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Boston Career Explorer

Management

Fundraising Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations.

Also called: Advancement Director, Annual Giving Director, Development Director, Donor Engagement Director, Foundation Director, Fundraising Manager

Median pay in Greater Boston
$161,500
$77.64/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,720
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+6.0%
160 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree
5 years or more of related work experience

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$96,120$112,840$161,500$211,470$302,110

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.
  • Manage fundraising budgets.
  • Develop fundraising activity plans that maximize participation or contributions and minimize costs.
  • Plan and direct special events for fundraising, such as silent auctions, dances, golf events, or walks.
  • Establish goals for soliciting funds, develop policies for collection and safeguarding of contributions, and coordinate disbursement of funds.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new fundraising opportunities.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure86 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 86
  • Language-model AIOE 91
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 80

Observed AI use today: Not published (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for fundraising managers is higher, so AI tools may help with some planning and number-based work. They can support drafting strategies, comparing budgets, and setting goals. Running events and building the relationships that lead people to give still depend on people.

Likely to change

  • Drafting fundraising strategies and plans
  • Tracking budgets and contribution goals

Still relies on people

  • Planning and running live fundraising events
  • Building trust with donors and supporters

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Software Developers

    Analyzing needs and working within time and cost limits carries over from fundraising planning and budgets; this move offers similar pay and 7.7% growth in Massachusetts.

    Pay difference
    +$4,590 median
    AI exposure
    Higher
    MA growth
    +7.7%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

44 programs near Boston (plus 18 graduate)

Related occupations

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