How to hire a fundraising assistant

How to hire a fundraising assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fundraising assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a fundraising assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fundraising assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The fundraising assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A fundraising assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, fundraising assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of fundraising assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Fundraising Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Fundraising Assistant	Fundraisers organize events and campaigns to raise money and other donations for an organization. They may design promotional materials and increase awareness of an organization’s work, goals, and financial needs.	$14-27
   Development Director	A development director is a professional who is responsible for securing funds and sponsors for non-profit organizations. Development directors must actively seek new business partners and develop relationships with volunteers and donors... Show more	$30-85
   Manager Of Special Events	A manager of special events is responsible for organizing events and programs for a company and various organizations. Managers of special events monitor the event procedures from conceptualization to the actual execution... Show more	$14-48

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Database Systems
   • Financial Reports
   • Non-Profit Organization
   • Donor Database
   • Event Planning
   • Cold Calls
   • Press Releases
   • Monetary Donations
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Local Businesses
   • Outbound Calls
   • Community Services
   • Facebook
   • Donor Research

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide courteous service to all alumni by responding efficiently and effectively to alumni concerns.
   • Publish blogs and editorials on organization's website.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fundraising assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A fundraising assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, fundraising assistants' average salary in nebraska is 54% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level fundraising assistants 48% less than senior-level fundraising assistants.
   • Certifications. A fundraising assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a fundraising assistant's salary.

   Average fundraising assistant salary

   $41,964yearly

   $20.18 hourly rate

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   Entry-level fundraising assistant salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

4. Writing a fundraising assistant job description

   A job description for a fundraising assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a fundraising assistant job description:

   Fundraising assistant job description example

   Willow Center for Grieving Children provides support to children, teens and their families who are grieving the death of a loved one. The preventive program provides group support coordinated by mental health professionals and trained volunteers to promote the expression of grief and loss; the understanding of death, loss and the process of grief; and decrease feelings of isolation associated with grief. Willow Center is the only organization between Boise and Spokane that is dedicated to serving the needs of grieving children, teens and their families in a free of charge, on-going open ended, support group format. At Willow Center, groups meet twice a month-year-round. The groups meet for an hour. Groups are delineated by age: Pre school group (3-5 years), Primary group (6-9 years), Intermediate Group (10-13 years), and Teen Group (14-18 years). We also hold a concurrent support group for the adult caregivers/parents of the children that are attending. Groups are coordinated by mental health care professionals and trained facilitators. Upon referral to the center, an intake appointment is scheduled to get information about the child(ren), family, circumstances of the death, and to provide information/details about the program. We also provide a free summer camp every July for those ages 6 - 17 and most recently implemented a free Young Adult Group for 19 - 29 year olds. Further help on this page can be found by clicking here.
   
   Member Duties : The Vista Grant Writer/Fundraising Assistant will launch and sustain a robust fundraising resource operation for Willow Center. In doing so, the VISTA will gain knowledge in mental health resources in the community, research and write grants, participate in the fundraising committee, attend and help manage fundraising activities, maintain a robust grants database and events calendar, and assist with various marketing activities throughout his/her tenure. Additionally, the VISTA will interact with the Board, community members and volunteers to accomplish their objectives.
   
   Program Benefits : Education award upon successful completion of service , Childcare assistance if eligible , Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend , Stipend , Training , Health Coverage* .
   Terms :
   
   Permits attendance at school during off hours , Car recommended , Permits working at another job during off hours .
   
   Service Areas :
   
   Children/Youth .
   
   Skills :
   
   Public Health , Non-Profit Management , Business/Entrepreneur , Fund raising/Grant Writing , Leadership , Writing/Editing , Social Services , Communications .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right fundraising assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fundraising assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit fundraising assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit fundraising assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fundraising assistant

   Once you've found the fundraising assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new fundraising assistant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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