Director of major gifts jobs

Senior Prospect Research Manager

Location: Home Based, United Kingdom

Group: Social Impact

Vacancy type: Permanent

35 hours per week

£45,000 per annum / pro rata (plus allowances) 

Remote

The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 130 years. We run local services that support children when they are at their most vulnerable and in desperate need of help. We're there for children, every step of the way. 

This role sits within our Social Impact Group and you will work closely with Senior Philanthropy Leaders and Major Appeal Programme Director to identify and access new and existing networks of wealth, opportunity and influence.

Our step-change in impact with children will be achieved by a step-change in our philanthropy & partnerships: as our new Senior Prospect Research Manager you'll take a crucial role in this transformation through strategic development and delivery of the full Philanthropy Programme prospect identification and pipeline management framework to enable high quality research, cultivation, stewardship of high value philanthropists and partners in support of TCS

In order to be successful in this role, you must have: 

-Extensive knowledge and understanding of Philanthropy audiences (particularly high net worth individuals and corporates) including motivations for giving and the principles of major gift fundraising to include identification, research, solicitation and stewardship

-Strong track record of successful performance as a prospect/fundraising researcher, including experience conducting due diligence within the not-for-profit sector

-Excellent written and presentation skills and confident ability to deliver verbal and written proposals up to CEO / Board level

-Excellent knowledge of legal, regulatory and ethical environment of philanthropy fundraising, including General Data Protection Regulation

The Children's Society runs over 100 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children's lives happier and safer. 

Every day we're changing the lives of children in this country for the better - and with your help, tomorrow we can be there for even more. 

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with.  As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks.  We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 22nd September 2025.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Senior Philanthropy and Research Officer to work as part of our Fundraising Team.

Imagine being part of an organisation whose common purpose is to help those who are severely impacted by mental illness. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity – and that’s why equity is one of our core values. We draw on the expertise, unique perspectives and lived experience of our people – regardless of who they are or their background – to help us become inclusive and anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider that reflect the diverse communities we support as a mental health charity.

The Fundraising team is a dynamic group of fundraisers who are passionately committed to raising money for our life-changing work in the mental health and mental illness space. We have a diverse portfolio of income streams spanning Events, Community, Individual Giving, Legacies, In-Memoriam, Philanthropy, Trusts & Grants, and Partnerships.

Trusts & Grants have a strong track record at Rethink Mental Illness and a growing portfolio of supporters at Mental Health UK. The team is well-positioned to develop innovative funding propositions that support the future ambitions of both charities, working to achieve both in-year cornerstone grants and long-term, transformational funding. As a newly established programme, Philanthropy demonstrates exciting potential for both Rethink and MHUK, with initiatives spanning major donor and mid-value engagement. Corporate Partnerships have launched several exciting partnerships across both charities and that portfolio and team continues to grow.

How you will make a difference

Reporting to the Prospect Research Manager, you will identify and qualify new prospects across Philanthropy, Trusts & Grants, and Corporate Partnerships. You will carry out in-depth research using a wide range of sources, manage due diligence processes and ensure accurate data is maintained on our CRM systems. You will also work closely with the Interim Head of Trusts and Philanthropy to steward donors and deliver exceptional supporter experiences.

To be successful in this role, you will be an inquisitive, proactive and data-driven fundraiser who enjoys uncovering insights through research and crafting compelling communications that make a meaningful difference to donors.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. 

We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation 

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation. You can read more about our progress here. 

We are looking for an outstanding individual to join our Development and Alumni Relations team to help guide and deliver ourregular giving and stewardship programmes. The ideal candidate will have experience of running successful major fundraising appeals to large audiences. They will have the ability to draft persuasive and accurate copy to support both fundraising and stewardship literature. They will be highly motivated and creative, driving new initiatives to boost participation, increase overall giving, while also increasing retention of donors through an outstanding, tailored stewardship programme. They will be a team-player who can work autonomously when required, but can work collaboratively, and will support other team members with aspects of their work.

The Development and Alumni Relations Office leads the process of generating long-term and consistent voluntary income for Merchant Taylors’ School, and forrunning a comprehensive alumni and parental relations programme.

The Development Manager (Fundraising and Stewardship) will be responsible for planning, managing and having an input to the strategy for a regular giving programme at Merchant Taylors’ School, with a focus on increasing the participation (giving rates) of both our alumni and parental constituencies, as well as donor retention through planning and executing a stewardship programme for benefactors of all levels. Some face-to-face fundraising may also be required, particularly relating to legacy fundraising and the post-holder will build a portfolio of mid-level donors they will manage.