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Fundraisers Occupation Detailed Description

Fundraisers career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Fundraisers

The main tasks and work activities of Fundraisers are to maintain data in information systems or databases, create marketing materials, develop business or market strategies, develop financial or business plans. In general, for the Fundraisers, speaking, writing, active Listening, persuasion and other 13 skills are required.
Fundraisers Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related ExperienceA considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
ExampleMany of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Fundraisers jobs. 3.12% of Fundraisers have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 87.5% of Fundraisers have Bachelor's Degree and Above.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
3.12%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
9.38%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
87.50%

Tasks and Work Activities of Fundraisers

  • Attend community events, meetings, or conferences to promote organizational goals or solicit donations or sponsorships.
  • Contact corporate representatives, government officials, or community leaders to increase awareness of organizational causes, activities, or needs.
  • Create or update donor databases.
  • Design or produce materials such as posters, Web sites, or newsletters to promote, market, or advertise fundraising events.
  • Develop corporate fundraising programs, such as employer gift-matching.
  • Develop fundraising activity plans that maximize participation or contributions and minimize costs.
  • Develop or implement fundraising activities, such as annual giving campaigns or direct mail programs.
  • Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.
  • Direct or coordinate Web-based fundraising activities, such as online auctions or donation Web sites.
  • Direct or supervise fundraising staff, including volunteer staff members.
  • Establish fundraising or participation goals for special events or specified time periods.
  • Explain the tax advantages of contributions to potential donors.
  • Identify and build relationships with potential donors.
  • Monitor budgets, expense reports, or other financial data for fundraising organizations.
  • Monitor progress of fundraising drives.
  • Plan and direct special events for fundraising, such as silent auctions, dances, golf events, or walks.
  • Recruit sponsors, participants, or volunteers for fundraising events.
  • Secure commitments of participation or donation from individuals or corporate donors.
  • Solicit cash or in-kind donations or sponsorships from individual, business, or government donors.
  • Write speeches, press releases, or other promotional materials to increase awareness of the causes, missions, or goals of organizations seeking funds.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Selling or Influencing OthersConvincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Developing Objectives and StrategiesEstablishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Developing and Building TeamsEncouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Maintain data in information systems or databases.
  • Create marketing materials.
  • Develop business or market strategies.
  • Develop financial or business plans.
  • Oversee business processes.
  • Supervise employees.
  • Interpret financial information for others.
  • Develop business relationships.
  • Monitor financial indicators.
  • Organize special events.
  • Coordinate personnel recruitment activities.
  • Prepare proposal documents.
  • Examine financial records.
  • Coordinate logistics or other business operations.
  • Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.

Skills and Abilities for Fundraisers

  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Laser printerse.g. Computer laser printers
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Laser fax machinee.g. Laser facsimile machines
  • Automobiles or carse.g. Passenger cars
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Photocopierse.g. Photocopying equipment
  • Tablet computerse.g. Tablet computers
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Sales and MarketingKnowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  • Communications and MediaKnowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.