Thursday, October 27, 2005

Difference between a Fundraiser and Development Officer

prepared by Jennifer Watkins
What is the difference between a Fundraiser and a Development Officer?

The words ‘fundraising’ and ‘development’, especially for job descriptions, are universally interchangeable. So what, if any, is the difference between the two terms?

Fundraiser:
A person (paid, volunteer or consultant) that serves during a specific time or project (i.e. telethons); or a staff fundraiser who works under budget constrains under a department head and which is their only responsibility.

Development Officer:
A person who is always paid and has a title (Vice Present, Director of Development, Development Assistant). Consultants work on longer reaching projects such as capital campaigns.

The term ‘fundraiser’ sometimes denotes a shorter length of time or a voluntary position while the term ‘development office’ is often taken to mean a more permanent position or that they deal with a project that will be running longer.

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