What a fundraiser really does
You build real relationships with people who have money and a cause they care about, then ask them to give.
FieldBusiness
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Considerable preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for fundraisers, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Calling, emailing and meeting donors and prospects to build relationships over months
- Asking individuals, companies and foundations for gifts and sponsorships
- Writing personal thank you letters and keeping the donor database accurate
- Researching prospects' giving history, interests and capacity before deciding who to approach
- Planning annual appeals, mailings and online campaigns and tracking progress against goals
- Pulling together grant applications and impact reports
- Showing up at community events, board meetings and the occasional gala in the evening
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- The hours spill over. Donor events, dinners and board meetings mean many weeks run long. Duration of typical work week: 81% more than 40 hours (O*NET Work Context)
- Relationship building is the job, not a side part of it. It is the single most important task. Task 1 (Core, importance 100): Identify and build relationships with potential donors; Face-to-face discussions: 100% every day (O*NET)
- Saying thank you well is as important as asking. Stewardship letters are a constant task. Task 3 (Core, importance 91): Write and send thank-you letters to donors; Written letters and memos: 43% every day, 52% once a week or more (O*NET)
- You will be out and about a lot, driving to visits and events. Working in an enclosed vehicle: 24% every day, 38% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- Pressure comes in waves around campaign deadlines and year end, not every single day. Time pressure: 19% every day, 33% once a week or more, 43% once a month or more (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
Most fundraisers have a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4) in fields such as communications, marketing, business or the subject area of the cause. Many start as development assistants, event coordinators or volunteers and move into donor relations, annual giving and then major gifts. Experience and a track record of gifts raised matter more than any single credential.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks at Riverbend Youth Literacy Project, a fictional company, with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: The trial cannot show the months or years it takes to cultivate a major donor, the feeling of a real person deciding in front of you, evening and weekend events, or the stress of a personal annual revenue goal. Donor data, names and amounts are fictional, and tax rules are simplified, so no part of the trial is tax advice.
Reading about it is one thing.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 13-1131.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.