Charity Work
A charity fund raiser searches for innovative ways to raise revenue for their charity and contributes to the development of the organization. As a charity fund raiser, your job would be to think of new ways to generate funds and raise local and or global awareness of your charity’s organization.
The Hours
Your role as a charity fund raiser is not a typical 9 to 5, Monday through Friday job. It is normal to work on weekends either organizing or attending fun and exciting social events that uncover the advantages of giving to your charity or ensuring the success of your charity.
Essential Skills
Proven success as a fund raiser for a charitable organization is required, as well as a minimum of 3 years work experience in a full-time role as a fund raiser. Applicants need to display excellent networking skills with individuals on a community, executive level, and private basis using the most discreet skills possible to protect the ambiguity of the fund givers.
In addition, experience working with and managing budgets, project management and people skills, as well as analytical skills are helpful.
An applicant should feel comfortable with people from all walks of life, such as, those from varied socio-economic backgrounds or people with disabilities, displaying a sincere enthusiastic approach to people and the charity’s mission and goals.
Charity Work – The Opportunity
As a charity fund raiser your role could include the following activities:
- Represent the organisation at radio, television, or online events.
- Develop successful media, marketing, and social networking campaigns.
- Develop and coordinate written or electronic external communications.
- Manage and expand funding partnerships with current and potential new funders.
- Organize comprehensive multi-year fund raising events such as galas, sporting events, and telethons.
- Oversee budgets, staffing, reporting, and present them to the board.
- Meet or exceed fund-raising targets
Training and Development
Training varies depending on the organization, often with a lot of hands-on or on-the-job training to understand how the charity operates.
Organisations such as the Institute of Fundraising and the Directory of Social Change offer short courses and other organisations offer distance learning for people with limited experience as a fund raiser.
Skills and Knowledge
Charity organisations typically look for candidates that possess:
- Experience building, capturing, and growing fund raising using social networks.
- Excellent budget, management, reporting, and analytical skills.
- The ability to think creatively and strategically.
- A desire to lead a diverse team towards a common goal.
Salary Expectations
On average, a starting salary for full-time work as a charity fund raiser is between £18,000 and £23,000 a year or up to £30,000 you have previous experience. You can even earn up to £50,000 per year for positions in larger charities.
Career Choices
There are opportunities with corporations, national or local charities, political groups as well as ‘non-profit’ organisations. Using your motivational, organizational, and strategic knowledge, you can move forward in your career and further develop your skills by working for larger organisations, developing or conducting training for fund raisers, or starting your own not-for-profit organisation.
Futher Help and Information
See Working For A Charity www.wfac.org.uk
Institute of Fundraising www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
Volunteer Development Agency www.volunteering-ni.org
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