Directors of Leadership Giving: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of directors of leadership giving about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for directors of leadership giving to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of directors of leadership giving expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for directors of leadership giving.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Directors of Leadership Giving?
Do directors of leadership giving need a degree? What kind of experience do directors of leadership giving typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for directors of leadership giving to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Directors of Leadership Giving
Jobs Postings for Directors of Leadership Giving By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 25,751 (60%)
- Master's degree: 7,325 (17%)
- No Education Listed: 7,236 (17%)
- High School or GED: 1,430 (3%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 1,050 (2%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of directors of leadership giving. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 60% of positions. In 17% of job listings a master's degree was required and in 17% of postings no education level was listed.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Directors of Leadership Giving
Jobs Postings for Directors of Leadership Giving By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 1,868 (7%)
- 2-3 Years: 9,677 (38%)
- 4-6 Years: 9,494 (37%)
- 7-9 Years: 3,011 (12%)
- 10+ Years: 1,295 (5%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for directors of leadership giving. In 38% of job postings for Directors of Leadership Giving, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 37% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 12% of job postings for directors of leadership giving.
What Kind of Degree Do Directors of Leadership Giving Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for directors of leadership giving, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 17 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective directors of leadership giving, and in 2023 a total of 88,219 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective directors of leadership giving.
Top Degree Programs for Directors of Leadership Giving
Top 5 Degree Programs for Directors of Leadership Giving (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric. | 33,262 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,298 |
| Communication, General. | 11,220 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
| Project Management. | 4,299 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric. | 33,262 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,298 |
| Communication, General. | 11,220 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
| Project Management. | 4,299 |
| Communication and Media Studies, Other. | 2,831 |
| Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management. | 2,481 |
| Communication Management and Strategic Communications. | 2,031 |
| Music Management. | 1,986 |
| Organizational Communication, General. | 1,835 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other. | 1,470 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General. | 1,026 |
| Meeting and Event Planning. | 759 |
| Health Communication. | 416 |
| Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management. | 61 |
| Grantsmanship. | 20 |
| Business/Corporate Communications, Other. | 3 |
What Skills Do Directors of Leadership Giving Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by directors of leadership giving to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for directors of leadership giving, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Directors of Leadership Giving
Based on 34,964 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Directors of Leadership Giving
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising | 19,921 | 57% |
| Sales Prospecting | 13,026 | 37% |
| Marketing | 8,180 | 23% |
| Project Management | 7,159 | 20% |
| Philanthropy | 6,900 | 20% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Directors of Leadership Giving
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 21,139 | 60% |
| Management | 18,303 | 52% |
| Leadership | 15,350 | 44% |
| Research | 12,905 | 37% |
| Writing | 12,890 | 37% |
Based on 34,964 job postings related to directors of leadership giving, fundraising was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 57% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for sales prospecting, marketing, project management, philanthropy and finance were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for directors of leadership giving, followed by management, leadership, research, writing and planning.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising | 19,921 | 57% |
| Sales Prospecting | 13,026 | 37% |
| Marketing | 8,180 | 23% |
| Project Management | 7,159 | 20% |
| Philanthropy | 6,900 | 20% |
| Finance | 6,535 | 19% |
| Planned Giving | 5,147 | 15% |
| Accounting | 4,687 | 13% |
| Customer Relationship Management | 4,083 | 12% |
| Grant Writing | 4,015 | 11% |
| Grant Applications | 3,599 | 10% |
| Raiser's Edge NXT | 3,305 | 9% |
| Prospect Research | 3,115 | 9% |
| Auditing | 2,921 | 8% |
| Financial Statements | 2,862 | 8% |
| Salesforce | 2,798 | 8% |
| Advertising Mail | 2,527 | 7% |
| Public Relations | 2,493 | 7% |
| Data Analysis | 2,093 | 6% |
| Newsletters | 1,809 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 21,139 | 60% |
| Management | 18,303 | 52% |
| Leadership | 15,350 | 44% |
| Research | 12,905 | 37% |
| Writing | 12,890 | 37% |
| Planning | 11,640 | 33% |
| Detail Oriented | 9,296 | 27% |
| Coordinating | 8,148 | 23% |
| Microsoft Office | 8,085 | 23% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 7,370 | 21% |
| Operations | 6,649 | 19% |
| Microsoft Excel | 6,282 | 18% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 6,065 | 17% |
| Budgeting | 6,014 | 17% |
| Organizational Skills | 5,783 | 17% |
| Presentations | 5,471 | 16% |
| Customer Service | 5,336 | 15% |
| Self-Motivation | 4,865 | 14% |
| Problem Solving | 4,856 | 14% |
| Strategic Planning | 4,810 | 14% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about directors of leadership giving? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for directors of leadership giving.
What do directors of leadership giving do?
How much do directors of leadership giving make?
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