Public Relations Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.

On the job, you would:

Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.
Confer with labor relations managers to develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities.
Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures.

Important Qualities

Interpersonal skills. Public relations and fundraising managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive support from, their media contacts and donors.

Leadership skills. Managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities.

Organizational skills. Public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills.

Problem-solving skills. Managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues. They must use good judgment in what they report and how they report it.

Speaking skills. Public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak for their organization. When doing so, they must be able to explain the organization’s position clearly.

Writing skills. Managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches. They must be able to succinctly present the key messages they want to get across in order to keep the attention of busy readers or listeners.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Evaluate employee performance.

Supervise employees.

Confer with organizational members to accomplish work activities.

Edit documents.

Develop promotional materials.

Develop contingency plans to deal with organizational emergencies.

Direct sales, marketing, or customer service activities.

Liaise between departments or other groups to improve function or communication.

Establish interpersonal business relationships to facilitate work activities.

Evaluate program effectiveness.

Liaise between departments or other groups to improve function or communication.

Establish interpersonal business relationships to facilitate work activities.

Develop organizational policies or programs.

Develop operating strategies, plans, or procedures.

Develop marketing plans or strategies.

Present information to the public.

Maintain operational records.

Manage organizational or project budgets.

Direct employee training programs.

Coordinate special events or programs.

Monitor external affairs or events affecting business operations.

Develop library or archival databases.

Operate still or video cameras or related equipment.

Distribute instructional or library materials.

Coordinate with external parties to exchange information.

Present information to the public.

What Public Relations and Fundraising Managers Do

Public relations and fundraising managers plan an organization’s communication with the public, including consumers, investors, and media outlets.

Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.

Duties

Public relations managers typically do the following:

Develop their organization’s or client’s corporate image and identity
Identify audiences and determine the best way to reach them
Designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source for media inquiries
Help clients communicate effectively with the public
Write press releases and prepare information for the media
Assist and inform an organization’s executives and spokespeople
Devise advertising and promotion programs
Assign, supervise, and review the activities of staff

Fundraising managers typically do the following:

Develop and carry out fundraising strategies
Identify and contact potential donors
Create and plan different events that can generate donations
Meet face-to-face with donors
Apply for grants
Manage progress toward achieving an organization’s fundraising goals
Assign, supervise, and review the activities of staff

Public relations managers review press releases and sponsor corporate events to help maintain and improve the image of their organization or client.

Public relations managers help clarify their organization’s point of view to its main audience through media releases and interviews. They monitor social, economic, and political trends that might affect their organization, and they recommend ways to enhance the firm’s image on the basis of those trends. For example, in response to concern about damage to the environment, the public relations manager for an oil company may create a campaign to publicize its efforts to develop cleaner fuels.

In large organizations, public relations managers often supervise a staff of public relations specialists. They also work with advertising, promotions, and marketing managers to ensure that advertising campaigns are compatible with the image the company or client is trying to portray. For example, if a firm decides to emphasize its appeal to a certain group, such as young people, the public relations manager needs to make sure that current advertisements are well received by that group.

In addition, public relations managers may handle internal communications, such as company newsletters, and may help financial managers produce an organization’s reports. They may also draft speeches, arrange interviews, and maintain other forms of public contact to help the organization’s top executives .

Public relations managers must be able to work well with many types of specialists. In some cases, the information they write has legal consequences. As a result, they must work with the company’s or client's lawyers to be sure that the information they release is both legally accurate and clear to the public.

Fundraising managers oversee campaigns and events intended to bring in donations for their organization. Many organizations that hire fundraising workers rely heavily on the donations they gather in order to run their operations.

Fundraising managers usually decide which fundraising techniques are necessary in a certain situation. Common techniques include annual campaigns, capital campaigns, planned giving, and soliciting for major gifts. Social media has created another avenue for fundraising managers to connect with potential donors and to spread their organization’s message.

Those who work on annual campaigns focus heavily on contacting donors who have given in the past to request that they give again. Finding new contacts for future donations is also part of a successful annual campaign.

In contrast, fundraising managers who work on capital campaigns generally focus on raising money over a short time period for a specific project, such as the construction of a new building at a university.

Fundraising managers who spend most of their time on planned giving must have specialized training in taxes related to gifts of stocks, bonds, charitable annuities, and real estate bequests in a will. Major gifts are a feature of many fundraising efforts, and fundraising managers generally request these gifts in person, given the large value of the potential donation.

Work Environment

Fundraising managers held about 33,700 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of fundraising managers were as follows:

Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations	36%
Educational services; state, local, and private	30
Social assistance	7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	6
Hospitals; state, local, and private	5

Public relations managers held about 72,000 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of public relations managers were as follows:

Professional, scientific, and technical services	20%
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations	18
Educational services; state, local, and private	13
Management of companies and enterprises	8
Government	6

Public relations and fundraising managers usually work in offices during regular business hours. However, many must travel to deliver speeches and attend meetings and community activities.

They work in high-stress environments, often managing and organizing several events at the same time.

Work Schedules

Most public relations and fundraising managers work full time, which often includes long workdays. Some managers work more than 40 hours per week.

Getting Started

Education:

How to Become a Public Relations or Fundraising Manager

A bachelor’s degree and years of work experience are typically needed for public relations or fundraising manager positions.

Public relations and fundraising managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, and some positions may require a master’s degree. Many years of related work experience are also necessary.

Education

For public relations and fundraising management positions, a bachelor’s degree in a field such as public relations, communications, or business typically is required. However, some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a master’s degree, particularly in public relations, journalism, fundraising, or nonprofit management.

Courses in advertising, business administration, public affairs, public speaking, and creative and technical writing can be helpful.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Although not mandatory, public relations managers can become certified through the Public Relations Society of America. Candidates qualify based on a combination of experience and education and must pass an exam to become certified.

The Certified Fund Raising Executive program, offered by CFRE International, is also voluntary, but fundraisers who are awarded certification demonstrate a level of professional competency to prospective employers. To become certified, candidates must meet certain education, professional practice, and professional performance requirements, as well as pass an exam. Fundraisers must apply for renewal every 3 years to keep their certification valid.

The International Association of Business Communicators offers two credentials that allow communications specialists to demonstrate higher levels of knowledge and expertise. Public relations and fundraising managers may apply to take the certification exams when they have 6 to 8 years of experience in the communications field.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Public relations and fundraising managers must have several years of experience in a related occupation, such as public relations specialist or fundraiser.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 7,800 openings for public relations and fundraising managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Organizations continue to emphasize community outreach and customer relations as a way to enhance their reputation and visibility. Public opinion can change quickly, particularly as social media increases the speed at which news travels. Consequently, public relations managers will be needed to coordinate and help respond to news developments to maintain their organization’s reputation.

Fundraising managers are expected to become increasingly important for organizations, such as colleges and universities, that depend heavily on donations. More nonprofit organizations are focusing on cultivating an online presence and are increasingly using social media for fundraising activities.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about public relations and fundraising managers, including professional certification, visit

CFRE International

International Association of Business Communicators

Public Relations Society of America

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of public relations and fundraising managers.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
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