Development associate with two years supporting fundraising at an arts education nonprofit. Processes 3,500 gifts a year in Raiser's Edge NXT with 99% accuracy and helped grow monthly donors by 45%. Brings gift operations, donor communications, event logistics and a solid foundation in grant research.
Experience
Development Associate, Open Stage Arts Education (Chicago, IL)
Sep 2024 – Present
Process and acknowledge 3,500 gifts a year in Raiser's Edge NXT with 99% accuracy and 48-hour turnaround
Helped grow monthly donors from 180 to 260 by running a welcome email series and retention calls
Coordinate logistics for a 300-guest annual gala that raised $410k
Research 40 foundation prospects and draft 6 letters of inquiry for the grants manager
Development Intern, Lakeshore Literacy Project (Chicago, IL)
Jan 2024 – Jun 2024
Cleaned 2,000 donor records and merged duplicates ahead of a CRM migration
Wrote impact stories for the spring appeal that raised $62k
Coordinated thank-you calls for 400 first-time donors
Student Philanthropy Caller, Loyola University Chicago, University Advancement (Chicago, IL)
Sep 2021 – Dec 2023
Called 4,000 alumni and raised $85k for the annual fund
Education
B.A. English, minor in Nonprofit Management, Loyola University Chicago (Aug 2020 – May 2024)
Skills
Fundraising operations: gift entry, acknowledgments, donor database management, reporting
Tools: Raiser's Edge NXT, Classy, Mailchimp, Candid Foundation Directory
Writing: letters of inquiry, impact stories, donor communications
How to write a Development Associate resume
A strong Development Associate resume shows the people and communities you served, the programs and funding you built, and the outcomes you can document for clients, funders and boards. Put Education near the top and use projects, internships and coursework to show what you can already do.
Sections, in order
Summary
Education
Experience
Skills
Certifications
Length: One page. Recruiters expect a single page for early-career candidates.
Summary: Keep the summary to two lines: the role you want, your strongest skills, and one result from a project or internship.
Skills to feature
Case management
Trauma-informed care
Program design and evaluation
Grant writing and reporting
Fundraising and donor stewardship
Volunteer management
Budget management
Community partnerships
Nonprofit CRM and case systems (Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, Apricot)
Bilingual and culturally responsive communication
Example bullet points
Managed a caseload of 28 families and moved 82% into stable housing within 90 days
Wrote 14 foundation and government proposals that raised $1.3M at a 64% win rate
Recruited and trained 220 volunteers who logged 9,500 hours, the equivalent of 4.5 full-time staff
Tips from recruiters
Put licenses and credentials (LMSW, LCSW, CADC, CFRE) with the issuing state near the top, because many roles screen for them first.
Quantify outcomes funders care about, such as housing placements, retention rates, dollars raised or cost per client, not just activities.
Name the populations, funding streams and systems you know, for example HUD CoC, HMIS, Medicaid billing or Raiser's Edge.
Recommended templates
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Modern (ATS-friendly): Clean single column with accent headings and rules
Ivy (ATS-friendly): Harvard-style Times layout with centered headings
Development Associate resume FAQ
What should a Development Associate resume include?
A Development Associate resume should show the people and communities you served, the programs and funding you built, and the outcomes you can document for clients, funders and boards. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Education, Experience, Skills and Certifications. Put Education near the top and use projects, internships and coursework to show what you can already do.
What is the best resume template for a Development Associate?
Classic, Modern and Ivy work well for Development Associate roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Development Associate resume be?
One page. Recruiters expect a single page for early-career candidates.
Which skills should a Development Associate put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Development Associate roles are Case management, Trauma-informed care, Program design and evaluation, Grant writing and reporting, Fundraising and donor stewardship and Volunteer management.
How do I write strong Development Associate resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as clients served, caseload size and program outcomes. For example: "Managed a caseload of 28 families and moved 82% into stable housing within 90 days."