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Charitable Fundraising Salaries Increase Across Canada

(May 4, 2010) Salaries for charitable fundraisers in Canada increased in 2009, according to the latest Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Compensation and Benefits Study.

The average salary for Canadian fundraisers increased from $71,511 in 2008 to $79,554-an 11.2 percent increase. This growth stands in strong contrast to the 3.9 percent drop in salaries that was reported in last year's survey.

The survey found that location and type of organization play an important part in determining salary. Within the three regions of Canada, average salaries for all respondents ranged from $62,198 in the Eastern provinces area to $83,754 in the Central provinces. Fundraisers working for health services enjoyed the highest average salary of $93,386, followed by those individuals employed by community development organizations ($92,529) and public broadcasting organizations ($92,500). 

The possession of a certification credential correlated positively with salary. Fundraisers possessing the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential earned, on average, $28,000 more than respondents with no certification. Those individuals possessing the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE) credential earned $35,000 more.

As expected, there were also positive correlations between average compensation and the size of an organization's staff, its budget and amount of funds raised, as well as education and years of professional experience.

A significant gap continues to exist between the salaries of male and female fundraisers in both countries. Male fundraisers reported an average salary of $87,245 in 2009, while women earned $74,729 on average. The gender salary gap in Canada has been $12,000-$16,000 each year of the survey except for 2007, when the difference was only $3,353. Seventy-five percent of all survey respondents classified themselves as female, while 24 percent classified themselves as male.

The survey also addressed health, retirement and other benefits. To access the full report of the study, visit the AFP Research, Statistics and Reports page located in the Members section of AFP's website, www.afpnet.org (login required).

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