Community fundraiser jobs in bedford, central bedfordshire

What if your next role could transform the way major donors support a vital cause? What if your leadership could unlock life-changing gifts that sustain hospice care for generations?

Charity People are delighted to be partnering with Keech Hospice to recruit a strategic, compassionate, and driven Philanthropy Manager. This is a unique opportunity to lead a major gifts programme and shape one of their most impactful income streams.

Title: Philanthropy Manager
Reporting to: Head of Personal Giving
Salary: £41,750 - £42,794
Location: Keech Hospice, Luton (with hybrid working, 2 days per week in the office)
Contract: 37.5 hours per week
Benefits:  Flexible working hours, 29 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, an additional day of leave after 5 years’ service, pension scheme options, flexible holiday arrangements, employee referral bonuses, free parking, subsidised meals, a cycle-to-work scheme, a health cash plan, employee assistance programme, and exclusive Blue Light Card discounts. 

About Keech Hospice: 

Keech Hospice provides free specialist palliative and end of life care for people of all ages. They support adults in Bedfordshire, and children and their families in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Milton Keynesat home, in hospice, or wherever they’re needed. As a teaching hospice, their exceptional people, training, and facilities are helping local communities to live and die well.

Their belief today is just as strong as it was when they first opened their doors over 30 years ago, because there are no second chances to get it right. That’s why Keech Hospice does everything it can to ensure patients’ wishes are respected, they are supported from diagnosis, and, when the time come, they are helped to die with dignity and peace. As a charity, they rely on their local community for more than 70% of their funding. That means they must raise around £8 million every year to continue delivering free, specialist care to adults in Bedfordshire, and to children and their families in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Milton Keynes.

Whatever you can do or give, they’re truly grateful. Because with your support, they can continue making every day count.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Head of Personal Giving, the Philanthropy Manager will lead Keech’s major gifts strategy, developing and delivering innovative plans to acquire, engage, and retain high-net-worth donors. You’ll manage one Philanthropy Partner, oversee a £500K+ income stream, and collaborate across Fundraising, Marketing, Digital, and Leadership teams to maximise income growth.

This is your opportunity to:

• Lead and grow Keech’s major gift programme, driving income and long-term donor relationships
• Inspire and steward major donors through personalised, impactful journeys
• Manage, develop and support one direct report, developing a motivated and effective team
• Work cross-organisationally to embed philanthropy throughout Keech’s supporter engagement
• Use data and insight to refine strategies and measure success
• Represent Keech externally, building awareness and relationships with key major donors

Who They’re Looking For:

Keech is seeking a confident, strategic fundraiser with proven success in major gifts.

You’ll bring:

• Strong experience managing major gifts at the 5-6 figure level, with a proven track record of stewardship and income growth
• Exceptional relationship-building and stewardship skills to engage and retain donors
• Experience managing or coaching a small team
• Ability to create compelling cases for support and deliver high-level donor engagement
• Analytical skills to use data for insight and decision-making
• Collaborative approach, able to influence senior stakeholders and work across teams
• A genuine passion for hospice care and the power of philanthropy

Why This Role?

This is a rare chance to lead a transformational fundraising programme at one of the UK’s most respected hospices. You’ll cultivate major gifts that secure Keech’s future, working with a team that values empathy, innovation, and impact. You’ll help leverage the right network to make some of the most meaningful gifts of their lives and make a difference that lasts.

If you’re ready to step into a role with purpose and potential, we want to hear from you.

How to Apply

Please get in touch with Priya Vencatasawmy at Charity People.

Due to the urgency of this role, we are advertising on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed as received if this affects you, please contact Priya directly.

The role will close on Friday 22nd August.
Interviews to be confirmed.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.