How to Train to Be a Director of Development

Raise funds for your organization as a Director of Development.

A Director of Development helps nonprofit organizations raise funds, plan events and manage donor relations. A Director of Development is expected to have a background in fund raising, finance, grant writing or marketing. It is also essential to this role to have excellent oral and written communication skills to maintain relationships with potential corporate sponsors and grow donor bases. Furthermore, exhibiting leadership and event planning capabilities is beneficial. Steps to train to become a Director of Development include a background in working for a nonprofit organization, and a bachelor's degree in finance, marketing or public relations.

Instructions

1. Obtain your bachelor's degree. Suggested fields of study are: Public Relations, Communications, Finance and Marketing. You will be be responsible for budget planning and cost analysis, so it will be important to be knowledgeable in financial preparation. You may also usually be responsible for planning marketing and public relations strategies for your organization.

2. Develop strong people skills. Education-Portal.com states,"Development Directors must have strong interpersonal skills; people in the field reach out to a wide variety of individuals and groups by letter, e-mail or in person." You will have to be a spokesperson for your organization.

3. Display a high aptitude for working with computers. More and more, nonprofit organizations are raising funds on line and it is essential for a Director of Development to be able to work within this format.

4. Find internships where you can assist Directors of Development and learn from them. You can search for these opportunities while pursuing your undergraduate degree or pursue an administrative position within a nonprofit organization that will allow you to do this.

5. Exhibit a proficiency for event planning. Many nonprofit organizations host benefits and parties to raise funds for their entity. This includes everything from planning to budgeting, catering, decorating, choosing sites and sending out invitations. You can gain event planning experience as you work your way up through a nonprofit organization by participating in the planning stages of events.

6. Show a strong success rate with fund raising. This is one of the major elements of this role and many employers want someone who understands the facets of fund raising and has had significant achievement in this arena.

7. Work your way up through a nonprofit organization. Many Directors of Development have backgrounds in nonprofit business development, marketing or accounting. Many positions of this type require five to ten years experience with nonprofit organizations.

Tips & Warnings

• On top of gaining background experience to become a Director of Development, you can also study for a certificate in Nonprofit Management through your local community college or university. The courses can vary from grant writing to donor development and improving communication.

References

• Education Portal: Development Director: Job Outlook and Information About a Development Director Career
• Center for Nonprofit Management: Education
• Center for Nonprofit Management: Sample Job Descriptions for Position of Director of Development
• Institute for Sustainable Communities: Development Director