Database intern jobs
At Bookmark, we have a simple vision: we want every child to read. We have seen significant growth over the past few years and have built a network of engaged supporters. As we approach the halfway mark of our three-year strategy, we are recruiting an experienced major donor fundraiser to play a key role in the growth of our philanthropy programme, securing and developing relationships with high-net-worth individuals that change the story for children.
This individual will join a successful team and work closely alongside another Philanthropy Manager to steward and cultivate existing supporters as well as manage a pipeline of prospects through their giving journey. You will work directly with the Head of Fundraising and be responsible for your own portfolio of major donors, trusts and family foundations. By August 2027 Bookmark aim to have reached 500,000 children with our literacy programmes, you could be part of that incredible goal.
Job Description
Delivering the Philanthropy plan
- Work with the Head of Fundraising and existing Philanthropy Manager to grow the major donor portfolio within the wider strategy
- Build and maintain a portfolio of existing and new major donors who give or can give £15,000 or more, ensuring a first-class cultivation and stewardship journey
- Line manage the Philanthropy Executive and support their professional development, providing direction, support and guidance
- Work with our Fundraising Research & Administration Intern to identify new potential Bookmark major donors, working with Trustees, senior stakeholders, and our wonderfully supportive Partnerships Board to secure introductions and make asks of prospective supporters
- Design and deliver creative events and activities to generate income, cultivate and steward donors
- Create compelling, relevant and tailored funding proposals, reports and collateral to inspire and inform donors, reflecting Bookmark’s strong brand. The could include Trust and Foundation applications.
- Use Salesforce to manage the accurate recording, progression and forecasting of major donor relationships, enabling efficient reporting and KPI management
Work with the rest of the Fundraising team
- Work closely with the rest of the Fundraising team to ensure opportunities to maximise income for the fundraising team
- Devise and deliver annual plans, together with associated budgets, in line with the charity’s strategic objectives
- Work with the Senior Leadership Team, Chair of Trustees and colleagues across the charity to ensure major donor fundraising activity is aligned with the charity’s wider plans and objectives
- Ensure that all activity helps to build Bookmark’s brand and is always brand compliant
- Ensure Bookmark’s ethical fundraising policy is adhered to
Person specification
Essential
- A successful track record in high value fundraising and acquisition, including a proven track record of securing five figure gifts
- Experience working towards and meeting, or exceeding, fundraising targets
- Experience developing relationships with high-net-worth individuals through all stages of the donor cycle
- A demonstrable ability to build internal relationships and use senior stakeholders (CEO, Trustees, Senior Leadership Team) to help progress major donor relationships
- Experience working on successful charity events that meet fundraising targets
- Great verbal communication skills, demonstrated by strong relationships with donors and colleagues. You will have the skills to influence, motivate and persuade people to donate
- Demonstrable experience of writing successful, inspiring, emotive, and technically accurate cases for support and proposals tailored to a major donor audience
- Experience growing and managing a pipeline, planning for your portfolio and increasing income
- An understanding and ability to build budgets and work with financials
- Experience using of Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Experience using Salesforce, or another fundraising database
Desirable
- Line management experience
- Experience working with a fundraising board or high value committee
- Experience managing and developing a high value giving circle
- Experience running matching campaigns or large mailings
Contract type: Permanent, Full Time. Part-time (0.8/4 days) will be considered.
Salary: £40,000 to £42,000
Reporting to: Head of Fundraising
Location: Bookmark Reading Charity, Charles House, 5-11 Regent Street Saint James's, London SW1Y 4LR. Minimum two days per week based at the Bookmark office
Application deadline: 22nd February
Shortlisting: w/c 23rd February, with shortlisted candidates informed by 25th February 2026
1st Round interviews to be held in person in central London: Wednesday 4th March 2026
2nd Round interviews to be held online: Monday 9th March
Potential for discussion with senior stakeholder after 2nd round
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We promote a reading for pleasure culture in primary schools, focusing on supporting children in the most disadvantaged communities.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The Organisation
Together We Learn is a charity registered in England and Wales, working in close partnership with Together We Learn Ethiopia, a registered NGO in Ethiopia. Operating as two distinct legal entities, the organisations work as sister charities with a shared mission and vision: to enable disadvantaged children to access high-quality education.
While Together We Learn in the UK leads fundraising, governance and international engagement, Together We Learn Ethiopia is responsible for implementing and delivering programmes on the ground.
Our approach focuses on improving both access to education and the quality of education systems, while supporting the wider wellbeing of students, families and communities. We work in partnership with state education systems to deliver sustainable, long-term impact.
By addressing educational needs both in and beyond the classroom, Together We Learn aims to create lasting change for children and communities across Ethiopia.
The Role
As CEO, you will lead the UK team of Together We Learn and work in close partnership with the Ethiopian team, providing guidance and support to enable them to deliver programmes to a high standard. You will provide overall leadership for the charity, with responsibility for fundraising and stakeholder engagement, oversight of programmes, and management of finance and operations.
The annual turnover of Together We Learn is £350,000, and you will be responsible for line managing two staff in the UK and occasional interns, as well as supporting our Ethiopian partner, who has 15 programme and 8 support staff working across two regional offices: Gondar in the Amhara region and Addis Ababa in the Oromia region. The charity is managed by an experienced board of 5 trustees who meet quarterly and provide ad hoc support in their professional areas of expertise.
The charity is in a stable position with funds secured for the current year and a fundraising plan in place for the year ahead. You will have a detailed handover to enable you to carry out the varied functions required by the role and will be supported in these by the Programmes Manager and Sponsorship Coordinator. You will report to the board on a quarterly basis.
Our current three-year strategy focuses on building the capacity of our Ethiopian partner so that they can take a greater role in leading the organisation. This runs through our approach in all aspects of our work, and specific targets have been identified to help us achieve this goal over the strategic period. You will have the opportunity to advance our strategy using your unique skills.
Responsibilities
Team Leadership
- Line manage the Programmes Manager, Sponsorship Coordinator and interns.
- Collaborate with the Ethiopia Country Director and the staff or Together We Learn-
- Ethiopia on programme delivery.
- Deliver the organisational strategy.
Deliver High Quality Programmes
- Monitor delivery of activity plans related to projects, sponsorship and school linking.
- Track programme finances against budgets.
- Support the UK staff in their programme roles.
Finance and Operations Management
- Steward Together We Learn’s finances, including reconciling accounts, managing the finance database and tracking performance against the forecast and fundraising plan.
- Due diligence checks on Ethiopian partner finances.
- Prepare annual accounts for examination and develop the annual report for Charity Commission submission.
- Governance duties and other finance admin.
Fundraising
- Reporting and applications to trusts and foundations.
- Stewardship of donors and fundraisers.
- Oversight of the annual online fundraising campaign.
Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
- Quarterly supporter newsletters.
- Posting regular updates on our social media platforms.
- Maintaining the website content, including blog updates and basic SEO management.
The job of a CEO is hard to define, especially in a small charity, so the list above covers the key areas but is not exhaustive, and other duties may be required.
Person Specification
This role requires someone with excellent time management and interpersonal skills. The ideal candidate will have experience managing teams in a development or small charity environment, as well as significant experience managing finance systems, fundraising and having oversight of multiple programmes.
Essential Experience & Competencies
- Energetic and self-motivated individual who shares our mission.
- 3+ years of team leadership or experience in a senior management role directly responsible for staff and high-level reporting. Ability to provide positive, hands-on leadership to a small team of experienced and motivated individuals.
- 3+ years of financial management, including full-cost budgeting, tracking and reconciling finances, and reporting against forecasts and spending plans.
- 3+ years of proven experience in fundraising, a successful track record of securing and reporting on significant grants as well as maintaining positive funder relations.
- Experience working overseas in an international development or education context or working closely with overseas partners in the same sectors.
- A practical, collaborative and adaptable approach with good problem-solving skills.
- Excellent time management and organisational skills.
- Strong and adaptable communication skills, both written and verbal, to support sensitive cross-cultural working and inspire funders and supporters.
- Fluency with MS Office programs, gmail and shared drives.
Desirable Experience & Competencies
- Lived experience of Ethiopia, or of a comparable context, such as the Horn of Africa or East Africa, or a strong personal or professional connection to Habesha or other African cultures.
- Degree or master’s in international development, or similar field of study.
- Office management experience.
- Project delivery or programme management experience, especially in a small charity, international development or education context.
- Experience reporting directly to board level.
- Experience increasing online engagement or driving new donor recruitment.
- Familiarity with a CRM system (e.g. Salesforce).
Equal Opportunities
We value the benefits of a diverse team and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of the Ethiopian context, or from the African diaspora, for the knowledge and cultural insight they can bring to our work.
Flexible Working
Together We Learn operates a hybrid working style, where you will spend at least one day a week in the office. We find this regular face-to-face time beneficial as a small team, enabling positive collaboration, peer support and engagement with all areas of the organisation’s work. Other hours can be worked remotely or in the office according to individual preference.
You will be responsible for your own time management but must complete the majority of your work within office hours to ensure consistent management and collaboration with colleagues. This includes staff from our partner charity in Ethiopia (time zone GMT+3/ BST+2).
Ideally, we are looking for a candidate to work full-time; however we will consider an 80% part-time role or job share applications, for the right candidate. If you are applying for a job share, please clarify which responsibilities are best aligned with your abilities.
Please note that this post is subject to a satisfactory DBS check, and the successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK.
Application Process
To apply for this role, please submit a cover letter and CV by midnight on 8 March 2026.
The cover letter should explain how your experience and skills meet the criteria required for the role.
First-stage interviews will be held online during the week commencing 16th March, with second-stage in-person interviews at our London office during the week commencing 23rd March.
Role to start date from 13th April 2026.
We regret that we are not able to provide feedback on applications that are not shortlisted for interview.
Use of AI
We understand that AI may sometimes be useful in helping you clarify your ideas or check grammar. However, we want to learn about your voice and approach, so please ensure that the application submitted is written by you and a true reflection of your professional experience.
We look forward to hearing from you!
