Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between foundation directors and executive 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 an executive director. Additionally, an executive director has an average salary of $127,956, 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 an executive director are oversight, patients, and customer service.
| Foundation Director | Executive Director | |
| Yearly salary | $97,206 | $127,956 |
| Hourly rate | $46.73 | $61.52 |
| Growth rate | 8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 10,791 | 97,471 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Executive directors are top management employees who usually function as a chief executive officer. This role is usually seen in non-profit organizations. Executive directors provide strategic direction to the organization, and they ensure that the organization's goals are actualized. They provide guidance to the employees and ensure that the employees have the organization's advocacies at the center of every project or program. They oversee the policies of the organization and create strategies that will bring the organization's programs forward. Executive directors are also responsible for making crucial decisions for the betterment of the organization.
Foundation directors and executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Foundation Director | Executive Director | |
| Average salary | $97,206 | $127,956 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $159,000 | Between $76,000 And $213,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Cruz, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a foundation director and an executive director in terms of educational background:
| Foundation Director | Executive Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between foundation directors' and executive directors' demographics:
| Foundation Director | Executive Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 10% |