Many return-to-work mums have contributed to their local community by volunteering at their local school, kindergarten or through charity work. Many hours spent securing sponsorships for the school fete, organising fundraising events, and working with other volunteers can provide valuable work experience for when you are ready to return to the paid workforce.
Not only can these roles provide great transferable skills, they can also be an introduction to working in the not-for-profit sector. If you enjoy working in this type of environment, perhaps you should consider a career as a professional fundraiser.
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a young lady called Meaghan who has developed her career as a professional fundraiser, having started out as a volunteer. She began her professional journey as a fundraising administrator. Working in the sector allowed her to learn on the job, and she is now a successful fundraiser for a major national charity.
You could also enter the fundraising profession via a tertiary education pathway. Check out appropriate qualification options at tertiary education centres. http://www.philanthropy.org.au/tools-resources/tertiary-education/#aus
The charity sector is a major employer in Australia, providing work for more than 1.38 million people in 2019.
The types of organisations who require fundraisers aren’t limited to charities. Education, the arts, medical research, social services, sporting bodies, and advocacy groups are just some of the areas where you may find employment as a fundraiser.
Contributing to an organisation with an agenda that’s bigger than the bottom line can be a very rewarding way to make a living. While the pay might not be high, the working conditions and work-life balance can certainly be an advantage. In general, you’ll be working with a team who is passionate and committed, which makes for a great work culture as well.
And it’s not all cold-calling for donations, either. There are a variety of roles that fall within the fundraising profession.
In terms of money raising, you may form a specialisation in corporate giving, bequests, annual giving campaigns, or major donations. Event management can also be a career path within the non-profit sector, with many charitable organisations raising funds or awareness through fun runs and other sporting events, dinners, sponsored challenges, and public festivals. If you are social-savvy, not-for-profit organisations are always in need of social media co-ordinators to manage their social media content and donation campaigns.
Another avenue may be as a grant writer. Overall, government grants account for 45% of charity income in Australia, so professional grant writers are highly valued.
Past CareerSmart Mums speaker, Elaine, found her dream job when she secured a role as a professional grant writer. She’d started writing grant applications when she volunteered for a fundraising committee at her son’s kindy and found she had a talent for it. She enjoyed it so much, that she actually once thought to herself “if only I could do this as a job”. After deciding to return to the paid workforce, she found herself grant writing professionally, and hasn’t looked back.
Meaghan’s main tip is to choose an organisation that you personally have a passion for, because that will shine through when you are talking with donors. For her, it has been a heart-warming career change, and one where the phrase “do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” definitely applies.
Are you ready to be part of something bigger?