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Fundraisers

SOC 13-1131.00Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers fundraising practice in nonprofit, educational, healthcare, and public-sector development offices, spanning donor identification, solicitation, stewardship, grant writing, campaign management, and strategic leadership across individual, corporate, and government giving contexts.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Donor prospect lists — compile and organize under supervisor guidance using CRM software in a nonprofit development office.
  2. Thank-you correspondence — draft and send to donors following established templates and organizational tone guidelines.
  3. Donor database records — enter and update accurately using data entry protocols in a development department setting.
  4. Individual donor profiles — research and summarize background information to support relationship-building efforts.
  5. Direct mail materials — assemble and prepare for distribution under direction as part of an annual giving campaign.
  6. Grant application components — gather required documents and data to support a senior officer's submission to funding organizations.
  7. Donor solicitation calls — participate in under supervision, following scripted talking points for a telefund or phonathon program.
  8. Fundraising event logistics — assist in coordinating tasks such as registration, materials, and donor check-in at organizational events.
  9. Sponsorship request letters — draft initial versions for review, incorporating organizational mission and giving opportunity details.
  10. Office suite and spreadsheet tools — use to track donation records, prepare reports, and support team communications in a development office.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Prospective individual and corporate donors — identify and cultivate relationships through outreach and networking with reduced supervisory oversight.
  2. Donor acknowledgment letters — write and personalize at scale to reinforce giving relationships and stewardship across a mid-sized portfolio.
  3. Annual giving campaigns — implement end-to-end, coordinating direct mail, email, and digital channels in a development department setting.
  4. Cash and in-kind solicitations — conduct independently with individuals and small business donors using persuasive communication techniques.
  5. CRM donor database — manage and update regularly, running queries and generating reports to support campaign planning and donor tracking.
  6. Grant proposal narratives — compile and draft for submission to foundation and government funders, meeting stated requirements and deadlines.
  7. Contribution strategies — adapt existing frameworks to encourage lapsed donors to renew or upgrade their giving levels.
  8. Donor prospect research tools — apply independently to assess capacity and interest, prioritizing outreach for a defined prospect pool.
  9. Sponsorship packages — develop and present to corporate partners, aligning giving opportunities with organizational programs and donor interests.
  10. Fundraising performance data — monitor and analyze across campaigns, identifying trends and recommending adjustments to development leadership.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Major gift donor relationships — cultivate and manage autonomously across a full portfolio, navigating complex solicitation strategies for high-capacity prospects.
  2. Comprehensive fundraising strategies — develop and execute to encourage new and increased contributions across individual, corporate, and government donor segments.
  3. Multi-channel fundraising programs — design and lead, integrating direct mail, digital, events, and personal solicitation within an organization's development plan.
  4. Complex grant proposals — author and submit independently to competitive funding sources, synthesizing organizational data and programmatic evidence.
  5. Donor commitment negotiations — lead with corporate and major individual donors, resolving objections and securing multi-year or planned giving agreements.
  6. Donor database architecture — configure and optimize CRM systems to support moves management, prospect tracking, and campaign segmentation.
  7. Stewardship communications — develop and oversee, ensuring donor recognition and impact reporting align with gift agreements and organizational brand standards.
  8. Non-routine fundraising challenges — assess and resolve, such as donor attrition crises or campaign underperformance, applying critical thinking and adaptive tactics.
  9. Cross-functional campaign coordination — lead across marketing, finance, and program teams to align fundraising activities with organizational priorities.
  10. Presentation materials and case statements — produce using desktop publishing and presentation software to articulate organizational impact to diverse donor audiences.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Organizational fundraising vision — set and communicate, defining multi-year revenue goals and philanthropic priorities that align with institutional strategic plans.
  2. Development department staff — mentor and develop, building team competency in solicitation, stewardship, and donor relationship management practices.
  3. Enterprise-wide donor engagement strategy — architect and oversee, integrating major gifts, planned giving, annual fund, and corporate partnerships into a unified framework.
  4. Board and leadership volunteers — equip and mobilize as fundraising ambassadors, coaching them in prospect cultivation and donor ask techniques.
  5. Institutional grant and funding relationships — lead at the executive level, stewarding government agencies and major foundation partners across complex multi-year agreements.
  6. Fundraising systems and technology infrastructure — evaluate and govern, directing adoption of CRM platforms, analytics tools, and digital engagement solutions organization-wide.
  7. Sector-wide fundraising trends — analyze and translate into organizational strategy, applying systems analysis to anticipate shifts in donor behavior and philanthropic markets.
  8. High-level corporate and government partnerships — negotiate and secure, structuring sponsorship and grant agreements that deliver transformational organizational impact.
  9. Ethical standards and compliance frameworks — establish and enforce for all fundraising operations, ensuring adherence to professional codes, donor intent, and regulatory requirements.
  10. Organizational culture of philanthropy — champion across departments, integrating donor-centered values into leadership practices, staff orientation, and public communications.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors62 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Annual Giving Coordinator · Annual Giving Officer · Campaign Fundraiser · Capital Campaign Fundraiser · Community Fundraiser · Contract Grant Writer · Development Associate · Development Coordinator · Development Officer · Direct Response Consultant · Donation Coordinator · Donation Specialist
RAPIDS apprenticeships
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O*NET skills
SpeakingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingPersuasionCritical ThinkingNegotiationCoordinationSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingActive LearningMonitoringSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationInstructingTime ManagementManagement of Financial ResourcesMathematics
Knowledge domains
Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageSales and MarketingAdministration and ManagementCommunications and MediaEconomics and AccountingComputers and ElectronicsAdministrative
Abilities
Speech ClarityOral ExpressionWritten ComprehensionOral ComprehensionSpeech RecognitionWritten ExpressionInductive ReasoningFluency of IdeasDeductive ReasoningNear Vision
Work styles
Social OrientationAchievement OrientationOptimismDependabilityIntegrityCooperation
Technology
Desktop publishing softwareCustomer relationship management CRM softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareData base user interface and query softwareElectronic mail softwareWeb page creation and editing softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwarePresentation softwareWord processing software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Identify and build relationships with potential donors.
  2. Secure commitments of participation or donation from individuals or corporate donors.
  3. Write and send letters of thanks to donors.
  4. Solicit cash or in-kind donations or sponsorships from individual, business, or government donors.
  5. Create or update donor databases.
  6. Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.
  7. Develop or implement fundraising activities, such as annual giving campaigns or direct mail programs.
  8. Compile or develop materials to submit to granting or other funding organizations.
CIP education codes
09.010009.090009.090209.090452.021452.050252.1401

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.