# Fundraiser salaries increase just 1% overall but big swings in some categories, survey shows

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/01/29/fundraiser-salaries-overall-big-swings-categories-survey-shows/
- Published: 2019-01-29T07:54:34+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Fundraiser salaries increased by just 1% overall last year but some categories
experienced big swings with events seeing the largest rise – 8.5% overall – according
to Kage Partnership’s annual Fundraising Salary Survey.**

Demand still outstrips supply for fundraisers with those at Manager level the most
sought after, according to [the survey](https://www.kagep.com/stop-press/fundraising-salaries/),
which is based on data on fundraising vacancies in 141 charities that were registered
with [Kage Partnership](https://www.kagep.com/) over a 12-month period from January-
December 2018. The figures represent advertised salaries for jobs based in London
and the South East.

## Officer and manager elves show greatest increases

Salary increases were seen in seven of the 14 categories, and events salaries across
Officer and Manager levels showing the largest increases, with an average increase
of 8.5%. Officer level roles saw the largest swings in average salary levels while
Manager level roles saw a slightly more increases than this level. However overall,
salaries only increased by just over 1% in the past year – a slight decrease on 
the previous year.
[⌊Kage fundraising salaries 2018⌉](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-29-at-07.46.19-e1548748083646.png)
The starting point of the Junior salary range increased by 2% on average, rising
to £21,500, with an average of £23.5k.

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At Officer / Senior/ Senior Executive role level, average salaries ranged from £
29k – £31k, ranging from £24k-£35k for a Community / Regional Fundraiser up to a
top salary of 39.5k for a Major Donor Fundraiser.

## Manager roles

 
[⌊Kage fundraising salaries 2018⌉](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-29-at-07.47.08.png)
Average salaries for Manager level roles ranged from £38k to £42.5k, with starting
points of £30k for Trust Fundraising Managers, Major Donor Fundraising Managers 
and Direct Marketing Managers and rising to a high of £60k in some categories. There
is however some overlap between Officer / Executive level posts and Manager posts
and for the purposes of the survey, jobs listed under the heading of Manager include
those with middle management responsibilities, managers of departments and posts
that involve staff responsibility.

## Senior roles

Senior roles of Director and Head of Fundraising in organisations with an income
under £5m saw average salaries reach £55.5k, ranging from £43-77k.

In the survey, Liz Grimes, Kage Partnership comments:

> “The NfP sector has taken a bit of a battering over the last few years with fundraising
> a primary target. The pressure on fundraising recruiters to get it right is immense.
> There is less appetite for taking risks, with some recruiters instead opting for‘
> tried and tested’ rather than those who could be game changers.
> “In what could
> be an increasingly unpredictable economic climate in the months and years ahead,
> the need to keep an open mind and employ creativity in relation to fundraising
> recruitment could be vital to future fundraising success. Fundraisers with proven
> experience and tangible achievements to match are in demand and still hold the
> cards but, even so, are having to jump through hoops to secure jobs.” 

 * **[Kage Partnership reports average 1% rise in London fundraisers’ salaries](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/02/02/london-fundraisers-salaries-rise-just-one-percent)(
   2 February 2016)**
 * **[Fundraisers’ salaries rose by less than 1% last year, says Kage Partnership](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/02/04/fundraisers-salaries-rose-less-1-last-year-says-kage-partnership/)(
   4 February 2015)**
 * **[Trends in UK charity salary and organisational culture released by CharityComms](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/05/14/trends-in-uk-charity-salary-and-organisational-culture-released/)(
   14 May 2026)**

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