Description
Fundraising assistants provide administrative support for fundraising managers. They target potential donators or sponsors by applying surveys. They process donations and grant payments, maintain electronic and paper filing systems for all grants and donations, acknowledge donations, write thank you letters, and maintain fundraising records.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to fundraising assistant:
philanthropy assistant
fundraising clerk
fundraising officer
fundraising administrative assistant
fundraising secretary
Minimum qualifications
A college degree in sales, marketing, or a related field is generally the minimum required to work as a fundraising assistant.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Fundraising assistant is a Skill level 3 occupation.
Fundraising assistant career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to fundraising assistant.
conveyance clerk
legal administrative assistant
legal assistant
sport official
supply chain assistant
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of fundraising assistant. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of fundraising assistant with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
promotion assistant
fundraising manager
programme funding manager
political party agent
defence administration officer
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of fundraising assistant.
- Perform business research: Search and collect information relevant for the development of businesses in different fields ranging from legal, accounting, finance, up to commercial matters.
- Support managers: Provide support and solutions to managers and directors in regards with their business needs and requests for the running of a business or the daily operations of a business unit.
- Perform fundraising activities: Perform activities which will raise funds for an organisation or campaign, such as speaking with the public, gathering funds during fundraising or other general events, and using online fundraising tools.
- Perform office routine activities: Program, prepare, and perform activities required to be performed every day in offices such as mailing, receiving supplies, updating managers and employees, and keeping operations running smoothly.
- Perform clerical duties: Perform administrative tasks such as filing, typing up reports and maintaining mail correspondence.
- Establish contact with potential donors: Approach individuals, local authorities, commercial organisations and other actors in order to obtain sponsorship and donations for the projects of the charity.
- Manage accounts: Manage the accounts and financial activities of an organisation, supervising that all the documents are correctly maintained, that all the information and calculations are correct, and that proper decisions are being made.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of fundraising assistant. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Funding methods: The financial possibilities for funding projects such as the traditional ones, namely loans, venture capital, public or private grants up to alternative methods such as crowdfunding.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of fundraising assistant. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Manage donor database: Create and constantly update the database containing personal details and status of donors.
- Manage consumables stock: Manage and monitor consumables stock to ensure that the production demands and deadlines can be met at all times.
- Coordinate events: Lead events by managing budget, logistics, event support, security, emergency plans and follow-up.
- Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
- Deliver a sales pitch: Prepare and deliver an understandably constructed sales talk for a product or a service, identifying and using persuasive argumentation.
- Develop promotional tools: Generate promotional material and collaborate in the production of promotional text, videos, photos, etc. Keep previous promotional material organised.
- Brief volunteers: Brief volunteers and introduce them into the professional work environment.
- Develop professional network: Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.
- Maintain event records: Maintain records of every administrative aspect of an upcoming event, including financial details.
- Manage the handling of promotional materials: Plan and prepare the production of promotional materials with third parties by contacting printing companies, agreeing on logistics and delivery, and making sure that deadlines are met.
- Manage website: Monitor online traffic, make estimations and improvements to one’s website.
- Maintain financial records: Keep track of and finalise all formal documents representing the financial transactions of a business or project.
ISCO group and title
3343 – Administrative and executive secretaries
References
- Fundraising assistant – ESCO
- Featured image: Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels