Fundraiser - $20/hr - Great for Students & Creatives

$20/hr during paid training - $20.50/hr after successful training | Full-time and part-time | Monday-Friday | Bonus opportunities

Want meaningful work where your personality, communication skills, and interest in important issues actually matter?

Public Outreach is hiring fundraisers to join our Boston team and represent major nonprofit organizations working on humanitarian aid, human rights, social impact, and support for communities around the world.

This role can be a great fit for students, recent graduates, performers, creatives, hospitality workers, and other strong communicators looking for meaningful work while building skills they can take with them wherever they go.

No fundraising experience is required. We provide paid training, ongoing coaching, and plenty of support while you learn.

What You'll Actually Be Doing

This is face-to-face fundraising - not an office job.

You'll work throughout the Boston area, speaking with members of the public about the nonprofit campaign you're representing and inviting people to support that work by becoming monthly donors.

Depending on the campaign and team, you may work through street fundraising or door-to-door outreach.

A typical day can include:

• Starting conversations with people you've never met

• Learning about the nonprofit campaign you're representing

• Sharing meaningful stories and explaining why the issue matters

• Listening, answering questions, and building genuine connections

• Asking people directly to become recurring monthly donors

• Working alongside a supportive fundraising team

• Practicing your approach and receiving regular coaching

• Working toward clear fundraising goals

Some people will be excited to talk to you.

Some won't be interested.

You'll hear "no" regularly.

Fundraising takes confidence, resilience, and the ability to reset and try again.

Your hourly wage is guaranteed, but fundraising performance still matters. You'll receive coaching, support, and clear goals to help you improve.

The Causes You'll Talk About

Our Boston teams are currently transitioning between nonprofit campaigns.

Depending on your assignment, you may represent organizations such as Oxfam, Save the Children, ACLU, the Obama Foundation, and other nonprofit partners.

Your conversations may involve issues such as:

• Humanitarian aid

• Global poverty and food insecurity

• Support for children and families

• Human and civil rights

• Social justice

• Communities affected by conflict, displacement, and crisis

• Education and opportunity

• Other important nonprofit and advocacy work

Campaign assignments can change based on the needs of our nonprofit partners.

You don't need previous nonprofit or activism experience. You do need to be comfortable learning about important issues, discussing them respectfully, and representing the campaign accurately.

A Part-Time Schedule That Actually Works

Full-time is preferred, but part-time is absolutely welcome.

Part-time team members work 3 full 7.5-hour shifts per week - 22.5 hours minimum.

Full-time team members can work 4-5 shifts per week.

There is one important requirement for everyone starting with us:

Your first 3 days are paid training and must be completed Monday through Wednesday.

After successfully completing training:

• Part-time team members can choose 3 workdays between Monday and Friday

• Full-time opportunities are available for candidates who want additional hours

• Each shift is 7.5 hours

• Current schedules are Monday-Friday

• There are currently no Saturday or Sunday part-time shifts

Because our teams work together throughout the fundraising day, you need to be available for complete shifts rather than partial-day availability.

Your Pay Grows After Training

• $20/hour guaranteed during your paid training period

• $20.50/hour guaranteed after successfully completing training

• Bonus opportunities on top of your hourly wage

• Regular pay reviews

• Opportunities for additional pay growth based on performance and progression

• Paid training from day one

• Full-time and part-time opportunities

• Health, dental, and vision benefits for eligible full-time employees and their families after 3 months

• Paid time off

• Employee Assistance Program

• Opportunities to move into training and leadership roles

This is not commission-only work. Your hourly wage is guaranteed, and bonuses are additional earning opportunities.

Build Skills You Can Take With You

Fundraising is a people job.

You'll build practical experience in:

• Public speaking

• Storytelling

• Persuasive communication

• Community outreach

• Donor engagement

• Reading a room

• Handling objections

• Goal setting

• Receiving and applying feedback

• Leadership

That's why people with backgrounds in theatre, music, hospitality, restaurants, customer service, retail, volunteering, advocacy, sales, and other public-facing work can thrive here.

This can be a stepping stone into nonprofit work, advocacy, communications, fundraising, sales, community organizing, or leadership.

We Build Future Leaders

Our leaders are promoted from within.

They started as fundraisers themselves, learned how to engage the public and consistently reach their goals, then developed the skills to train, coach, and lead others.

If you perform well and want to grow, there are real opportunities to take on more responsibility and advance.

Whether you build a career with Public Outreach or eventually take your experience somewhere else, you'll leave with resume-worthy skills.

Where You'll Work

Our Boston fundraising team is based out of our Dorchester office, but fundraising happens throughout the Boston area.

You'll work in different neighborhoods and communities depending on the campaign and outreach location.

This is active, public-facing work, so expect plenty of walking, standing, outdoor work, and conversations with new people.

Who Tends to Thrive Here

You may be a strong fit if you:

• Enjoy talking with new people

• Communicate with warmth, confidence, and personality

• Care about humanitarian, human rights, nonprofit, or social justice issues

• Like active work more than sitting behind a desk

• Can handle hearing "no" without losing your motivation

• Are comfortable receiving coaching and trying a different approach

• Like having measurable goals to work toward

• Are reliable and take your schedule seriously

• Want to build communication, confidence, and leadership skills

Experience is helpful, but it is not required.

We're much more interested in your communication skills, curiosity, resilience, reliability, and willingness to learn.

Come As You Are

We want this to be a workplace where people can actually be themselves.

Our teams include members of the LGBTQ+ community, and creating an environment where people feel safe, respected, supported, and welcome is genuinely important to us.

We know people from underrepresented communities often have to think carefully about whether a workplace will genuinely respect who they are.

Queer, trans, and applicants from underrepresented communities are welcome here.

You don't need to fit a certain mold to work with us. Bring your personality, your perspective, and a willingness to learn.

Before You Apply

• You must be 18+

• You must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship

• You must be available for the full Monday-Wednesday paid training period

• After training, you must be able to work at least 3 complete 7.5-hour weekday shifts per week

• You should be comfortable working outdoors, standing, and walking for much of your shift

• You should be comfortable starting conversations with members of the public throughout the day

• You should be comfortable with both street and door-to-door fundraising

• You need to be able to communicate confidently in English

• You should be comfortable receiving coaching and working toward fundraising goals

What Happens Next?

We're actively interviewing and looking for candidates who can start soon.

Selected applicants will be invited to an in-person group interview with our Boston team where you'll learn more about the role, the campaigns, and what face-to-face fundraising is actually like.

We want you to know what you're signing up for before you commit.

About Public Outreach

Public Outreach partners with nonprofit organizations to build sustainable, long-term support for causes that matter.

Our fundraisers work directly with the public to raise awareness, inspire action, and turn meaningful conversations into long-term support.

Public Outreach is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace.

Accommodations are available upon request throughout the hiring process.