What They Do: Public relations managers direct the creation of materials that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.
Work Environment: Public relations and fundraising managers generally work in offices during regular business hours. However, many must travel to give speeches and meet with individuals who are important to their organization. Some work more than 40 hours per week.
How to Become One: Public relations and fundraising managers need at least a bachelor’s degree, and some positions may require a master’s degree. Many years of related work experience are also necessary.
Salary: The median annual wage for public relations and fundraising managers is $119,860.
Job Outlook: Employment of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow 8 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of public relations and fundraising managers with similar occupations.
Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will maintain or enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.
Public relations managers typically do the following:
Fundraising managers typically do the following:
Public relations managers review press releases and sponsor corporate events to help maintain and improve the image of their organization or client.
Public relations managers help to clarify their organization's point of view to its main audience through media releases and interviews. They observe social, economic, and political trends that might ultimately affect their organization, and they recommend ways to enhance the firm's image on the basis of those trends. For example, in response to a growing concern about the environment, the public relations manager for an oil company may create a campaign to publicize its efforts to develop cleaner fuels.
In large organizations, public relations managers often supervise a staff of public relations specialists. They also work with advertising, promotions, and marketing managers to ensure that advertising campaigns are compatible with the image the company or client is trying to portray. For example, if a firm decides to emphasize its appeal to a certain group, such as young people, the public relations manager needs to make sure that current advertisements are well received by that group.
In addition, public relations managers may handle internal communications, such as company newsletters, and may help financial managers produce an organization's reports. They may also draft speeches, arrange interviews, and maintain other forms of public contact to help the organization's top executives.
Public relations managers must be able to work well with many types of specialists to report the facts accurately. In some cases, the information they write has legal consequences. As a result, they must work with the company's or client's lawyers to be sure that the information they release is both legally accurate and clear to the public.
Fundraising managers oversee campaigns and events intended to bring in donations for their organization. Many organizations that employ fundraisers rely heavily on the donations they gather in order to run their operations.
Fundraising managers usually decide which fundraising techniques are necessary in a certain situation. Common techniques include annual campaigns, capital campaigns, planned giving, and soliciting for major gifts. In addition, social media has created a new avenue for fundraising managers to connect with more potential donors and to spread their organization's message.
Those who work on annual campaigns focus heavily on contacting donors who have given in the past, and request that they give again. Finding new contacts for future donations is also a component of a successful annual campaign.
Capital campaigns are different; they are generally used to raise money over a shorter time period and for a specific project, such as the construction of a new building at a university.
Fundraisers who spend most of their time on planned giving must have specialized training in taxes regarding gifts of stocks, bonds, charitable annuities, and real estate bequests in a will. Major gifts are a feature of many different campaigns and are generally requested in person, given the large value of the potential donation.
Fundraising managers hold about 31,400 jobs. The largest employers of fundraising managers are as follows:
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 40% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 28% |
| Social assistance | 6% |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5% |
Public relations managers hold about 66,700 jobs. The largest employers of public relations managers are as follows:
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 22% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 18% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 14% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 9% |
| Government | 7% |
Public relations and fundraising managers usually work in offices during regular business hours. However, many must travel to deliver speeches and attend meetings and community activities.
They work in high-stress environments, often managing and organizing several events at the same time.
Most public relations and fundraising managers work full time, which often includes long workdays. Some managers work more than 40 hours per week.
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Public relations and fundraising managers need at least a bachelor's degree, and some positions may require a master's degree. Many years of related work experience are also necessary.
For public relations and fundraising management positions, a bachelor's degree in public relations, communications, English, fundraising, or journalism is generally required. However, some employers prefer a master's degree, particularly in public relations, journalism, fundraising, or nonprofit management.
Courses in advertising, business administration, public affairs, public speaking, and creative and technical writing can be helpful.
Although not mandatory, public relations managers can become certified through the Public Relations Society of America. Candidates qualify on the basis of years of experience and must pass an exam to become certified.
The International Association of Business Communicators offers a credential to demonstrate a level of knowledge and expertise.
The Certified Fund Raising Executive program, offered by CFRE International, is voluntary, but fundraisers who are awarded certification demonstrate a level of professional competency to prospective employers. Candidates are required to have 5 years of work experience in fundraising and have 80 hours of continuing education through conference attendance and classroom instruction in order to qualify. Fundraisers must apply for renewal every 3 years to keep their certification valid.
Public relations and fundraising managers must have several years of experience in a related or entry-level position, such as public relations specialist or fundraiser.
Lower level management positions may require only a few years of experience, whereas directors are more likely to need 5 to 10 years of related work experience.
Communication skills. Managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive cooperation from, their media contacts and donors.
Leadership skills. Public relations and fundraising managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities.
Organizational skills. Public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills.
Problem-solving skills. Managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues. They must use good judgment in what they report and how they report it.
Speaking skills. Public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak on behalf of their organization. When doing so, they must be able to explain the organization's position clearly.
Writing skills. Managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches. They must be able to grasp the key messages they want to get across and write them succinctly in order to keep the attention of busy readers or listeners.
The median annual wage for public relations and fundraising managers is $119,860. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $62,940, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $208,000.
The median annual wages for public relations and fundraising managers in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Management of companies and enterprises | $151,300 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $127,730 |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | $104,070 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $99,880 |
Most public relations and fundraising managers work full time, which often includes long workdays. Some managers work more than 40 hours per week.
Employment of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow 8 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 9,100 openings for public relations and fundraising managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Organizations continue to emphasize community outreach and customer relations as a way to enhance their reputation and visibility. Public opinion can change quickly, particularly as social media increases the speed at which news travels. Consequently, public relations managers will be needed to coordinate and help respond to news developments to maintain their organization's reputation.
Fundraising managers are expected to become increasingly important for organizations, such as colleges and universities, that depend heavily on donations. More nonprofit organizations are focusing on cultivating an online presence and are increasingly using social media for fundraising activities.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Public relations and fundraising managers | 98,100 | 106,200 | 8 | 8,100 |
| Fundraising managers | 31,400 | 34,500 | 10 | 3,000 |
| Public relations managers | 66,700 | 71,700 | 8 | 5,000 |
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A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.