What is a fundraising director and how to become one

Key steps to become a fundraising director

1. Explore fundraising director education requirements

   Most common fundraising director degrees

   Bachelor's

   77.2 %

   Master's

   10.4 %

   Associate

   7.6 %

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2. Start to develop specific fundraising director skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Non-Profit Organization	20.48%
   Donor Relationships	15.30%
   Volunteer Recruitment	9.63%
   Capital Campaign	7.45%
   Fund Raising	6.98%

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3. Complete relevant fundraising director training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fundraising directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a fundraising director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fundraising director resumes.

4. Research fundraising director duties and responsibilities

   • Manage fundraiser with third party; currently raise over $2500 in one month on literacy fundraiser.
   • Manage organization s membership program by implementing annual membership drives and appeals.
   • Collaborate in fundraising with alumni appeals, grant research and proposals, and mass mailing campaigns.
   • Update and maintain the business Facebook page.

5. Get fundraising director experience

   Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a fundraising director. The most common roles before becoming a fundraising director include internship, volunteer team lead and administrative assistant.

6. Apply for fundraising director jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a fundraising director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams