What You'll Do

  • Assign, supervise, and review the activities of fundraising staff.
  • Compile or develop materials to submit to granting or other funding organizations.
  • Conduct research to identify the goals, net worth, charitable donation history, or other data related to potential donors, potential investors, or general donor markets.
  • Contact corporate representatives, government officials, or community leaders to increase awareness of organizational causes, activities, or needs.
  • Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures.
  • Develop fundraising activity plans that maximize participation or contributions and minimize costs.
  • Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.
  • Direct activities of external agencies, establishments, or departments that develop and implement fundraising strategies and programs.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new fundraising opportunities.
  • Establish goals for soliciting funds, develop policies for collection and safeguarding of contributions, and coordinate disbursement of funds.

Essential Skills

Speaking 4.12/5
Critical Thinking 4.12/5
Active Listening 4.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 4.0/5
Persuasion 4.0/5
Reading Comprehension 3.88/5
Writing 3.88/5
Coordination 3.75/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.75/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.62/5
Time Management 3.5/5
Active Learning 3.38/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.

Common styles

Achievement Orientation, Social Orientation, Integrity, Dependability, Leadership Orientation

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.12/5
Oral Expression 4.12/5
Written Comprehension 3.88/5
Written Expression 3.88/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.88/5
Speech Clarity 3.88/5
Speech Recognition 3.75/5
Fluency of Ideas 3.62/5

Technologies & Tools

Adobe Acrobat Adobe After Effects Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Distiller Adobe Dreamweaver Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe PageMaker Adobe Photoshop Airtable Apple Final Cut Pro Apple iDVD Apple iMovie Blackbaud eTapestry Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge Corel WordPerfect Office Suite Drupal Facebook FileMaker Pro Flipgrid

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Achievement Orientation (High importance: 4.94/5)
  • Social Orientation (High importance: 4.87/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.65/5)
  • Leadership Orientation (High importance: 4.58/5)

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How to Become One

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Some positions may also require experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level work to strengthen your candidacy.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Account Manager Account Supervisor Advancement Director Annual Giving Director Campaign Manager Canvass Director Community Manager Development Director Donor Engagement Director Donor Relations Manager Foundation Director Funding Coordinator Fundraising and Marketing Director Fundraising Campaign Manager Fundraising Director Fundraising Events Manager Fundraising Manager Funds Development Director Grants Management Specialist Grants Manager Individual Giving Director Individual Giving Manager Institutional Advancement VP (Institutional Advancement Vice President) Major Gifts Director Major Gifts Manager Philanthropy Director

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.