Fundraising Career Path: Skills, Salaries and Opportunities for New Entrants

Thinking about igniting (or re-igniting!) your interest in fundraising but not sure where to start? Perhaps you’re already in the charity sector and are wondering how fundraising compares? We surveyed fundraisers, former fundraisers and aspiring entrants to understand what the fundraising career path really looks like from the inside.

Here we’re sharing some of the findings from our recent report that are most relevant to anyone considering their next move into fundraising. For the full picture, download The Voice of Fundraising: 2026 Report.

You probably don’t need to start from scratch

One of the most consistent findings in our research was that social impact is what draws most people to fundraising in the first place. At the same time, aspiring entrants significantly overestimate how sector-specific their skills need to be.

Roughly a third (35%) of newcomers believed a charity background was needed to get into fundraising. However, the skills that fundraisers themselves identified as most important for a career in fundraising were ‘influencing and stakeholder management’, and ‘financial and pipeline management’. Neither of these is unique to the charity sector alone.

For example, if you’ve worked in sales, account management, business development or project management, you’ll likely have more relevant experience than you think. We found that 42% of newcomers cited skills transfer from another sector as another motivator for entering fundraising and our research suggests those transferable skills are exactly what the profession needs. So don’t let a specific job description put you off applying if the core skills are genuinely there.

This  tells us something important about fundraising. It isn’t just a job category but a values-led career choice. And that sense of purpose appears to be a meaningful and lasting motivator, not just an entry-level aspiration. If you’re drawn to work that connects what you do every day with something bigger, a fundraising career path might be the right one for you.

Where to start a career in fundraising and what to look for

Job boards, including CharityJob, were the primary source of early information for 83% of newcomers, followed by charity websites (73%) and social media (40%). Understanding if your experience or skills match up to job descriptions is often the most effective first step.

In terms of what type of fundraising people aspire to work in, community and events fundraising emerged as the most popular entry point. This was cited by 44% of newcomers and 61% of returners as their area of interest or experience. If you’re looking for a way in, have a think about which category would suit you the most, as there could be a variety of routes you can take.

What life in fundraising actually looks like

81% of current fundraisers expected to remain in the profession for the next two to three years, which points to a broadly satisfied workforce. But it’s worth having a realistic picture of the challenges too.

Salary

Regarding pay, the picture is more positive than typically assumed. Perceived low salaries ranked as a barrier for around a third of respondents, but the data suggests this perception doesn’t always reflect reality. The median salary for a fundraising role is around £40,000 (with an upper quartile of £48,378 and a lower quartile of £32,000) – higher than the £36,000 charity sector average and also above the UK full-time median salary of approximately £39,000.

Stress and wellbeing

Around half of current fundraisers (48%) experience work stress ‘usually’ or ‘always’, with performance targets (61%), heavy workloads (51%) and lack of resources (46%) cited as the primary sources.

Wellbeing support varied considerably. 62% had access to flexible working, but only 33% could access mental health resources and only 17% could take dedicated wellbeing days. These aren’t reasons to avoid a career in fundraising, but they are reasons to ask the right questions when you’re evaluating a role or organisation.

If you’ve worked in fundraising before, now might be the time to return

Returners – those who have previously worked in fundraising and would consider going back – emerged as one of the most interesting groups in our research. They retain their sector knowledge and values alignment, but many have also broadened their skills in their time away. 64% wanted to develop digital fundraising capabilities, 50% were interested in data and AI tools, and the group showed the highest appetite for professional development across almost every area we asked about.

If you left fundraising due to stress, lack of progression or limited flexibility, it’s worth reassessing whether those conditions have changed – either in the sector broadly or in specific organisations.

Among those who had left and wouldn’t return, the primary reasons were career progression available elsewhere (38%), desire for a new challenge (38%) and management quality (31%). These are highly organisation-specific factors, meaning a different employer could represent a genuinely different experience.

Could a fundraising career path be for you?

If you’re looking for a career where your work has a real impact, fundraising is well worth considering. Our research suggests there are more routes in than many people realise, and that transferable skills, curiosity and a willingness to learn can be just as valuable as previous charity experience.

Whether you’re exploring fundraising for the first time or thinking about returning after time away, the right opportunity could be closer than you think. Discover the latest fundraising roles on CharityJob, and for the full findings from our research, download The Voice of Fundraising: 2026 Report.