Are you a fundraising expert intrigued by the idea of transforming healthcare through the power of volunteering? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you!
Helpforce is on a mission to revolutionise health volunteering and we need a dynamic, strategic, and results-oriented Head of Business Development to be at the forefront of this exciting journey. This is your chance to shape the future of a rapidly growing national charity, working at the intersection of innovation, impact, and social good.
In this role, you'll be responsible for driving the growth of our income-generating portfolio, securing new business, and forging high-value partnerships with the NHS and the broader healthcare sector. You'll also oversee the fundraising function, ensuring seamless alignment between our commercial growth and philanthropic income. This dual role is perfect for a senior professional who thrives on relationship building, business innovation, and revenue generation from both commercial and charitable sources.
Since our launch in 2017, we've been pioneers with a clear vision for a nation where volunteering is integral to healthcare being its very best. We collaborate closely with NHS Trusts and other healthcare organisations to co-create expert volunteering models that meet healthcare’s biggest challenges, while generating evidence that showcases the value and impact of initiatives. Our insights empower health leaders across the UK to invest in solutions that enhance patient experience, reduce pressure on staff, and bring meaningful benefits to tens of thousands of people who volunteer their time and talents.
This is not just any job, this is a chance to make a tangible difference to the lives of millions who receive and deliver healthcare.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development — Core Focus
- Develop and lead the business development strategy to expand market presence, secure new contracts, and grow sustainable income streams.
- Identify new markets, service offerings, and strategic partnerships that align with Helpforce’s mission and impact goals.
- Lead negotiations for contracts, partnerships, and commercial agreements.
- Oversee the preparation of bids, proposals, and tenders, working with internal teams to ensure high-quality submissions.
- Leverage Helpforce’s reputation and evidence of impact to generate new business opportunities.
- Conduct market research and competitor analysis to inform strategic decisions.
- Build strong commercial relationships with public sector bodies, corporate partners, and health system leaders.
Fundraising — Leadership Oversight
- Provide strategic oversight of all fundraising activities including trusts, foundations, major donors, and institutional funders.
- Directly line manage the fundraising function, providing leadership, coaching, and performance oversight.
- Support the development of high-quality funding applications, stewardship plans, and donor communications.
- Ensure fundraising activities comply with ethical standards, contractual obligations, and regulatory requirements.
- Work closely with the CEO and Trustees on high-value fundraising relationships.
Leadership & Strategy
- Serve as a key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), contributing to organisational strategy and leadership.
- Set income targets, KPIs, and performance metrics across business development and fundraising.
- Work with Finance to monitor budgets, forecast income, and manage financial risks.
- Represent Helpforce externally at high-profile events, conferences, and with key stakeholders.
Relationship Management
- Build and maintain relationships with donors, funders, corporate partners, and public sector stakeholders.
- Support senior-level relationship-building with strategic funders and institutional partners, working alongside the CEO and Trustees where appropriate.
Person Specification
Essential
- Senior-level experience (7 years) in business development, commercial partnerships, or strategic fundraising,
- Experience in a non-profit, NGO, social enterprise, or impact-driven business.
- Proven track record of securing significant business contracts or partnerships.
- Strong leadership and line management experience.
- Excellent negotiation, commercial acumen, and contract management skills.
- Outstanding relationship-building skills with diverse stakeholders including public sector, corporate, and philanthropic partners.
- Experience in setting and delivering income growth strategies.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for proposals, reports, and presentations.
Desirable
- Sector knowledge: [e.g. healthcare, NHS].
- Knowledge of CRM systems and fundraising databases.
Equality and Diversity
Helpforce encourages applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We're committed to having a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We actively encourage BAME and disabled applicants and value the positive impact that difference has on our organisation. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce and all opportunities provided by Helpforce.
Location: Remote, but travel to the London office will be required, as will UK wide client meetings.
Salary: c.£62,000 per annum
Benefits: Competitive
Closing date for applications is 21st August 2025. Please use the application link to send us your CV and a covering letter to support your application. Applications submitted without a covering letter may not be considered.
REF-223097
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Head of Fundraising
Location: Remote (occasional UK in-person meetups)
Contract type: Permanent, full-time or part-time (minimum 4 days/week); UK adjacent hours
Salary: £55,000–£75,000 per annum (commensurate with experience)
Benefits: 35 days holiday + national holidays; 14 days medical leave; 3% employer pension contribution; open to flexible working
Reporting to/supported by: CEO
How to apply: Submit your cover letter and CV via CharityJob. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we may close the advert early if we find the right candidate.
About Iswe
Iswe is a global non-profit advancing participatory democracy and systems-level political change. Our mission is to help citizens, especially those in underrepresented regions, shape solutions to global challenges — from climate justice to health equity. Our initiatives include the Global Citizens’ Assembly (GCA) and Assemblis, a digital platform for community-led democratic processes.
We’re entering an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a strategic and entrepreneurial fundraiser to take our income generation to the next level.
About the role
We are seeking a Head of Fundraising to develop and drive Iswe’s income generation strategy and grow a high-performing fundraising team.
This role is ideal for someone experienced and confident enough to lead the function with minimal oversight, but still eager to be hands-on. You will bring a good understanding of the climate, democracy, and systems change funding landscape, ideally along with existing funder relationships. You’ll be creative and entrepreneurial, with the ability to craft compelling cases for support, develop new income streams, and build the operational systems required to raise and manage funds effectively.
Your goal will be to secure £10 million over the next 3–5 years, and position Iswe for long-term financial sustainability.
You will report to the CEO and will manage a Senior Fundraising Officer, with the opportunity to expand the team over time (e.g. an individual giving lead and a high-net-worth donor lead).
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
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Develop and deliver an ambitious fundraising strategy aligned with Iswe’s organisational goals, including project-specific income generation and unrestricted funding.
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Identify and pursue diverse fundraising opportunities, with a focus on:
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Grant fundraising
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Institutional partnerships
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Innovative pooled funding mechanisms
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Individual giving and public campaigns
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High-net-worth individuals
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Revenue-generating partnerships and services
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Provide regular reporting and strategic insights, including risks, opportunities, and performance against targets.
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Work with the CEO to transition key donor relationships smoothly and represent Iswe externally at high-level events and convenings (e.g. COP, Bonn, Davos, New York Climate Week).
Fundraising Execution
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Lead the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of funders, donors, and strategic partners.
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Write and oversee the development of high-quality grant proposals, donor reports, and communications.
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Coordinate funding strategies for individual projects, and support project teams to embed fundraising into their planning and delivery.
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Develop digital strategies and campaigns to support public fundraising and individual giving.
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Build systems to attract and steward high net worth individuals, including prospecting, relationship management, and donor communications.
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Explore and advance business revenue streams such as consultancy offers, corporate sponsorships, or platform-based services.
Team Leadership
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Line-manage a Senior Fundraising Officer, supporting their professional development and accountability.
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Recruit, onboard and manage future team members as needed (e.g. an Individual Giving Manager and High Net Worth Fundraising Lead).
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Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and bottom-up leadership within the fundraising team and across the organisation.
Operational Excellence
- Design and implement systems for tracking fundraising performance and measuring ROI.
- Develop internal processes for grant management and donor engagement.
- Ensure compliance with fundraising ethics, legal standards, and data protection regulations.
- Build the fundraising literacy and capability of project and leadership teams across the organisation.
Person Specification
Essential
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Substantial fundraising experience (minimum 5+ years), with a proven track record of raising six to seven-figure income across grantmaking, institutional funders, or major donors.
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Strong strategic thinking, planning, and execution skills — with the ability to own a multi-year fundraising roadmap and deliver results with minimal supervision.
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Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering fundraising strategies across multiple income streams (e.g. grants, high net worth individuals, public fundraising, or partnerships).
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Excellent writing and communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling funding proposals and reports.
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Working knowledge of individual giving strategies, including use of digital tools for donor acquisition and retention.
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Working knowledge of GDPR.
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Understanding of how to build systems and culture to support high net worth individual engagement and income generation.
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Experience speaking and writing knowledgeably about deliberative democracy and multilateralism.
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Strong understanding of the global fundraising landscape in climate, democracy, and systems change — and ideally some well-established funder relationships.
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Ability to build strong internal and external relationships and to work across multiple teams and time zones.
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A collaborative, self-reflective leadership style — grounded in awareness of your own leadership strengths and blind spots, and committed to building the agency of others.
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Experience working effectively in a remote environment and enthusiasm for this mode of working.
Desirable
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Experience developing pooled funding models or engaging with multilateral funding initiatives.
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Experience monetising services or designing other forms of business income.
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Experience working in or with small, fast-moving nonprofits or startups.
What We Offer
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A rare opportunity to shape and lead the fundraising function of a globally relevant organisation at a pivotal moment in its growth.
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A flexible, learning-focused work environment rooted in collaboration, experimentation, and shared ownership.
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A mission-driven team working on some of the most urgent challenges of our time, in partnership with communities around the world.
A note on representation
We know that building a team representative of wider society fosters creativity and innovation. We welcome people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences and are committed to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly welcome applications from candidates who are disabled, Black, Asian or from other minority ethnic backgrounds, who identify within the LGBTQIA+ community, or identify as from a lower or disadvantaged socioeconomic background as these groups are currently under-represented on our staff team.