What Does the Development Support Officer Role Involve?
A development support officer is responsible for providing administrative, logistical, and operational support to fundraising teams to help secure and manage resources for the organization. This involves maintaining donor records, coordinating reporting and proposal timelines, preparing communications and acknowledgments, supporting events, and assisting with research. The role typically sits within the development or advancement function and works closely with development officers, managers, and leads. In both nonprofits and social enterprises, development support officers ensure the smooth functioning of fundraising operations, enabling frontline fundraisers to focus on strategy and relationship building.
At What Level does this Role Operate?
Entry Level: This role typically reports to a development officer or development manager and focuses on administrative and coordination responsibilities. It may not supervise others but provides essential operational support to multiple team members.
Relative Employability: Development support officer roles are widely available in nonprofits, social enterprises, educational institutions, and philanthropic organizations. They offer accessible entry points into the fundraising profession, especially for individuals interested in progressing toward officer or managerial positions.
Relative Pay Scale: Within nonprofits and social enterprises, development support officer roles sit in the lower to mid pay bands, reflecting their support function and early career positioning.
What are the Key Responsibilities and Activities?
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor and funding records in CRM systems and databases
- Support the preparation of donor communications, acknowledgments, and stewardship materials
- Assist in the development of grant proposals and reports by gathering programmatic and financial information
- Coordinate internal calendars, deadlines, and deliverables related to fundraising activities
- Provide logistical and administrative support for donor meetings, fundraising events, and campaigns
- Support prospect research by collecting and organizing data on potential funders and partners
- Help track reporting requirements and proposal submission timelines to ensure compliance
- Collaborate with program, finance, and communications teams to support fundraising deliverables
What Core Competencies and Qualifications are Needed?
Required Qualifications and Experience
The following reflect common qualifications and experience expected for this role, while recognizing that pathways may vary by context, organization, and region.
- Relevant academic background in communications, business, nonprofit management, social sciences, or a related field, or equivalent administrative or internship experience
- Strong organizational and administrative skills with attention to detail
- Familiarity with CRM systems or fundraising databases (such as Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, or similar tools)
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Interest in fundraising, donor engagement, and resource development
Key Competencies
- Administrative and coordination skills
- Record-keeping and data management
- Written and verbal communication abilities
- Research and information gathering
- Teamwork and stakeholder support
- Reliability and attention to deadlines
How are AI and Automation Shaping this Role?
An AI-native development support officer will look to AI and automation to improve data management, document preparation, and coordination tasks. They can use AI tools to draft donor communications, summarize research, track deadlines, and support reporting more efficiently. Automation can streamline CRM updates, acknowledgment letters, and internal workflows, allowing support officers to handle higher volumes of work with greater accuracy. By integrating AI thoughtfully, development support officers can increase their effectiveness and set a strong foundation for advancement within fundraising teams.
What Career Pathways and Transferable Skills are Associated with this Role?
Development support officer roles can lead to positions such as development officer, donor relations specialist, or prospect researcher. The skills developed in administration, data management, communication, and research are highly transferable across nonprofits, social enterprises, educational institutions, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. Many professionals begin in support roles and progress to strategic fundraising positions as they gain experience and expertise.
