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Fundraising Executive job description

A Fundraising Executive runs the day to day work of raising money from individuals and small donors: outreach, donor calls, campaign support, receipts and thank you notes. They maintain the donor database, follow up on pledges, and help organise fundraising events. The role reports to the Fundraising Manager. A good fundraising executive keeps donors happy and giving, follows up quickly on every lead and pledge, and keeps clean records so no donation or acknowledgement is missed.

DetailFor this role
DepartmentNGO and Social Sector
LevelEntry level
Reports toFundraising Manager
Direct reportsNone
ExperienceFresher or up to 3 years in fundraising or sales

Fundraising Executive job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: Fundraising Executive

Department: NGO and Social Sector

Reports to: Fundraising Manager

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

A Fundraising Executive runs the day to day work of raising money from individuals and small donors: outreach, donor calls, campaign support, receipts and thank you notes. They maintain the donor database, follow up on pledges, and help organise fundraising events. The role reports to the Fundraising Manager. A good fundraising executive keeps donors happy and giving, follows up quickly on every lead and pledge, and keeps clean records so no donation or acknowledgement is missed.

Key responsibilities

  • Reach out to individual and small donors by phone, email and messaging.
  • Follow up on pledges and leads until donations are received.
  • Support digital and offline fundraising campaigns with content and coordination.
  • Issue receipts and thank you notes promptly for every donation.
  • Maintain the donor database with accurate contact and giving records.
  • Help organise fundraising events, walks and drives on the ground.
  • Answer donor queries about donations, receipts and tax exemption.
  • Track daily and monthly fundraising numbers against the target.
  • Keep donor consent and communication preferences up to date.
  • Share donor feedback and campaign learning with the manager.

Requirements

  • Graduate in any stream
  • Communications or marketing background is an advantage
  • Comfort with phone and digital outreach
  • Fresher or up to 3 years in fundraising or sales

KRAs and KPIs for a Fundraising Executive

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result areaHow to measure it
Funds raisedIndividual giving raised meeting the monthly target
Follow-upPledges and leads followed up within the agreed turnaround
AcknowledgementReceipts and thank you notes sent within the agreed time for every donation
DatabaseDonor records kept accurate with no missing donation entry
RetentionRepeat giving from existing donors meeting the target
Campaign supportAssigned campaign tasks completed to schedule

Skills and tools

Donor outreachFollow-up disciplineCampaign supportDatabase managementReceiptingCommunicationPersistenceReliability

Tools used day to day: Donor CRM, MS Excel, Email and messaging tools, Payment gateway dashboards, Receipt formats.

Reporting line and career path

Fundraising ManagerFundraising Executive
Moves up from: Fresher, Telecaller, Sales Executive
Next roles: Resource Mobilisation Officer, Fundraising Manager, Donor Relations Executive

Interview questions for a Fundraising Executive

  1. How do you approach a first call to a potential individual donor?
  2. How do you follow up on a pledge without annoying the donor?
  3. Why do quick receipts and thank you notes matter in fundraising?
  4. How do you keep donor records accurate during a busy campaign?
  5. How do you handle a donor who is unhappy about how funds were used?
  6. Tell me about a target you had to hit and how you reached it.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a fundraising executive do?

A fundraising executive runs the daily work of raising money from individuals and small donors. They do outreach and donor calls, follow up on pledges, support campaigns, issue receipts and thank you notes, and maintain the donor database. Their job is to keep donors giving and to make sure no donation or acknowledgement is missed.

What is the difference between a fundraising executive and a fundraising manager?

A fundraising executive does the hands on outreach, follow up and record keeping, mainly with individual donors. A fundraising manager sets the overall strategy, owns the income target, leads proposals to large donors, and manages the team. The executive executes campaigns and donor care, while the manager plans and manages the whole fundraising effort.

What qualifications do you need to be a fundraising executive?

Most fundraising executives are graduates in any stream, and a communications or marketing background helps. Employers look for comfort with phone and digital outreach, persistence in following up, good record keeping, and clear communication. It is a common entry role, and a sales or telecalling background can transfer well into individual fundraising.