CV-voorbeeld voor Fundraiser

Choose the right format for a Fundraiser resume

Use a reverse-chronological format for almost every fundraising role. Hiring managers at nonprofits, universities, and healthcare foundations want to see your most recent campaign results and donor portfolio size immediately — not a skills summary buried after a long objective statement.

Keep the resume to one page if you have under ten years of experience; two pages if you manage a major gifts program or have held multiple director-level roles. Use clear section headers, consistent 11–12 pt font, and at least half-inch margins. Applicant tracking systems used by larger organizations like hospitals and universities parse plain text, so avoid tables, text boxes, and graphics.

• Reverse-chronological order, most recent role first
• One page for under 10 years; two pages for senior roles
• Standard fonts: Calibri, Georgia, or Arial — no decorative typefaces
• File format: PDF unless the posting specifically requests .docx

Write a professional summary that shows your fundraising scope

Your summary is three to four sentences that answer: what type of fundraising do you specialize in, what scale of portfolio or campaigns have you managed, and what is your track record. Skip adjectives like 'passionate' and 'dynamic' — lead with a dollar figure or a program type instead.

Example: "Major gifts officer with eight years of experience in higher education fundraising, managing a 120-prospect portfolio and closing gifts ranging from $25,000 to $2.1 million. Secured $4.7 million in a single fiscal year through a blended planned-giving and annual-fund strategy. Proficient in Raiser's Edge NXT, moves management, and grateful-patient program development."

Write work-experience bullets that prove results

Every bullet should follow an action-verb + task + measurable outcome structure. Fundraising is inherently quantifiable — dollars raised, donors retained, events hosted, grant applications submitted, response rates improved. If you cannot attach a number, reconsider whether the bullet belongs on the resume at all.

Avoid listing duties like 'responsible for donor communications.' Instead, show what happened because of your work. Recruiters at development offices screen dozens of resumes and stop reading generic descriptions within seconds.

• Grew the mid-level giving program from 340 to 610 donors in 18 months, increasing annual revenue in that segment by 44% to $1.2 million.
• Wrote and submitted 22 foundation grant proposals in FY2023, achieving a 73% award rate and securing $890,000 in restricted funding for STEM programming.

Skills and certifications recruiters and ATS systems look for

Include a dedicated skills section with both hard and soft skills relevant to development work. ATS filters at hospitals, universities, and large nonprofits commonly screen for donor database platforms by name, so spell them out exactly as they appear in job postings.

The Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential is the most recognized certification in the field and should appear prominently — either after your name in the header or in a dedicated certifications section. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) also offers the Fundamentals of Fundraising certificate for earlier-career professionals.

• Donor databases: Raiser's Edge NXT, Salesforce NPSP, DonorPerfect, Bloomerang, Virtuous
• Skills: moves management, prospect research, planned giving, annual fund strategy, grant writing, grateful-patient programs, capital campaign management
• Certifications: CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive), AFP Fundamentals of Fundraising Certificate
• Research tools: iWave, DonorSearch, WealthEngine, GivingDNA
• Other: Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, gift modeling), Classy, Qgiv, peer-to-peer platform management

Education, licenses, and extras that matter in fundraising

A bachelor's degree is the standard minimum for most development roles; fields like nonprofit management, communications, public administration, or social work are common but not required — hiring managers care far more about your track record than your major. List your degree, institution, and graduation year. If you hold a master's in nonprofit leadership or philanthropy (programs exist at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, NYU, and others), list it and it will differentiate you for senior roles.

Add a brief section for professional affiliations and continuing education. Active AFP chapter membership, attendance at the AFP ICON conference, or completion of a planned-giving workshop signals ongoing professional investment. If you have board service or volunteer leadership at another nonprofit, list it — it demonstrates sector commitment and often surfaces transferable cultivation skills.

• CFRE renewal hours and continuing education courses worth listing explicitly
• AFP chapter membership and leadership positions
• Board service or committee roles at other nonprofits
• Relevant coursework: gift planning, nonprofit financial management, prospect research methodology

Mistakes to avoid

• ×Listing fundraising duties instead of outcomes makes your resume indistinguishable from every other candidate — always attach a dollar amount, percentage, or donor count to each role.
• ×Omitting your donor database experience by name costs you ATS matches, since systems at universities and hospitals filter specifically for Raiser's Edge, Salesforce NPSP, or Bloomerang.
• ×Burying or leaving off your CFRE credential is a missed opportunity, as many major gifts and director-level postings treat it as a preferred or required qualification.
• ×Using a generic objective statement instead of a results-focused summary wastes the most-read section of your resume on language that tells the hiring manager nothing about your fundraising scope or track record.

Frequently asked questions

Should I include volunteer fundraising experience on my resume?

Yes, especially if you are early in your career or transitioning from a different field. Volunteer campaign leadership, peer-to-peer fundraising coordination, or nonprofit board service with a development committee role all demonstrate real skills. Label it clearly as volunteer experience and still quantify results wherever possible.

How important is the CFRE certification for getting hired as a fundraiser?

For major gifts, planned giving, and director-level roles, the CFRE is increasingly listed as preferred or required in job postings at hospitals, universities, and large nonprofits. It signals professional commitment and a standardized body of knowledge. If you are eligible and have not pursued it, doing so will meaningfully expand the roles you are competitive for.

What dollar amounts should I include on a fundraiser resume if my employer considers revenue figures confidential?

Use percentage growth, donor retention rates, or portfolio size metrics instead of absolute dollar figures when confidentiality is a concern — for example, 'grew portfolio revenue by 38% year over year' rather than a specific dollar total. You can also confirm with your former employer what is permissible to share, since most nonprofits do not restrict this information.