Effective fundraising managers are the driving force behind an organization's ability to secure vital financial resources that fuel its mission and programs. According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, successful fundraising leadership requires a unique blend of relationship-building prowess, strategic planning abilities, and financial acumen—all delivered with unwavering ethical standards.

Fundraising managers play a critical role in most organizations by developing and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategies, cultivating donor relationships, and managing revenue-generating campaigns and initiatives. Their work directly impacts an organization's sustainability and capacity to fulfill its mission. In today's competitive philanthropic landscape, these professionals must excel at donor stewardship, cross-functional collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. The most effective fundraising managers combine analytical skills with emotional intelligence to create compelling cases for support while building lasting relationships with supporters at all levels.

When evaluating candidates for a fundraising manager position, behavioral interviewing techniques provide invaluable insights into how candidates have actually performed in previous roles. Focus on questions that reveal past experiences with donor cultivation, campaign management, team leadership, and strategic planning. Listen carefully for specific examples that demonstrate results, relationship-building approaches, and adaptive problem-solving. The best candidates will share concrete achievements while articulating the thoughtful strategies behind their successes. To conduct a comprehensive assessment, consider using Yardstick's interview orchestrator to ensure your evaluation covers all essential competencies.

Interview Questions

Tell me about the most successful fundraising campaign or initiative you've managed. What made it successful, and what was your specific role in achieving those results?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific goals and scope of the campaign
• Their leadership approach and strategic planning process
• How they mobilized and coordinated team members
• Specific fundraising tactics or innovations they implemented
• Metrics used to measure success and actual outcomes achieved
• Key relationships they leveraged or developed during the campaign
• Challenges encountered and how they were overcome

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine the campaign goals and strategy?
• What were the most effective donor engagement tactics you employed?
• How did you adapt when certain aspects of the campaign weren't working as expected?
• What would you do differently if you were to run that campaign again?

Describe a time when you had to rebuild or strengthen a relationship with a disengaged or dissatisfied donor. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the donor relationship issue
• Their assessment of why the relationship deteriorated
• Specific steps taken to address concerns and rebuild trust
• Communication strategies employed
• How they balanced donor needs with organizational priorities
• The ultimate resolution and any lessons learned
• Long-term impact on the donor relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• What signals indicated there was an issue with this donor relationship?
• How did you personalize your approach to this particular donor's concerns?
• What systems or processes did you implement to prevent similar situations in the future?
• How did this experience influence your overall donor stewardship strategy?

Tell me about your experience developing and managing a fundraising budget. How do you set realistic revenue goals and manage expenses?

Areas to Cover:

• Their process for analyzing past performance and setting projections
• How they incorporate market factors and economic conditions
• Their approach to cost-benefit analysis for fundraising activities
• Methods for tracking and reporting on budget performance
• How they handle variances from budget targets
• Experience with resource allocation decisions
• Their financial reporting and accountability systems

Follow-Up Questions:

• What metrics do you find most valuable when evaluating the ROI of fundraising activities?
• How have you adjusted fundraising strategies when facing budget constraints?
• Can you share an example of a time when you had to revise revenue projections mid-year?
• How do you balance investing in long-term donor development versus meeting immediate revenue needs?

Share an example of when you needed to motivate a fundraising team through a particularly challenging period. What leadership approaches did you employ?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific challenges the team was facing
• Their assessment of team morale and productivity issues
• Leadership and communication strategies implemented
• How they balanced empathy with maintaining performance standards
• Specific team-building or motivational techniques used
• The results of their leadership intervention
• Lessons learned about team management

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify what was causing the team's difficulties?
• What feedback mechanisms did you use to gauge the effectiveness of your approach?
• How did you maintain your own motivation during this challenging time?
• What did this experience teach you about leading fundraising professionals?

Tell me about a time when you had to adjust your fundraising strategy due to unexpected external factors or changes in the philanthropic landscape. How did you adapt?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific external changes or challenges encountered
• Their process for assessing the situation and potential impacts
• How quickly they recognized the need for adaptation
• Their decision-making process for strategic adjustments
• How they communicated changes to stakeholders
• The effectiveness of their adapted approach
• Lessons learned about flexibility in fundraising

Follow-Up Questions:

• What early warning signs did you notice that indicated a need for change?
• How did you evaluate which aspects of your strategy to maintain versus modify?
• What resistance did you encounter to the strategic changes, and how did you address it?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to fundraising planning?

Describe your experience with donor database management and analytics. How have you used data to inform your fundraising strategies and donor engagement approaches?

Areas to Cover:

• Specific donor management systems they've used
• Their approach to data collection, maintenance, and security
• How they segment donors based on data insights
• Analytical methods they employ to identify patterns and opportunities
• Examples of data-driven decisions that improved results
• Their process for translating data into actionable strategies
• How they measure the effectiveness of data-driven approaches

Follow-Up Questions:

• What donor metrics or key performance indicators do you find most valuable?
• How have you improved data quality and consistency in previous roles?
• Can you share a specific example where data analysis revealed an unexpected opportunity?
• How do you balance the art and science of fundraising in your approach?

Tell me about a time when you developed a new funding stream or approach that hadn't previously been part of your organization's fundraising mix. What was your process?

Areas to Cover:

• Their identification of the opportunity or need for diversification
• Research and planning conducted before implementation
• How they built internal support for the new initiative
• Resources allocated and team members involved
• Implementation challenges encountered and overcome
• Results achieved through the new funding stream
• How they evaluated success and refined the approach

Follow-Up Questions:

• What inspired you to explore this particular funding approach?
• How did you test or pilot the concept before full implementation?
• What resistance did you encounter, and how did you address stakeholder concerns?
• How did you integrate this new funding stream with existing fundraising efforts?

Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult board member or senior leader who had different ideas about fundraising priorities or approaches than you did. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the disagreement or difference in perspective
• Their approach to understanding the other person's viewpoint
• Communication strategies they employed
• How they advocated for their position while remaining respectful
• Steps taken to find common ground or compromise
• The resolution of the situation
• Impact on the relationship going forward

Follow-Up Questions:

• What did you learn about the other person's priorities or concerns through this process?
• How did you prepare for difficult conversations about these differences?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?
• How has this experience shaped your approach to managing up or across in organizations?

Tell me about your experience recruiting, training, and managing fundraising staff or volunteers. What is your approach to building an effective team?

Areas to Cover:

• Their recruitment and selection process
• Training and onboarding methods they've implemented
• Management style and performance expectations
• How they develop team members' skills and careers
• Strategies for building team cohesion and collaboration
• How they handle performance issues
• Their approach to recognizing and rewarding success

Follow-Up Questions:

• What qualities do you look for when hiring fundraising professionals?
• How do you customize your management approach for different team members?
• What tools or systems have you found most effective for tracking team performance?
• How do you foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement on your team?

Share an example of how you've effectively collaborated with other departments (like marketing, programs, or finance) to support fundraising goals. What made this cross-functional work successful?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific collaborative initiative or project
• Their approach to building relationships across departments
• How they articulated mutual benefits and aligned goals
• Communication and coordination methods employed
• Challenges encountered in the collaboration and how they were addressed
• The outcomes achieved through the partnership
• Lessons learned about effective cross-functional work

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you initially engage other departments in supporting fundraising efforts?
• What structures or processes did you establish to facilitate ongoing collaboration?
• How did you resolve any conflicts or competing priorities that arose?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to organizational partnerships?

Tell me about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma in fundraising. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the ethical challenge
• Their process for evaluating the situation
• Values and principles that guided their decision-making
• How they communicated with stakeholders about the issue
• Actions taken to resolve the situation ethically
• Any organizational changes implemented as a result
• Personal and professional lessons learned

Follow-Up Questions:

• What resources or guidance did you seek in making your decision?
• How did you balance competing interests or values in this situation?
• What potential consequences did you consider when determining your course of action?
• How has this experience shaped your ethical framework for fundraising?

Describe your approach to stewardship and donor recognition. How have you ensured donors feel valued and see the impact of their contributions?

Areas to Cover:

• Their philosophy of donor stewardship
• Specific stewardship programs or initiatives they've implemented
• How they segment and personalize stewardship based on donor level
• Creative recognition strategies they've employed
• Methods for communicating impact and outcomes to donors
• How they measure donor satisfaction and engagement
• Their approach to involving organizational leadership in stewardship

Follow-Up Questions:

• How do you balance the cost of stewardship activities with their relationship-building value?
• What stewardship approaches have you found most effective for different donor types?
• How do you use technology to enhance personalization in donor communications?
• What feedback mechanisms do you use to understand donor preferences and satisfaction?

Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision regarding resource allocation in a fundraising context. What factors did you consider, and how did you reach your decision?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific resource allocation challenge they faced
• Their process for gathering and analyzing relevant information
• Stakeholders consulted and their input
• Criteria used to evaluate options
• How they weighed short-term needs against long-term strategy
• The ultimate decision and its rationale
• Outcomes and lessons learned

Follow-Up Questions:

• What data points were most influential in your decision-making process?
• How did you communicate your decision to those affected?
• What concerns or resistance did you encounter, and how did you address them?
• Looking back, would you make the same decision again? Why or why not?

Share an example of a time when you used storytelling effectively in a fundraising context. What made the story compelling, and what results did it achieve?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific fundraising context and objectives
• How they identified or developed the story
• Key elements that made the story compelling
• How they tailored the story for different audiences or channels
• Methods used to measure the story's impact
• Concrete outcomes or donor responses
• How they integrated the story with other fundraising messages

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify or develop this particular story?
• What elements do you believe made this story especially effective?
• How did you ensure the story was authentic while also serving fundraising goals?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to fundraising communications?

Tell me about a time when a fundraising initiative didn't meet expectations. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the experience?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific initiative and its original goals
• Early signs that targets might not be met
• Their assessment of what went wrong
• Actions taken to address shortfalls or salvage the situation
• How they communicated with stakeholders about the underperformance
• Changes implemented as a result of the experience
• Personal and organizational lessons learned

Follow-Up Questions:

• At what point did you realize this initiative might not succeed as planned?
• What immediate actions did you take when you recognized the problems?
• How did you manage expectations with leadership and other stakeholders?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to risk assessment in fundraising planning?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are behavioral questions more effective than hypothetical questions when interviewing fundraising manager candidates?

Behavioral questions reveal how candidates have actually performed in real situations rather than how they think they might act hypothetically. Past performance is the best predictor of future behavior, especially in fundraising where relationship management and strategic execution are crucial. By asking candidates to share specific examples from their experience, you gain insights into their actual approach to donor relations, campaign management, team leadership, and problem-solving—all essential competencies for fundraising success.

How many behavioral questions should I include in a fundraising manager interview?

It's best to focus on 3-4 high-quality behavioral questions in each interview, allowing time for meaningful follow-up questions. This approach provides depth rather than breadth, enabling you to thoroughly explore candidates' experiences and thought processes. With multiple interviewers on your panel, you can cover 12-16 behavioral questions across the entire interview process, providing comprehensive coverage of all essential competencies without overwhelming candidates.

How should I evaluate candidates' responses to these behavioral questions?

Focus on the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when evaluating responses. Strong candidates will clearly describe the situation, explain their specific role, detail the actions they took, and share concrete results. Look for evidence of strategic thinking, relationship-building abilities, adaptability, and ethical judgment. Also, assess whether they take appropriate credit for successes, acknowledge team contributions, and demonstrate learning from challenges. The best candidates will provide specific examples with measurable outcomes rather than general statements.

How can I make these interview questions more specific to our organization's fundraising needs?

Customize these questions by incorporating details about your organization's specific fundraising channels, donor demographics, or current challenges. For instance, if your organization relies heavily on major gifts, you might add "particularly in a major gifts context" to relevant questions. For capital campaign experience, you could modify questions to focus specifically on that area. You can also tailor questions to reflect your organization's size, sector (higher education, healthcare, arts, etc.), or geographic scope to ensure candidates' experiences align with your needs.

What if a candidate doesn't have direct fundraising experience but is transferring skills from another field?

For candidates transitioning from adjacent fields (like sales, marketing, or relationship management), focus questions on transferable competencies such as relationship building, persuasive communication, strategic planning, and performance tracking. Allow them to draw parallels between their past achievements and fundraising contexts. Listen for their understanding of fundraising principles and their ability to connect their experience to the fundraising process. Strong candidates will demonstrate how their skills in areas like client relationship management or revenue generation directly apply to fundraising challenges.

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