Fundraising Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations.
What it pays
Fundraising Managers earn a median of $60.32/hr — about $125,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $36.12/hr; the top 10% earn $106.90/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Fundraising Managers earn a median of $60.32/hr — about $125,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $36.12/hr; the top 10% earn $106.90/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Assign, supervise, and review the activities of fundraising staff.
- Compile or develop materials to submit to granting or other funding organizations.
- Conduct research to identify the goals, net worth, charitable donation history, or other data related to potential donors, potential investors, or general donor markets.
- Contact corporate representatives, government officials, or community leaders to increase awareness of organizational causes, activities, or needs.
- Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures.
- Develop fundraising activity plans that maximize participation or contributions and minimize costs.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.2% of fundraising managers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a fundraising manager make?
- The median pay is $60.32 per hour — roughly $125,500 a year, with the real range running from about $36.12/hr (10th percentile) to $106.90/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a fundraising manager?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a fundraising manager actually do all day?
- Assign, supervise, and review the activities of fundraising staff. Compile or develop materials to submit to granting or other funding organizations. Conduct research to identify the goals, net worth, charitable donation history, or other data related to potential donors, potential investors, or general donor markets.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.