career exploration paper

Running head: CAREER EXPLORATION PAPER 1

Career Exploration Paper

Bianca Butler

Ferris State University

CAREER EXPLORATION PAPER 2

There are many career options that an individual can persue with a communication

degree. A person can have this degree and go into either business, advertising, public relations,

social and human services, communication, or healthcare, along with many other fields. At first I

was not clear on what I wanted to do with my degree; now, with my Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

degree in communication, I plan on being a fundraiser. I think that I will make an excellent

fundraiser.

What Fundraisers Do

Duties

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) (2014), “Fundraisers organize

events and campaigns to raise money and other donations for an organization. They may design

promotional materials and increase awareness of an organization’s work, goals, and financial

needs.” Fundraisers are responsible for putting events together and collecting funds for the

organization. In addition, fundraisers help the company to reach its goals and financial needs and

help the company gain more publicity. In addition to being in charge of events, there are

numerous job requirements that a fundraiser must meet, including the following tasks: “research

prospective donors, create a strong fundraising message that appeals to potential donors, Conduct

fundraising strategies for an organization, identify and contact potential donors, organize a

campaign or event that will lead to soliciting donations, maintain records of donor information

for future use, evaluate the success of previous fundraising events, train volunteers in fundraising

procedures and practices and ensure that all legal reporting requirements are satisfied” (BLS,

2014).


Fundraisers make sure that they do a thorough investigation of the company that he or

she has in mind and look at documents of clients who donated in previous years. Companies that

hire fundraisers depend on them to make a profit for their businesses (BLS, 2014).

In most states, it is mandatory for “charitable soliciting organizations” to work with a

state agency. It is important for fundraisers to register themselves with the state if they work as

private fundraisers. However, if a fundraiser is employed with a company and participates in

fundraising events, the state does not require that he or she register separately from the company.

This only counts if the company is already registered. It is vital for fundraisers who work in the

political field of business to have expertise about legislation regarding campaign contributions

(BLS, 2014).

Work Environment

In the year 2012, there were about 65,700 job positions available. There were three

categories where fundraisers worked the most in 2012: 55% of individuals worked in religious,

grantmaking, civic professional and similar organizations, 18% of these individuals worked in

fields such as educational services, state, local, and private jobs, and lastly 14% worked in the

health care and social assistance fields. Fundraisers generally worked for charities in such fields

as education, religion, health care and political campaigns (BLS, 2014). Typically, an individual

who is a fundraiser will raise contributions for companies. However, there are a few fundraisers

who are hired to work for consultants. On a day-to-day basis, fundraisers interact with

individuals from different businesses, including potential contributors, either through email,

telephone, or face-to-face. According to the job description, fundraisers are required to drive to

areas where fundraising events are located. Some common events that fundraisers are in charge

of are charity runs and walks, galas, and banquets (BLS, 2014).


Work Schedule

As stated by BLS (2014), it is common for individuals who are fundraisers to work forty

hours a week, though some of these individuals tend to work more hours in order to successfully

complete a project. On the other hand, some fundraisers only work part-time. In 2012, part-time

workers accounted for one in five individuals in this field.

How to Become a Fundraiser

Education

It is required that an individual have a bachelor’s degree along with excellent

communication and organizational abilities. Normally employers recommend employees who

have a degree in public relations, journalism, communication, English, or business. Many

individuals who go into this particular field come from different academic backgrounds. Some

employers find it helpful if employees have degrees in the fields mentioned earlier, though if an

individual has a bachelor’s degree in a different field, it is typically acceptable. Many institutes

have a master’s degree program that specializes in fundraising. To be accepted in the master’s

program, an individual must have worked in a nonprofit organization or have knowledge of

writing grants. As stated by BLS (2014), “students may take courses in annual campaigns,

planned giving, major gifts, grant proposals, and marketing.” Furthermore, if an individual

would like more expertise in this field, he or she can volunteer at nonprofit companies.

Other Experience

Having an internship in this field can be helpful because an individual may be offered a

position that will pay him or her (BLS, 2014).


Licenses, Certifications, and Registration

Individuals can also become certified to be a fundraiser through Certified Fund Raising

Executive (CFRE) International. They are not required to be certified in this field, but it would

look excellent on a resume because this will show employers that they have a high-level of

experience. It is necessary for these individuals to have at least five years of work-related

experience as a fundraiser, including having eighty hours in continuing education from

classrooms and seminars. In order for individuals to keep their licenses up-to-date, it is required

that they renew their certifications every three years (BLS, 2014).

Advancement

Fundraisers are able to move up to a higher position if they choose to. For instance, a

fundraiser can move to a managerial position, yet this type of position may require an applicant

to earn a master’s degree (BLS, 2014).

Important Qualities

There are four main qualities to have to be a fundraiser: communication skills, an eye for

details, and leadership and organizational skills. First of all, a person in this field needs to have

excellent communication skills because it is crucial to be able to conversant with potential

donors in order for them to make a contribution. Secondly, it is important to be detail oriented

because fundraisers handle sensitive information, including a client’s phone number and name. If

he or she lacks this quality in any way, it can lead to serious consequences (BLS, 2014). Thirdly,

leadership skills are also important to have because fundraisers will be in charge of large groups

of people who will need guidance in what tasks to complete. Lastly, it is important to possess


organizational skills if going into this field because in order to plan events, an individual must be

organized so it can look good on the company and fundraiser (BLS, 2014).

I know that I have all of these particular qualities because working in the human

resources department, one must be detail-oriented when verifying documents. I have

organization skills because I love to be organized. I tend to write all of my assignments down in

my planner and try to complete my tasks as soon as possible. In addition, one has to be organized

when working in the human resources department because it is important that an individual not

misplace documents. These are traits that I acquired during the internship that I did this past

summer. For example, when I worked on the budget book for Mrs. GreenBay, I had to organize

receipts by date, see how much how each program spent for the fiscal year, and create an Excel

spreadsheet for this information. Leadership and communication skills are also important to

have. I believe I have these skills as well because I was able to communicate effectively when

leading the orientation sessions this past summer at my internship. I was able to recruit incoming

students into many programs offered at Ferris State University. This shows leadership skills

because I was able to lead groups and point them in the right direction.

Pay

The average annual income that a fundraiser makes a year was $50,680 in 2012.

Individuals in the lowest 10% made around $30,050 and the top 10% made more than $88,010

(BLS, 2014).

Job Outlook

Between the years 2012 through 2022, this field is expected to increase by 17%. The field

will continue to grow as long as nonprofit companies continue to thrive. This is because they


require fundraisers in order to collect contributions so their business will run smoothly.

Businesses such as schools which lack the financial support they were given in previous years

will hire fundraisers to raise money for their companies. Fundraisers will continue to be hired for

political campaigns as well. Today there are companies which prefer to use social media in order

to help promote fundraising events. Because of the use of social media, it is easier than ever for

fundraisers to get the word out about their companies (BLS, 2014).

Challenges that Fundraisers Face

There were not many challenges that I found in this field, but some challenges that I

thought of were working more than 40 hours a week to complete a project. I think that this will

be a challenge because an individual might have a life outside of work, including a family.

Another challenge for fundraisers is the need for nonprofit organizations to grow in order for

fundraisers to be employed.

Trends in the field

The top two trends that I found in being a fundraiser are being social and understanding

plan giving. Fundraisers should all do online-giving because it could help benefit them and their

donor. However, it is also important that a fundraiser be social. Fundraisers should find ways to

incorporate social aspects into online fundraisers. Planned giving is also an important trend in

this particular field because it can help fundraisers out in a big way. In the year 2010, one-third

of nonprofit organizations reported that their contributions rose. Fundraisers who do not employ

planned giving strategies may want to reconsider because it would look good on their end and

make them more marketable (Olliphant, 2015).


Overall, I would love to work this type of job because I enjoy helping people who are in

need. Also, this occupation is expected to grow even more between the years 2012 and 2022. In

addition, while in high school, I was in the Trio Upward Bound Program. Being involved in this

program gave me the opportunity to volunteer at nonprofit organizations. I enjoyed taking the

time out of my day to help others. This is also another reason this would be the perfect job for

me.


References

Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014). Fundraisers. In Occupational outlook handbook. Retrieved

from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/fundraisers.htm#tab-3

Olliphant, H. (2015). 10 fundraising lessons. Retrieved from http://causera.org/nonprofit-

journal/10-fundraising- lessons-for-2013/

Documents

career exploration paper