Fundraising jobs are just one of many paid positions within the non- profit world. You see any charity to survive they need one crucial thing, that is money. To get the kind of money they need requires a dedicated individual that knows how to get things done.
Before we get down to the nitty gritty of the job profile here is some important advice.
When thinking about getting a job in the charity sector you should concentrate on causes, you care about. When you care about an issue like the elderly or young children, you will naturally be more passionate. That passion will drive you to outperform even the most educated in the field that is only there for a paycheck. Boards that are charged with hiring people already know this, so go into an interview prepared to let your passion for the organization shine through.
Job Profile- Duties
While exact duties may vary a little from one organization to the next, here are a few of the duties you will be expected to carry out during your fundraising jobs.
- Conduct sales calls
- Set and meet the high fundraising goals of the organization
- Assure all the organizations policies are adhered to
- Develop training for community volunteers
- Oversee training of volunteers
- Keep up with or oversee the company’s database
- Travel
- Create and oversee community fundraising drives
- Work with civic leaders to raise money
- Create marketing that gets the word out about the organization and what they do.
As you can see from the above sample, profile charity fundraising jobs require interaction with people on many different levels. To work in this field, it reauires strong interpersonal skills. Someone who is willing to work with different personalities and accomplish goals. If you are the type of person who really does not like people, this is probably not the job for you. You will have to inspire your volunteers, convince your community leaders, and persuade donators.
You will also need to stay highly motivated and creative to bring in the funds your organization requires. This will call for tenacity and a realization that every no is simply bringing you one-step closer to a yes. A can do attitude will take you further than all the education in the world.
Education/ Qualifications
This will also differ slightly between organizations; however, you can expect education requirements for charity fundraising jobs to look something like this:
- A bachelor’s degree in business or related sales
- Successful sales experience
- Minimum of two years relevant experience in sales or fundraising
- Experience in training and managing people, specifically volunteers
- Superior organizational skills
- Excellent computer skills
- Flexible schedule
When you have a job in the charity sector, you may think that the wages would be peanuts. However, this is not necessarily the case according to research available on pay scale dot com there is quite a range of salaries.
- Less than one year’s experience - $43, 00
- Five to Nine years - $53,000
- Hospital- $61,391
- College and University- $99,000
Advancement
The title of Fundraising Director may leave you thinking that there is little in the way of advancement opportunities. While that may be true for a particular organization that is not to say, there is no way to move up.
When you first begin, you may find yourself working for a small local charitable organization. This is a good place to begin learning how to deal with volunteers, community members, and even the media to a small extent. As you learn and grow the opportunity to move to larger corporations or worldwide charitable organizations is always a possibility. When you have proven yourself with in smaller charities the door will swing wide for bigger opportunities.
