Application Guide
How to Apply for Development Associate
at Home for a Home
š¢ About Home for a Home
Home for a Home is a unique nonprofit that builds homes for families in Guatemala while offering donors a hands-on, immersive experience through annual Build Trips. Unlike traditional charities, it blends real estate and philanthropy, leveraging its Builder community and corporate partnerships to fund tangible, life-changing projects. Working here means directly contributing to a mission where you can see the impact of your fundraising efforts in the faces of the families you serve.
About This Role
As the Development Associate, you will be the driving force behind revenue generation across all channelsāfrom individual donors to corporate partnersāwith a strong emphasis on personally soliciting and closing gifts. Youāll own the fundraising calendar and pipeline, working closely with the Board Chair to meet monthly goals. This role is perfect for a relationship-builder who thrives on phone calls, personal outreach, and converting connections into sustained support, all while contributing to a cause that transforms lives.
š” A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a pipeline review and prioritization of calls to lapsed donors, followed by several personalized outreach calls and emails to schedule meetings. Midday could involve a strategy session with the Board Chair to refine the fundraising calendar, and the afternoon might include drafting a partnership proposal or preparing materials for an upcoming Build Trip donor event. Youāll spend most of your time on the phone or in virtual meetings, building relationships and moving donors toward gifts.
š Application Tools
šÆ Who Home for a Home Is Looking For
- Proven experience in donor-facing fundraising, with a track record of closing gifts and meeting monthly targets; comfortable making cold calls and asking for money.
- Strong relationship management skills, able to steward donors, re-engage lapsed supporters, and convert one-time givers into recurring donors.
- Experience developing corporate partnerships and community fundraising, ideally with networks in real estate, civic groups, or organizations focused on Guatemala.
- Self-motivated and results-driven, able to work remotely and independently while collaborating closely with a Board Chair and small team.
š Tips for Applying to Home for a Home
Highlight specific fundraising metrics youāve achieved, such as monthly revenue targets met, number of donors personally solicited, or conversion rates for recurring gifts.
Mention any experience with peer-to-peer fundraising or event-based campaigns, especially if youāve leveraged trips or experiences to deepen donor engagement.
Demonstrate familiarity with the Guatemala context or international development work; even if you havenāt worked in Guatemala, show youāve researched Home for a Homeās model and can speak to its unique Build Trips.
Emphasize your comfort with phone outreach and personal solicitationāthis role requires picking up the phone, so share examples of successful cold calls or re-engagement calls.
If you have a background in real estate or have worked with builders, highlight it; the Builder community is a key donor segment for this role.
āļø What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your ability to own and exceed monthly fundraising goals, with concrete examples of how youāve closed gifts and grown donor relationships.', 'Experience in re-engaging lapsed donors and converting one-time givers into recurring supporters, particularly through personalized outreach.', 'A demonstrated interest in Home for a Homeās mission and model, showing you understand the role of Build Trips and the Builder community in donor cultivation.', 'Your capacity to work independently and collaboratively with a Board Chair, managing a fundraising calendar and pipeline without close supervision.']
Generate Cover Letter āš Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- ā Explore Home for a Homeās website, especially the Build Trips page, to understand how donor engagement is structured and what the experience entails.
- ā Learn about the communities in Guatemala that Home for a Home servesāfamiliarize yourself with the housing challenges and how the organization addresses them.
- ā Research the Builder community and any corporate partners listed; understand how they contribute and what value they receive from the partnership.
- ā Look into the Board Chairās background and public statements about the organizationās fundraising priorities to align your approach with their vision.
š¬ Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
ā ļø Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing solely on grant writing in your applicationāthis role is primarily donor-facing, so overemphasizing grants will make you seem misaligned.
- Being vague about fundraising results; avoid saying you 'helped with fundraising' without specifying your direct role in soliciting and closing gifts.
- Neglecting to mention phone outreach or personal solicitation; if you donāt show comfort with making asks, youāll appear unsuited for the role.
š Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Home for a Home!