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Career

Fundraisers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Organize activities to raise funds or otherwise solicit and gather monetary donations or other gifts for an organization. May design and produce promotional materials. May also raise awareness of the organization's work, goals, and financial needs.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $72,550 Median per year · $34.88/hr Most earn $46,630–$115,820

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Establish fundraising or participation goals for special events or specified time periods.
  • Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.
  • Contact corporate representatives, government officials, or community leaders to increase awareness of organizational causes, activities, or needs.
  • Attend community events, meetings, or conferences to promote organizational goals or solicit donations or sponsorships.
  • Explain the tax advantages of contributions to potential donors.
  • Monitor budgets, expense reports, or other financial data for fundraising organizations.

Job outlook

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 10,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools17.2%
  • Grantmaking and giving services16.0%
  • Social advocacy organizations6.7%
  • Elementary and secondary schools4.6%
  • Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services3.4%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Fundraising is a career you usually reach after finishing a bachelor's degree and gaining a few years of related experience, so it isn't typically a first job straight out of school. Most people spend roughly 2 to 4 years in an entry role before stepping into fundraising work.

  1. Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business, or nonprofit management

    4 years

    You build writing, public speaking, and organization skills, which are the core tools fundraisers use every day to ask for support.

  2. Development Assistant

    1-3 years

    You support a fundraising team by tracking donations, writing thank-you letters, helping with events, and learning how donors give and what keeps them involved.

  3. Fundraiser

    You plan campaigns and events, ask donors for gifts, create promotional materials, and share the organization's work and financial needs.

Where it can lead

  1. Fundraising Manager

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move from running your own campaigns to leading a team, setting fundraising goals, and managing budgets and major donor relationships.

  2. Social and Community Service Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You take on wider leadership of a nonprofit or community program, overseeing staff, funding, and the group's overall goals, which often grows out of fundraising experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Join student council or a club that runs fundraisersPlanning a school event and asking people to support it is hands-on practice with the exact skills fundraisers use.
  • Take English, speech, or communications classesStrong writing and speaking skills help you ask for support clearly and persuasively.
  • Volunteer for a charity or community groupYou'll see how nonprofits run campaigns and meet people who work in fundraising.
  • Get a customer service or retail jobTalking with many different people builds the friendly, confident communication that donor relationships depend on.
  • Take math or statisticsBasic number skills help you read budgets, track results, and understand which campaigns work.

In college

  • Major in nonprofit management, communications, marketing, or businessThese majors teach the writing, planning, and organizational skills that employers look for in fundraising roles.
  • Get a campus job at the alumni or development officeMany schools hire students to help with donor outreach and events, which gives you real fundraising experience while you study.
  • Intern with a nonprofit's development or communications teamAn internship lets you work on real campaigns and gives you examples to show future employers.
  • Lead a fundraiser for a student organizationOrganizing a project from start to finish, including asking for donations, builds experience you can describe in job interviews.
  • Take a writing or public speaking courseFundraisers write appeals and present to donors, so these skills are used in almost every task.

Tips for getting started

  • Volunteer with a nonprofit that holds fundraising events, such as a food bank or animal shelter, so you can learn what donors respond to and add real experience to your resume.
  • Practice writing short, friendly messages like thank-you notes and event invitations, since clear writing is one of the most useful everyday skills in this job.
  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets and basic data tracking early, because fundraisers often keep track of donors, gifts, and follow-ups.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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