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The differences between major gifts officers and vice presidents of public relations 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 public relations. Additionally, a vice president of public relations has an average salary of $143,172, 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 public relations are press releases, external communications, and business development.
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Yearly salary | $84,209 | $143,172 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $68.83 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,570 | 55,300 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 84% |
| 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 public relations oversees the public relations efforts of a company, aiming for brand awareness and public interest. It is their duty to establish timelines and guidelines, develop projects and programs, monitor budgets, liaise and build positive relationships with media partners, and coordinate with public relations experts. There are also instances when they must represent the company at public gatherings or when facilitating press conferences. Moreover, as a vice president, it is essential to enforce the company's policies and regulations, implementing new ones as needed.
Major gifts officers and vice presidents of public relations have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Average salary | $84,209 | $143,172 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $88,000 And $232,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | We Communications |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a major gifts officer and a vice president of public relations in terms of educational background:
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 84% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between major gifts officers' and vice presidents of public relations' demographics:
| Major Gifts Officer | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| 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, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |