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Frequently Asked Questions

Question

What should we look for in a director of development and what is the typical salary range?

Answer

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There's nothing like actual experience and a proven track record. Unfortunately for organizations looking for their first director of development, experience and track records cost money. The fundraising profession has become a competitive field with more and more organizations bidding for the services of experienced development professionals.

Even if you can afford someone with experience, make sure your top candidates for the job have the kind of experience that fits your job description. In other words a grassroots organization that wants to build a broad-based donor constituency around a particular issue needs to look for someone with experience in similar organizations. On the other hand, an organization that defines its fundraising program as mostly seeking corporate gifts will want to look for someone very different.

There are some generic skills that contribute to fundraising success. These include, but are not limited to:

excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
being well organized
a self starter
able to see and work within the big picture
able to work behind the scenes
works well with a diverse range of people

All job skills and experience have some intrinsic market value. Of course, many factors determine what a seller (the job seeker) is willing to take and what the buyer (the nonprofit organization) is willing to pay. To put it more simply, most of the salaries of professional positions live within a standard range, with a number of factors determining the final number in a specific situation.

How much a particular organization should pay depends on what it wants and how much it can reasonably afford to pay. Generally, development directors are considered senior management positions and therefore such positions often command higher level salaries (relative to other agency positions). It is not uncommon for the development director to be the second highest paid person on the staff. In fact, in most smaller agencies, the primary fundraising responsibility is with the highest paid employee -- the executive director.

In pure numbers, the range of compensation for people with the director of development title runs from $20,000 - $150,000. From the organization's point of view, it needs to determine whether it can afford to pay for someone with experience and a track record in the development field. Even people with only two or three years experience are likely to seek annual salaries of $35,000 - $40,000. Significant experience (5 years or more) quickly runs into ranges from $45,000 - $80,000.

Small organizations that cannot afford this salary level might also consider seeking a part-time person. Total dollars will be less, but the higher full time equivalent (FTE) salary can attract experienced people who are seeking a part-time situation. In many cases a part-time person with experience will be more productive than a full-time novice.

On the other hand, many of the skills that make for a successful director of development are available in people with no development experience: writing, verbal skills, ability to work well with different types of people. All that is really lacking is actual development work experience. Because the development profession offers individuals a solid career track with numerous opportunities for advancement, many very capable people are willing to work for relatively lower salaries. The downside to this approach, of course, is that these people are likely to be successful and will soon be looking for more money.

Another approach that has proven successful is to have the executive director be the manager of the development program. This strategy usually works in small to medium size agencies. This arrangement usually requires other staff to assist with some management responsibilities. Even if the executive director does not have primary responsibility for development, she should be very supportive of the office, offering to regularly assist with personal calls, strategy development, board work, etc.