Talent Market

Talent Market is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote liberty by providing talent for critical roles within the free-market nonprofit sector

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Considering a Career in Fundraising?

So, you’re considering a career in fundraising?

We’re elated to hear it! Why? Because more than a third of Talent Market’s searches are for development staff!

Despite the constant demand for development talent, fundraising is not a common career path — especially for those coming out of college. However, many of the people who stumble into a career in advancement quickly learn it’s a rewarding, dynamic field with the potential to make an enormous impact.

Many different careers can translate well for fundraising. Sales, banking, communications, client management, and advocacy all lend themselves to development roles. But as you’ll learn below, fundraising’s diversity makes it a fit for a wide swath of talent.

Fundraising is Diverse

One unique aspect of fundraising is its diversity. There are a multitude of specialties within fundraising, all of which require slightly different skills. Here is a sampling of the specialties along with the skills needed for each:

  • Fundraising Program Management — Usually titled Director of Development, this individual manages the overall fundraising program with an organization. You can think of this person as the “Team Captain.” The Director of Development should be a solid manager of people and projects, highly organized, capable of follow-through, and good at “managing up.”
  • Major Gifts — A Major Gifts Officer builds relationships with donors and often “makes the ask.” You can think of MGOs as client relations specialists. A successful MGO is a strong listener and relationship-builder who is confident and not afraid to make the ask.
  • Grant Writing/Foundation Relations — A Grant Writer/Foundation Relations Manager authors proposals and builds personal relationships with foundation representatives. Ideal candidates for this role are good writers who can digest a large-scale mission and notable metrics into a succinct couple page report.The ideal Grant Writer/Foundation Relations Manager is a strong writer who excels at building relationships.
  • Direct Mail/Marketing — The Direct Mail Manager oversees an organization’s direct marketing efforts to donors and prospective donors. Someone that has a high attention to detail and process improvement is usually good in this sort of role. A competent Direct Mail Manager will be a persuasive copy writer who enjoys data analysis and thinking outside the box.
  • Donor Research — A Donor Research Manager identifies and uncovers critical information about potential individual, foundation, and corporate donors. A strong Donor Research Manager excels at research and finding new ways to uncover hard-to-find information.
  • Estate Planning — The Planned Giving Officer works closely with donors on the largest and most impactful philanthropic decision of their lives: estate gifts. An ideal Planned Giving Officer will have the same traits as a Major Gifts Officer, but will also have experience in estate planning, trust and estate management, charitable giving tax law, or a related field. Having a law degree is icing on the cake.
  • Event Planning — The Event Planner plans and implements an organization’s events — from lunches to roundtable events and annual gala dinners. A strong Event Planner is highly organized, loves entertaining, and absolutely sweats the small stuff.
  • Development Administration — Development Assistants/Coordinators provide the back-end administrative support to the fundraising team. This can include research, scheduling, coordinating, meeting preparation, and just about everything but the kitchen sink. A successful Development Assistant is highly organized, persistent, and doesn’t mind being behind-the-scenes.

Two Cents of Advice

  • Start talking to your friends in fundraising! Take them to lunch and pick their brains about the profession and their recommendations for how you can get started.
  • Patience is a virtue — especially in fundraising. Fundraising success will not come overnight; but if you do the right things, your efforts will eventually pay off.

Resources for Getting Started

If you’re excited about exploring a career in fundraising, here are some resources that might prove useful.

  • An Overview of the Fundraising World
    • Institute for Charitable Giving – founded by Jerry Panas, they have some of the best seminars in the field.
    • The Balance: Fundraising for Nonprofits – If you’re interested in non-profits in general, and how the fundraising world works, this gives a great overview.
  • Resources for Transitioning to a Development Career
    • Leadership Institute Fundraising Trainings
  • Fundraising-specific Books
    • The Artful Journey by Bill Sturtevant
    • Any book by Jerold Panas
    • Any book / blog / article by Richard Viguerie – Viguerie is the direct mail guru of the fundraising world.
    • Retention: Science Keeping Donors by Roger Craver
    • How to Turn Your Words Into Money by Jeff Brooks
    • Seeing Through a Donor’s Eyes by Tom Ahern
    • Revolution in the Mailbox by Mal Warwick
  • Non-fundraising Books that Line Many Good Fundraiser’s Shelves
    • The Millionaire Next Door – While not a fundraising book per se, this a staple of many fundraisers’ libraries.
    • Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
    • To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink

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    Managing Editor – Leadership Institute, Campus Reform – Arlington, VA

    Director of Communications & Marketing – Pelican Institute for Public Policy – Baton Rouge, New Orleans or Remote in LA

    Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy – Pelican Institute for Public Policy – Baton Rouge, New Orleans or Remote in LA

    Director of Operations – Emmet Family Foundation – Virtual Office

    Associate Director of Data and Strategy – Leadership Institute – Arlington, VA

    Salesforce Engineer – Leadership Institute – Arlington, VA or Virtual Office

    Media Relations Specialist – National Center for Public Policy Research – Washington, D.C.

    Director of Development - Children’s Scholarship Fund - New York, NY

    Director of Communications and Marketing – New Civil Liberties Alliance – Washington, DC

    Separation of Powers Attorney - Pacific Legal Foundation - Virtual Office

    Media Relations Associate - Competitive Enterprise Institute - Washington, DC

    Grants Officer – Libertas Institute – Lehi, UT or Virtual Office

    Partnership Advisor, Mountain West U.S. – Leadership Institute – Virtual in the Mountain West or Arlington, VA

    Executive Director – Jack Miller Family Foundation – Buffalo Grove, IL

    Editor/Journalist- Alpha News – Plymouth, MN

    Community Engagement Coordinator – Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation – Des Moines, IA

    Membership and Development Coordinator – Horatio Alger Association – Alexandria, VA

    Research Fellow, Center for Constitutional Studies – Cato Institute – Washington, DC

    Director of Government Affairs - John Locke Foundation - Raleigh, NC

    Marketing Manager – Students for Liberty – Virtual

    Strategic Research Manager – Pacific Legal Foundation – Virtual

    Development Officer - Manhattan Institute - New York City, NY or Virtual Office  

    Director of Development – Objective Standard Institute – Virtual Office

    Communications Manager – Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity – Austin, TX, Washington, DC, or Virtual Office

    State Tax Policy Analyst – Tax Foundation – Washington D.C. or Virtual Office

    Director of Economics and Economic Freedom Initiative – American Institute for Economic Research – Great Barrington, MA or Virtual Office

    Membership Marketing Manager – Institute for Justice – Hybrid in Arlington, VA 

    Development Writer – American Enterprise Institute – Washington, DC

    Policy Director, Education Choice – Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) – Virtual Office

    Scholar in Poverty & Social Welfare Policy – Cato Institute – Washington, DC

    Salesforce Administrator – State Policy Network – Virtual Office

    Donor Engagement Manager – Tax Foundation – Virtual or Washington, DC

    Director of Major Gifts – Tax Foundation – Virtual or Washington, DC

    Research Assistant to the President and SVP for Policy – Cato Institute – Washington, DC

    Major Gifts Manager – New Civil Liberties Alliance – Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Major Gifts Officer  - American Enterprise Institute - Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Director of Economic Opportunity Policy Initiatives – State Policy Network – Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Philanthropic Investments Officer – Moving Picture Institute – Virtual Office

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If you want us to keep you in mind for opportunities, send us your resume so we have all the details that will help us help you.

About Us

Claire Kittle Dixon

Claire Kittle Dixon
Executive Director

Claire runs the day-to-day operations of Talent Market, manages searches for clients, and oversees the organization’s fundraising communications, technology, administration, and cat-herding efforts…
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Katy Gambella
Director of Outreach

Katy oversees Talent Market’s outreach to young professionals and manages the outreach team. She also manages searches and executes outreach directly herself…
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Stephanie Keaveney
Senior Manager of Outreach
Stephanie splits her time between managing talent searches for free-market nonprofits, maintaing Talent Market’s social media presence, and engaging in outreach to young professionals interested in liberty-oriented careers…
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Lydia Ocampo
Outreach Manager
Lydia manages searches primarily for entry and mid level roles in the liberty movement. She also engages in outreach to expand Talent Market’s network, including giving presentations on career development and the opportunities available in the liberty movement…
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Bailey Drouant
Outreach Manager
Bailey assists free-market nonprofits with their hiring needs by helping them manage the search process from start to finish. She also engages in outreach to expand Talent Market’s network…
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Wait, You’re a Nonprofit?

Talent Market is a nonprofit. We’ll wait here while that sinks in. We know it’s a crazy concept, but it’s been working like a charm since 2009.

Talent Market’s mission is to promote liberty by providing talent for critical roles within the free-market nonprofit sector.

We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation. (We do not work with political organizations, organizations with mission statements that do not clearly advance free-market principles, organizations that focus on social issues, or organizations that have a focus outside of the United States. We are not a job board. ) 

Talent Market believes that the road to prosperity is paved with freedom and that the success of our movement hinges on the talent that will take us there.

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