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The differences between major gifts officers and directors of public affairs 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 director of public affairs. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, 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 director of public affairs are government affairs, public policy, and external stakeholders.
| Major Gifts Officer | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Yearly salary | $84,209 | $114,639 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $55.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,570 | 26,290 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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.
Directors of Public Affairs are executives who manage the public relations and communications initiatives of the company. They oversee all external communications that are intended for broadcast. They create guidelines on the proper crafting of communication materials that will be published or broadcasted. They also lead the public affairs department in networking activities and industry events. Directors of Public Affairs must be level-headed, calm, and creative. They should know how to communicate with the public, handle crises, and create successful brands.
Major gifts officers and directors of public affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Major Gifts Officer | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average salary | $84,209 | $114,639 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $70,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | Kaiser Permanente |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a major gifts officer and a director of public affairs in terms of educational background:
| Major Gifts Officer | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between major gifts officers' and directors of public affairs' demographics:
| Major Gifts Officer | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% |
| 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, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |