Salaries for Fund Raisers at Colleges Rose by Up to 8.8 Percent This Year, Study Finds

Median salaries for chief fund raisers at most types of colleges and universities rose by as much

as 8.8 percent in the current academic year, but median pay for fund raisers at two-year institutions dropped by 6.4 percent, according to a new survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, in Knoxville, Tenn.

Chief fund raisers at doctoral institutions received bigger percentage increases than those at other types of institutions. Pay for those fund raisers rose 8.8 percent, from $153,200 to a median of $166,650, meaning that half were paid more and half paid less. Head fund raisers at master’s institutions earn a median of $114,865 during the current academic year, up 8.5 percent from $105,896 the previous year. Chief fund raisers at baccalaureate colleges and universities make a median of $106,935, up 5.9 percent from $100,970 in 2002-3.

The top fund raisers at two-year institutions saw a decrease in pay, from a median of $71,078 to $66,532 this year.

The survey is based on salary data for 173 positions reported by 1,379 institutions. The median raise for administrators of all kinds was 2.5 percent, compared with 3.5 percent in 2002-3. The median increase barely outpaced inflation for the 12-month period ending in September 2003, which was 2.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Following are some of the other key findings:

• Directors of annual giving at master’s institutions received a raise of 5.9 percent, bringing the median salary to $50,815. That was the biggest increase for annual-fund directors, but such fund raisers earn more at doctoral institutions, where the median salary is $66,327, an increase of 2.1 percent from last year.
• Directors of planned giving at two-year institutions got a 29.4-percent raise, up to a median salary of $64,000 from $49,440, while directors of major gifts at two-year institutions saw their median salaries drop by 10.4 percent, from $60,108 last year to $53,842. Directors of major gifts who work for doctoral institutions received the highest raise in that position, at 6.8 percent, and also earned the highest median salary, $90,000.
• Private institutions gave an overall median increase of 3 percent to administrators, while public institutions increased salaries by a median of 1.7 percent.

Copies of the “2003-04 Administrative Compensation Survey” may be purchased online via the association’s Web site. Go to: http://www.cupahr.org. Members of the association get one free copy; additional copies are $140 for members who participated in the survey and $210 for those who did not. Nonmembers who participated in the survey may purchase copies of the report for $210; copies cost $280 for all others.

MEDIAN SALARIES OF COLLEGE FUND-RAISING OFFICIALS, 2003-4