Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between major gifts officers and grant managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a major gifts officer, becoming a grant manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a major gifts officer has an average salary of $84,209, which is higher than the $60,692 average annual salary of a grant manager.
The top three skills for a major gifts officer include moves management, solicitation strategies and donor prospects. The most important skills for a grant manager are grants management, financial reports, and oversight.
| Major Gifts Officer | Grant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $84,209 | $60,692 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $29.18 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 63,570 | 7,726 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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 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. They coordinate with clients and project management team to inform them of requirements and processes for approval, including the implementation of strategies to identify grant opportunities and policies. A grant manager handles the grant team for efficient coordination to make sure the efficient execution and analysis of grant programs.
Major gifts officers and grant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Major Gifts Officer | Grant Manager | |
| Average salary | $84,209 | $60,692 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $46,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Arlington, VA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | Low Income Investment Fund |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between a major gifts officer and a grant manager in terms of educational background:
| Major Gifts Officer | Grant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between major gifts officers' and grant managers' demographics:
| Major Gifts Officer | Grant Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% |
| 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, 12.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 14% |