May 15, 2003 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Q. It’s hard not to notice that nine out of 10 nonprofit job listings are in fund raising. Are development jobs the standard entry-level positions, and are they often a steppingstone to program-related jobs?
A. Because there are many different kinds of fund-raising positions, it’s possible that some charities use them as a steppingstone for program-related jobs. And certainly, many program workers pick up fund-raising duties as they take on leadership roles. But in general, development is a career path in its own right, says Cecelia T. Fullam, senior vice president of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System Foundation, in Great Neck, N.Y. “Today, you see more people entering the marketplace from college and taking entry-level positions in alumni relations, annual giving, and special events and working their way up the ladder,” she says. And many of these organizations try to fill their senior-level fund-raising positions from within, she says, a reflection of the field’s emphasis on relationships.
The reason you’re seeing so many openings for fund raisers in the classifieds isn’t because the jobs are necessarily entry-level opportunities, but because charities these days are desperate to increase their revenue sources, says William Hinman, a fund-raising consultant in Winston-Salem, N.C., who works with nonprofit clients. “When times are good, and donations are strong and confident, it is easier to add to program and other ‘nonrevenue producing’ positions,” he says. “However, with the economic downturn, anxiety over the war on terrorism, and the continuing burgeoning of the nonprofit field, organizations are focused on only adding staff who can help the bottom line.” And, Mr. Hinman points out, the skills, experience, and personality needed to succeed in development may be vastly different from the criteria needed for a job on the program side.
For more information about careers in fund raising, get more information from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. You might want to also take a look at Careers in Fundraising, by Lilya Wagner (John Wiley & Sons, 2002, $19.95, or $17.95 through the association), and at a new edition of a book published this month, Non-Profits Job Finder: Where the Jobs Are in Charities & Nonprofits, by Daniel Lauber and Jennifer Atkin (Planning Communications, $16.95). And, of course, you can check out Philanthropy Career’s Job Seeker’s Primer for more information on conducting a nonprofit employer search.
Got a question about job hunting, managing, or recruiting in the nonprofit world? Send it to us a hotline@philanthropy.com
