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The differences between major gifts officers and vice president of communications 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 vice president of communication. Additionally, a vice president of communication has an average salary of $156,662, 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 vice president of communication are strategic communications, external communications, and press releases.
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Communication | |
| Yearly salary | $84,209 | $156,662 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $75.32 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,570 | 43,726 |
| 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 vice president of communication is in charge of overseeing and implementing internal and external communication programs. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, allocating budgets, delegating tasks, liaising with key clients, and managing the workforce to ensure an efficient workflow. They may also produce progress reports for the president and other executives, prepare presentations, develop business plans, and devise strategies to optimize services and operations. Furthermore, as vice president, it is essential to implement the company's policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed.
Major gifts officers and vice president of communications have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Communication | |
| Average salary | $84,209 | $156,662 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $94,000 And $258,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Media |
There are a few differences between a major gifts officer and a vice president of communication in terms of educational background:
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Communication | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between major gifts officers' and vice president of communications' demographics:
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Communication | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 44.9% Female, 55.1% |
| 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% |