RecruitLocalPros

Hiring Fundraisers

Employers across the 91 metro areas we have BLS OEWS wage data for pay fundraisers a median of $48,860 to $106,760 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A search through recruitlocalpros runs Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340, set by seniority, never by location or salary. Our vetted recruiting partner handles sourcing, screening and placement end to end.

What do fundraisers do?

  • Identify and build relationships with potential donors.
  • Secure commitments of participation or donation from individuals or corporate donors.
  • Write and send letters of thanks to donors.
  • Solicit cash or in-kind donations or sponsorships from individual, business, or government donors.
  • Create or update donor databases.
  • Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.

Core tasks, O*NET OnLine, 13-1131.00.

What does it take to become one?

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

O*NET Job Zone 4, SVP (7.0 to < 8.0). O*NET OnLine.

Employers commonly list experience with Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word for this role.

What do fundraisers get paid?

BLS OEWS, May 2025 publishes a wage for fundraisers in 91 of the metro areas in this build. The median ranges from $48,860 to $106,760 a year depending on the metro, with a midpoint of $66,830. This is what employers pay, place of work, not a single national figure and not what any one person takes home.

BLS OEWS, BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 13-1131.

What does hiring one cost?

The same as any role: tier, not location or salary, sets the fee. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median for fundraisers in this build is $106,760. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $21,352 to $32,028 on the first year salary alone, 20 to 30%.

Frequently asked

How fast can a fundraisers search fill?
23 to 35 days, 2 to 3x faster than a typical contingency search, per the recruiting provider's published figures.
What if the hire does not work out?
A 45-day replacement guarantee, at 50% off a repeat search for the same role.

Price a fundraisers search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen, with the contingency comparison if you are paying one now.

Other business and financial operations roles

All roles we run searches for · Pay by city instead

Where we run fundraisers searches

The fee does not move with the city. The wage band does, so each page prices the role against what that metro actually pays.