How To Become A Director Of Advancement: What It Is and Career Path

What is a director of advancement and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A director of advancement works in the nonprofit sector to oversee fundraising efforts and build relationships with donors. They create and execute strategies to raise funds, increase donor engagement, and promote the organization's mission. A director of advancement works with staff members to coordinate fundraising events, campaigns, and initiatives. They also maintain records, monitor progress, and develop reports. Additionally, a director of advancement oversees communications and marketing efforts to promote the organization and engage supporters.

ScoreDirector Of AdvancementUS Average

Salary

8.1

Avg. Salary $117,155

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.7

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 5.12%

Black or African American 5.95%

Hispanic or Latino 9.11%

Unknown 4.66%

White 74.75%

Gender

female 45.41%

male 54.59%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

8.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.4

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a director of advancement?

Pros

High earning potential
Variety of responsibilities and tasks
Ability to work in a mission-driven environment
Exposure to various aspects of the organization's operations
Opportunity to lead a team of dedicated professionals

Cons

High-pressure job with demanding expectations
Long hours, including evenings and weekends
Difficulty in maintaining work-life balance
Potential for burnout or stress-related health issues
Risk of negative feedback or criticism for unsuccessful fundraising efforts

Key steps to become a director of advancement

Explore director of advancement education requirements

Most common director of advancement degrees

Bachelor's

66.8 %

Master's

22.4 %

Associate

4.8 %

Start to develop specific director of advancement skills

Skills	Percentages
Analytics	21.59%
Professional Development	12.45%
Project Management	6.58%
Alumni Relations	5.22%
Strategic Plan	4.34%

Complete relevant director of advancement training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of advancement learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of advancement based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of advancement resumes.

Research director of advancement duties and responsibilities

Program development includes managing and building strong relationships with corporate and affinity partners to secure sponsorship and career enhancement for alumni
Raise millions of dollars for ACS through tax-advantage charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, and bequests.
Generate major gifts, including bequests and charitable gift annuities, by cultivating relationships with Eskaton residents.
Coordinate among cross-functional business departments including investor relations, risk, trading desk, compliance, tax/accounting, and portfolio administration.

Get director of advancement experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a director of advancement. The most common roles before becoming a director of advancement include development director, executive director team lead and director.

Prepare your director of advancement resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of advancement resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of advancement resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable director of advancement resume templates

Build a professional director of advancement resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of advancement resume.