Volunteer Early Fundraising Strategist

Job description

Women’s Survivors Network is seeking a Volunteer Early Fundraising Strategist to help us build a practical fundraising foundation for an early-stage, survivor-led nonprofit.

WSN is building a long-term ecosystem of guided support, resources, education, and services for women who have experienced abuse across the spectrum, including coercive control, narcissistic abuse, covert psychological abuse, workplace abuse, familial abuse, institutional abuse, and systemic harm.

We are still in an early stage of organizational and program development. Much of our first year has focused on building the foundation WSN will need to grow responsibly, including governance, board and committee systems, partnerships, volunteer infrastructure, educational materials, program development, and the early design and learning behind survivor-support programming.

Our fundraising infrastructure is still early, and we are looking for someone who can help us build a clear, realistic Year 1 fundraising strategy rather than step into an established development function.

WSN is still developing its programs and organizational systems, so our fundraising approach needs to match our current stage. A major Year 1 priority is foundation and institutional funding , alongside growing grant-writing capacity.

This volunteer will also help us think beyond grants and identify which other fundraising pathways make sense now versus later, such as:

Individual donors

Small campaigns

Corporate or community partnerships

Sponsorships

Recurring or major giving

Fundraising events

We do not expect to pursue every channel in Year 1. Part of the role is helping us prioritize what is most realistic and sustainable.

Responsibilities

The Volunteer Early Fundraising Strategist may help:

Assess WSN’s current fundraising readiness and priority gaps

Build a realistic early-stage fundraising strategy and Year 1 priorities

Determine which fundraising channels should be pursued now versus later

Strengthen WSN’s foundation-focused funding approach alongside our volunteer grant writer

Clarify what materials, messaging, and systems WSN needs before pursuing larger funding opportunities

Strengthen WSN’s case for support and fundraising communications

Recommend simple ways to track prospects, donor relationships, and follow-up

Advise on practical next steps as WSN’s fundraising function develops

Examples of Questions This Volunteer May Help Us Answer

What should WSN’s fundraising priorities be over the next 6–12 months?

Which funding sources are most realistic for an organization at our stage?

What fundraising infrastructure do we need now, and what can wait?

We are looking for thoughtful prioritization rather than a large volume of tactics.

Ideal Volunteer

We are looking for someone who is:

Experienced in nonprofit fundraising, development, philanthropy, or related work

Familiar with early-stage or small nonprofit fundraising

Comfortable with foundation and institutional funding

Able to think strategically while keeping recommendations practical

Able to distinguish between what needs to be built now and what can wait

Comfortable helping create simple fundraising systems from the ground up

Collaborative, organized, and dependable

Able to communicate fundraising concepts clearly

Respectful of survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive communication

Interested in helping build sustainable funding rather than growth for growth’s sake

Experience with foundation fundraising, individual giving, donor development, nonprofit development planning, fundraising campaigns, donor stewardship, or early-stage nonprofits is helpful.

You do not need experience in every area.

Important Fundraising & Confidentiality Boundaries

Because WSN works with survivors and sensitive subject matter, fundraising must reflect the same dignity, confidentiality, and survivor-centered values as the rest of the organization.

This volunteer will not need access to confidential survivor records or identifying participant information.

WSN does not use survivor stories, names, images, quotations, or identifying details for fundraising without appropriate permission, and we do not use sensationalized or trauma-based storytelling.

What This Role Is Not

This volunteer will not be expected to:

Personally fund WSN

Bring an existing donor network

Guarantee donations or grants

Raise a specific dollar amount independently

Manage WSN’s entire fundraising function

Serve as WSN’s grant writer

Build every possible fundraising channel at once

Make commitments to funders on WSN’s behalf without approval

We are looking for someone who can help us build the foundation for fundraising , not someone expected to carry the organization’s financial future alone.

Time Commitment

Flexible, remote volunteer role.

We anticipate approximately 3–5 hours per week during the initial strategy-building period , with flexibility depending on project needs and volunteer availability.

The role may become lighter once the initial fundraising strategy, priorities, and systems are established.

Why This Role Matters

WSN is building substantial organizational infrastructure and emerging survivor-support programming, but long-term impact requires sustainable funding.

At this stage, fundraising strategy is about helping WSN understand what to fund, who may fund it, what we need before approaching them, and which fundraising systems make sense for our current stage.

A thoughtful early strategy will help WSN pursue foundation funding more effectively, coordinate grant writing with broader development, begin building donor relationships, and prepare for future growth.

This volunteer will have a meaningful opportunity to help shape WSN’s fundraising foundation while the organization is still early enough for those decisions to have lasting impact.

Who We Encourage to Apply

WSN strongly encourages women, survivors, and people with lived experience of harm or systems navigation to apply. We also welcome allies who are deeply committed to survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive work.

Lived experience is valued at WSN, but it is not required for this volunteer role.

We welcome applicants from backgrounds including nonprofit development, fundraising strategy, philanthropy, foundations, institutional giving, donor relations, advancement, nonprofit leadership, fundraising consulting, social impact, and related fields.

Worksite address

los angeles, CA, 90079, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.