What does a funds development director do?
A funds development director spearheads and oversees the funding operations of a company. It is their duty to make decisions that benefit the company and its overall operations, set goals and monthly objectives, establish guidelines and timelines, liaise with external parties, coordinate with managers and executives, review and analyze funding procedures and documentation, and develop strategies to optimize operations. Moreover, a funds development director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Funds development director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real funds development director resumes:
- Support documentation activities for FDA audits & manage integration activities for acquisitions.
- Resolve financial issues relate to charitable contributions, provide program budgets, process payroll, and oversight management of operating accounts.
- Utilize social media such as Facebook.
- Develop and execute alumni affairs program and relate communications/marketing through email, Facebook and regular mail.
- Identify and solve inside sales-relate issues when implementing Salesforce as a company.
Funds development director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Funds Development Directors are proficient in Portfolio, Donor Relations, and Financial Support. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Funds Development Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Portfolio, 15%
Implemented a computer-based investment reporting system, which reduced reporting time and permitted the calculation of portfolio statistics.
- Donor Relations, 13%
Cultivated major donor relationships and closed major gifts up to $10,000.
- Financial Support, 6%
Developed appeals to generate financial support for multiple academic and athletic programs.
- Real Estate, 5%
Solidified understanding of Real Estate legal environment through extensive lease negotiations and discussions with attorneys representing institutional Real Estate holding companies.
- Appeals, 5%
Managed organization s membership program by implementing annual membership drives and appeals.
- Community Outreach, 5%
Spearheaded the agency's first capital campaign feasibility study to build a new shelter and strengthen community outreach programs.
"portfolio," "donor relations," and "financial support" are among the most common skills that funds development directors use at work. You can find even more funds development director responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a funds development director to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive cooperation from, their media contacts and donors." Funds development directors often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "managed donor relations, grants, development planning, special events, communications, public relations and the annual fund. "
Leadership skills. Many funds development director duties rely on leadership skills. "public relations and fundraising managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities.," so a funds development director will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways funds development director responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "collaborated with other hr specialist groups to embed the new leadership model in all talent practices. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of funds development directors is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday funds development director duties, as "public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "work with the bcp hr managers to evaluate the organizational effectiveness of bcp and develop strategies to meet global changes. "
Problem-solving skills. A big part of what funds development directors do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to funds development director responsibilities because "managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical funds development director tasks: "resolved financial issues related to charitable contributions, provided program budgets, processed payroll, and oversight management of operating accounts. "
Speaking skills. A commonly-found skill in funds development director job descriptions, "speaking skills" is essential to what funds development directors do. Funds development director responsibilities rely on this skill because "public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak on behalf of their organization." You can also see how funds development director duties rely on speaking skills in this resume example: "conducted and presented a pre-campaign feasibility study for the second phase of a 4 million-dollar capital campaign. "
Writing skills. While "writing skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to funds development director responsibilities. Much of what a funds development director does relies on this skill, seeing as "managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of funds development directors: "directed fund raising activities, primarily researching funding sources and grant proposal writing. "
The three companies that hire the most funds development directors are:
- Andersen4 funds development directors jobs
- BNY Mellon3 funds development directors jobs
- Americorps3 funds development directors jobs
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Compare different funds development directors
Funds development director vs. Campaign manager
Campaign managers are responsible for developing, executing, and managing marketing campaigns for events, products, and services targeting consumers or organizations. These professionals typically collaborate with external agencies in the preparation and execution of campaigns. They perform other duties that may include managing the measurement and tracking of marketing campaigns, writing, proofreading, and editing copy for promotional materials, and maintaining regular measurement of the campaigns' ROI. Campaign managers are also expected to evaluate existing marketing campaigns and be up-to-date on the latest marketing trends.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between funds development directors and campaign manager. For instance, funds development director responsibilities require skills such as "portfolio," "donor relations," "financial support," and "real estate." Whereas a campaign manager is skilled in "digital marketing," "email marketing," "email campaigns," and "integrated marketing." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Campaign managers tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $86,390. In contrast, funds development directors make the biggest average salary, $81,385, in the health care industry.The education levels that campaign managers earn slightly differ from funds development directors. In particular, campaign managers are 6.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a funds development director. Additionally, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Funds development director vs. Director of marketing and public relations
A director of marketing and public relations leads and oversees the development and implementation of marketing projects to gain public interest and raise brand awareness. They take the lead in developing marketing and public relations plans, managing publicists and marketing teams, researching opportunities, and conducting regular reviews and assessments to ensure the quality and consistency of materials. They also set goals and guidelines, establish strategies for the daily operations, and coordinate with external parties, releasing press statements as necessary. Moreover, they empower the workforce to reach goals while implementing company standards and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real funds development director resumes. While funds development director responsibilities can utilize skills like "portfolio," "donor relations," "financial support," and "real estate," directors of marketing and public relations use skills like "digital marketing," "marketing campaigns," "marketing mix," and "social media marketing."
On average, directors of marketing and public relations earn a lower salary than funds development directors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, directors of marketing and public relations earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $89,987. Whereas funds development directors have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $81,385.directors of marketing and public relations earn similar levels of education than funds development directors in general. They're 3.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Funds development director vs. Public relations manager
A public relations manager is responsible for monitoring the public relations department to boost its brand image and attract potential clients through press releases and media coverage. They work closely with the marketing team, developing marketing campaigns and promotional strategies for creating brand awareness. Public relations managers maintain the company's presence on various social media platforms, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding the company's goods and services. A public relations manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and profitability.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from funds development director resumes include skills like "portfolio," "donor relations," "financial support," and "real estate," whereas a public relations manager is more likely to list skills in "pr campaigns," "marketing campaigns," "digital marketing," and "fact sheets. "
Public relations managers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $114,540. Comparatively, funds development directors have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $81,385.public relations managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to funds development directors. Specifically, they're 4.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Funds development director vs. Communications officer
A communications officer is responsible for maintaining the brand image of an organization through monitoring marketing campaigns and public relations techniques. Communications officers handle press releases, social media management, media outreach, reviewing digital contents, and disseminating public communications within the company's premises and appropriate audience. They often coordinate with the senior management to develop strategic procedures to improve brand awareness, attracting potential partnerships that would generate more revenues and increase the company's profitability. A communications officer must have excellent leadership skills to monitor the performance of the communications staff and ensure maximum productivity.
Types of funds development director
Updated January 8, 2025
