Job Description
Charity fundraisers are responsible for raising money, they will do this in various ways from organising events and activities to encouraging donations from businesses and individuals. They will constantly have to think of new fund raising ideas as well as using the traditional methods and will need excellent communication skills to enable them to forge positive relationships with supporters and to help raise the awareness of the charity's work, aims and goals.
Entry Requirements
You can get into this job through:
Apprenticeship
You could do a social media and digital marketing higher apprenticeship, which could help you get into online fundraising.
You'll usually need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship.
Click here to search for an apprenticeship.
University
You could do a degree subject relevant to working in fundraising, which may give you an advantage when applying for jobs, especially in corporate fundraising.
Subjects include:
- marketing
- media and communications
- public relations
- business studies
You could also do a university course in a subject like voluntary sector management or public service management.
You'll usually need 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree.
Click here to search for a suitable course.
Work
You could start out working for a charity in an admin or support role and move into fundraising once you've got more experience in the voluntary sector.
Direct application
You can apply directly to get into charity fundraising, if you've got relevant experience from other work, for example advertising, public relations, events, sales or finance.
Other routes
You could do a specialist course like the Certificate or Diploma in Fundraising offered by the Institute of Fundraising. You'll normally need to be working in fundraising to do these.
Some of the larger charities also offer graduate training schemes.
Career tips
Volunteering is a good way to get experience in fundraising and the other sides of charity work. It's also a great way to start making contacts in the sector, which can lead to paid job opportunities. You can find out more about volunteering through the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Employers will usually be more interested in your skills, experience and commitment to working in the charity sector than in your formal qualifications.
You can get more advice about working and training in the charity sector through the Institute of Fundraising and CharityJob.
Career path and progression
You could work towards a professional qualification from the Institute of Fundraising.
With experience, you could move into charity management, or become a self-employed fundraising consultant.
Related careers you may be interested in:
- Events Manager
- Arts Administrator
Required Skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Persistence and determination
- Good customer service skills
- The ability to use you own initiative
- Creativity to think of new ideas
- Attention to detail
- Good organisational skills
- Good sales abilities
- Sensitivity and understanding
Salary Range
£20,000 to £60,000
