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Foundation director vs community development director

The differences between foundation directors and community development directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a foundation director and a community development director. Additionally, a community development director has an average salary of $109,396, which is higher than the $97,206 average annual salary of a foundation director.

The top three skills for a foundation director include foundation board, fund development and donor relations. The most important skills for a community development director are economic development, oversight, and project management.

Foundation director vs community development director overview

Foundation DirectorCommunity Development Director
Yearly salary$97,206$109,396
Hourly rate$46.73$52.59
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs10,79166,252
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

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 a community development director do?

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. As a community development director, it is your responsibility to develop and maintain the community development department's short- and long-term developmental goals. It is also your duty to develop and coordinate marketing strategies for economic development.

Foundation director vs community development director salary

Foundation directors and community development directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Foundation DirectorCommunity Development Director
Average salary$97,206$109,396
Salary rangeBetween $59,000 And $159,000Between $70,000 And $169,000
Highest paying CitySanta Cruz, CASan Jose, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyAirbnbBazaarvoice
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between foundation director and community development director education

There are a few differences between a foundation director and a community development director in terms of educational background:

Foundation DirectorCommunity Development Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Foundation director vs community development director demographics

Here are the differences between foundation directors' and community development directors' demographics:

Foundation DirectorCommunity Development Director
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 39.7% Female, 60.3%Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4%
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, 5.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between foundation director and community development director 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.

Community development director example responsibilities.

  • Manage organization s membership program by implementing annual membership drives and appeals.
  • Support documentation activities for FDA audits & manage integration activities for acquisitions.
  • Provide oversight and leadership to HUD fund rehab lending and grant programs, housing counseling and financial fitness training.
  • Write grants, speeches, e-blasts, and appeals on social media and websites for non-profits and political campaigns.
  • Ensure target ROI with feasibility studies on potential acquisitions, identifying optimum projects requiring rezoning and entitlement approvals for development.
  • Craft innovative plan for rebranding agency image; plan and implement new outreach focusing on culturally aware approaches.

Foundation director vs community development director skills

Common foundation director skills
  • Foundation Board, 12%
  • Fund Development, 8%
  • Donor Relations, 7%
  • Alumni, 7%
  • Government Agencies, 5%
  • Strategic Plan, 5%
Common community development director skills
  • Economic Development, 6%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Press Releases, 5%
  • Community Outreach, 5%
  • Program Development, 4%

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