What does a fundraiser do, anyway?

When people hear the term ‘fundraiser’, they often think of people in high-vis jackets with clipboards. You know, the ones that chase you down the road, trying to get you to sign up for direct debits.

This is a legitimate type of fundraising (known as face-to-face or street fundraising), but it’s just one of the ways charities generate money.

Before we delve into the different types of fundraising, let’s go back to the original question: What does a fundraiser do?

In a nutshell, fundraisers raise money for charitable causes. And they do it using a combination of research, marketing, and sales tactics.

What type of fundraising roles are there?

Large charities usually have a team of fundraisers that carry out specialist fundraising functions, (Major Donor Fundraising, Corporate Fundraising, Event Fundraising etc.,) while smaller organisations will typically recruit one person to do it all.

Here’s the lowdown on the various roles.

Community Fundraiser

Community fundraisers are the main point of contact for fundraising involving members of the public.

Go down this route and you’ll enjoy a varied workload. On any given day you could be recruiting volunteers, attending community events, preparing thank-you letters, or managing relationships with donors.

A key aspect of the role is building positive relationships in the community.

If you can get on with people from all walks of life and happy to get involved in a variety of fundraising activities, this could be the role for you.

Corporate Fundraiser

Corporate fundraisers specialise in cultivating relationships with businesses.

When done well, this can be an extremely lucrative form of fundraising.

Corporate support can take many forms, from matched giving to donations of goods and services.

To succeed as a corporate fundraiser, you need to be persuasive and outgoing, have a good head for business, and a knack for building relationships with corporate clients.

Events Fundraiser

An ‘event’ can be anything from a local charity pub quiz to sponsorship of an international sporting competition.

As an events fundraiser, you’ll juggle lots of plates and work to tight deadlines. You’ll be required to develop, manage and promote events, whilst working to meet monthly fundraising targets.

To succeed, you need to be organised, calm under pressure, able to multitask, and great at communicating with everyone, from volunteers to event suppliers.

Legacy Fundraiser

A legacy is a financial gift left in someone’s Will.

The job of a legacy fundraiser is to navigate the legal and administrative aspects of securing donations. and nurture relationships with supporters, with the view to persuade them to leave donation in their Will.

As a legacy fundraiser, you need to be empathetic, patient, and well-versed in legal and regulatory issues.

If you have an interest in law or accountancy, this role may be right up your street.

Major Donor Fundraiser

Some charities rely on a small number of high-net-worth individuals to fund their activities. These individuals are called major donors.

The job of a major donor fundraiser is to seek out potential donors and build long-term relationships with them to secure lasting income.

Because of the large sums of money involved, relationships with major donors require a lot of time and attention. Therefore, relationship building is key to the role. You also need to be level-headed, as the people you’ll come into contact with are super wealthy.

Trust Fundraiser

Charitable trusts and foundations are legal entities set up specifically to donate money to charities. There are more than 10,000 of them in the UK. And each has different funding priorities and criteria for giving.

The role of a Trust Fundraiser is to identify appropriate trusts and foundations to approach and complete formal funding applications.

If you’ve got strong writing and research skills, Trust Fundraising could be a good option.

What next?

If you think a career in fundraising might be for you, check out our jobs. If you want some advice on your next move, contact us for a chat on 020 3750 3111.