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Career

Fundraising Managers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations.

Kinds of work

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

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 $125,470 Median per year · $60.32/hr Most earn $75,130–$222,350

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Assign, supervise, and review the activities of fundraising staff.
  • Produce films and other video products, regulate their distribution, and operate film library.
  • Assign, supervise, and review the activities of fundraising staff.
  • Plan and direct special events for fundraising, such as silent auctions, dances, golf events, or walks.
  • Contact corporate representatives, government officials, or community leaders to increase awareness of organizational causes, activities, or needs.
  • Establish goals for soliciting funds, develop policies for collection and safeguarding of contributions, and coordinate disbursement of funds.

Job outlook

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 3,700 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 schools24.7%
  • Grantmaking and giving services17.2%
  • Social advocacy organizations5.7%
  • Elementary and secondary schools4.5%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals3.5%

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 Manager is not an entry-level job. Most people spend about 4 years earning a bachelor's degree, then 2 to 4 years working in fundraising before moving into a manager role. Starting in this job straight out of school is uncommon.

  1. Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, or a related field

    4 years

    You build the writing, money, and people skills that fundraising depends on, and a degree is the typical education for this career.

  2. Fundraiser

    2-4 years

    You learn to ask donors for support, run campaigns and events, and manage donor relationships, which is the hands-on experience managers are expected to have.

  3. Fundraising Manager

    Ongoing

    You plan fundraising goals, lead a team of fundraisers, set budgets, and decide how to raise money for a nonprofit or special project.

Where it can lead

  1. Social and Community Service Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You oversee whole programs or departments in a community organization, not just fundraising, so you need broader leadership and program experience.

  2. Director of Development

    4-6 years of experience first

    You lead all fundraising and donor work for an organization, often including major gifts, grants, and campaign strategy, and you report to top leadership.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take English, speech, and math classesStrong writing and speaking skills help you write donor appeals and speak to supporters, and math helps you understand budgets and fundraising goals.
  • Join a club or leadership groupStudent council, a service club, or a debate team shows you can organize people, plan events, and speak in front of others.
  • Volunteer with a local nonprofitHelping at a food bank, animal shelter, or charity event lets you see how nonprofits raise money and what donors care about.
  • Help plan a school fundraiserOrganizing a bake sale, car wash, or school event gives you practical experience setting a goal, promoting it, and tracking the money raised.
  • Get a starter job that builds people skillsA job in retail, food service, or customer service teaches you to talk with people, solve problems, and stay friendly under pressure.

In college

  • Major in nonprofit management, communications, or businessThese majors build the writing, marketing, and money skills that fundraising careers use, and a bachelor's degree is the typical education for this career.
  • Take a writing or public speaking coursePersuasive writing and speaking are core to asking people for donations, and you can practice both in class.
  • Get an internship at a nonprofit or charityAn internship lets you work on real donor campaigns, events, or grant writing and gives you experience that counts toward the 2 to 4 years employers look for.
  • Join a student organization or fundraising committeeCampus groups that raise money for causes teach you how to set goals, recruit volunteers, and manage a budget.
  • Take on a campus job in admissions, alumni relations, or developmentMany colleges have offices that raise money from alumni, and working there gives you direct experience with donor relations.

Tips for getting started

  • Get experience early by volunteering for a nonprofit's donation drive, charity event, or fundraising committee. Hands-on work counts toward the 2 to 4 years of experience employers look for.
  • Build strong writing and speaking skills, since fundraisers write appeals and talk with donors every day. Ask a teacher or coach for feedback on your writing.
  • Learn basic money skills, like reading a budget and tracking donations, because managers are responsible for a fundraising budget. Your school may offer a personal finance or business class.

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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