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Fundraising Managers

Fundraising Managers is the O*NET name for people who plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations. The skills rated most useful are speaking, critical thinking, and social perceptiveness. One core duty is to develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions. On the six-type interest model it reads ECS, meaning leading, persuading and making business decisions comes first, followed by orderly work with data, records and clear procedures. Getting in usually takes a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience, a level O*NET calls considerable preparation. People who want leading, persuading and making business decisions usually fit better here than those who need hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations.

Main tasks

  • Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.
  • Manage fundraising budgets.
  • Develop fundraising activity plans that maximize participation or contributions and minimize costs.
  • Plan and direct special events for fundraising, such as silent auctions, dances, golf events, or walks.
  • Establish goals for soliciting funds, develop policies for collection and safeguarding of contributions, and coordinate disbursement of funds.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new fundraising opportunities.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Persuasion
  • Active Listening
  • Writing

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and critical thinking.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECS takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Master's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Advancement Director
  • Annual Giving Director
  • Development Director
  • Donor Engagement Director
  • Foundation Director

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.