Recruiting Fundraising Talent at Community Colleges

Demand for fundraisers has exceeded pre-recession levels as higher education institutions rely on major gifts to replace other sources of revenue. This environment has created a seller’s market in which highly qualified gift officers can choose employment opportunities. Unfortunately, they often overlook community colleges.

There are many places colleges can look for fundraisers—but both internal and external prospects have their benefits and drawbacks. This white paper examines how to proactively identify strong candidates and recruit them successfully.

Download the full study or explore the contents below to discover seven tactics to help you recruit fundraising talent to your college.

Download the Study

Chart a path to stronger fundraising

Historically community colleges have been humble in their ask for donations. But as state appropriations and enrollment declines persist, this fundraising humility is becoming less viable. Community colleges need to define their value proposition if they are going to attract not only major gifts from donors, but also fundraising talent who will view their institution as an employer of choice.

How can a community college compete?

To hire the best, you typically have to pay the most. Experienced fundraisers, who are in greater demand, command salaries about 33% higher on average than their less experienced counterparts. But many community colleges cannot afford to match the highest-level salaries, and competing for talent at a lower price point can be daunting.

But compensation is just one of many factors. While community colleges might not always be able to compete on MGO salary, they often provide more comprehensive benefits packages and foster better work-life balance. The comprehensive mission of community colleges can also attract talented staff who want to advance that mission. The challenge for advancement offices at community colleges is to highlight the career paths, unique professional development opportunities, and organizational culture their college provides to the right talent at the right time in order to recruit the individuals to their institutions.

Best practices to help you overcome these challenges

Identifying good-fit candidates

• Tactic 1: Star file
• Tactic 2: Social media recruiting campaign
• Tactic 3: LinkedIn passive candidate identification

Expanding the talent pool

• Tactic 4: Nomenclature matters
• Tactic 5: Remote MGOs

Leveraging internal talent to boost pipeline

• Tactic 6: Internal posting checklist
• Tactic 7: Expand student facing programs

Supporting tools: Sample MGO job description, social media referral campaign strategy guide, and more.