Chief Fund Raisers at Colleges Win Pay Rise of 4% in 2007-8

The median salary for chief fund raisers at colleges and universities have risen by 4 percent this academic

ALSO SEE: ARTICLE: Median Salaries of College Fund-Raising Officials, 2007-8

year, according to the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, in Knoxville, Tenn.

The increase was smaller than the inflation rate of 4.1 percent for the 12-month period ending last December.

The median salary for top fund raisers was $131,810 in the 2007-8 academic year, meaning that half of those surveyed earned more than that figure, and half earned less. The median salary was $125,000 the year before.

Approximately 90 percent of respondents who completed this year's survey also completed last year's, according to the association. The 4-percent increase applies only to that shared pool of respondents.

Biggest Gain

Salaries of head fund raisers at doctoral institutions showed one of the biggest increases, 4.9 percent. The median pay was $215,694 this year and $200,100 last year.

The report included data on 272 positions at 1,307 private and public institutions around the country, down from 1,329 institutions last year. The median salary for all senior-level administrative jobs in the survey rose by 4 percent, the same increase as the previous year.

The pool of respondents was divided evenly between public and private universities. Salary increases were slightly higher at public universities than at private colleges and universities, continuing a trend set the previous year.

Among the fund-raising positions surveyed, each job title won an increase in median salary of 3.1 to 4 percent. Among the categories with the biggest increases were director of annual giving, for which the median salary totaled $62,400, and director of major gifts, for which the median salary reached $81,125. The position of director of church relations, with a median salary of $58,964, had the smallest increase.

The survey can be ordered through the organization's Web site. The cost is $160 for College and University Professional Association members who participated in the survey, $240 for members who did not participate and nonmembers who did, and $320 for nonmembers who did not participate. Go to: http://cupa.org.