Set a campaign's goal
In a budget spreadsheet, weigh likely gifts against event and mailing costs, then decide what to fund.
Career profile
Fundraising Manager
Fundraising managers lead the staff and the strategies that raise money for a nonprofit.
A campaign falling behind means deciding where the budget and the team's hours go next. Meanwhile, you keep donors tied to the causes they support.
A day in the life
Prepare for a donor meeting
Study a donor's giving, discuss a possible gift, and shape a pitch to their interests with program heads.
Redirect the team's outreach
Meet with your staff fundraisers, and if results lag, reset priorities and say who contacts which supporters next.
Review a grant request
Confirm the request explains the program and budget clearly, then plan how you'll update the funder.
Follow up on a new gift
After a gift arrives, arrange a thank-you or program update so the donor stays connected past the ask.
Quick facts
Bachelor’s + experience
United States · 2025
$125,470/year
United States · 2025
5.4% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Bachelor’s + experienceTypical preparation includes a bachelor’s degree and five or more years of related work.
Pay
$125,470/yearNational median for fundraising managers; about $60.32 an hour.
Outlook
5.4% projected growthAbout 3,700 openings per year are projected, including replacements.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy listening before asking someone to support an idea.
- You like checking whether a plan’s numbers make sense.
- You are comfortable setting priorities for other people.
Things to weigh
- You are accountable for fundraising goals, even though you cannot control whether someone gives.
- Some roles involve substantial donor travel and occasional evening or weekend events.
Where AI may help
Some donor systems now include artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Blackbaud’s can surface donor information and help draft outreach before a meeting.
What people still lead
You still review facts and donor-facing messages, and decide whether the timing and tone fit the relationship.
What we can’t predict yet
How much outreach managers will delegate remains uncertain: useful drafts still need checking, and a message that feels impersonal can undermine the conversation.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $125,470 a year, roughly $60.32 an hour. This describes managers across experience levels, not a first fundraising job.
The spread is wide
The 10th-percentile annual wage is $75,130; the 90th is $222,350. These mark positions in the wage distribution, not starting and senior salaries.
Workplace type matters
Annual medians were $144,810 in hospitals, $129,520 in educational services, and $102,650 in social assistance. These compare groups of jobs, not identical roles with different employers.
Openings include replacements
Employment is projected to grow 5.4% over 2025–2035, with about 3,700 openings annually from growth and replacement needs. That is a national projection, not a count of jobs available today.
Getting started
Combine college with fundraising experience
- What the route involves
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in a field such as communications or business, then build experience in fundraising.
- What it can lead to
- You develop the education and related work background commonly sought for management positions.
- What to check
- A degree alone is not the usual preparation: the national benchmark includes five or more years of related experience.
Build an equivalent experience record
- What the route involves
- Build substantial fundraising experience and a record of securing gifts, then target employers that accept experience in place of a degree.
- What it can lead to
- Some development leadership positions accept an equivalent-experience route.
- What to check
- Requirements vary. A university director role accepting this substitution still requires eight or more years of relevant experience.
Management usually comes after several years of related work. These routes build toward that responsibility.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn your organization’s donor records and reporting habits. Keep clear notes so colleagues can follow through on conversations.
Build your range
Take responsibility for a broader fundraising budget, coach staff, and learn to oversee grants as well as individual gifts.
Lead at a larger scale
A senior director role can add supervision of other fundraising leaders and mentoring across the team.
- Deepen your specialty in major gifts, planning longer relationships around substantial donations.
Where you can work
Universities
Work with faculty, alumni, and specialized donor-research colleagues. Major-gift roles can involve extensive travel to connect donors with academic priorities.
- Office
- Travel
Food banks
Your remit can span grants, corporate sponsorships, and community events. Travel often connects you with supporters across the food bank’s service area.
- Office
- Travel
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Plan a fictional campaign to raise $2,000 for a school club. Compare an event with a direct appeal, estimate costs, and divide the work among three helpers. Then halve the expected donations and revise your plan. Notice whether you enjoy making budget and people decisions together.
Stay safe: Keep it on paper; do not collect money or use real donor information.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 11-2033.00 — Fundraising Managers. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Fundraising Managers. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Public Relations and Fundraising Managers. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- River Bend Food Bank. Development Director — April 2025. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Harvard University. Director of Development — 003955SR. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Missouri State University. 1773 Senior Director of Development. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Blackbaud. What fundraisers asked about Chat for Blackbaud AI—and what to try next. Accessed 2026-10-04.