How to become a charity fundraiser
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- volunteering
- applying directly
- specialist courses run by a professional body
University
You could do a degree subject relevant to working in fundraising, which may give you an advantage when applying for jobs, especially in corporate fundraising. Subjects include:
- marketing
- media and communications
- public relations
- business studies
You could also do a university course in a subject like voluntary sector management or public service management.
Some of the larger UK charities offer work experience, internships and graduate training schemes.
You can find out more from organisations like Charityworks.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
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College
You could take a course at college to develop your customer service and telephone skills which are useful for this role.
This may help you when applying for volunteer and junior fundraising roles.
Courses include Level 2 or 3 Certificate in the Principles of Customer Service
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements for this route but it may help you to get in if you have:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
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Apprenticeship
You could do a fundraiser advanced apprenticeship.
This typically takes 18 months to complete as a mix of learning in the workplace and off-the-job study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
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Work
You could start out working for a charity in an admin or retail support role and move into fundraising once you've got more experience in the voluntary sector.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a good way to get experience in fundraising and the other sides of charity work. It's also a great way to start making contacts in the sector, which can lead to paid job opportunities.
You can find out more about volunteering through:
Direct Application
You can apply directly to get into charity fundraising, if you've got relevant experience from other work, for example advertising, public relations, events, sales or finance.
Other Routes
You could do a specialist course like the Certificate or Diploma in Fundraising offered by the Institute of Fundraising. You'll normally need to be working in fundraising to do these.
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Career tips
Employers are interested in your skills, experience and commitment to working in the charity sector.
Further information
You can get more advice about working and training in the charity sector through the Institute of Fundraising and CharityJob.