Fundraiser resume examples
This page has 12 one-page fundraiser resume examples, from a development assistant, associate and coordinator to a development officer, grant writer, grants manager, major gifts officer and development manager, up to directors of annual giving, development and philanthropy and a chief development officer. Each one is checked against US job postings, and the note under each sample says which dollars raised, portfolio and win-rate numbers it puts first.
Development Assistant Resume Example
Development assistant postings ask for Excel, Word, attention to detail, organization and discretion, and this resume shows all of them in gift processing for 700 gifts a month and acknowledgments sent within 48 hours. The arts nonprofit job adds data entry and board support, the other duties employers list for this entry role.
Why this resume works:
- Process 700 checks, online gifts and stock transfers a month in Raiser's Edge with a 99.8% batch accuracy rate.
- Send gift acknowledgments and tax receipts within 48 hours using Word mail merge and approved letter templates.
- Balance monthly gift reports in Excel with the finance office, resolving every variance before month-end close.
Development Associate Resume Example
Development associate postings ask for fundraising experience, attention to detail, Microsoft Office and strong writing, and this resume shows each in appeals that raised $310K, 18 foundation proposals and clean Salesforce records. The renewal rate rising to 41% gives a concrete result for the stewardship work employers describe.
Why this resume works:
- Draft 2 appeal letters and 4 donor newsletters a year that raised $310K from 2,100 donors in 2025.
- Write first drafts of 18 foundation proposals and reports a year, meeting every grant deadline on the calendar.
- Manage donor stewardship calls and thank-you notes for 400 first-time donors, lifting their renewal rate to 41%.
Development Coordinator Resume Example
Development coordinator postings ask for attention to detail, organizational skills, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, and project management skills, and this resume ties each to events, grant tracking and reports at a $7M nonprofit. The gala growing from $420K to $560K shows results beyond routine coordination.
Why this resume works:
- Plan 5 fundraising events a year, including a 600-guest gala that grew from $420K to $560K in 2 years.
- Run data entry and gift reports in Bloomerang for 14,000 donor records, cutting duplicate records by 70%.
- Track 30 grant deadlines and reports in a shared Outlook calendar and Excel tracker for 4 development staff.
Development Officer Resume Example
Development officer postings ask for fundraising experience, interpersonal skills and Excel, Outlook and Word, and the resume shows a 120-donor portfolio, 110 visits a year and $1.1M raised. It also covers the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship cycle that a quarter of these employers write into their postings.
Why this resume works:
- Manage a portfolio of 120 mid-level donors and raised $1.1M in 2025, 18% above the annual goal.
- Complete 110 donor visits a year and log every contact report in Raiser's Edge within 2 business days.
- Write tailored solicitation letters and proposals in Word for gifts of $5,000 to $25,000 tied to clinic needs.
Grant Writer Resume Example
Grant writer postings ask for writing, editing, research, proofreading and grant writing skill with strong attention to detail, and this resume shows them in 45 proposals a year and a 52% win rate. Grant reporting and budget narratives cover the deadline and records work employers also describe.
Why this resume works:
- Write and submit 45 foundation, corporate and government proposals a year with a 52% win rate.
- Research 80 new funders a year and keep the prospect pipeline current in Excel for the 5-person development team.
- Draft budget narratives with program and finance staff, matching every line to the approved agency budget.
Grants Manager Resume Example
Grants manager postings ask for attention to detail, project management, Excel, grant writing and grants management, and this resume shows a $14M portfolio of 70 grants and every deadline met for 4 years. The GPC credential and clean federal audits back the compliance side these employers stress.
Why this resume works:
- Manage a portfolio of 70 active federal, state and foundation grants worth $14M a year across 6 clinics.
- Lead 2 grant writers and a 60-submission calendar, meeting every deadline for 4 straight years.
- Develop grant budgets with finance and monitor spending, closing 3 federal audits with no findings.
Major Gifts Officer Resume Example
Major gifts officer postings ask for cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans for major gift prospects, plus interpersonal skills, Excel and Salesforce, and this resume shows a 140-prospect portfolio and $4.2M closed in one year. The CFRE and 88% donor retention signal the integrity and relationship-building skills employers list.
Why this resume works:
- Manage a portfolio of 140 major gift prospects and closed $4.2M in FY2025, 120% of the annual goal.
- Complete 150 donor visits a year and write proposals with physicians for gifts of $25,000 to $1M.
- Partner with prospect research to qualify 40 new prospects a year from grateful patient screening.
Development Manager Resume Example
Development manager postings ask for fundraising experience, organizational and project management skills, Excel, PowerPoint and Salesforce, and this resume shows them in a $3.8M program and a team of 3. Annual fund growth from $640K to $910K and $1.3M in grants give the results hiring managers look for.
Why this resume works:
- Run a $3.8M development program across annual fund, grants, events and sponsorships with a team of 3.
- Grow the annual fund from $640K to $910K through segmented appeals and a new monthly giving program.
- Write 20 grant proposals a year and secure $1.3M from foundations and the county arts commission.
Director of Annual Giving Resume Example
Director of Annual Giving postings ask for organizational and project management skills, fundraising, marketing and Excel, and this resume shows them in a $6.5M annual fund, 12 appeals a year and a $1.9M giving day. Eleven years across 3 colleges and a team of 5 match the lead-level experience employers want.
Why this resume works:
- Lead a 5-person team and a $6.5M annual fund, growing dollars 28% since FY2021.
- Plan 12 direct mail and email appeals a year using donor segmentation by giving history and affinity.
- Launch a 36-hour giving day that raised $1.9M from 7,400 donors in 2025.
Director of Development Resume Example
Director of Development postings ask for fundraising, relationship-building, Salesforce and Excel, confidentiality and leadership skills, and this resume shows revenue growth from $5.2M to $9M and a $25M campaign closed early. Board coaching and a team of 6 reflect the work with the executive director and board that postings describe.
Why this resume works:
- Lead a 6-person team and grew annual revenue from $5.2M to $9M in 5 years.
- Direct a $25M capital campaign that closed 9 months early with 32 gifts of $100,000 or more.
- Manage a portfolio of 60 major gifts donors and coach 14 board members on asks.
Director of Philanthropy Resume Example
Director of Philanthropy postings stress integrity, interpersonal skills, collaboration and an entrepreneurial approach to growth, and this resume shows giving rising from $21M to $32M and a $75M campaign nearly complete. The CFRE and FAHP credentials and close work with physicians and the board fit the senior health philanthropy role.
Why this resume works:
- Lead 5 gift officers who raised $32M in FY2025, up from $21M in FY2020.
- Direct a $75M capital campaign for a new cancer center, now at $68M with 18 gifts of $1M or more.
- Manage 35 principal gifts prospects and partner with 20 physician leaders on donor meetings.
Chief Development Officer Resume Example
Chief Development Officer postings ask for fundraising, leadership, financial acumen, public speaking, media relations and Salesforce, and this resume shows them in a $48M program, a team of 22 and a $120M campaign. Work with the CEO, CFO and board shows the executive judgment and discretion employers require.
Why this resume works:
- Lead 22 development staff and grew contributed revenue from $31M to $48M in 5 years.
- Direct a $120M capital campaign, now at $104M, with 3 gifts of $10M or more.
- Build the fundraising strategy and $4M budget with the CEO, CFO and 24-member board.
What employers ask for in fundraiser job postings
Fundraiser job postings in the US, October 2026
- 2,115
- active US job postings
- 1,304
- employers hiring
- 3 yr
- median experience asked
- 11%
- ask for 1 year or less
Technical skills and tools employers name
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| fundraising | 15% |
| project management skills | 10% |
| salesforce | 9% |
| discretion | 8% |
| writing | 7% |
| project management | 8% |
| powerpoint | 12% |
| relationship-building skills | 5% |
| sound judgment | 6% |
| collaboratively | 5% |
Make sure your resume shows
- Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills (49% of employers)
- 3 to 5 years of progressive fundraising, development or nonprofit experience (45% of employers)
- Organizational and project management skills for several deadlines at once (34% of employers)
- Bachelor's degree or equal experience (26% of employers)
- Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint (14% of employers)
- Available for occasional evenings and weekends (15% of employers)
- Sound judgment and discretion with confidential donor information (11% of employers)
- Experience with donor CRM systems and fundraising databases (9% of employers)
Duties to build your bullet points around
What employers write most often under responsibilities. Show each one with a result (numbers, scale, outcome), not a copy of the duty.
- Run cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans for major gift donors (31%)
- Coordinate appeals, donor communications, events and stewardship (14%)
- Build relationships with donors, corporations, foundations and community partners (13%)
- Work with the executive director and board on fundraising (11%)
- Keep donor records and contact reports accurate in the CRM (9%)
- Track grant deadlines, submissions and results (7%)
The examples on this page, in job postings
| Example | US postings | Median years asked |
|---|---|---|
| Development Assistant | 19 | 1 |
| Development Associate | 48 | 2 |
| Development Coordinator | 65 | 2 |
| Development Officer | 37 | 3 |
| Grant Writer | 72 | 2 |
| Grants Manager | 43 | 3 |
| Major Gifts Officer | 83 | 5 |
| Development Manager | 77 | 3 |
| Director of Annual Giving | 20 | 5 |
| Director of Development | 88 | 5 |
| Director of Philanthropy | 30 | 5 |
| Chief Development Officer | 38 | 7 |
Which job title to put on your resume: the titles employers use most, so recruiters and applicant tracking systems search for them: Director of Development (87 employers), Major Gifts Officer (75 employers), Development Manager (63 employers), Grant Writer (54 employers), Development Associate (43 employers).
Source: Owlapply analysis of active US job postings, October 2026. Requirements and duties are grouped by meaning from the postings' own bullet lists and counted once per employer.
Advertised pay, experience and the skills employers ask for: Fundraiser pay and requirements.
Check your fundraiser resume against a real job posting
- Paste a fundraiser job posting into the job match score tool to see which of its skills your resume is missing.
- Upload your resume to the ATS resume checker to read the text an applicant tracking system gets from it.
Fundraiser resume sample (text you can copy)
This is the text of the Development Officer example above. Paste it into the resume builder and replace the details with your own.
Development Officer resume sample
CARLOS MEDINA
Development Officer
Albuquerque, NM · (505) 555-0146 · [email protected] · linkedin.com/in/carlosmedina
SUMMARY
Development officer with 5 years in fundraising, managing a portfolio of 120 donors who give $1,000 to $25,000 a year to a New Mexico health clinic network. Handles donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship from first visit to renewal and raised $1.1M in 2025. Tracks moves in Raiser's Edge and builds reports in Excel.
EXPERIENCE
Development Officer, Rio Grande Community Health Foundation, Albuquerque, NM | 02/2023 - Present
- Manage a portfolio of 120 mid-level donors and raised $1.1M in 2025, 18% above the annual goal.
- Complete 110 donor visits a year and log every contact report in Raiser's Edge within 2 business days.
- Write tailored solicitation letters and proposals in Word for gifts of $5,000 to $25,000 tied to clinic needs.
- Plan clinic tours for 60 donors a year, moving 14 donors up to the $10,000 leadership giving level.
Annual Fund Coordinator, Sandia Public Media, Albuquerque, NM | 06/2021 - 01/2023
- Ran 3 on-air pledge drives a year that raised $1.4M from 22,000 members across radio and TV.
- Segmented mailing lists in Excel for 6 renewal appeals, raising the member renewal rate from 68% to 74%.
- Managed sustainer outreach by email through Outlook and grew the monthly donor base by 900 members.
- Stewarded 300 leadership members with calls, handwritten notes and invitations to station events.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Communication, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM | 05/2021
SKILLS
Fundraising, Donor Cultivation, Solicitation, Stewardship, Portfolio Management, Raiser's Edge, Excel, Outlook, Word, Interpersonal Skills
CERTIFICATIONS
Certificate in Fundraising Management, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University (09/2023)
How to write a fundraiser resume
Write a fundraiser resume summary
- Open with your years in fundraising and the kind of organization: food bank, hospital foundation, college, arts group or national nonprofit, with its annual budget or revenue.
- Say which part of fundraising you own, such as gift processing, grants, annual fund, major gifts or the whole development program.
- Put one dollar figure in the summary, such as $1.1M raised in a year or a $25M capital campaign, and the gift range you work in.
- Name your donor database, such as Raiser's Edge, Salesforce or Bloomerang, and any credential such as CFRE or GPC.
Development Assistant summary (entry level)
Development assistant with 1.5 years at a Providence food bank that raises $6M a year from 9,000 donors. Handles gift processing, data entry in Raiser's Edge and gift acknowledgments within 48 hours. Strong in Excel, Word and mail merge, with the discretion and attention to detail that confidential donor records need.
Development Officer summary (mid level)
Development officer with 5 years in fundraising, managing a portfolio of 120 donors who give $1,000 to $25,000 a year to a New Mexico health clinic network. Handles donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship from first visit to renewal and raised $1.1M in 2025. Tracks moves in Raiser's Edge and builds reports in Excel.
Grants Manager summary (senior level)
Grants manager with 8 years in grants management and grant writing for health and education nonprofits, overseeing a portfolio of 70 active grants worth $14M. Leads project management for every submission, owns federal grant compliance under 2 CFR 200 and grant reporting, and supervises 2 grant writers. Grew institutional fundraising by 35% since 2022.
Write fundraiser experience bullets
- Lead with dollars raised against goal, and give the before and after when you grew a program, such as an annual fund from $640K to $910K.
- For gift officers, give portfolio size, visits a year and gifts closed by size.
- For grant roles, give proposals a year, win rate, dollars awarded and reports delivered on time.
- For entry roles, show volume and accuracy: gifts processed a month, acknowledgments sent within 48 hours, events run and duplicate records cleaned.
Development Officer experience bullets
- Manage a portfolio of 120 mid-level donors and raised $1.1M in 2025, 18% above the annual goal.
- Complete 110 donor visits a year and log every contact report in Raiser's Edge within 2 business days.
- Write tailored solicitation letters and proposals in Word for gifts of $5,000 to $25,000 tied to clinic needs.
- Plan clinic tours for 60 donors a year, moving 14 donors up to the $10,000 leadership giving level.
Pick the skills for a fundraiser resume
- Show communication, organizational skills and interpersonal skills, and prove them with appeals written, donor visits made and board reports delivered.
- List the tools by name: Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Salesforce, plus Raiser's Edge or Bloomerang if you use them.
- Add fundraising, project management skills, discretion and writing only where a bullet backs them up.
Do's and don'ts
Do this
- Put a dollar amount or a percent of goal in your top bullet for each fundraising job.
- Give your gift range and portfolio size so the reader can place your level.
- Show both sides of the work: the asks you made and the stewardship that kept donors giving, such as renewal or retention rates.
- List grant win rates and award totals on a grant writer or grants manager resume.
Avoid this
- Don't write "responsible for donor relations" without donors, visits or dollars.
- Don't claim team totals as your own; say what you raised or what share of a campaign you led.
- Don't name donors or share private gift details.
- Don't skip your database work; accurate records and contact reports are part of the job at every level.
Related resume examples
- Event Coordinator
- Community Outreach Specialist
- Communications Manager
- Admissions Counselor
- Sales Manager
- Academic Advisor
- Volunteer
- Entry Level
Fundraiser resume questions
What should I put on a fundraiser resume?
A short summary with your years, organization type and the money you are responsible for, jobs with dollars raised, portfolio size or grant win rate, a skills list with your donor database and Microsoft Office, and your degree. Employers ask for strong interpersonal and communication skills and progressive fundraising or nonprofit experience, and gift officer roles center on cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans for major gift donors.
How much experience do fundraising jobs ask for?
It depends on the level. Development assistant and associate roles are open to people early in their fundraising careers, while major gifts officer, director and chief development officer roles ask for the most experience. Match your years to the level the posting describes.
How do I write a grant writer resume?
Give the number of proposals you submit a year, the types of funders, your win rate and the dollars awarded, such as 45 proposals with a 52% win rate. Add funder research, budget narratives and grant reports delivered on time. Grants manager roles add compliance and portfolio size on top.
What goes on a director of development resume?
Show the size of the program you run, revenue growth over time, campaigns you led and the team you manage, such as annual revenue grown from $5.2M to $9M with a team of 6. Add your own major gifts portfolio and your work with the executive director and board.
How do I write a major gifts officer resume?
Lead with your portfolio size, the gift range of your prospects, visits a year and dollars closed against goal. Show the full cycle from identifying new prospects to stewardship, and add donor retention if you track it. Salesforce or Raiser's Edge use is worth naming.
How do I write a development assistant or development associate resume with little experience?
Show gift processing volume and accuracy, acknowledgment speed, events you helped run and the appeals or proposals you drafted. Name your database and Excel work. Volunteer fundraising, campus giving days and office work with donor records all count.