How To Advance Your Development Career in Nonprofits and Associations

Building a successful development career in mission-driven organizations requires a mix of strategic thinking, relationship management, and operational expertise. Development professionals are expected to raise revenue, but also to understand donor and funder motivations, communicate impact clearly, and align the philanthropic portfolio with the organization’s broader strategic goals.

This guide explains what hiring managers typically look for in mid-level, senior, and chief development professionals and how you can demonstrate your value at each stage. While every organization and role is different, these are patterns we’ve seen across a wide range of executive searches in fundraising and development. It’s important to note that smaller organizations often require more generalist skills across multiple fundraising areas, while larger institutions typically have more specialized roles within specific revenue streams.

Use the links below to jump directly to the section you are most interested in:

Mid-Level Development Qualifications + Tips To Grow Into These Responsibilities

Senior-Level Development Qualifications + Tips To Position Yourself for Executive Roles

C-Suite Development Qualifications + Tips To Set Yourself Apart as a Development Leader

Mid-Level Development Job Qualifications

There are many areas of specialization within development teams at nonprofits and associations: major gifts, strategic partnerships, corporate giving, foundation giving, institutional giving, digital fundraising, and more. Titles vary depending on the structure and size of the organization’s fundraising team and portfolio. Most mid-level titles tend to be manager or officer, but in larger organizations, director is also common. Because titles vary so widely, we recommend focusing on the scope of responsibility and revenue goals, not just the title.

Here are the qualifications that hiring managers typically prioritize at this level:

Education & Certifications

• Relevant experience is typically more important to hiring managers than education or credentials, although most job descriptions list a bachelor’s degree in a related field as required or preferred.
• While not always required, CFRE certification can strengthen your profile, particularly for roles at smaller organizations where generalist skills are valued.

Revenue & Pipeline Management

• You research, qualify, and track prospects to build a steady flow of philanthropic supporters.
• You are accountable for specific revenue targets and have made solicitations of similar size to those expected in the roles you’re seeking.
• You support leadership and board members by organizing prospect meetings, preparing briefing materials, and tracking follow-up.

Donor Stewardship & Retention

• You help design and implement moves management systems to deepen engagement with individual donors and institutional funders.
• You engage donors through personalized touchpoints (ranging from written acknowledgments and impact updates to virtual and in‑person meetings) to strengthen their connection to the mission.

Communications

• You can communicate persuasively and develop cases for support, presentations, pitches, appeals, donor updates, thank-you letters, and leave-behinds tailored to different segments.
• You support multi-channel campaigns (print, digital, events), segmenting audiences and optimizing performance.

Data, Reporting & Analytics

• You coordinate with program, finance, marketing, and event colleagues to align messaging, budgets, and deliverables.
• You may supervise interns or vendors or mentor junior staff, providing clear direction to keep activities on schedule.
• You bring new ideas to senior leadership (for events, campaigns, stewardship touchpoints, etc.) and contribute to execution.

Six Ways To Grow Into These Responsibilities

• Get as much exposure as you can to all aspects of fundraising, particularly if you’re in a smaller organization where generalist skills are essential. Find mentors, join AFP or similar groups, follow respected voices, attend workshops, and consider getting the CFRE credential.
• Learn to set and track KPIs. With your manager, set quarterly targets for revenue, retention, and new prospects, then pull CRM reports to track how you’re doing.
• Analyze donor and funder activity to make recommendations. Scan giving patterns to spot upgrade or acquisition opportunities and share data-based ideas with leadership.
• Get comfortable with the ask. Sit in on major solicitations, then volunteer to take on smaller asks yourself.
• Become an expert on moves management principles. Contribute ideas for contacts and moves. Add relevant data to prospects’ records for cultivation.
• Develop your communication and presentation skills. Draft appeals, thank-yous, and impact reports. Choose a campaign and volunteer to present updates to leadership using a concise, dashboard-style format.

---

Senior-Level Development Job Qualifications

At the senior level, development professionals typically oversee strategy, staff, and systems for one or more fundraising areas. Common titles include director, senior director, or senior officer, but again, focus on the size of the team and portfolio rather than just the title.

Here are the job qualifications hiring managers typically prioritize at this level:

Education & Certifications

• Most positions list a bachelor’s degree in a related field as required or preferred, but experience leading teams, growing revenue, and securing large gifts typically outweighs education.
• CFRE certification is commonly preferred or strongly preferred at this level.

Revenue & Pipeline Management

• You design multi-year development plans that integrate individual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, sponsorships, and event revenue streams, setting KPIs informed by the organization’s strategic plan.
• You build a solid pipeline (researching, qualifying, and prioritizing prospects) so that new gifts, renewals, and upgrades are part of a structure that builds toward campaign-specific and annual revenue targets.

Donor Stewardship & Retention

• You own relationship building for high-value individual donors, corporate partners, and foundation program officers, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding them through targeted engagement plans.
• You coach senior staff and board members to make introductions and engage in high-level cultivation and solicitation.

Communications and Case Development

• You develop the overall messaging strategy and create or oversee the creation of cases for support for major campaigns, capital campaigns, or principal gift fundraising.
• You oversee the development team’s collaboration with marketing and program teams to run multi-channel campaigns (digital, direct mail, events) and share impact stories across the website, social media, and earned media.

Data, Reporting & Analytics

• You ensure CRM data integrity (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge), building dashboards that track the pipeline, progress against revenue goals, and donor retention.
• You translate complex metrics into actionable insights for the executive team and board committees, informing strategy and resource allocation.

Leadership & Collaboration

• You lead and mentor development staff, fostering a results-oriented culture and providing clear performance goals with professional growth opportunities.
• You collaborate with program, finance, and communications leaders to align development strategies with overall revenue and programmatic goals.
• You support board governance, preparing development dashboards and advising on funding opportunities.

Six Ways To Position Yourself for Senior Development Roles

• Choose 2-3 specialties and build advanced-level skills. Most senior fundraising roles require either expertise across a variety different revenue streams or advanced skills in one area. Consider whether you want to work in a smaller, generalist environment or a larger organization with specialized functions when deciding where to focus your learning.
• Close major gifts. Take ownership of $100K+ prospects and secure at least one seven-figure gift to show you can close big asks.
• Track key metrics every week. Watch pipeline movement, donor retention, and cost-to-raise-a-dollar. Shift staff time or budget immediately if any number drops.
• Write a clear case for support. Use the same straightforward message in every proposal, presentation, and appeal so supporters hear one consistent story.
• Prepare leaders for donor meetings. Give the CEO or board a one-page brief before each visit and offer guidance on follow-up—who will do what and by when.
• Set goals and coach the team. Provide each staff member with defined targets and give productive feedback. Ask which skills they would like to develop and establish opportunities for them to shadow you or take on pieces of larger campaigns.

---

C-Suite Development Job Qualifications

C-suite development leaders are accountable for the entire portfolio of philanthropic revenue, developing long-term strategy and stewarding the highest-value relationships. Common titles include chief development officer, vice president of development, senior vice president of development, or chief advancement officer.

Here are the job qualifications hiring managers typically prioritize at this level:

Education & Certifications

• Most positions list a bachelor’s degree in a relevant area (and sometimes an advanced degree) as required or preferred. But a strong record of results with a portfolio of similar size and complexity matters more.
• CFRE certification is commonly preferred or strongly preferred at this level. ACFRE certification is increasingly pursued by experienced leaders to distinguish themselves.

Enterprise Revenue Strategy & Diversification

• You develop and oversee the implementation of large-scale, multi-year revenue strategies that integrate all development streams.
• You identify new philanthropic revenue opportunities and collaborate with senior finance leaders to analyze and forecast needed resources and potential return on investment.
• You present scenario analyses to the CEO, CFO, and board committees.

Principal Gift & Stakeholder Engagement

• You personally cultivate, solicit, and steward the organization’s most significant individual donors and institutional funders.
• You design comprehensive engagement strategies that align supporter priorities with program impact, securing multi-year partnerships and transformational gifts.

Communications & External Relations

• You oversee (or closely partner with) cross-functional executive leaders to align development messaging and strategy with the strategic plan.
• You act as a senior spokesperson, representing the organization in high-profile donor events, media interviews, and sector forums.

Data-Driven Insights and Performance Analysis

• You oversee data governance and ensure CRM, finance, and program data integrate to produce real-time revenue dashboards and predictive analytics.
• You benchmark performance against sector standards, refine strategy, allocate resources, and justify investments.

Organizational Leadership & Culture

• You sit on the executive team and translate the board and CEO or executive director’s vision into actionable plans, providing strategic input for staff implementation.
• You participate in the strategic planning process.
• You build, coach, and retain high-performing, collaborative teams and foster a culture of philanthropy across departments.

Six Ways To Set Yourself Apart as a C-Level Development Leader

• Document measurable growth. Be ready to show how you increased philanthropic revenue over a specific period and what mix of funding sources drove that growth.
• Provide proof of transformational gifts or grants. Bring clear examples of large-scale or multi-year donations you secured and outline the part you played in each stage, from cultivation to closing.
• Show how you align development with brand and communications. Explain how you unified marketing, PR, and development messages and served as a public spokesperson so every channel supported the strategy.
• Explain how you leverage boards and executives. Give concrete cases where you trained directors and senior leaders to make asks and follow through.
• Show your team leadership skills. Share retention data, promotion rates, and succession plans that demonstrate how you built and retained a high-performing fundraising team.
• Demonstrate data-driven management. Show the dashboards you use for pipeline health, donor retention, cost-to-raise-a-dollar, and risk, and describe how you adjusted strategy when any metric slipped.

---

Tips To Stand Out at Any Level

The lists above reflect trends of what we typically hear from hiring managers during our executive searches for nonprofit and association development professionals, but they are by no means exhaustive. Before you apply for any role:

• Read the job description closely and align your resume with the required skills. Describe your accomplishments in terms of measurable outcomes and impact, including the scope and scale of any initiative. Here are a few more useful tips to improve your resume.
• Get crystal clear on how to talk about your competitive advantage. Be ready to highlight the things you do better than most and how your skills will benefit the organization you want to work for.
• Include relevant keywords throughout your resume and LinkedIn profile. While the Staffing Advisors team reviews all resumes individually, many recruiters now use AI or automated systems to screen applications based on keywords. If you’re not sure which keywords to include, start with the job description, review the organization’s website, and review job descriptions of similar roles in other organizations to find common phrases. Here’s a quick guide to what recruiters want to see in your LinkedIn profile.