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The differences between major gifts officers and managers of special events 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 manager of special events. Additionally, a major gifts officer has an average salary of $84,209, which is higher than the $56,716 average annual salary of a manager of special events.
The top three skills for a major gifts officer include moves management, solicitation strategies and donor prospects. The most important skills for a manager of special events are customer service, event planning, and event management.
| Major Gifts Officer | Manager Of Special Events | |
| Yearly salary | $84,209 | $56,716 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $27.27 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,570 | 15,818 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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 manager of special events is responsible for organizing events and programs for a company and various organizations. Managers of special events monitor the event procedures from conceptualization to the actual execution. They analyze the event purpose, manage participants' list, coordinate with suppliers for resources, allocate budget accurately, and ensure that the program outlines and agendas are polished on time. A manager of special events must have excellent communication and organizational skills to deliver a successful event and resolve complications as they arise.
Major gifts officers and managers of special events have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Major Gifts Officer | Manager Of Special Events | |
| Average salary | $84,209 | $56,716 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $31,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | ESPN |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a major gifts officer and a manager of special events in terms of educational background:
| Major Gifts Officer | Manager Of Special Events | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between major gifts officers' and managers of special events' demographics:
| Major Gifts Officer | Manager Of Special Events | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3% |
| 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, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |