Directors of Major Gifts: How to Become One

If you were to ask a group of directors of major gifts 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 major gifts 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 major gifts 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 major gifts.

What Education & Experience is Needed for Directors of Major Gifts?

Do directors of major gifts need a degree? What kind of experience do directors of major gifts 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 major gifts to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for Directors of Major Gifts

A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of directors of major gifts. 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 Major Gifts

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 major gifts. In 38% of job postings for Directors of Major Gifts, 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 major gifts.

What Kind of Degree Do Directors of Major Gifts 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 major gifts, 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 major gifts, 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 major gifts.

Top Degree Programs for Directors of Major Gifts

What Skills Do Directors of Major Gifts Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by directors of major gifts 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 major gifts, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's Directors of Major Gifts
Based on 34,964 job postings

Based on 34,964 job postings related to directors of major gifts, 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 major gifts, followed by management, leadership, research, writing and planning.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about directors of major gifts? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for directors of major gifts.

What do directors of major gifts do?
How much do directors of major gifts make?

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The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

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