Fundraisers

What Fundraisers 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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

1.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.6/5
• English Languageimportance 4.3/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 3.9/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.7/5
• Communications and Mediaimportance 3.4/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 3.4/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.3/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.0/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
• Telephone Conversations5.0/5
• Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.7/5
• Contact With Others4.6/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4/5

Related Careers

• Fundraising Managers
• Public Relations Specialists
• Advertising and Promotions Managers
• Social and Community Service Managers
• Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
• Public Relations Managers
• Personal Financial Advisors
• Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Fundraising Managers97% skill match
• Clergy97% skill match
• Labor Relations Specialists97% skill match
• Sales Managers97% skill match
• Lawyers97% skill match
• Financial Managers97% skill match
• Music Directors and Composers97% skill match
• Education Administrators, Postsecondary96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Persuasionimportance 4.0/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.9/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.8/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.6/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.5/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.4/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Social Orientation
• Achievement Orientation
• Optimism
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Cooperation
• Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• SocialMedium
• ConventionalMedium
• ArtisticMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where fundraisers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Amherst Town-Northampton, MA6.92× national avg
2. 2Lawrence, KS4.55× national avg
3. 3Pittsfield, MA3.63× national avg
4. 4Missoula, MT3.36× national avg
5. 5Charlottesville, VA3.28× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Fundraising ManagersCareer Change
• Advertising and Promotions ManagersCareer Change
• Sales ManagersCareer Change
• Financial ManagersCareer Change

See the full career path from Fundraisers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.