Sample Fundraising Resume
Pledge to make your resume sum up the highlights of your career.
Sometimes you think of your job as a gift, and sometimes it’s one you’d like to exchange. If your next career move includes a job change, you’ll need a top-notch fundraising resume to get started. Your resume undoubtedly needs an update if you haven’t looked at it since you started your current job. It might need a complete do-over, depending on how long you’ve had the same resume. Either way, it can be a challenge to get started. Here are two ideas to help you update your resume for a fundraising position.
As a fundraiser, it makes sense to use numbers to quantify your achievements. The number of new donors you established and the total income of various fundraising campaigns are two powerful examples of expressing your success with dollars and sense.
A second tip, whether you’re making a few adjustments or starting from scratch, is to keep your resume clean and easy to read. Minor tweaks like widening the margins and using only one or two fonts can make your fundraising resume easier for hiring managers to read.
Need more inspiration? Here’s a sample resume for a director of fundraising.
Fundraising Resume
Chase Cashman, MA
555-555-5555| chase@email.com | Linkedin.com/chase.cash | Springfield, IL
DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING
Partnering with Nonprofits to Build a Legacy of Growth
Nonprofit development consultant and major gifts officer who enables organizations to achieve multimillion-dollar fundraising goals. Skilled negotiator and relationship builder, adept at identifying and nurturing connections with potential donors. Proven record of success with capital improvement campaigns, empowering nonprofits with the resources needed to achieve their mission and vision.
Areas of Expertise
Nonprofit Development | Strategic Planning | Major Gifts | Donor Relations | Capital Campaigns
Marketing Communications | Public Speaking | Feasibility Studies | Nonprofit Consulting | Project Management
Professional Experience
Organization One | Springfield, IL | 20XX to Present
Nonprofit Development Consultant
Partner with local and national nonprofits to build and execute strategies to achieve fundraising objectives. Develop cause-driven capital, annual, and donor engagement campaigns that build awareness and expand donor pipeline.
Select Achievements:
- Directed a $15M capital improvement campaign for Children’s Hospital, surpassing target by 23%.
- Revitalized brand image for a women’s rights league, leading to a $10M endowment—the largest in organization history.
- Led a $10M capital improvement campaign for library foundation, achieving goal and saving two libraries from closure.
- Leveraged community connections and networking skills to expand major donor base by 43% in one year.
- Conducted feasibility study for national nonprofit, identifying opportunities to expand facilities and services.
Organization Two | Washington, D.C. | 20XX to 20XX
Principal Major Gifts/Philanthropy Officer
Managed portfolio of 100+ principal and major gift donors across the northeast. Expand existing relationships and foster new partnerships to achieve development objectives and sustain the organization’s future growth.
Select Achievements:
- Reinvigorated stagnant relationships, meeting one-on-one to build connections, leading to $12M in additional funding.
- Developed existing donors, moving $10K–$50K donors into the $50K–$100K range within one year.
- Achieved $50M fundraising target in year one and expanded goal to $75M in year two.
- Identified and nurtured relationship with potential donor, securing first-time major gift of $5M.
Education
Master of Arts in Public Policy | University One | New York, NY
Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Development | University Two | Orlando, FL
Community Involvement
Membership Chair | Organization Three | Springfield, IL
President | Organization Four | Springfield, IL
Want to make applying to jobs a bit easier on yourself? Download this free resume template and swap in your information to get started.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects fundraiser jobs to grow by 11% over the next 10 years. This is much faster than growth projections for other occupations. This above-average performance is partially driven by the increased use of social media as part of a fundraiser’s responsibilities.
According to Monster’s research, the median income for a fundraising manager is $72,876. You can find the fundraising job pay range in your area using Monster’s Salary Tool.
Some areas of the country have a higher demand for fundraisers. The top five fundraising job locations are:
You can also take a look at all fundraising jobs on Monster to see what interests you.
Give Yourself a Job-Hunting Gift
Update your fundraising resume the easy way by getting in touch with Monster’s Resume-Writing Service. A professional resume writer familiar with fundraising will ensure your resume is job search-ready. They’ll work with you to include all those numbers that showcase your achievements, write a keyword-rich career summary, give your resume a clean, polished look, and so much more.