What does a fundraising manager do?

What is a Fundraising Manager?

Fundraising managers are responsible for overseeing all of the fundraising functions for organizations or nonprofit entities.

They are the driving force behind fundraising efforts. Without their expertise and efforts a company would not have the funds to continue with their work.

What does a Fundraising Manager do?

Fundraising managers oversee the workforce of paid or volunteer individuals and must keep them on task. They create, teach, lead, and manage the people responsible for bringing in the donations.

Responsibilities include taking care of the budget, managing workers or volunteers, organizing events, developing donors, grant writing, and creating effective strategies for maximizing donations.

The ability to be an effective fundraiser is what makes a fundraising manager successful. Having the best organizing and managing skills mean nothing if, at the end of the day, there is no money raised.

Therefore, creating new and innovative plans is crucial, as is the ability to adapt and change strategies to meet the needs of donor pools and to keep the donations coming.

Fundraising managers interact with the public often. Therefore, it's important that they are comfortable with making conversation, public speaking, and attending events and galas. Being able to communicate effectively and eloquently is very important, as is being up to date on social, political, and newsworthy topics in order to engage in meaningful conversations with potential donors.

Duties of a fundraising manager:

• Develop goals and a plan for raising money
• Refine that plan to adopt strategies and campaigns that reflect the ideals of the company
• Identify and explore donor pools
• Personally handle VIP donors
• Write grant proposals and manage endowments
• Plan and manage marketing efforts like direct mail campaigns
• Plan fundraising events such as dinners, receptions, and parties
• Develop alliances with other organizations
• Work collaboratively to enhance fundraising efforts
• Keep in contact with the CEO and executive board, apprising them of fundraising successes

What is the workplace of a Fundraising Manager like?

Fundraising managers work for non-profit organizations and charities. They typically need a private office space, a team meeting space, and somewhere for their team to do independent work. Depending on the size of the organization, office space can range from luxurious to basic.

Fundraising managers spend a lot of their time on the road, going from meeting to meeting and event to event.