How to hire a director of advancement

How to hire a director of advancement, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of advancement hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of advancement job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of advancement
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of advancement do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the director of advancement you need to hire. Certain director of advancement roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of advancement's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of advancement from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of directors of advancement.

   Type of Director Of Advancement	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Advancement	Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will maintain or enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.	$35-88
   Dean	A dean is responsible for overseeing the educational operations of the assigned department, enforcing school policies, and monitoring the students' progress by coordinating with the teachers and setting up procedures to improve teaching methods. Deans administer educational training and programs for the students, as well as extra-curricular activities to develop the students' social behavior, maximize their potentials, and increase their self-confidence... Show more	$23-72
   Community Development Director	The job of a community development director is to manage and direct the management and planning initiatives for a community or city organization. Your duties will include collaborating with community partners in developing strategies to improve the community, architectural and economic initiatives, monitoring budgets for department initiatives, and participating in business development efforts... Show more	$33-81

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Analytics
   • Professional Development
   • Project Management
   • Alumni Relations
   • Strategic Plan
   • Donor Relations
   • Data Management
   • Data Analysis
   • Donor Database
   • Digital Marketing
   • Business Development
   • Fund Raising
   • CRM
   • Direct Reports

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Work with administrative leadership with community relations, including promotional events and media communication.

   More director of advancement duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of advancement job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A director of advancement can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, directors of advancement' average salary in wyoming is 37% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of advancement 60% less than senior-level directors of advancement.
   • Certifications. A director of advancement with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a director of advancement's salary.

   Average director of advancement salary

   $117,155yearly

   $56.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of advancement salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average director of advancement salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$135,232	$65
   2	Texas	$131,428	$63
   3	Pennsylvania	$129,226	$62
   4	New Jersey	$124,393	$60
   5	Arizona	$121,526	$58
   6	Georgia	$120,084	$58
   7	Illinois	$118,607	$57
   8	Massachusetts	$116,301	$56
   9	New York	$110,705	$53
   10	Ohio	$110,373	$53
   11	Indiana	$104,236	$50
   12	Wisconsin	$102,737	$49
   13	District of Columbia	$101,691	$49
   14	Maryland	$99,164	$48
   15	Washington	$98,927	$48
   16	Colorado	$96,240	$46
   17	Utah	$92,996	$45
   18	Minnesota	$85,672	$41
   19	Oregon	$85,670	$41

   Average director of advancement salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	First Republic Bank	$174,169	$83.74
   2	Acadia Pharmaceuticals	$173,410	$83.37	1
   3	Koch Industries	$171,076	$82.25
   4	Phillips Brooks School	$168,368	$80.95
   5	Northwell Health	$167,630	$80.59	2
   6	Cedars-Sinai	$166,034	$79.82
   7	FTI Consulting	$164,538	$79.10	6
   8	Novartis	$161,874	$77.82	1
   9	Gap Inc.	$159,177	$76.53
   10	Pwc	$159,130	$76.50	57
   11	Expedia Group	$155,042	$74.54
   12	Amd	$151,891	$73.02	3
   13	Gilead Sciences	$151,712	$72.94	82
   14	Walmart	$149,028	$71.65	7
   15	Procore Technologies	$148,769	$71.52
   16	W. R. Berkley	$144,018	$69.24
   17	Micron Technology	$142,803	$68.66
   18	Rackspace	$141,000	$67.79
   19	CyberGrants	$140,338	$67.47
   20	Florida Power and Light	$140,226	$67.42

4. Writing a director of advancement job description

   A director of advancement job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a director of advancement job description:

   Director of advancement job description example

   The Director of Advancement Services and Database Management oversees the management of gift and constituent information, including the collection, input, and extraction of related data; architecture management; process management and management of relationships with campus and team colleagues.
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
   This position ensures that the Advancement team operates with and is informed by sound data. This includes designing queries for and delivering accurate data, developing reports, and managing database structures and processes.
   
   The Director advises on the Advancement team's technology needs and oversees short and long-term improvements to advancement data, including data migrations and the selection of subscription databases/services.
   
   The Director is responsible for data quality control, isolating issues for investigation and developing methods applied in data clean up. This includes ensuring that gift, pledge and biographical data are entered consistently, accurately, and in accordance with Federal and State regulations, College policies, CASE standards, and best practices. It also includes directing staff in the timeliness and accuracy of gift receipts to donors and adherence to IRS and CASE standards.
   
   Management responsibilities include hiring, supervising, training, and evaluating staff, including clerical staff and student workers. Additionally, the Director will train others on the Advancement team and across the College in database functions and technology.
   
   Manage relationships and processes with other departments for the normalization of common data and oversight of gift-related data feeds and associated balancing, gift processing mechanisms, online giving functionality and gift-related financial reporting. Nurture a customer-service ethic among staff. Seek feedback from internal customers and drive constant improvement.
   
   Complete other duties as assigned.
   
   MINIMUM EDUCATION
   Education generally equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
   
   MINIMUM EXPERIENCE
   Three to five years of related experience, such as analysis, business, and/or database management.
   REQUIRED SKILLS, ABILITIES AND/OR LICENSURE
   Very strong spreadsheet and database query skills and thinking required. The ability to use a personal computer, Web browser, familiarity with relational databases
   (eg, Raiser's Edge), SQL editor, XML editor, and other software as a service platforms. Strong analytical, critical thinking, and troubleshooting skills. Oral and written communication skills to effectively communicate with employees, students,
   and faculty members. Supervisory skills to lead a small team of student workers.
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS: (The physical demands described here are representatives of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The phrases "occasionally," "regularly," and "frequently" correspond to the following definitions: "occasionally" means up to 1/3 of working time, "regularly" means between 1/3 and 2/3 of working time, and "frequently" means 2/3 and more of working time.) While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, and/or talk and/or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and or use foot/feet to operate machine controls. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move between 1 and 5 pounds while moving files, folders, or banners, or items to give away at various venues for display. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
   
   WORK ENVIRONMENT: (The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.) Work is performed in an office environment in a variety of work locations throughout the Carthage Campus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate and typical of a campus office environment. This varies based on occasional work travel environments.
   
   About Carthage
   
   Located on the shore of Lake Michigan in the thriving Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, Carthage College blends the best liberal arts traditions with desirable degree programs, transformative learning opportunities, and personal attention from dedicated faculty and staff. Our beautiful campus, an 80-acre arboretum with stunning lake views, is home to 2,600 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students. Founded in 1847, Carthage is consistently named a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review and a Most Innovative School by U.S. News & World Report. All Carthage employees play a vital part in the success of our students, as we work together to create an environment where all can achieve their true potential. Grow with Carthage.
   
   Carthage College is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse community. We welcome applications from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find directors of advancement for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any directors of advancement they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level directors of advancement with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of advancement job on Zippia to find and recruit director of advancement candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of advancement requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of advancement

   Once you've found the director of advancement candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new director of advancement. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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