12 Fundraising Resume Examples for 2025

In the realm of fundraising jobs, having the right resume is key. This article offers proven examples and strategic tips tailored for fundraising roles. Learn how to highlight your fundraising experience, quantify your achievements, and use industry-specific keywords to stand out to hiring managers. Whether you're an entry-level applicant or a seasoned professional, these practical insights can help you land the fundraising job you seek.

  Compiled and approved by Grace Abrams
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in the best resumes for fundraising roles.

  • Show Impact With Numbers: Use metrics to show impact. Include amounts raised, donor growth, event participation, and fundraising campaign success.

  • Include Skills From Job Descriptions: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are grant writing, donor management systems, event planning, budget management, and prospect research. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Adapt To Digital Trends: Fundraising is moving online. Show experience with online fundraising campaigns and social media engagement.

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Where to place your education

Put your education near the top of your resume if you recently finished a degree. This helps employers see you are new to the field and that your latest schooling is relevant to fundraising. Especially if you studied a subject like non-profit management or marketing, highlighting this education early on can be very useful.

If you have been working in fundraising for years, list your education after your work experience. Focus on degrees and certifications that show skills in organizing events, understanding donor databases, or any training in persuasive communication, as these are key in fundraising. No need to include high school, unless it is your highest level of education.

Highlighting campaign success

For fundraising roles, emphasize key campaign successes. Include metrics like the amount of money raised, the size of donor databases you worked with, and any innovative approaches you led.

Clearly list these achievements under each relevant job. This gives a snapshot of your effectiveness and creativity in securing funds and engaging donors.

Ideal resume length

Keep your fundraising resume to one page if you have less than 10 years of related experience. This length shows you can prioritize information well. Focus on your most recent campaigns and the biggest amounts you have raised. Highlight roles where you led a team or project, as these show leadership skills.

For those with over 10 years of experience, two pages are acceptable. Put your most significant achievements in fundraising at the front. This helps because hiring managers tend to look at the first page more. Ensure good use of space and readability. Include only the most relevant information to make a strong impact quickly.

Showcase donor relationships

In fundraising, building and maintaining donor relationships is critical. Highlight your skills by mentioning specific examples where you succeeded in donor engagement, retention, and growth.

You can include details about successful donor events you organized or campaigns that led to long-term donor commitments. This demonstrates your ability to cultivate and manage essential relationships.

Beat the resume bots

When you apply for fundraising roles, your resume may first be read by software called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). It is important to format your resume so these systems can read it well.

Here are two key things you can do:

  • Use keywords from the job description. For example, if the job requires 'event planning' or 'donor management', make sure those phrases are in your resume.
  • Keep your layout simple. Use a standard font like Arial or Times New Roman and avoid tables or images that the ATS might not understand.

Make your experience relevant

When applying for fundraising jobs, you need to show how your past work relates to raising funds. It is important to match your skills with what the job needs. Describe your past work in a way that shows you can do the fundraising job well.

  • For technical roles, point out specific tools or databases you have experience with, like DonorPerfect or Blackbaud.
  • For senior positions, detail your experience in leading campaigns and the amount of funds you helped raise, such as overseeing a team that raised over $500,000.
  • If you are coming from a different career, link your previous duties with fundraising tasks. An example could be managing events or campaigns, showing how you've mobilized resources effectively.

Ignoring impact details

When you talk about past fundraising roles, make sure you show your impact. Some forget to include how much money they raised or what the funds were for. This is important. An example could be: 'led a team that raised $50,000 for cancer research.' This gives a clear picture of your success.

Do not just list tasks like 'organized events' or 'managed donor lists.' Instead, say how well you did these tasks. For example, you could write 'increased event attendance by 25% which boosted donations.' This shows you can do the job and do it well.

Remember to talk about key skills like 'building relationships with donors' or 'creating fundraising strategies.' These skills are crucial for jobs in raising funds and should be part of your resume. Make sure you have at least one example to show each skill. This will help you stand out to hiring managers.

Use dynamic verbs in fundraising

When you write your resume, choosing the right words is key. Use verbs that show you have made things happen. This will help you stand out. Think about what you did in your fundraising roles and pick verbs that fit your achievements.

Good verbs can make your experiences shine. They tell employers about your skills quickly and clearly. Here's a list of verbs that are good for fundraising resumes:

  • To show you can bring in donations, use secured, raised, generated, garnered, obtained.
  • To demonstrate how you engage with donors, use networked, connected, cultivated, persuaded, enlisted.
  • If you've led a campaign, use orchestrated, directed, coordinated, managed, executed.
  • For showing how you plan events or campaigns, use devised, planned, organized, developed, established.
  • To reflect strategic growth and planning, use expanded, strategized, strengthened, enhanced, advanced.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Possess, Produced, Establish, Assisting, Maintaining.

Showcase achievements over duties

When you write your resume, focus on what you have achieved, not just the work you were in charge of. Your goal is to show how well you did your job, not just describe the job you did. Think about the positive changes you made, how much money you raised, or how you grew donor relations.

Instead of saying,

  • 'Organized annual fundraising events',
you might say,
  • 'Raised $50,000 by leading annual fundraising events, 20% over the target goal'.
This shows how you went beyond just doing the task – you made a real impact.

Another example, instead of writing,

  • 'Managed donor database',
try,
  • 'Enhanced donor database resulting in a 30% increase in repeat donations'.
This displays your ability to improve systems and directly contribute to an increase in funds.

Essential skills for successful fundraisers

You need specific skills to excel in fundraising. These are not just important for doing the job well but also for getting past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that many organizations use to scan resumes. Here's a list of skills you should consider including if they match your experience:

  • Grant writing
  • Donor relations
  • Event planning
  • Database management
  • Major gifts fundraising
  • Prospect research
  • Direct mail campaigns
  • Online fundraising
  • Budgeting
  • Marketing

Choose skills that fit the job you want. For instance, if you're aiming for a role focused on digital campaigns, highlight your online fundraising and marketing expertise. You should include these skills in a dedicated section on your resume. This makes it easy for both ATS and hiring managers to see your qualifications quickly.

Remember, you don't need to show every skill listed. Think about the specific tasks you'll be doing and choose the skills that best match those duties. If you have experience with database management, it shows you can handle donor information effectively. If you've done event planning, it shows you can organize successful fundraising events. Tailor your resume to the job description provided, using their language to describe your skills when possible.

Show leadership and growth

When you're applying for roles in fundraising, showing your growth through promotions and leadership is key. You need to make it clear that you have the skills to lead a team and drive campaigns to success. Think about the times you've taken charge of a project or been recognized with a higher position.

Here are some ways to show evidence of leadership and promotions:

  • Detail any campaigns where you've led a team, specifying the size of the team and the outcome of the campaign.
  • Mention any titles you've held that demonstrate upward movement, such as 'assistant to team lead' or 'event coordinator to fundraising manager'.

Even if you're unsure about your leadership experience, reflect on moments where you've taken initiative. Did you ever step in when a leader was needed? That counts. Remember, highlighting your ability to inspire others and handle responsibilities is important. Use phrases like 'spearheaded a volunteer drive' or 'guided a peer mentoring program' to show your leadership skills.

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