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Community development specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted expert
Jaunelle Celaire
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical community development specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for community development specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 19.2% of community development specialist resumes contained event planning as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a community development specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 community development specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Event Planning

Here's how community development specialists use event planning:
  • Organize and manage local special event planning.
  • Worked independently with nonprofit organizations in the fields of communications, development (fundraising), event planning and marketing.

2. Community Outreach

Here's how community development specialists use community outreach:
  • Create community outreach events and connections to bring interested community members and potential donors into closer contact with the department
  • Led community outreach activities and established non-profit relationships to promote STEM education in the Northern Virginia area.

3. Lead Generation

Here's how community development specialists use lead generation:
  • Manage relationships to assist in sales lead generation for the local Microsoft Business Development team.

4. Non-Profit Organization

A non-profit organization (NPO) is a business that has been granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) because it serves a social cause and provides a benefit to the public. The organization must serve a social cause whether it is through services, goods, or both.

Here's how community development specialists use non-profit organization:
  • Vetted local non-profit organizations to be recipients of large software grants.
  • Deliver financial literacy classes and homebuyer seminars with area non-profit organizations.

5. Economic Development

Economic development refers to an increase of creation of wealth that overall benefits a community. This may occur when a community, city, or country produces more goods to sell or when a job program is developed. By increasing the wealth of a community, the economy is stimulated and the quality of life for that population also increases.

Here's how community development specialists use economic development:
  • Advanced knowledge of various Federal programs available to staff for economic development.
  • Worked with community groups to implement various economic development programs.

6. Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is the non-financial assistance provided by local or international specialists. The purpose of technical assistance is to maximize the project's implementation and quality of the final product. Technical assistance consists of sharing information, the transmission of working knowledge, and other transfer of technical data which would aid the administration, management team and help build the project. The technical assistance focuses on particular needs identified by the beneficiary country and is delivered in the form of missions.

Here's how community development specialists use technical assistance:
  • Provide technical assistance in areas of community planning, capacity building and collaborative building.
  • Assisted Kellogg funded grantees with community development managerial and technical assistance.

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7. Rehabilitation

Here's how community development specialists use rehabilitation:
  • Prepared extensive grant applications on behalf of local governments for housing rehabilitation, infrastructure and emergency activities.
  • Consult regularly with Department of Rehabilitation staff to conference consumer cases and quality of our community partners.

8. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how community development specialists use business development:
  • Conducted research and prepared published reports to support business development efforts.
  • Distribute Business Development Loan Program procedures manual to inquiring persons.

9. CDBG

Here's how community development specialists use cdbg:
  • Assisted in directing and coordinating the City's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
  • Draft contracts and agreements for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

10. HUD

Here's how community development specialists use hud:
  • Prepared several extensive federal grant applications for HUD McKinney Act funding for Permanent Housing.
  • Administered all aspects of 5 HUD rental assistance programs in four rural counties.

11. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how community development specialists use community resources:
  • Provided information and referrals regarding ABCD programs and other community resources for families successfully diverted from shelter.
  • Cultivated relationships and maintained contact with community resources and donors.

12. Strategic Plan

Here's how community development specialists use strategic plan:
  • Coordinated the development of strategic plan items related to housing issues and community development.
  • Utilized strategic planning techniques to successfully execute events, and managed all volunteer committees and budgets for each event.

13. Federal Regulations

Federal regulations refer to the set of rules, both general and permanent that are published in the Federal Register by the agencies of the federal government and the executive departments. Federal regulations are the large body of rules that govern federal practice. Examples of these laws include taxes and financial regulation, discrimination law, wages law, and so on.

Here's how community development specialists use federal regulations:
  • Analyze laws and regulations governing program activities and apply them appropriately to resolve issues and assure compliance with federal regulations.
  • Administered successful grant contracts through financial management, monitoring and compliance with State and Federal regulations.

14. Press Releases

Here's how community development specialists use press releases:
  • Created and distributed press releases, newsletters and other written materials.
  • Designed and disseminated newsletters, press releases, and collateral materials to increase program exposure and awareness.

15. Community Organizations

Community organizations refers to a form of social or volunteer work that focuses on bettering a community. This may be a community defined by geographic boundaries or by a person's racial or sexual identity. These organizations are often nonprofits that help groups of people affected by natural disasters or hate crimes.

Here's how community development specialists use community organizations:
  • Managed public relations activities with local media, community organizations, vendors and businesses to promote community development projects and activities.
  • Originated commercial and residential loans in Sarasota, and Manatee counties, worked closely with small businesses and community organizations.
top-skills

What skills help Community Development Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What community development specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Jaunelle Celaire

Chair, Professor of Voice, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Leadership - the world needs more of these; the ability to lead, craft and grow. Digital literacy - this world is definitely turning digital and virtual is the new trend. Emotional intelligence - there is a vast number of personalities in our world today; individuals grow and it is our job to stay emotionally connected, so we can operate more effectively.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about community development specialist

List of community development specialist skills to add to your resume

Community development specialist skills

The most important skills for a community development specialist resume and required skills for a community development specialist to have include:

  • Event Planning
  • Community Outreach
  • Lead Generation
  • Non-Profit Organization
  • Economic Development
  • Technical Assistance
  • Rehabilitation
  • Business Development
  • CDBG
  • HUD
  • Community Resources
  • Strategic Plan
  • Federal Regulations
  • Press Releases
  • Community Organizations
  • Training Sessions
  • Public Health
  • Grant Administration
  • Community Planning
  • Community Engagement Events
  • Loan Programs
  • Community Development Programs
  • Community Health
  • Capacity Building
  • RFP
  • Federal Agencies
  • Action Plan
  • GIS
  • Data Collection
  • Professional Development
  • Social Justice
  • Facebook
  • Windows
  • Regional Planning
  • PowerPoint
  • USDA
  • Idis
  • Volunteer Recruitment
  • Local Businesses
  • Community Residents
  • Promotional Materials
  • Advisory Boards
  • Latino
  • Health Fairs
  • NSP

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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