Public Relations and Fundraising Managers

Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.

Duties

Public relations managers typically do the following:

• Develop their organization’s or client’s corporate image and identity
• Identify audiences and determine the best way to reach them
• Designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source for media inquiries
• Help clients communicate effectively with the public
• Write press releases and prepare information for the media
• Assist and inform an organization’s executives and spokespeople
• Devise advertising and promotion programs
• Assign, supervise, and review the activities of staff

Fundraising managers typically do the following:

• Develop and carry out fundraising strategies
• Identify and contact potential donors
• Create and plan different events that can generate donations
• Meet face-to-face with donors
• Apply for grants
• Manage progress toward achieving an organization’s fundraising goals
• Assign, supervise, and review the activities of staff

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 clarify their organization’s point of view to its main audience through media releases and interviews. They monitor social, economic, and political trends that might affect their organization, and they recommend ways to enhance the firm’s image on the basis of those trends. For example, in response to concern about damage to 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. 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 hire fundraising workers 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. Social media has created another avenue for fundraising managers to connect with 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 to request that they give again. Finding new contacts for future donations is also part of a successful annual campaign.

In contrast, fundraising managers who work on capital campaigns generally focus on raising money over a short time period for a specific project, such as the construction of a new building at a university.

Fundraising managers who spend most of their time on planned giving must have specialized training in taxes related to gifts of stocks, bonds, charitable annuities, and real estate bequests in a will. Major gifts are a feature of many fundraising efforts, and fundraising managers generally request these gifts in person, given the large value of the potential donation.

Fundraising managers held about 45,700 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of fundraising managers were as follows:

Public relations managers held about 83,200 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of public relations managers were as follows:

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.

Work Schedules

Most public relations and fundraising managers work full time, which often includes long workdays. Some managers work more than 40 hours per week.

Public relations and fundraising managers typically 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.

The median annual wage for fundraising managers was $123,480 in May 2024.

The median annual wage for public relations managers was $138,520 in May 2024.

Overall employment of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 10,200 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.