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All Job CategoriesCharity fundraiser
Charity fundraiser
Charity fundraisers organise events and activities to encourage people to donate to causes and organisations.
Average salary (a year)
£20000
Starter
£36000
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
37.0 to 39.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
evenings / weekends
attending events or appointments
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You can get into this job through:a university course; an apprenticeship; working towards this role; volunteering; applying directly; specialist courses run by a professional body
University
You could do a degree subject relevant to working in fundraising, which may give you an advantage when applying for jobs, especially in corporate fundraising. Subjects include
marketing, media and communications, public relations, business studies
marketing, media and communications, public relations, business studies
You could also do a university course in a subject like voluntary sector management or public service management.
Some of the larger UK charities offer work experience, internships and graduate training schemes.
You can find out more from organisations like Charityworks.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
College
You could take a course at college to develop your customer service and telephone skills which are useful for this role.
This may help you when applying for volunteer and junior fundraising roles.
Courses include Level 2 or 3 Certificate in the Principles of Customer Service
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements for this route but it may help you to get in if you have:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship
You could do a fundraiser advanced apprenticeship.
This typically takes 18 months to complete as a mix of learning in the workplace and off-the-job study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work
You could start out working for a charity in an admin or retail support role and move into fundraising once you've got more experience in the voluntary sector.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a good way to get experience in fundraising and the other sides of charity work. It's also a great way to start making contacts in the sector, which can lead to paid job opportunities.
You can find out more about volunteering through:the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Do IT
Direct Application
You can apply directly to get into charity fundraising, if you've got relevant experience from other work, for example advertising, public relations, events, sales or finance.
Other Routes
You could do a specialist course like the Certificate or Diploma in Fundraising offered by the Institute of Fundraising. You'll normally need to be working in fundraising to do these.
More Information
Career Tips
Employers are interested in your skills, experience and commitment to working in the charity sector.
Further Information
You can get more advice about working and training in the charity sector through the Institute of Fundraising and CharityJob.
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
Customer service skills
Persistence and determination
The ability to use your initiative
To be thorough and pay attention to detail
The ability to work well with others
Sensitivity and understanding
Knowledge of english language
Business management skills
Digital Skills Level
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Day to day tasks
You could
research, develop and plan fundraising ideas, manage door-to-door and street collections, recruit and train volunteers, keep records and report on performance, manage charity shops and online and mail order stores, control budgets and meet targets, give talks about your charity to the public, write reports and press releases
research, develop and plan fundraising ideas, manage door-to-door and street collections, recruit and train volunteers, keep records and report on performance, manage charity shops and online and mail order stores, control budgets and meet targets, give talks about your charity to the public, write reports and press releases
Working environment
You could work from home or in an office.
You could work towards a professional qualification from the Institute of Fundraising.
With experience, you could move into charity management, become a charity director or a self-employed fundraising consultant.
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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