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The differences between major gifts officers and community relations 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 major gifts officer and a community relations director. Additionally, a community relations director has an average salary of $96,788, which is higher than the $84,209 average annual salary of a major gifts officer.
The top three skills for a major gifts officer include moves management, solicitation strategies and donor prospects. The most important skills for a community relations director are community relations, community events, and memory care.
| Major Gifts Officer | Community Relations Director | |
| Yearly salary | $84,209 | $96,788 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $46.53 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,570 | 33,569 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A major gifts officer is responsible for coordinating with organizations and sponsors for donation purposes to support an institution's cause and activities for social services. Major gifts officers identify donors by conducting in-depth research, usually those personalities who have a history of donating to organizations. They provide presentations and an objective outline to the potential sponsors, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and manage their presence during the event proper. A major gifts officer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports and planning events efficiently.
A community relations director is an individual who is responsible for managing positive relationships with community members, nonprofit organizations, and fellow employees surrounding an organization. Community relations directors must plan, organize, and manage activities to help the organization achieve its public relations goal. They need to interface with vital community groups so that they can ensure the organization is producing effective results. Community relations managers must also assist in preparing a variety of publicity materials such as speeches and media content.
Major gifts officers and community relations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Major Gifts Officer | Community Relations Director | |
| Average salary | $84,209 | $96,788 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $61,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New York |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | Zoho |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a major gifts officer and a community relations director in terms of educational background:
| Major Gifts Officer | Community Relations Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between major gifts officers' and community relations directors' demographics:
| Major Gifts Officer | Community Relations Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |