Development Star Assessment
BrightDot partners with nonprofits and higher ed to strengthen development teams, optimize strategy, and unlock transformational giving.
What Is the Development Star Assessment?
A unique tool by BrightDot designed to identify and strengthen top fundraising talent. See beyond credentials and understand who development staff really are and how they can shine.
This assessment uncovers three key areas that shape performance:
Thinking Style: How a person processes information verbally and numerically.
Behavioral Traits: Energy, sociability, independence, resilience, and what fuels their work every day.
Interests & Passions: The personal motivations that connect them to your mission.
When you weave these together, you get a clear picture of how someone can thrive in development and create lasting impact for your organization.
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters
Research shows that emotional intelligence is one of the strongest predictors of fundraising success.
The Human Capital Institute found that emotional intelligence directly drives ROI.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that over 50% of fundraisers consider leaving the profession due to stress and burnout.
The Educational Advisory Board identified emotional intelligence, referred to as the “curious chameleon,” as the key trait separating top performers from everyone else.
We believe every donor matters, and the same goes for every fundraiser. That’s why the Development Star Assessment focuses on both performance potential and emotional intelligence.
How It Works
Getting started is simple:
Send us a name: Provide the email of the person you’d like assessed, and we’ll send the Development Star Assessment directly to them.
Completing the assessment: They have seven days to finish and submit their responses.
Review and report: We create a thoroughly detailed report with actionable insights.
Walkthrough session: We meet with you to discuss the results and share strategies.
Optional growth call: If you’d like, we can meet with the participant to help them reflect and grow.
Transformational Results
You’ll receive the insights you need to lead with confidence.
Hire people who can thrive in high-pressure development roles.
Support current staff with tools for resilience and growth.
Build a team that works together with trust and energy.
Organizations using the Development Star Assessment have seen stronger collaboration, higher retention, and fundraising results that exceed expectations. Some have even celebrated their largest gifts ever because their people had the clarity and confidence to succeed.
Build a Team That Inspires Giving
The right people in the right roles make all the difference. The Development Star Assessment helps you get there.
