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Foundation director vs assistant director, communications

The differences between foundation directors and assistant directors, communications can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a foundation director, becoming an assistant director, communications takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a foundation director has an average salary of $97,206, which is higher than the $54,965 average annual salary of an assistant director, communications.

The top three skills for a foundation director include foundation board, fund development and donor relations. The most important skills for an assistant director, communications are customer service, property management, and professional development.

Foundation director vs assistant director, communications overview

Foundation DirectorAssistant Director, Communications
Yearly salary$97,206$54,965
Hourly rate$46.73$26.43
Growth rate8%3%
Number of jobs10,79136,340
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4248
Years of experience46

What does a foundation director do?

Foundation Directors are responsible for directing the operations of a foundation for an organization. Their duties include developing foundation policies, creating fundraising campaigns strategy, assisting in grant review and approval process, and ensuring all operations comply with legal regulations. They conduct budgeting, manage the organization's funds, and perform a liaison role between the foundation and family members. Foundation Directors set performance objectives and help drive employee recruitment and retention. They work with the board to ensure the foundation's mission is represented across all strategies set.

What does an assistant director, communications do?

An assistant communications director is responsible for managing the communicative operations across the company, handling the dissemination of information among employees, and releasing management announcements to media platforms. Assistant communications directors draft project techniques and strategies, as well as monitoring social media contents and press releases. They also identify business opportunities by analyzing recent trends that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profits. An assistant communications director must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in assessing business information to prevent miscommunications and negative publications.

Foundation director vs assistant director, communications salary

Foundation directors and assistant directors, communications have different pay scales, as shown below.

Foundation DirectorAssistant Director, Communications
Average salary$97,206$54,965
Salary rangeBetween $59,000 And $159,000Between $30,000 And $100,000
Highest paying CitySanta Cruz, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyConnecticut
Best paying companyAirbnbPace University
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between foundation director and assistant director, communications education

There are a few differences between a foundation director and an assistant director, communications in terms of educational background:

Foundation DirectorAssistant Director, Communications
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Southern California

Foundation director vs assistant director, communications demographics

Here are the differences between foundation directors' and assistant directors, communications' demographics:

Foundation DirectorAssistant Director, Communications
Average age4248
Gender ratioMale, 39.7% Female, 60.3%Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 5.2% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage16%12%

Differences between foundation director and assistant director, communications duties and responsibilities

Foundation director example responsibilities.

  • Manage organization s membership program by implementing annual membership drives and appeals.
  • Resolve financial issues relate to charitable contributions, provide program budgets, process payroll, and oversight management of operating accounts.
  • Work with administrative leadership with community relations, including promotional events and media communication.

Assistant director, communications example responsibilities.

  • Manage and develop marketing, communication, and implementation process improvements for training curricula and the department's intranet website.
  • Increase Facebook followers from 100,000 to 300,000 by identifying and engaging supporters.
  • Engineer a statewide network of local Facebook groups that enable the campaign to easily communicate with supporters across the state.
  • Create and update an eye-catching, interactive Instagram account in order to keepall families aware of all camp activities and events.
  • Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
  • Develop best-in-class trade show presence that always generate positive ROI, in addition.
  • Show more

Foundation director vs assistant director, communications skills

Common foundation director skills
  • Foundation Board, 12%
  • Fund Development, 8%
  • Donor Relations, 7%
  • Alumni, 7%
  • Government Agencies, 5%
  • Strategic Plan, 5%
Common assistant director, communications skills
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Property Management, 7%
  • Professional Development, 7%
  • Alumni, 6%
  • Photoshop, 5%
  • Graphic Design, 5%

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