the same ecosystem of professional fundraising qualifications.
• ESCAP European Centre for Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship: European initiative advancing social innovation education and training. Adjacent to the school's mission in equipping professionals for the social economy, with overlapping curriculum themes such as impact measurement and social enterprise financing.
• Fondazione CRT — Progetto Talenti per la filantropia: One of Italy's largest philanthropic foundations, offering grantmaking and capacity-building programs for nonprofits. Functions as both a constituent and a potential funder of professional training in the fundraising field.

Emerging players

• Centro Studi Terzofilo: Italian training and advisory entity focused on Third Sector and social economy topics, founded by alumni of the same professional community the school serves. Directly adjacent content area with overlapping faculty networks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-fund-raising-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fund Raising School