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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    Partnership Advisor – Leadership Institute – Arlington, VA or Virtual near CA

    Senior Director of Operations – State Policy Network – Virtual Office or Arlington, VA

    Vice President of Communications - Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) - Virtual Office

    Development Administrator – National Center for Public Policy Research – Washington, DC

    Senior State Tax Policy Analyst – Tax Foundation – Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Separation of Powers Attorney – Pacific Legal Foundation – Virtual Office

    Policy Analyst – American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research – Arlington, VA

    Director of Leadership Development Programs – America’s Future – Washington, DC or Virtual

    Senior Attorney – National Federation of Independent Business, Small Business Legal Center – Hybrid in Washington, DC

    Major Gifts Officer – Texas Public Policy Foundation – Austin, TX

    Broadcast Production Coordinator – Ocean State Current, Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity – Virtual Office

    State Legal Policy Deputy Director – Pacific Legal Foundation – Arlington, VA or Virtual Office

    Chief Executive Officer – Thomas Jefferson Institute – Virtual Office in Virginia

    Housing and Homelessness Research Fellow – Independent Institute – Oakland or Sacramento, CA

    Development Manager – R Street Institute – Washington, DC or Virtual

    Events Manager - Manhattan Institute - New York, NY

    Grants Manager – Reason Foundation – Virtual Office

    Senior Analyst for Budget and Tax Research – Illinois Policy Institute – Hybrid in Chicago, IL

    Head of Policy – Illinois Policy Institute – Hybrid in Chicago, IL

    Development Grants Manager – Foundation for Government Accountability – Virtual

    Regional Development Officer – National Review Institute – Virtual Office in Southeast, Northeast, or Midwest (3 Openings)

    Director of Development – The Frontier Institute – Virtual Office

    Research Assistant – Paragon Health Institute – Arlington, VA

    Event Coordinator – Center of the American Experiment – Golden Valley, MN

    State Outreach Associate – Mercatus Center at George Mason University – Arlington, VA

    Policy Brief Editor – The Policy Circle – Virtual Office

    Development Coordinator – The Policy Circle – Virtual Office

    Director of Foundation Relations – State Policy Network – Virtual Office or Arlington, VA

    Chief Operating Officer – Young Voices – Washington, DC or New York, NY

    Major Gifts Officer – American Council of Trustees and Alumni – Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Academic Programs Manager- American Enterprise Institute – Washington, DC

    Project Manager for Health Policy – Cato Institute – Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Communications and Social Media Associate – Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy – Charleston, WV or Virtual Office

    Director of Development Operations – Students For Liberty – Virtual Office

    Development Coordinator – The Heartland Institute – Arlington Heights, IL or Virtual Office

    Marketing Manager – State Policy Network – Arlington, VA or Virtual Office

    Deputy Director of the Center for Energy and Environment – Competitive Enterprise Institute – Washington, D.C.

    Events Manager – Foundation for Government Accountability – Virtual Office

    Operations Assistant – Tax Foundation – Washington, DC

    Vice President of Development – Tax Foundation - Virtual Office or Washington, DC

    Communications Director – Institute for Free Speech – Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Editor, Free Society – Cato Institute – Washington, DC or Virtual

    Communications Associate – National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation – Springfield, VA

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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 has more than a decade of experience in the talent development field. She…
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Katelynn Barbosa
Director of Talent Engagement
Katelynn started her career in the Koch Associate Program and then litigated at the Institute for Justice…
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Katy Gambella
Director of Outreach
Katy began her career at the Institute for Humane Studies and later joined the Cato Institute…
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Stephanie Keaveney
Outreach Manager
Stephanie’s career started at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal…
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Lydia Ocampo
Outreach Specialist
Lydia started her career with Young Americans for Liberty. During her time with YAL…
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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 free consulting and recruiting services to free-market think tanks, policy organizations, research centers, and capacity building institutions dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government and free enterprise. (We do not work in politics, nor do we work with organizations that address social issues.) 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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