Charities fundraiser

Charities fundraiser job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Fundraising posts within charities and other organisations are usually paid rather than voluntary and may offer a range of benefits such as performance-linked pay and a car allowance. Typical responsibilities include:

• organising and helping with traditional fundraising activities such as sponsored or promotional events, raffles, house-to-house and street collections
• recruiting and coordinating the work of volunteers
• approaching individuals, schools, universities, local authorities, shops and commercial organisations for sponsorship and donations
• developing novel fundraising ideas and events.

Promotional prospects are good for committed individuals, who can gain a great deal of job satisfaction through their career success. There has also been rapid growth in the number of part-time positions, which now account for 40 per cent of all jobs in this sector, so if you are interested in flexible or family-friendly working this field could provide excellent opportunities.

Typical employers for charity fundraisers

Vacancies are advertised by careers services, in newspapers, Community Care and specialist charity sector publications such as Charity Times, Third Sector and Professional Fundraising. It is advisable to make speculative applications and you may find useful information in the Voluntary Agencies Directory and Charities Digest. Local charities and volunteer bureaux can often provide work experience placements.

Qualifications and training required

Any degree is acceptable for entry into the profession. Qualifications in the following subjects may be particularly helpful:

• finance
• business studies
• management
• marketing
• public relations.

Strong competition for initial opportunities normally makes relevant skills and work experience more important than academic qualifications.

Key skills for charities fundraisers

• Sales and negotiation abilities
• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Good organisation
• Administrative skills
• Resourcefulness
• Creative thinking
• Effective problem solving.