Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Charity Fundraiser

🎯 Role Definition

The Charity Fundraiser is a results-driven development professional responsible for designing and executing fundraising strategies that increase revenue, deepen donor relationships, and advance the mission of the organization. This role leads donor acquisition and retention efforts across individual giving, major gifts, institutional funding, special events, and digital campaigns, leveraging data, storytelling, and cross-functional collaboration to hit ambitious fundraising targets. The ideal candidate is a persuasive communicator, skilled in relationship management, comfortable with CRM systems and metrics, and passionate about mobilizing resources for social impact.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Development Assistant or Fundraising Coordinator
Events Coordinator with proven fundraising outcomes
Communications or Marketing Specialist with nonprofit experience

Advancement To:

Senior Fundraising Manager / Major Gifts Officer
Development Director / Head of Philanthropy
Chief Development Officer / VP of Advancement

Lateral Moves:

Corporate Partnerships Manager
Grants Manager
Donor Communications / Stewardship Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement, and own an integrated fundraising plan that targets individual giving, major gifts, monthly donors, and planned giving to achieve annual revenue goals and long-term sustainability.
Identify, cultivate, and solicit new and existing major gift prospects through personalized engagement strategies, in-person meetings, tailored proposals, and stewardship plans.
Manage a robust portfolio of donor prospects and active donors, including qualification, solicitation scheduling, pipeline forecasting, and regular updates to leadership.
Write compelling, mission-driven donor proposals, tailored sponsorship packages, and personalized communications that translate organizational impact into clear funding asks.
Lead the planning and execution of fundraising events (galas, peer-to-peer campaigns, community fundraisers), including budgeting, sponsor acquisition, volunteer coordination, and post-event donor follow-up to maximize ROI.
Create and manage peer-to-peer and digital fundraising campaigns (email, social media, crowdfunding), including campaign strategy, audience segmentation, creative briefs, A/B testing, and performance analysis.
Develop and submit grant proposals and letters of intent to foundations and institutional donors, collaborating with program staff to collect program metrics, budgets, and outcomes.
Maintain accurate donor records, solicitation histories, and reporting within the CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, Bloomerang) and ensure data integrity for reporting and stewardship.
Produce regular fundraising reports and dashboards for executive leadership and the board, translating raw data into actionable insights and recommendations.
Build and execute donor stewardship plans that include timely acknowledgments, impact reporting, personalized touches (site visits, phone calls, bespoke updates), and renewal strategies to increase retention.
Collaborate with communications and marketing teams to develop fundraising collateral, case statements, impact stories, email sequences, and digital assets that support solicitation efforts.
Establish and monitor performance metrics (donor acquisition cost, lifetime value, retention rate, average gift, conversion rates) and continuously optimize tactics based on data.
Negotiate, secure, and manage corporate sponsorships and partnerships, including benefits delivery, contract management, and sponsor engagement metrics.
Train and coach board members, volunteers, and internal stakeholders on donor conversations, solicitation best practices, and stewardship expectations to amplify fundraising reach.
Oversee the donor recognition program, ensuring donors receive appropriate public and private acknowledgements aligned with their preferences and organizational policies.
Coordinate planned giving and legacy programs, identifying prospective donors, creating legacy communications, and working with legal/finance teams to facilitate gifts.
Lead annual giving cycles (appeal strategy, calendar, thermal mail/email campaigns), ensuring messaging coherence, list segmentation, and fulfillment processes are efficient and donor-centric.
Manage fundraising budgets, forecast revenue streams, control expenses, and provide variance analysis to senior management.
Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations, donor privacy laws, gift acceptance policies, and ethical standards; prepare for audits and maintain appropriate documentation.
Conduct regular prospect research and wealth screenings to identify new major gift leads and to prioritize cultivation strategies using third-party data sources and research tools.
Facilitate cross-functional planning with programs to create compelling measurable outcomes that strengthen proposals and donor engagement.
Drive volunteer-led fundraising initiatives and peer-to-peer networks, providing templates, training, and support materials to maximize participant effectiveness.
Conduct exit interviews and donor lapse analysis to understand churn drivers and inform retention strategies and re-engagement campaigns.
Serve as a public-facing representative at donor meetings, community events, and speaking engagements to articulate mission impact and secure philanthropic support.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc fundraising data requests, donor segmentation analyses, and exploratory reporting to inform campaign decisions and leadership briefings.
Contribute to the organization's overall fundraising strategy and long-term development roadmap, providing frontline insights and market intelligence.
Collaborate closely with program managers to translate programmatic outcomes into measurable metrics used in proposals and donor reporting.
Participate in cross-departmental planning sessions and external stakeholder meetings to align fundraising calendars, communications, and event schedules.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of sector fundraising trends, major donor moves, and best practices to continually refine approaches and tools.
Lead small teams or contractors (event planners, copywriters, fundraisers) during peak campaign periods to ensure consistent execution and quality control.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Donor Relationship Management: Expert in managing donor lifecycles, cultivation pipelines, and stewardship plans using CRMs such as Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, or Bloomerang.
Major Gifts Solicitation: Proven ability to secure six-figure or multi-year gifts through personalized donor cultivation and solicitation strategies.
Grant Writing & Management: Strong experience writing competitive grant proposals, budgets, and outcome metrics; managing deadlines and reporting requirements.
Campaign Strategy & Execution: Experience designing integrated annual giving campaigns, capital campaigns, or peer-to-peer fundraising initiatives from concept to close.
Event Fundraising: Planning and executing high-impact fundraising events, sponsorship packages, and post-event donor conversion strategies.
Digital Fundraising & Email Marketing: Proficient in digital donor acquisition, donation page optimization, email automation platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, Pardot), and social fundraising tools.
Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to create fundraising dashboards, analyze performance metrics (retention, LTV, conversion rates), and draw actionable conclusions.
Prospect Research Tools: Familiarity with wealth screening and prospect research tools (e.g., WealthEngine, DonorSearch) and ability to synthesize findings into strategies.
Budgeting & Financial Forecasting: Manage fundraising budgets, create revenue forecasts, and conduct variance and ROI analysis for campaigns and events.
Gift Processing & Database Hygiene: Knowledge of gift acknowledgement processes, gift coding, receipting, and ensuring donation data quality and regulatory compliance.
Proposal Development: Craft persuasive donor proposals, impact reports, and case statements tailored to audience segments and donor priorities.
Contract & Sponsor Management: Negotiate and manage sponsor agreements, in-kind donations, and vendor relationships to deliver fundraising benefits.

Soft Skills

Relationship Building: Exceptional interpersonal skills with a track record of developing trust with donors at all giving levels.
Persuasive Communication: Strong written and verbal storytelling skills to translate program outcomes into compelling funding asks.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to set fundraising priorities, identify opportunities, and align tactics with organizational goals.
Project Management: Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple campaigns, timelines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
Emotional Intelligence: Sensitivity and professionalism in managing confidential conversations and navigating complex donor relationships.
Resilience & Tenacity: Comfortable with targets, rejection, and persistence needed to convert prospects into long-term supporters.
Collaboration: Team-oriented approach to work effectively with programs, communications, finance, and volunteers.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous in donor acknowledgements, reporting, and data entry to protect donor trust and compliance.
Adaptability: Comfortable in fast-paced environments and able to pivot strategies based on donor feedback and performance data.
Presentation & Public Speaking: Confident representing the organization at meetings, events, and public forums.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Communications, Nonprofit Management, Business, Public Relations, Social Sciences) or equivalent practical fundraising experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree plus professional certification (e.g., CFRE) or an advanced degree in Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Business, or related disciplines.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Nonprofit Management
Communications, Journalism, or Marketing
Business Administration or Finance
Public Relations or Social Work

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of progressive fundraising experience, or 3+ years for roles with major gift responsibilities.

Preferred:

5+ years in development with demonstrated success in major gifts, grants, and event fundraising; experience using enterprise CRMs and leading cross-functional fundraising campaigns.
Track record of meeting or exceeding fundraising targets and growing donor portfolios.
Experience working with boards, volunteers, and senior leaders on fundraising initiatives.