How to hire a fundraising internship

How to hire a fundraising internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fundraising internship 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 internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fundraising internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a fundraising internship, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect fundraising internship also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of fundraising interns.

   Type of Fundraising Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Fundraising Internship	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.	$13-23
   Special Events Coordinator	A special events coordinator is in charge of organizing and devising plans for an event, even monitoring all progress to ensure everything is running smoothly. They are typically responsible for consulting with clients and understanding the event's purpose, offering a selection of venues and caterers, providing cost estimates, and booking various services such as speakers, equipment, location, photographers, videographers, and other essential factors... Show more	$12-28
   Director Of Capital Giving	A director of capital giving oversees program operations to ensure they run smoothly and efficiently according to company standards and regulations. They primarily set goals and protocols, establish timelines and budgets, perform market research and analyses, review and assess applications, and make decisions... Show more	$32-71

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Database Management
   • Event Planning
   • Press Releases
   • Non-Profit Organization
   • Salesforce
   • Donor Relations
   • Donor Research
   • Event Management
   • Donor Database
   • Facebook
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Alumni
   • Volunteer Recruitment
   • Twitter

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage monthly progress meetings and promote education and leadership opportunities through skill-building activities.
   • Add / remove contacts base on contacts interest level in MDA mission.
   • Update personal information while interacting with alumni.
   • Gain excellent customer service skills and an understanding of team management under outstanding leadership.
   • Gain excellent customer service skills and an understanding of team management under outstanding leadership.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, fundraising interns' average salary in nebraska is 49% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level fundraising interns 42% less than senior-level fundraising interns.
   • Certifications. A fundraising internship 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 internship's salary.

   Average fundraising internship salary

   $36,704yearly

   $17.65 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fundraising internship salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

4. Writing a fundraising internship job description

   A fundraising internship job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a fundraising internship job description:

   Fundraising internship job description example

   Are you ready to join an organization where you can be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives?
   
   Envision all Americans enjoying ideal cardiovascular health free of heart disease and stroke. At the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, we get to work toward that goal every single day. Is it easy? No. Is it worthwhile? You bet!
   
   This is satisfying work that makes a real difference in people's lives. You can achieve professional growth with personal fulfillment. You will connect with people and make a lifesaving impact. You will partner with individuals, schools, lawmakers, healthcare providers and others to ensure everyone has access to healthier lifestyle choices and proper healthcare.
   What's Your Motivation? Opportunity. Creativity. Contribution. It's all part of interning for the American Heart Association- where you can combine professional growth with personal fulfillment. Internship Overview The American Heart Association's Internship Program provides college students an opportunity for hands-on experience in various facets of event planning and implementation, volunteer management, and community outreach. We will provide networking opportunities including connecting with our Executives. The program will also offer experience in the use of current business and development technologies. Interns will have the opportunity to gain professional experience with a national non-profit organization, further develop communication and presentation skills, sales skills and experience skills in team collaboration and customer service. Internship Overview: Time Commitment: 20-30 hours per week Internship Duration: Spring Semester Must be in the Twin Cities Area for in-person work. There will be some work from home hours as well. Responsibilities The intern is responsible for assisting with the development and implementation of youth fundraising and education activities for the American Heart Association. Specific projects will include support for the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs in the Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Some of the skills acquired include: Experience working with and managing volunteers Understanding of event logistic coordination Improved written and verbal communication skills Experience educating youth about the importance of healthy living Ability to provide excellent customer service over the phone and in person Experience working in a professional environment Some of the activities included are: Supporting Youth Market Directors Day to day activities which include Customizing website Headquarters, social media posts and parent communication. Face to Face school visits with the focus of recruitment of new schools with a strong focus on Middle and High School market Relationship building with current volunteers. These volunteers are primarily principals, teachers, PE professionals, Superintendents, and survivor families Qualifications Reliable transportation to visit event locations to recruit new Middle and High Schools within the Twin Cities Metro area. (Dakota, Washington, Hennepin, Carver, Anoka and Ramsey counties) Effective oral, written and presentation communication skills Ability to work professionally in corporate and non-profit environments Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment Ability to use Microsoft Office programs preferred. Minimum availably 20hrs/wk, Monday- Friday during with a range of 7:30-5:00. Must be able to lift 50 pounds Required Equipment: Laptop (the preference would be for interns to use their own equipment, and we only provision AHA equipment when necessary) Reliable WiFi Connection #AHAWAYUP Compensation & Benefits The American Heart Association invests in its people. Here are the main components of our total rewards package. Visit Rewards & Benefits to see more details. Compensation - Our internships pay $23 an hour.
   
   Professional Development - You can join one of our many Employee Resource Groups (ERG) or be a mentor/mentee in our professional mentoring program. HeartU is the Association's national online university, with more than 100,000 resources designed to meet your needs and busy schedule.
   
   The American Heart Association's 2024 Goal: Every person deserves the opportunity for a full, healthy life. As champions for health equity, by 2024, the American Heart Association will advance cardiovascular health for all, including identifying and removing barriers to health care access and quality.
   
   
   At American Heart Association | American Stroke Association, diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity applies to both our workforce and the communities we serve as it relates to heart health and stroke prevention.
   
   This position not a match with your skills? Click here to see other opportunities.
   
   Be sure to follow us on Twitter #TheAHALife
   
   EOE/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities
   
   We can recommend jobs specifically for you! Click here to get started.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right fundraising internship for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with fundraising interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit fundraising interns who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting fundraising interns requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 internship

   Once you've decided on a perfect fundraising internship candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new fundraising internship first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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