Application Guide

How to Apply for Director of Fundraising

at Faith in Action

🏢 About Faith in Action

Faith in Action is unique as the largest faith-based grassroots organizing network in the U.S., with over 50 years of history advancing racial and economic justice through community power-building. Working here means joining a movement that transforms institutions and develops leaders at the intersection of faith and social change, offering deep mission alignment for those passionate about faith-rooted organizing.

About This Role

As Director of Fundraising, you'll lead an integrated revenue strategy to fund FIA's justice programs, mobilizing foundations, individual donors, corporate partners, and grassroots supporters. This role is impactful because it directly fuels the network's ability to scale organizing campaigns, develop leaders, and drive systemic change across communities nationwide.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve strategizing with program staff on aligning grant proposals with campaign goals, coaching a federation leader on donor outreach, and pitching a national foundation on funding FIA's leadership development pipeline. You'll balance foundation research, relationship management, and internal collaboration to embed fundraising across the organization.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Faith in Action Is Looking For

  • Has 7–10 years of nonprofit fundraising experience with a proven track record in organizing, advocacy, or movement-based settings (not just general nonprofit development)
  • Brings an existing portfolio of relationships with national foundation program officers, particularly those focused on racial justice, economic equity, or faith-based initiatives
  • Demonstrates success raising multi-year, six-figure+ grants from institutional funders while also engaging individual and grassroots donors
  • Can articulate how faith and organizing intersect in fundraising, showing experience mobilizing staff, boards, and volunteers as fundraising partners

📝 Tips for Applying to Faith in Action

1

Quantify your fundraising achievements specifically for organizing/advocacy work—e.g., 'Secured $2M in foundation grants for racial justice campaigns at XYZ organization'

2

Highlight any experience with faith-based networks or coalitions, even if indirect, as FIA's model relies on federations and congregational partnerships

3

Tailor your resume to show how you've built a 'culture of fundraising' by training non-development staff or board members in donor engagement

4

Research FIA's current campaigns (e.g., healthcare access, wage justice) and mention how you'd align foundation outreach with those priorities

5

If you lack direct faith-based experience, emphasize transferable skills like coalition-building or values-driven donor cultivation

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your philosophy on integrating foundation, individual, and grassroots revenue streams to sustain movement work', 'Specific examples of building relationships with institutional funders in racial/economic justice spaces', "How you've mobilized non-fundraising staff or volunteers in donor engagement, reflecting FIA's distributed leadership model", 'Why faith-rooted organizing resonates with you personally or professionally']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Explore FIA's federation model and key partners (e.g., local affiliates) to understand their grassroots structure
  • → Review their recent annual reports or news mentions to identify current funding priorities and campaigns
  • → Study the landscape of foundations that fund faith-based organizing (e.g., Ford Foundation, Kellogg, progressive faith funders)
  • → Listen to sermons or talks by FIA leaders to grasp their theological framing of justice work
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a foundation outreach strategy for FIA's current priority campaigns?
2 Describe a time you turned a board member or organizer into an effective fundraising partner
3 How do you balance securing restricted grants with growing unrestricted revenue for organizational flexibility?
4 What metrics would you use to track success in building a culture of fundraising across a decentralized network?
5 How would you approach cultivating donors who may be new to faith-based organizing?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using generic fundraising language without tying it to organizing, advocacy, or movement-building contexts
  • Overemphasizing event-based or transactional fundraising instead of relationship-driven, long-term partnership cultivation
  • Failing to acknowledge the unique challenges of fundraising for a decentralized network with multiple stakeholders

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Faith in Action!

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