Career Development

What Does a Fundraising Coordinator Do?

Learn more about what it takes to succeed as a fundraising coordinator, the skills you'll need to become one, and what you can expect on the job.

Fundraising coordinators are responsible for overseeing the fundraising efforts of an organization. They work with a team of other professionals to develop and implement strategies that will raise money for their organization.

Fundraising coordinators may also be tasked with managing relationships with donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders. This might include developing plans for how these individuals can best contribute to the organization’s goals, as well as coordinating events or meetings where they can engage with one another.

Fundraising Coordinator Job Duties

A fundraising coordinator typically has a wide range of responsibilities, which can include:

  • Managing events such as walks or runs to raise money for a cause or organization
  • Identifying potential donors who can contribute significant amounts of money or have access to large networks of potential donors
  • Maintaining contact with donor records to ensure that all donations are recorded accurately
  • Managing the organization’s database of donors, including contact information and gift histories
  • Developing marketing strategies for events such as galas or telethons to ensure that the event is successful and meets its fundraising goals
  • Coordinating the work of volunteers at events by providing training and supervision
  • Coordinating with other departments within an organization to ensure that fundraising goals are met
  • Managing the organization’s donor database to track contributions and ensure prompt payment of pledges
  • Preparing reports on donor activity for executive staff members within the organization

Fundraising Coordinator Salary & Outlook

Fundraising coordinators’ salaries vary depending on their level of education, years of experience, and the size and industry of the organization. They may also earn additional compensation in the form of bonuses or commissions.

  • Median Annual Salary: $41,500 ($19.95/hour)
  • Top 10% Annual Salary: $79,500 ($38.22/hour)

The employment of fundraising coordinators is expected to grow much faster than average over the next decade.

Organizations that raise funds from donors or grantors will need fundraising coordinators to organize and direct fundraising efforts. Organizations also will need fundraising coordinators to help with special fundraising projects, such as capital campaigns.

Fundraising Coordinator Job Requirements

A fundraising coordinator typically needs the following qualifications:

Education: Fundraising coordinators are typically required to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as communications, marketing or public relations. Some of the coursework that these programs offer includes direct-mail marketing, grant writing, nonprofit management and fundraising.

Training & Experience: Fundraising coordinators typically receive on-the-job training from their new employers. This training may include learning about the organization’s mission, how to use the organization’s fundraising software and how to interact with donors.

Certifications & Licenses: While certifications are not usually required for fundraising coordinators, these professionals can seek certifications to gain additional knowledge about their responsibilities, test their professional skills and potentially increase their earning potential.

Fundraising Coordinator Skills

Fundraising coordinators need the following skills in order to be successful:

Communication: Communication is an essential skill for a fundraising coordinator. You may be responsible for communicating with donors, volunteers, sponsors and other stakeholders. You may also be responsible for creating and sending regular updates to your organization’s board of directors. Effective communication can help you to keep everyone informed and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Organization: A fundraising coordinator needs to be organized to ensure they meet their goals. You should be able to keep track of donations, volunteer schedules and other important information. Organization skills can also help you delegate tasks to other members of your team.

Time management: Time management is another skill that can be useful for fundraising coordinators. This is because they often have many tasks to complete in a short period of time. For example, they may be responsible for organizing and overseeing a large fundraising event. This means they may need to manage the time of many volunteers and ensure that all the necessary preparations are made in time.

Problem-solving: As a fundraising coordinator, you may be responsible for planning and executing fundraising events. This may include finding venues, securing sponsorships and planning the event’s budget. Being able to solve problems is an important skill for a fundraising coordinator to have. You may be responsible for finding solutions to challenges such as finding enough volunteers to staff an event or finding ways to reduce the event’s budget.

Networking: Networking is the process by which you build relationships with others. As a fundraising coordinator, you may need to network with potential donors, volunteers and other organizations. This can help you find potential sources of funding, volunteers and other resources for your organization.

Fundraising Coordinator Work Environment

The work of a fundraising coordinator is often done in an office, but it may also require travel to meet with donors or attend events. The coordinator’s hours are typically regular, but there may be times when extra work is required, such as during a major fundraising drive. The work is generally not strenuous, but it can be demanding, especially when there is a lot of paperwork to be done. The coordinator must be able to work independently and have good organizational skills.

Fundraising Coordinator Trends

Here are three trends influencing how fundraising coordinators work. Fundraising coordinators will need to stay up-to-date on these developments to keep their skills relevant and maintain a competitive advantage in the workplace.

The Growth of Online Giving

The growth of online giving is a trend that is quickly changing the way that people donate money to charities. With the rise of social media and smartphones, more and more people are donating money through online channels.

This means that fundraising coordinators will need to be familiar with online giving platforms and how to use them to raise money for their organization. They will also need to be able to market their organization’s cause to potential donors online.

More Focus on Donor Relationships

As fundraising becomes increasingly competitive, organizations are placing a greater emphasis on developing strong donor relationships. This is because donors who feel connected to an organization are more likely to give again in the future, which can help to sustain a charity’s operations.

Fundraising coordinators can capitalize on this trend by focusing on building personal connections with donors. This can be done through direct communication, such as phone calls or emails, or through events and other activities that bring donors together with staff members.

Greater Use of Technology in Fundraising

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in fundraising efforts. This is due to the fact that technology makes it easier for fundraisers to reach out to potential donors and communicate with them in a variety of ways.

As technology continues to evolve, fundraising coordinators will need to learn how to use it to their advantage. This includes learning how to create effective digital campaigns and using social media to connect with potential donors.

How to Become a Fundraising Coordinator

A fundraising coordinator career can be a great way to get your foot in the door of the nonprofit sector. As a fundraiser, you’ll be responsible for developing and implementing fundraising campaigns that will help your organization reach its goals. This could include anything from writing letters asking for donations to planning events that raise money.

To become a successful fundraiser, it’s important to have strong communication skills and be able to build relationships with potential donors. You should also be comfortable working with numbers and statistics, as you’ll need to track the progress of your campaigns and measure their success.

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