Charity fundraiser
Administration

How to become a charity fundraiser

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

You could also do a university course in a subject like voluntary sector management or public service management.

University (Entry requirements)

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

University (More info)

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

Apprenticeship

You could do a social media and digital marketing higher apprenticeship, which could help you get into online fundraising.

Apprenticeship (Entry requirements)

You'll usually need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Apprenticeship (More info)

equivalent entry requirements guide to apprenticeships

Work

You could start out working for a charity in an admin or support role and move into fundraising once you've got more experience in the voluntary sector.

Volunteering & Experience

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.

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. Some of the larger charities also offer graduate training schemes.

More info

Career tips Employers will usually be more interested in your skills, experience and commitment to working in the charity sector than in your formal qualifications. Further information You can get more advice about working and training in the charity sector through the Institute of Fundraising and CharityJob.

What it takes

Skills & 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
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you'll do

Day to day

Your day-to-day duties could include:

• researching, developing and planning fundraising ideas
• managing door-to-door and street collections
• recruiting and training volunteers
• keeping records and reporting performance
• managing charity shops and online and mail order stores
• controlling budgets and meeting targets
• giving talks about your charity to the public
• writing reports and press releases

Working environment

You could work from home or in an office.

Career path and progression

Career path & progression

You could work towards a professional qualification from the Institute of Fundraising. With experience, you could move into charity management, or become a self-employed fundraising consultant.