High School
In high school, take English, foreign language, speech, marketing, advertising, computer science, and business classes. To the extent available (or required by some high school curricula), students should participate in charitable activities and events.
Postsecondary Education
A bachelor’s degree is required for most positions as a director of corporate sponsorship. College programs should focus on business, advertising, marketing, and public relations including media relations, and to the extent offered in generalized college programs, courses in nonprofit management and fundraising.
While a master’s degree is not mandatory, there are now many master’s programs that grant degrees in nonprofit management, fund raising, and media relations. Master’s programs are offered at many major universities such as Columbia University in New York City, and the Fund Raising School at Indiana University-Indianapolis, which also offers bachelor’s degrees in all aspects of philanthropic studies, as well as certificates in fund raising management. Baylor University in Texas offers a major in sports strategy and sales with an opportunity to intern in professional sports. However, as many candidates seeking higher degrees are already employed in the field, many advanced degree programs offered consist primarily of online courses.
Certification
Colleges and universities offer certificates in fundraising and related areas. For example, the University of Wisconsin, Madison offers an online professional fundraising certificate program. To earn the certificate, students must complete the following learning modules:
- Certificate Introduction
- Board of Directors
- Annual Giving
- Major Gifts
- Planned Giving
- Foundation Relations
- Grant Writing
- Corporate Relations
Visit https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/classes/fundraising-certificate-program for more information. Contact schools in your area to learn more about available programs.
Other Education or Training
Professional associations and other organizations at the local, state, and national levels offer courses, conferences, webinars, and workshops that are designed to enhance and extend the knowledge of corporate sponsorship professionals.
- Accountants
- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Arbitrators
- Auditors
- Automotive Dealership Owners
- Billing Clerks
- Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks
- Brand Ambassadors
- Brand Strategists
- Budget Analysts
- Business Continuity Planners
- Business Development Managers and Directors
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Business Managers
- Buyers
- Chief Customer Officers
- Chief Executive Officers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Information Security Officers
- Chief Medical Officers
- Chief Restructuring Officers
- Chief Revenue Officers
- Chief Robotics Officer
- Chief Strategy Officers
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Chief Trust Officers
- Client Services Managers
- Collection Workers
- Community Health Program Coordinators
- Compliance Managers
- Continuous Improvement Managers
- Contract Administrators
- Copywriters
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corporate Community Relations Directors
- Corporate Lawyers
- Corporate Librarians
- Cost Estimators
- Cultural Advisers
- Customer Service Directors
- Customer Service Representatives
- Customs Brokers
- Data Entry Clerks
- Data Governance Managers
- Decision Scientists
- Digital Designers
- Digital Marketing Workers
- Digital Workplace Experience Engineers
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Directors of Security
- Directors of Volunteers
- Document Management Specialists
- Economists
- Entrepreneurs
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Event Planners
- Executive Recruiters
- Fashion Models' Agents
- Forensic Accountants and Auditors
- Franchise Owners
- Fund-Raisers
- Go-to-Market Managers
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Graphic Designers
- Green Marketers
- Growth Hackers
- Health Care Managers
- Health Club Owners and Managers
- Health Data Analysts
- Hedge Fund Investor Relations Specialists
- Historic Preservationists
- Human Resources Managers
- Information Technology Infrastructure Engineers
- Internet Consultants
- Internet Executives
- Internet Marketing and Advertising Consultants
- Internet Store Managers and Entrepreneurs
- Internet Transaction Specialists
- Labor Union Business Agents
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Librarians
- Lobbyists
- Localization Specialists
- Loss Prevention Managers
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Marketing Automation Specialists
- Marketing Consultants
- Marketing Managers
- Media Relations Specialists
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- Music Agents and Scouts
- Music Venue Owners and Managers
- Mutual Fund Marketing Specialists
- National Park Service Employees
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Office Administrators
- Online Gambling Specialists
- Online Reputation Managers
- Park Rangers
- Payroll Directors
- Product Designers
- Professional Organizers
- Project Managers
- Proposal Managers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Purchasing Agents
- Rabbis
- Receptionists
- Regulatory Affairs Managers
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists
- Remote Work Coordinators
- Retail Business Owners
- Retail Managers
- Risk Managers
- Roman Catholic Priests
- Sales Development Representatives
- Sales Managers
- Sales Representatives
- Secretaries
- Social Media Influencers
- Social Media Workers
- Social Workers
- Space Port Managers
- Space Tourism Managers
- Statisticians
- Stenographers
- Strategy Managers
- Tax Managers
- Telemarketers
- Temporary Workers
- Traffic Managers
- Typists and Word Processors
- User Experience Designers
- Wealth Management Risk Managers
- Wealth Management Vice Presidents
- Wind Energy Project Managers
- Workplace Diversity Experts
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors