How To Write a Fundraising Volunteer Resume
Feature tangible examples of events and community outreach initiatives you supported throughout your career to write a winning fundraising volunteer resume. Just as a fundraising flyer spells out the mission behind the effort and attempts to capture donor interest, your resume should detail why you’re a valid addition to a fundraising team.
This guide walks you through writing critical sections of your resume and includes actionable advice about optimizing your document to perform well in applicant tracking systems (ATS).
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
1. Craft an outstanding profile with a summary of your fundraising volunteer qualifications
Start by pitching yourself as a strong candidate for a volunteer role with a profile summary. This short section is the first thing on your resume aside from your name and contact details, so treat it as your first impression to employers or volunteer coordinators.
In two to four sentences, include the most relevant and impressive information about your qualifications. For example, if your day job involves accounting, let volunteer coordinators know you have experience managing money and conducting financial analysis. The same is true if you have relevant experience in pertinent fields like sales, marketing, project management, or customer service.
Profile Example #1
A Fundraising Volunteer with three years of experience within the nonprofit industry, specializing in public relations, community outreach, relationship building, and communication. A proven track record of liaising with donors to raise funds and awareness for relief efforts, community services, and social justice.
Profile Example #2
A Fundraising Volunteer with four years of experience, specializing in marketing, public relations, event management, and community engagement. A strong history of supporting high-impact fundraising initiatives for nonprofit organizations and community programs.
2. Add a compelling section featuring your fundraising volunteer experience
A resume meant to foster volunteer fundraising connections should include a professional experience section that balances volunteer work with information about previous jobs that might be relevant to fundraising. Whatever positions you list here, think about accomplishments you can use to highlight your value as a fundraising volunteer.
For example, if you previously worked as a marketing coordinator, you might list that you “grew email subscription lists by 250% quarter over quarter with social media marketing campaigns.” This demonstrates your ability to reach and engage with target audiences — a valuable skill in fundraising.
Professional Experience Example #1
Fundraising Volunteer, Philly Non-Profit, Philadelphia, PA
June 2020 – Present
- Provide support for the organization of 15+ fundraising events for relief efforts and community services for vulnerable populations impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in over $500K in funding over two years
- Liaise with donors and community stakeholders to provide education on issues and nonprofit goals to secure additional funding for relief efforts
- Coordinate with a team of volunteers to create marketing materials and execute campaigns to advertise upcoming fundraising events
Professional Experience Example #2
Fundraising Volunteer, Overcoming Poverty Nonprofit, Detroit, MI
June 2019 – Present
- Organize, plan, and execute 20+ fundraising events in collaboration with volunteers and community partners to combat poverty, homelessness, and addiction in Detroit
- Support fundraising efforts to secure over $600K in annual donations for community programs, including conducting grant writing and community outreach activities
- Coordinate with local businesses to raise awareness of upcoming events and secure advertising opportunities, resulting in a 30% increase in average attendance
3. Include education and certifications relevant to fundraising volunteers
Education credentials are important because they back up and add context to your claims about experience. Degrees in fields such as marketing, business, communication, psychology, and public relations are all highly relevant to many fundraising positions.
However, you might also include other degrees because they provide fundraising organizations with information about how you might serve them. The same is true for other credentials. A project management certification positions you as a leader who can manage efforts, while a search engine optimization (SEO) certificate shows you can support charity or nonprofit awareness online to drive digital donations.
Education
Template
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Public Relations
- Temple University, Philadelphia, PA | 2019
Certifications
Template
- [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Example
- Certificate in Fundraising Leadership, Fund Raising School I 2020
4. Outline your most useful fundraising volunteer skills and proficiencies
Including relevant skills you’ve developed in other positions, especially when they’re mentioned by the employer as desirable in a job posting, can enhance your success when applying. This is due in part to the use of ATS programmed to weed out resumes that don’t seem relevant.
These programs use keywords included by the employer, checking to see that your resume meets a minimum threshold of relevance before it’s passed on to a person. Adding fundraising-specific skills, such as community engagement or donor relations, can improve resume relevance.
Consider including some of the common skills below if you have them. Do so by incorporating them into accomplishment bullets, such as, “Supported the development of a fundraising strategy that increased average per-donor funds by 10%.”
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Budget management | Charity fundraising |
| Communication | Community engagement |
| Community outreach | Cultural awareness |
| Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) | Donor relations |
| Event management | Event planning |
| Fundraising | Fundraising strategy |
| Leadership | Marketing |
| Nonprofit | Public relations |
| Relationship building | Stakeholder relations |
| Written communication | |
How To Pick the Best Fundraising Volunteer Resume Template
Choose a template that supports a professional, clean-looking resume. Avoid options with complex design elements and too many fonts — consistent fonts for section headers and body content help streamline the look of your document and make it easier for employers to scan.
Look for a template that has sections where you can outline your volunteer experience. A template with customizable section headers lets you insert subjects that work best for your resume. That’s important because someone seeking volunteer opportunities may not want a resume that looks like a traditional job-hunting document.
Fundraising Volunteer Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Example #1
- Example #2
- Example #3
Anthony Gentile
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 W Adams Ave, Detroit, MI 12345
Profile
A Fundraising Volunteer with four years of experience, specializing in marketing, public relations, event management, and community engagement. A strong history of supporting high-impact fundraising initiatives for nonprofit organizations and community programs.
Professional Experience
Fundraising Volunteer, Overcoming Poverty Nonprofit, Detroit, MI
June 2019 – Present
- Organize, plan, and execute 20+ fundraising events in collaboration with volunteers and community partners to combat poverty, homelessness, and addiction in Detroit
- Support fundraising efforts to secure over $600K in annual donations for community programs, including conducting grant writing and community outreach activities
- Coordinate with local businesses to raise awareness of upcoming events and secure advertising opportunities, resulting in a 30% increase in average attendance
Fundraising Volunteer, Vanguard Relief Organization, Detroit, MI
May 2018 – June 2019
- Collaborated with a team of fundraising volunteers and event managers to plan and execute events to support relief efforts for low-income families, which included enabling access to healthcare services, mental health services, and education
- Generated over $300K in funding in 2018 in coordination with the fundraising team, which included building relationships with donors and community leaders
Education
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Public Relations
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI September 2014 – May 2018
Key Skills
- Fundraising
- Grant Writing
- Community Engagement
- Event Management
- Communication
Frequently Asked Questions: Fundraising Volunteer Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for fundraising volunteer resumes?-
When you insert action verbs through your resume, you increase the chance hiring managers or fundraising coordinators will see you as a proactive, valuable team player. Action verbs also help break up resume text, supporting dynamic, scannable content.
Don’t just throw in generic action verbs like worked, though. Consider action verbs, such as “collaborated,” “liaised,” “organized,” and “drove,” that present your past efforts in a way that aligns with what employers expect of fundraising volunteers.
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Analyzed | Built |
| Collaborated | Communicated |
| Conducted | Coordinated |
| Created | Defined |
| Delivered | Drove |
| Executed | Identified |
| Implemented | Interfaced |
| Led | Managed |
| Oversaw | Planned |
| Provided | Supported |
How do you align your resume with a job description?-
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job market for public relations and fundraising managers is expected to grow at a faster-than-average pace through 2032. Growth in the sector likely means more organizations will seek volunteers, creating ample opportunities to put your resume to work. To connect quickly with fundraising managers or other decision-makers, take some time to align your resume with job postings.
For example, suppose you notice the nonprofit organization strongly focuses on social justice. In this situation, you may want to draw attention to your experience supporting DEI initiatives. If you're applying for a role centered around community outreach, demonstrate your ability to build relationships with community leaders and raise awareness of the nonprofit's mission.
What is the best fundraising volunteer resume format?-
The best format for a fundraising volunteer resume is the reverse chronological format. These resumes usually include a profile summary and education section, but the meat of the document is the professional experience section. You can include both paid and volunteer positions in this section.
By presenting your past work in reverse chronological order, you put your most recent experience first. If you’ve grown into leadership or project management roles in the fundraising sector, employers can see this right away. They can also quickly understand the story of your commitment to fundraising by scanning your resume.
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Use the cover letter to introduce yourself to the hiring manager or align yourself with the mission and vision of the organization. Say diabetes research is near and dear to you because someone you love has the condition. Mention that in the cover letter when applying for a fundraising opportunity for a medical research project focusing on diabetes. Check out our social work resume cover letter examples for some ideas on how to create a cover letter.
