FUNDRAISING MANAGER COVER LETTER TEMPLATE

Published: Mar 18, 2025 – The Fundraising Manager oversees grant management, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events, and ensures alignment with organizational objectives and donor engagement strategies. This position conducts research on potential grant funders, prepares proposals and reports, and tracks funding opportunities to support financial growth. The manager also coordinates special events, manages logistics, and collaborates with internal teams, vendors, and volunteers to enhance fundraising initiatives.

An Introduction to Professional Skills and Functions for Fundraising Manager with a Cover Letter

1. Standards for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Develop and manage the annual fundraising plan
  • Coordinate and ensure completion of the fundraising plan to accomplish organizational revenue goals
  • Develop and manage successful external communications between MailChimp and Kindful
  • Execute fundraising initiatives, appeals, and campaigns focused on targeting new donors and stewarding existing donors
  • Perform required tasks to help the CSC team identify, cultivate, and solicit individuals and entities for program support, major gifts, and annual giving campaigns
  • Build and sustain networks of supporters of CSC by following the fundraising plan
  • Input and manage donor data and ensure data integrity in Kindful, CSC’s CRM
  • Manage donor reports to evaluate fundraising progress and planning efforts
  • Conduct donor acknowledgments, including preparing and sending thank you letters and other donor stewardship materials
  • Support and educate the CSC Board of Directors and staff in fundraising and donor relations
  • Research into grants for CSC via GrantStation and Foundation Center


Skills: Fundraising Strategy, External Communication, Donor Stewardship, Donor Cultivation, Network Building, CRM Management, Fundraising Evaluation, Grant Research

2. Scope of Work for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Develop, coordinate, and execute fundraising strategy to grow individual, corporate, and foundation donor base to secure long-term and increased funding
  • Plan and steer all appeals and activities for donor acquisition
  • Identify new funding and partnership opportunities (grants, foundations, corporate giving, major donors, events, etc)
  • Develop and implement a digital fundraising strategy to solicit funds/support from new and prospective donors and supporters
  • Develop a strategy to cultivate the relationship with existing donors to maximize donor retention
  • Prepare reports, funding proposals, and corporate giving portfolios and ensure all financial tracking records are up-to-date
  • Assist the management in developing a fundraising strategy and annual budget
  • Support, coach, and manage the subordinate staff
  • Work closely with the Communication Team and different departments to maximize the synergy of the output


Skills: Fundraising Strategy, Donor Acquisition, Funding Identification, Digital Fundraising, Donor Retention, Proposal Preparation, Budgeting, Team Management

3. Performance Expectations for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Achieve the fundraising income targets as agreed
  • Ensure a pipeline of business is built and kept up to date
  • Manage the team’s expenditure budget (with the Director’s oversight)
  • Identify new opportunities and develop a creative approach to work
  • Manage the fundraising team, including conducting regular one-to-ones and annual appraisals
  • Together with the Director, develop the fundraising strategy
  • Ensure statutory opportunities are identified and applied for
  • Lead the work with mid-level donors
  • Lead the legacy program
  • Ensure excellent stewardship of donors and funders
  • Write applications and funding bids


Skills: Fundraising Targets, Pipeline Management, Budgeting, Opportunity Development, Team Leadership, Strategy Development, Statutory Management, Donor Stewardship

4. Expertise Areas for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Develop fundraising and marketing plans with targeted goals, KPIs, and timelines
  • Prepare and manage budgets associated with campaigns
  • Plan and manage the organization’s individual giving programs, including digital fundraising, direct mail, and telemarketing campaigns
  • Manage implementation and monthly reporting from Salesforce
  • Collaborate across the organization to promote philanthropy and brand awareness
  • Develop a relationship management approach for existing partners and onboarding new partners
  • Create unified messaging for all fundraising campaign channels
  • Manage the creation of marketing materials associated with presentations to partners, individuals, and foundations


Skills: Fundraising Planning, Budgeting, Giving Programs, Salesforce, Collaboration, Relationship Management, Messaging, Marketing Creation

5. Key Strengths for Digital Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Execute the internal operations of the digital fundraising team
  • Support Deputy Digital Fundraising Director in content development and approvals
  • Build and maintain strong goal-tracking and project management processes within the scope of the assigned portfolio
  • Take on day-to-day operations of the campaign store
  • Launch and manage a grassroots fundraising program
  • Launch and manage an in-house peer-to-peer texting program
  • Recruit and manage volunteer capacity to meet program goals
  • Coordinate with vendors and staff on goals and programmatic needs
  • Have visibility and input on SMS, email, and advertising programs


Skills: Fundraising Operations, Content Support, Goal Tracking, Project Management, Campaign Management, Grassroots Fundraising, Peer-to-Peer, Volunteer Management

6. Primary Focus for Community Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Lead the development and implementation of a variety of fundraising products and activities to maximize income from key target audiences.
  • Support the overall strategy and lead on the delivery of third-party challenge events program
  • Manage a range of fundraising events and products.
  • Use innovative techniques to identify areas of interest to supporters, which can be developed into fundraising activities.
  • Maximise supporter relationships and manage expenditure budgets for specific activities.
  • Develop effective communication, marketing, and digital and social marketing plans for all activities..
  • Research new opportunities and income streams and implement the future development of these activities
  • Work closely with the other teams, including the operation and marketing teams.
  • Ensure data and records relating to donations and supporters are in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.


Skills: Fundraising Development, Event Management, Innovation, Relationship Management, Budgeting, Marketing Plans, Opportunity Research, Data Compliance

7. Operational Duties for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Devise, develop, and implement a fundraising strategy following the JRF business plan
  • Seek out philanthropic givers and investors, corporate sponsorships, etc, developing supporter programs where relevant and overseeing supporter relationships across the work
  • Build a database of new giving opportunities and contacts and actively develop relationships, ensuring an active dialogue
  • Produce innovative and attractive proposals
  • Report on annual targets and provide status updates to the board and CEO’s
  • Work with the Executive Director and Artistic Directors to develop and coordinate specific project sponsorship proposals, as well as input for JRF’s continued Arts Council NPO status
  • Lead on the delivery of corporate hospitality and any relevant corporate cultivation events
  • Manage and track donation pages
  • Keep track of deadlines and report requirements
  • Liaise with the Digital Content Manager to create material for a supporter pack
  • Liaise with the Administrator to creatively analyze and collect data following GDPR Personal Specification
  • Track record of income generation and developing compelling pitches to partners, clients, and supporters


Skills: Fundraising Strategy, Relationship Management, Database Building, Proposal Writing, Reporting, Sponsorship Coordination, Corporate Events, Donation Management

8. Core Competence for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Develop and execute the digital fundraising strategy to maximize recurring and single gift revenue for the organization
  • Utilize all digital fundraising tactics available, such as search, display, social, native, and crowdfunding
  • Seek out new and emerging platforms, applications, and methodologies
  • Develop new initiatives and strategies to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the department
  • Ensure digital plans align with offline channels
  • Develop and align campaign creative with the overarching brand, ensuring a seamless user experience
  • Develop, evaluate, and oversee the implementation of A/B testing protocols and procedures
  • Generate monthly reports on marketing campaign performance
  • Partner with an online advertising agency to build and execute tactical plans to reach objectives
  • Partner with the Manager, Campaigns and Media, Brand and Creative Manager, and Digital Content Manager to ensure digital activity is aligned with overall marketing, creative, and content strategy
  • Partner with the Digital Content Manager to develop digital ads, landing pages, an online gift catalog, and email appeals
  • Responsible for the day-to-day management of digital vendor
  • Support the Director of Marketing in vendor contract negotiation with vendors
  • Responsible for building revenue forecasts and adhering to expense budgets, communicating variances
  • Responsible for communicating and presenting campaign progress, including goals, and KPI, and providing context to senior leadership
  • Responsible for obtaining quotations, invoicing, and working with the finance department to ensure prompt payment of vendors


Skills: Digital Fundraising Strategy, Digital Advertising, Emerging Platforms, Campaign Development, Creative Alignment, A/B Testing, Performance Reporting, Vendor Management

9. Essential Functions for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Build on relationships with existing funders, preparing and submitting funding applications.
  • Oversee stewardship of existing grants/donations.
  • Manage and lead the identification of and approaches to trusts and foundations that have not previously supported Ushaw.
  • Engage with key external (including ACE, NLHF, LEP) and internal stakeholders to achieve strategic objectives.
  • Maintain a database of potential funders.
  • Research and identify potential trusts using the internet, printed, and online resources
  • Contribute new ideas for fundraising and identify suitable funding initiatives such as crowdfunding
  • Work with the Volunteer Coordinator to develop a pool of volunteers who can assist with different aspects of fundraising
  • Oversee the maintenance of systems to support grant/ fund management in conjunction with the Finance Team.
  • Broaden the mix of income streams, including developing new streams of income such as corporate giving and legacy funding.
  • Build and maintain relationships with individual donors, organizing cultivation events as appropriate.
  • Develop appropriate print and digital materials to support fundraising campaigns.
  • Manage and coordinate fundraising events, ensuring relationships with supporters maintain the highest standard of supporter engagement and care as part of a positive and successful supporter journey.
  • Manage the Friends of Ushaw program and grow memberships
  • Oversee and develop gift aid from donations and annual passes
  • Participate in the day-to-day work of the organization – such as reporting, attending meetings, and taking a flexible approach to general administrative and support tasks.
  • Participate in staff appraisals and appropriate training for the role.


Skills: Grant Writing, Donor Stewardship, Funder Identification, Stakeholder Engagement, Database Management, Fundraising Research, Event Management, Relationship Building

10. Product Knowledge Overview for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Support or lead the implementation of grant management, corporate sponsorship, and events with the Director of Development and Special Events
  • Discover donor companies’ corporate social responsibility and/or workplace giving objectives, identify opportunities that align with HTC’s mission statement, and work with staff to create engagement initiatives and opportunities.
  • Review and provide suggestions for the Corporate Sponsorship Program
  • Actively solicit and engage past, current, and potential corporate sponsors of the program
  • Assist in the development of creating and writing grant proposals, narratives, and final reports
  • Assist with the tracking of all grants in all stages
  • Research current and potential grant funders with the Director of Development and Special Events
  • Lead and/or support special and signature events with the Director of Development and Special Events
  • Assist in the creation and execution of special events for the Theatre
  • Provide logistics and event-day support
  • Coordinate vendors and volunteers for various events
  • Support external, internal, and special events and activities, including attending meetings, correspondence, and coordination with vendors, staff, and volunteers
  • Set up and cleanup, organize, and maintain files and records of all events and activities.
  • Assist the Director of Development and Special Events with the management and growth of the Educational Programming series
  • Work closely with the Donor Relations Manager, Communications Manager, and Director of Development and Special Events.


Skills: Grant Management, Corporate Sponsorship, Event Coordination, Donor Engagement, Grant Proposal Writing, Research and Fundraising, Vendor Coordination, Educational Programming Support

What Are the Qualifications and Requirements for Fundraising Manager in a Cover Letter?

1. Skills Overview for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
  • Evidence of continuing professional development in income generation.
  • Proven working background in a fundraising role with the ability to demonstrate consistent success in meeting and exceeding financial fundraising targets.
  • Ability to access costs, impact and added value of fundraising activities through KPI's.
  • Proven background in the management of a team of people and volunteers.
  • Experience in research and development of proposals to present to prospective funders.
  • Good knowledge of the Salesforce CRM System would be desirable but not essential.
  • Organized and able to prioritize tasks.
  • Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
  • Good interpersonal skills.
  • Strong analytical skills and can collect, gather, and analyze information in detail


Qualifications: BA in Hospitality Management with 2 years of Experience

2. Abilities and Qualifications for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Experience in community-based fundraising and delivering engaging events-based or 1-2-1 fundraising offers
  • Experience in delivering fundraising programs that produce income and meet targets
  • Experience in delivering across large geographical areas with a diverse range of communities
  • Solution-focused approach with a commitment to enabling the environmental agenda
  • Experience working with corporate, community groups, and volunteers
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • A high level of computer literacy in dealing with standard Microsoft packages
  • An interest and understanding of environmental issues relevant to the charity
  • Self-starter with strong organizational and time management skills, precision, and attention to detail
  • Professional demeanor and impeccable student mentality with a drive to gain new skills
  • Be collaborative and build effective relationships with diverse stakeholder groups.


Qualifications: BA in Fundraising with 3 years of Experience

3. Training and Certifications for Digital Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Strong interest in digital marketing and fundraising strategies and tactics
  • Project management experience and the ability to handle multiple projects with high attention to detail
  • Experience with list selection, segmentation, and hygiene
  • Experience publishing content, engaging audiences, and tracking results across social media platforms, including ad buys
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite
  • Familiarity with using CMS systems (WordPress) and files produced in Adobe Creative Suite
  • Familiarity with HTML and CSS
  • Familiarity with Google Analytics and Google Ads
  • A track record of writing proposals that are engaging and concise
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work cross-functionally with a diverse range of partners, peers, and volunteers


Qualifications: BA in Social Work with 4 years of Experience

4. Problem-solving Abilities for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Professional experience working in fundraising
  • Exceptional attention to detail and experience in creating systems
  • Genuine interest in playing a critical role in a small and dynamic team
  • Juggle multiple tasks and reprioritize within a rapidly changing environment
  • Self-starter, organized, disciplined, and results-oriented with high accountability standards
  • Solutions-oriented creative problem solver
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work both individually and as part of a team
  • Excellent active listener and has strong oral and written communication skills
  • Flexible personality with a sense of humor
  • Sufficient knowledge of the Salesforce database
  • IT literacy - use of word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, and databases


Qualifications: BA in Environmental Studies with 1 year of Experience

5. Technical Expertise for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Proven experience in fundraising, marketing, or similar not-for-profit sector roles
  • Demonstrated record of securing philanthropic gifts and other financial support, including sponsorships, partnerships, and individual donations
  • Proven ability to develop and monitor strategic fundraising plans, budgets, and provision of forecasts
  • Ability to work with a range of stakeholders, including people with disabilities, families, government agencies, and executive corporations
  • Experience in donor management with strong networking skills and an ability to enthusiastically engage stakeholders with purpose
  • Capacity to work autonomously and outside regular office hours when required by delivery of fundraising activities
  • Demonstrated a broad, resourceful, and established network of connections in Canberra
  • Business acumen with proven experience in meeting and exceeding targets and working to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • Excellent ability to motivate, inspire, and influence people
  • Strong communication and networking skills and a proven ability to build long-lasting relationships
  • Proven ability to track and report income


Qualifications: BA in International Relations with 2 years of Experience

6. Experience and Qualifications for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Experience in fundraising, marketing, sales, customer service, communications, or business
  • Proficiency with the Apple operating system
  • Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, including Adobe Spark and InDesign
  • Familiarity with Customer Relationship Management software
  • Knowledgeable of or has a connection to the military community
  • Being able to navigate the way comfortably around a computer and technology
  • Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to put yourself “in the shoes” of multiple audiences
  • Dedicated work ethic
  • Ability to read closely or “between the lines” in communication
  • Passion for data-driven methods and best practices


Qualifications: BA in Event Planning with 3 years of Experience

7. Industry Knowledge for Senior Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Fundraising experience serving in a donor-facing role
  • Experience managing a portfolio of donors
  • Evidence of strong cross-team collaboration skills, the ability to manage
  • Evidence of executing deliverables through working with multiple stakeholder relationships.
  • Excellent written communication skills with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and authentically lift the communities we serve with an asset-based approach.
  • Self-reliant, results-oriented problem-solving skills, including the ability to critically assess challenges and identify effective solutions in ambiguous situations.
  • Strong project management skills and a track record of consistently managing complex, high-stakes projects, often several at once, with many stakeholders and tight timelines.
  • High degree of emotional intelligence and a proven ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and build strong relationships with others at all levels of an organization.
  • Commitment to consistently producing high-quality work, displaying a high level of professionalism, and considering details in deliverables.
  • Strong understanding of TNTP’s service offerings or willingness to learn quickly and make connections across services.
  • Salesforce.com administration experience 
  • Able to work to deadlines whilst maintaining a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.


Qualifications: BA in Business Administration with 5 years of Experience

8. Key Achievements for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Work experience in philanthropic fundraising, business development, and/or relationship management
  • A track record of building and maintaining strategic funding relationships.
  • Have relationships within the philanthropy and impact investing ecosystem
  • The ability to close an annual goal YOY.
  • Skilled at building stewardship plans (including bespoke communications, event invites, and ensuring supporters receive the right type of touch points throughout the year)
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrated success in building collaborative relationships with both external and internal stakeholders
  • Excellent stakeholder management and project management skills
  • Excellent documentation in CRM (Salesforce), tracking where prospective donors are in their journey to becoming a donor, the type of work they are interested in, the events they have been invited to, and the communication they have received from Acumen.
  • An effective storyteller who consistently communicates in a compelling manner
  • Effectively collaborates with and across teams, seeks and provides constructive feedback
  • Self-reflective and aligned with Acumen values
  • An energetic, efficient, motivated, and resourceful self-starter
  • Demonstrated creative and innovative thinking, a high degree of initiative, and commitment to income growth and goal attainment


Qualifications: BA in Public Relations with 7 years of Experience

9. Negotiation Skills for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • A proven track record in successful fundraising for charities and/or political organizations
  • Successful fundraising work experience.
  • A good understanding of the political landscape
  • A talent for research and for creatively identifying fundraising opportunities.
  • An initial plan for how SIU could increase successful fundraising is to be refined in discussion with the CEO once the candidate joins.
  • A clear understanding of the ethics of various fundraising approaches and the need for confidentiality in all aspects of fundraising management, along with the required regulatory disclosures for non-party campaign groups.
  • Excellent communication and organization skills, with a practical approach and attention to detail.
  • The ability to develop, implement, and monitor strategic plans, present budgets, and interpret financial information
  • The ability to research, assess, and initiate new opportunities within the context of an overall plan
  • Able to manage the detailed content involved in function/event management and to support the supervision of key volunteers involved in such activities
  • Able to recruit, develop, train, motivate, and manage individuals and teams of Volunteers to give their very best


Qualifications: BA in Communications with 2 years of Experience

10. Product and Service Knowledge for Fundraising Manager Cover Letter

  • Experience working as an online/digital fundraiser, with a demonstrated background in best online fundraising practices, especially as it relates to developing email fundraising campaigns.
  • Understanding donor segmentation rules and how to leverage email platform query tools to ensure the right constituents receive/are suppressed from email messages.
  • Understanding core online engagement metrics, i.e., tracking overall online campaign revenue, email open/click/response rates, landing page conversion rates, etc.
  • Familiarity with the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR
  • Understanding of email deliverability best practices
  • Experience setting up email automation or designing donor journeys
  • Experience with mobile/SMS fundraising
  • Strong online writing skills with the ability to translate what are often technical policy and scientific details into engaging content that pops out of email inboxes and off screens.
  • Eagerness to learn about the factors that drive people to donate and to brainstorm test ideas based on those insights to boost revenue, retention, value per donor, and other key metrics.
  • Proficiency in working with online platforms to set up and deploy emails, donation pages, and the requisite source-code tracking needed to support downstream analytics.
  • An eagerness to work in a fast-paced work environment with an ability to manage multiple campaigns and deliverables in any given week.
  • And a willingness to keep up with market trends and pitch in as events unfold and engagement strategies evolve.
  • A solid understanding of statistics and how relational databases are structured.
  • Some ability to leverage Excel and other data management tools to support some light data metric work and work with the Data and Analytics team to develop and fine-tune more advanced reports.
  • Comfortable working with a geographically dispersed team, using email, Slack, phone, and virtual meetings to stay connected.
  • Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.


Qualifications: BA in Event Planning with 9 years of Experience