How to hire a foundation director

How to hire a foundation director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step foundation director hiring guide:

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

What does a foundation director do?

Post a foundation director job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The foundation director hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A foundation director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, foundation directors 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of foundation directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Foundation Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Foundation Director	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.	$28-76
   Grant Manager	A grant manager is responsible for granting financial assistance and support to various sector programs, evaluating grant applications, and implementing policies from its conceptualization to utilization. Grant managers review the grant documents, ensuring its adherence to internal guidelines and state regulations... Show more	$22-37
   Manager Of Special Events	A manager of special events is responsible for organizing events and programs for a company and various organizations. Managers of special events monitor the event procedures from conceptualization to the actual execution... Show more	$14-48

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Foundation Board
   • Fund Development
   • Donor Relations
   • Alumni
   • Government Agencies
   • Strategic Plan
   • Capital Campaign
   • Financial Support
   • Community Relations
   • CRM
   • Appeals
   • Financial Reports
   • Private Foundations
   • Direct Reports

   Check all skills

   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.

   More foundation director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the foundation director job description is a good way to get more applicants. A foundation director salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a foundation director in Alabama may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level foundation director. Additionally, a foundation director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average foundation director salary

   $97,206yearly

   $46.73 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level foundation director salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average foundation director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$127,876	$61
   2	New York	$120,736	$58
   3	Connecticut	$119,506	$57
   4	Virginia	$118,893	$57
   5	District of Columbia	$117,067	$56
   6	Massachusetts	$113,563	$55
   7	Texas	$99,460	$48
   8	Oregon	$95,792	$46
   9	Kansas	$94,459	$45
   10	Arkansas	$94,313	$45
   11	Indiana	$93,271	$45
   12	Wisconsin	$92,772	$45
   13	Iowa	$92,460	$44
   14	Maryland	$92,362	$44
   15	Louisiana	$89,847	$43
   16	Florida	$87,939	$42
   17	North Carolina	$86,731	$42
   18	Colorado	$85,171	$41
   19	Ohio	$84,829	$41
   20	Illinois	$83,593	$40

   Average foundation director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Airbnb	$183,832	$88.38
   2	Cambridge Associates	$161,098	$77.45
   3	Mercy Medical Center, Canton, Ohio	$146,157	$70.27
   4	Baylor Scott & White Health	$145,949	$70.17
   5	Creative Artists Agency	$144,134	$69.30
   6	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$130,638	$62.81
   7	D.R. Horton	$125,612	$60.39	2
   8	Logan Health	$124,134	$59.68
   9	Jellico Medical Center	$123,782	$59.51
   10	Baptist Health Home Care	$122,412	$58.85	1
   11	Hutchinson Regional Medical Center	$122,127	$58.71
   12	Npr	$122,102	$58.70
   13	Blackstone Group	$121,948	$58.63
   14	UnityPoint Health	$118,911	$57.17	1
   15	Parkland Hospital	$114,975	$55.28
   16	Scripps Health	$113,935	$54.78
   17	Stanford University	$109,461	$52.63	12
   18	Andersen	$105,413	$50.68	1
   19	Atlantic Health	$104,362	$50.17	2
   20	UnitedHealth Group	$103,579	$49.80

4. Writing a foundation director job description

   A job description for a foundation director role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a foundation director job description:

   Foundation director job description example

   Our BCH Foundation is looking for an Executive Director to join our rural community hospital and to lead an established and successful team with a passion for fundraising and building healthier communities.
   
   Our Executive Foundation Director works closely with hospital leadership to create strong connections through relationship building and event planning that benefit both the hospital and the area.
   
   Beatrice Community Hospital is located about 30 minutes south of Lincoln, Nebraska. With strong donor support, we are providing and building sustainable programs that are improving the lives of our patients, their families and our communities.
   
   Full-Time
   ; Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm with evenings and weekends for events as needed.
   
   Description: Provides strategic fund-raising direction for the organization by working in collaboration with the Foundation Board of Directors to develop and implement fund-raising strategies. Plans, directs, and coordinates all fund-raising and development activities to meet identified strategic goals and initiatives. Responsible for fundraising, donor support, planned giving, data base and records management, development and public relations, and financial reporting. Creates new and maintains existing community partnerships and collaborates with key stakeholders in community events, projects and other outreach opportunities. Accountable for department operations and administration within established timelines and budgets. Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations, Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field. Certifications in fundraising preferred. 2-3 years working in a fundraising office, experience in Raiser's Edge/Blackbaud or donor database management preferred, 3-5 years including supervisory management experience preferred.
   
   Benefits: Medical | Dental | Vision Flexible Spending | Heath Savings Basic Life and AD&D Insurance (paid by BCH) Supplemental Life and AD&D Insurance Disability Insurance (paid by BCH) Retirement Savings Plans 401k discretionary contributions Employee Assistance Program (paid by BCH) Identity Theft Protection Aflac Voluntary Benefits Pharmacy special pricing Paid Time Off | Extended Illness Bank | Bereavement Wellness program | gym reimbursement Onsite education classes
   recblid 1yv4cdxj3kf8sc4zl814i2o13a3wbx

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find foundation directors 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 foundation directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level foundation directors 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 foundation director job on Zippia to find and attract quality foundation director candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with foundation director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 foundation director

   Once you've selected the best foundation director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new foundation director. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a foundation director?