Fundraising operations executive jobs
About CoppaFeel!
CoppaFeel! are the UK’s only youth focused breast cancer awareness charity, and we’re on a mission to get every 18-24 year old checking their chest. We educate people on the signs of breast cancer and encourage them to check their chests monthly, so that if they notice something unusual they are empowered to contact their GP and advocate for themselves.
We do this because when diagnosed early, breast cancer treatments are more effective and survival rates are higher. Early detection can save lives.
Breast cancer does not need to be detected late, and as long as we are here and continue to be supported by people like you, we will do all we can to make sure this doesn’t continue to happen.
The Role
CoppaFeel! is seeking an inspiring and strategic Fundraising Director to lead our fundraising activity and help to drive the next phase of our growth.
As a key member of the senior leadership team, you’ll be responsible for shaping and delivering our fundraising strategy, ensuring a strong, diverse and sustainable income portfolio that enables us to reach more people and move closer to a world where all breast cancers are diagnosed early. Leading and supporting a newly formed but high performing team, you’ll oversee new business development, high value corporate partnerships and outstanding stewardship of our supporters. Working closely with the CEO and colleagues across the organisation you’ll set ambitious targets, identify opportunities for growth and champion long term, values aligned partnerships.
CoppaFeel! has experienced a period of exceptional financial growth, increasing income from £1.6m to £7m in 5 years, driven in large part by the success of our partnership with Asda. This has placed the organisation in a strong and exciting position with the opportunity to build for the long term, diversify our income, and significantly increase our impact.
The Fundraising Director will provide bold, strategic leadership to shape the next phase of CoppaFeel!’s growth, evolving our fundraising model, reducing reliance on any single income stream and ensuring long term sustainability. This role is about setting vision, unlocking opportunity and embedding fundraising as a strategic, organisation wide function. While oversight of day to day fundraising performance remains important, this role is fundamentally future focused building resilience and driving innovation.
This is a hybrid role requiring 2 days per week in our offices based in London Bridge. This role sits within our Senior Management Team and reports into the CEO.
Duties and responsibilities
Strategy & Leadership
- Work as part of the CoppaFeel! SMT shaping the organisational strategy, culture and cross departmental ways of working
- Set and lead an ambitious, multi year fundraising vision aligned to CoppaFeel!’s organisational strategy and impact goals
- Develop and support the Fundraising Team in the delivery of the fundraising strategy to ensure long term sustainability and maximum impact
- Provide strong, clear and consistent leadership through a period of growth, transformation and increasing complexity
- Champion innovation, testing and learning across all fundraising streams to unlock new opportunities and audiences
- Work collaboratively across all departments to ensure that fundraising is integrated across the organisation and aligned with our organisational delivery
Governance
- Work closely with the SMT to develop strategic recommendations for the Board of Trustees and support effective governance
- Development of the 3 year budget, including regular reforecasting and longer term projections to inform investment and growth decisions
- Analyse and monitor the ROI of across all income streams, using insight to drive decision making!
- Take on fundraising related governance responsibilities, including attendance at Finance Committee meetings and contributing to the annual report.
- Provide confident, strategic leadership on financial risk, opportunity and sustainability
Fundraising
- Drive the delivery of CoppaFeel!'s growth strategy, including achieving fundraising targets across multiple fundraising streams
- Develop new strategies and adapt existing ones in response to external trends, audience insight and organisational priorities
- Support the Asda partnership at a strategic level, ensuring income is stewarded effectively and impact is clearly reported
- Oversee and empower the Department Heads in the implementation and optimitisation of the fundraising strategy
- Lead the diversification of income, reducing reliance on any single partner or activity and building a resilient, balanced fundraising portfolio Identify and develop fundraising opportunities that are accessible, inclusive and engaging for 18–24-year-olds and priority audiences
Sector representation
- Act as a visible ambassador for CoppaFeel! within the fundraising sector
- Build CoppaFeel!’s fundraising credibility through conference speaking, thought leadership, award entries and sector engagement
General duties of a CoppaFeel! employee
- To work cooperatively, respectfully and effectively with colleagues to ensure CoppaFeel! achieves its annual strategy
- Update database with relevant contacts
- To assist in identifying and highlighting key external trends which are relevant to the Charity’s operation and provide relevant advice
- To participate, as appropriate, in staff forums and meetings
- To adhere to CoppaFeel!’s Policies and Procedures
- To be flexible with working hours and be willing to work weekend hours where appropriate (i.e. fundraising events) where time off in lieu will be rewarded
- To carry out other tasks as required by the CEO occasionally
Skills and attributes
Essential
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to represent CoppaFeel! credibly at the highest levels
- Experience operating successfully at a strategic leadership level within a medium sized or large organisation
- A proven, creative and commercial approach to income generation, underpinned by strong market insight
- Strong financial acumen, with confidence in budget management, forecasting and ROI analysis
- Experience reshaping or diversifying a fundraising portfolio
- Experience working closely with and presenting to a Board of Trustees and senior stakeholders
- Ability to inspire, lead and develop high performing teams
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with sound judgement around risk and reputation
- Thrives in a fast paced, ambitious and evolving environment
Desirable
- Comfortable leading through change, complexity and growth
- Experience working in a rapidly scaling organisation
Application information
Applications will close on Sunday 8th March 2026 with the aim to commence first interviews on W/C 9th March 2026.
CoppaFeel! reserves the right to close the vacancy early in the event that we receive a high number of applications before the closing date.
Main benefits, Terms & Conditions
Annual leave entitlement: 22 days, plus office closure at Christmas, a day off on our Founders birthday, and a day off for your birthday.
- Employee Assistance Programme; advice and support offered by an external body.
- Health Cash Plan; cash back on everyday health expenses, as well as a GP advice line and access to PerkBox.
- Access to Self Space training and 1:1 therapy
- Core working hours of 10am to 4pm
- Working from home up to 3 days per week
- Flex Friday; every other Friday off, offering the time to recharge and ensuring work life balance, while remaining available in case of emergencies
- Training; we have a budget each year for employees training and development plans.
- Treats cupboard; full of biscuits, fruit, chips, fancy tea, coffee, and snacks.
- Expenses; travel for events and food during events will be reimbursed.
- Notice period: 3 months
All annual leave and benefits are pro-rata'd for part time employees.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
At CoppaFeel! we support a diverse range of communities and we understand that diversity within our team is central and crucial to meeting the needs of the young people we exist to serve. We strongly encourage applications from Black, and people of colour, LGBTQIA+ candidates, candidates with disabilities, from men, and from those with a lived experience of cancer because we would like to increase the representation of these groups within the charity.
We promote equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and make recruitment decisions by matching the charity's needs with the skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of 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 recognise the value in encouraging a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge at the charity.
While the successful candidate will be selected purely on merit, in the event of a tie between two candidates with equal suitability, we may select a candidate with lived experience of the issues we are seeking to address through our work.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and we commit to offering an interview for all applicants with disabilities who meet our required criteria for the role. If you have any accessibility requirements or need any adjustments for the interview process please get in touch.
Job Purpose
This role sits at the heart of Operation Smile UK’s five-year strategy to deliver transformational growth across all income streams. As Retention Fundraising Lead, you will be instrumental in delivering on three of the four core strategic priorities:
1. Build Regular Giving – retain and maximise value from the regular giving base
2. Drive All Donors to Legacy – ensure donors experience best-in-class stewardship, increasing their loyalty to the charity with an objective of feeding into legacy and long-term giving goals.
3. Maximise Growth Through Digital Fundraising Integration – leading the expansion and optimisation of digital growth for all existing supporters.
The Retention Lead is responsible for delivering Operation Smile UK’s strategic individual giving retention and legacy marketing programme. This role is key to driving income growth from our existing donors from the point of recruitment, maximising value and minimising attrition from the regular giving pool and generating and retaining legacy actions and prospects.
You will lead on the strategy, planning, delivery and evaluation of retention campaigns, with full accountability for managing significant budgets, agency partnerships and performance metrics.
You will support the development of the Legacy strategy, be instrumental in planning legacy activity and delivering legacy marketing for the existing supporter base across all income streams and methods of support, from Partnerships, Volunteers and public fundraisers.
This is a senior, hands-on role suited to an experienced Individual giving fundraiser with strong commercial acumen and a data-driven mindset.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Campaign Leadership
- Develop and implement the retention strategy, aligned with income targets and supporter growth objectives.
- Lead on the planning and delivery of campaigns across cash, donor stewardship, legacy prospecting and stewardship, welcome, conversion, reactivation and upgrade appeals.
- Lead on strategic development of the cultivation journey to ensure Operation Smile maximise growth through digital channels.
- Monitor and report on campaign performance, providing insight-driven recommendations to optimise results.
- Drive testing and innovation to expand existing approaches and introduce new ones within acceptable risk and return parameters.
Budget Ownership & Performance Monitoring
- Take full responsibility for retention and legacy budget management, income forecasting and cost control.
- Set, monitor, and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs), reporting against ROI, value and response, retention and conversion metrics and long-term value across all supporter groups channels.
- Collaborate with the Senior Database Manager and the Director of Data and Technology to develop and maintain performance dashboards (e.g., Power BI) and support strategic data analysis, including both short term and long-term channel performance evaluation.
Line Management
- Provide day-to-day leadership and support to the Retention team, ensuring clarity of objectives, effective workload management, and professional development opportunities.
- Conduct regular 1:1s, annual appraisals, and performance reviews for direct reports, supporting their growth and accountability.
- Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture, encouraging innovation, learning, and high standards of delivery.
- Provide strategic and operational direction to external agencies or freelancers working on retention projects.
Agency & Partner Management
- Manage day-to-day relationships with external fundraising and creative partners.
- Lead on the relationship with the external fulfilment agency working with multiple internal stakeholders to ensure an effective partnership is in place.
- Lead briefings, content sourcing, agent training, stakeholder approvals, and quality assurance processes.
- Negotiate contracts and hold suppliers accountable for delivery and performance.
Cross-Team and Market Integration
- Represent the retention and legacy programme in cross-functional planning meetings and contribute to a unified team culture focused on strategic delivery.
- Work closely with the Acquisition and Digital lead to deliver a seamless supporter journey from point of recruitment to donor communications.
- Work closely with the Philanthropy Manager to develop and manage the pipeline of HV/Major donors.
- Work closely with the Legacy administrator, Philanthropy Manager and Volunteer Manager to develop the legacy pipeline.
- Work closely to ensure all digital communications are aligned and support the retention strategy
- Act as a key liaison with colleagues across Operation Smile global markets, sharing insights and exploring opportunities to align strategy, co-develop creative, or pilot cross-market initiatives.
Compliance, Risk & Best Practice
- Ensure all campaigns meet legal, ethical and data protection requirements (e.g., GDPR, Fundraising Regulator).
- Act as a key contributor to organisational risk assessments relating to income performance and supplier performance.
- Keep up to date with sector trends, innovations and benchmarks to maintain best practice.
Person specification
Essential Experience
- Extensive experience (ideally 5+ years) in Individual Giving, Legacy or fundraising acquisition roles.
- Proven success delivering multi-channel (including digital) retention campaigns for both cash, legacy and regular giving donors with strong ROI.
- Experience managing external agencies and suppliers to high performance standards.
- Strong background in regular giving retention.
- Demonstrable experience managing and reporting on retention budgets.
Skills & Attributes
- Strategic thinker with excellent campaign planning and execution skills.
- Highly numerate and confident using data for decision-making and optimisation.
- Strong project and stakeholder management abilities.
- Proactive, self-starting approach with high levels of ownership and accountability.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to represent the organisation externally.
Desirable
- Understanding of retention and supporter journey optimisation.
- Familiarity with CRM, Dot digital and data system Donorfy.
- Experience with Power BI or other reporting tools.
First-round interviews are set for the week of 9th March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.
Disability Confident Committed Employer
We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.
At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.
If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation.
We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Please provide clear evidence in your cover letter of your experience and achievements, including income performance results. We are particularly interested in your expertise in developing supporter journeys and delivering successful multichannel campaigns across both mail and digital platforms. Additionally, please demonstrate your commitment to the sector.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
Have you got what it takes to help St Margaret’s Hospice raise over £10m+ every year? Do you have a passion for people and building relationships to realise vital income? Do you have experience of fundraising or the commercial acumen to know what makes a great charity retail brand? Can you craft a compelling case for support and negotiate multi-year six figure grants?
Join St Margaret’s Hospice as our Director of Income Generation and play a vital role in ensuring fundraising and retail remain central pillars of our new five-year strategy.
What can you expect to be doing?
As a senior leader, you’ll help shape the future of St Margaret’s at a defining moment for the hospice sector, where financial sustainability is essential.
Hospices play an integral role in local communities, and here at St Margaret’s, we pride ourselves on thinking of our income generation activities as an extension of the care and compassion that is core to who we are.
Working closely with your peers within the executive, as well as the Board, you’ll be an ambassador for St Margaret’s, and expected to represent the hospice. You’ll develop and own pivotal relationships both internally and externally, and role model the values of compassion, collaboration and ambition, while holding yourself and others to account so the best interests of St Margaret’s are always met.
What can you expect to be good at?
From legacies to lottery, challenge events to collections, merchandising to retail operations, you’ll know how to raise significant funds, and will be experienced in leading and inspiring teams to achieve their goals.
Ideally, you will have a strong grounding in charity, either as a fundraiser yourself or having worked in charity retail. Alternatively, you may have transferable skills and the drive to learn and apply your knowledge and experience in a hospice setting.
Either way we are looking for an individual who can demonstrate relevant and lived experience, tenacity, curiosity and a hunger to succeed.
We also welcome high performing individuals who are looking for their first director role.
We invite applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to helping you thrive. If you're excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.
What can we offer you?
- Salary: £80,000 to £87,975 per annum
- Location: Taunton or Yeovil, with regular travel across Somerset
- Contract: Permanent
- Working Pattern: Full time (37 hours per week), including some evenings and weekends
Holiday entitlement
- 29 days holiday, plus bank holidays, increasing to 33 days after 5 years
- Ability to buy and sell annual leave
Pension scheme
- NHS employees eligible to continue with their NHS pension scheme*
- Non-NHS employees will receive 5.5% employer and 5% employee contribution.
Plus…
- Life assurance cover
- Health Cash Plans
- Virtual medical care with unlimited access to a GP 24/7,
- Confidential and free 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family offering: Counselling, Support, Legal, Financial and Medical Information and Advice
- A Vitality & Wellbeing health portal.
- Blue Light Discount Card
- Enhanced maternity leave*
- Excellent learning and development opportunities
- Free on-site parking in Yeovil and Taunton
- Volunteering and fundraising opportunities
*Eligibility criteria applies
How to Apply
Click the apply button to complete the online application form and upload your CV.
As part of the application process, you will be asked for to complete a supporting statement detailing how your skills, knowledge and experience align to the person specification.
You can learn more about the role via the candidate pack attached to this advert or, for an informal chat with our CEO, Joanna Hall, contact the Recruitment Team.
With a new CEO in post, and momentum being built as we roll out our new strategy – it’s an exciting time to join the team. We look forward to learning more about you and why you think you can be a great match for St Margaret’s.
Closing date: 6th March 2026. We may close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer visa sponsorship at this time.
DBS Information
This role requires a criminal background check via the disclosure procedure.
The Disclosure and Barring Service offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants. This route gives applicants the choice not to have any gender or name information disclosed on their DBS certificate and is available for all levels of DBS check.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
What we're building
Level Water exists to solve a problem that shouldn’t exist: too many disabled children are still missing out on high-quality swimming lessons.
Last year, our swimmers raised over £1m. This year we’ve sold out events in minutes and want to double the fundraising. We’re on the path to exponential growth and we need someone who can help us get there.
We're Level Water, a founder-led charity solving learn-to-swim for disabled children. We're not your typical charity. We own our events and run them like a business. We move fast, test everything, and we're building something that doesn't exist anywhere else. Our events are uniquely profitable, and we reinvest in quality and growth.
We've just brought in a new Fundraising Director, and this Marketing role is a cornerstone of the team we're building. If you want to help define how a modern charity grows and does marketing, this is your chance.
The opportunity
This isn't a "post on social and send a newsletter" role. This is a “build something exceptional, then grow it” role. Marketing is at the heart of our flywheel, which means you’ll be integral to everything we are doing at Level Water.
You'll own marketing strategy and execution across our entire operation: our iconic events, our life-changing swimming programmes, and our reputation as a charity. You'll drive growth, tell stories that matter, and build genuine communities that scale.
You'll have the freedom to experiment. Want to test a new channel? Launch a content series? Build a creator programme? Run paid campaigns that actually convert? Brilliant. Build the business case and let's do it.
You'll work with real impact. Children with disabilities are learning to swim because of us. Families are transformed by our lessons. Volunteers and incredible teachers make it happen. These are stories that deserve to be told brilliantly, and you'll be the one telling them.
This role is 80% growth and 20% impact storytelling, but the two are inseparable. We’re product-led and we launch and test often. Great stories fuel growth. Growth creates more stories. You'll understand that tension and thrive in it.
You'll work closely with our Fundraising Director and CEO to scale marketing as our most powerful growth lever. You'll also manage a network of brilliant freelancers (photographers, videographers, copywriters, designers) to help you execute at the highest level.
And you'll grow with us. We're scaling fast, and we need people who can scale with us.
This is a mission-critical role in driving Level Water's growth. Every event you sell out, every story you tell, every audience you build helps unlock more funded swimming lessons, bringing us closer to a future where every disabled child can have a great swimming lesson with a confident, qualified teacher.
Marketing at Level Water isn’t just about selling events - it’s a core delivery mechanism in our Theory of Change. This role exists to move the levers that unlock more lessons, faster progression, stronger outcomes, and a sustainable income engine that funds it all.
This is the most exciting marketing job in the charity sector for the right person.
What you'll actually do
This role owns marketing as a growth engine. You'll set strategy, drive execution across multiple channels, and be accountable for how marketing translates into event sign-ups, fundraising growth, profile, and impact. You'll work closely with the Fundraising Director to shape priorities, influence decisions, and build something that scales.
Drive growth marketing that converts
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Own end-to-end marketing for our events portfolio: from launch campaigns to sell-out.
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Build and execute multi-channel campaigns across social, email, paid ads, PR, partnerships, and whatever else works.
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Test everything. Audiences, messages, creative, channels. Find what works, double down, and scale it.
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Use data to spot opportunities: which channels are converting? Where are we leaving growth on the table? What could we do differently?
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Manage our digital advertising and paid social strategy with a ruthless focus on ROI.
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Grow our email database and social audiences with intent, not just for vanity metrics.
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Be trusted to repeatedly turn £1 into £5 or £10.
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Define and unleash our audiences: help them share their stories in a way that turns experiences into future sales, and makes everything that Level Water does easier.
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Build and manage our captain and ambassador programmes as genuine growth engines - nurturing relationships, setting expectations, and turning influence into measurable impact.
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Proactively convert interest into action. This includes direct outreach (e.g. picking up the phone to captains, engaging top fundraisers, activating ambassadors) to ensure intent turns into ticket sales and fundraising.
Tell stories that build belief
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Find, shape, and share the stories that show our impact: the children, the families, the teachers, the moments that matter.
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Build and curate a library of content (video, photography, case studies, testimonials) that we can use everywhere.
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Work with freelance photographers and videographers to capture our events and programmes at their best.
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Create content that our supporters, partners, and prospects actually want to engage with, not just content that ticks a box.
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Manage our website (fundraising, events, and programmes pages) to ensure it's always up to date, compelling, and optimised for conversion.
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Ensure our impact reporting to donors is rich with content about our work.
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Use storytelling internally to build shared understanding, momentum and belief across the charity as we scale.
Build our profile and partnerships
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Position Level Water as a leader in accessible swimming and outdoor challenge events.
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Build and leverage relationships with press, influencers, local authorities, and stakeholders.
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Identify partnership and sponsorship opportunities that align with our mission and drive growth.
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Amplify examples of inclusion within our pools, making them known and also making inclusive practice visible.
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Promote our swimming pool partners and recognise their contribution to our work.
Manage, measure, and improve
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Own the marketing budget and get maximum value from every pound spent.
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Manage our freelance network: scope projects, review proposals, and ensure quality work on time and on budget.
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Report regularly on what's working and what's not: campaign performance, audience growth, conversion rates, ROI.
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Stay ahead of the curve: what are the best organisations doing? What can we learn and adapt?
Who we're looking for
We care much more about how you work than where you've worked. You don't need charity sector experience .
People who thrive here have:
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Hustle and drive. You take ownership. You spot opportunities and go after them. You don't wait to be told what to do.
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A commercial approach. You think in terms of audiences, funnels, conversion, and scale. You understand what drives growth and you know how to execute it.
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Copywriting chops. You can really write. Headlines that stop the scroll. Emails people actually read. Stories that land. You know that words matter.
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A data brain. You can look at campaign performance and spot the story. You know that "CTR is up 18%" means something, and you know how to act on it.
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A bias for action. You test things. You move fast. You're comfortable with uncertainty and you learn by doing.
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Creative thinking. You generate ideas. You see opportunities others miss. You're not afraid to try something different.
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Organisation. Strong attention to detail, with the ability to run 12 products, 40 email journeys and 100 web pages without dropping anything.
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An entrepreneurial mindset. You think like an owner. If this were your business, how would you grow it?
Bonus points if:
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You've worked in a startup, scale-up, or high-growth environment.
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You've built audiences from scratch or scaled marketing profitably.
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You've led paid campaigns that actually delivered ROI.
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You've worked across multiple channels and understand how they work together.
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You love being outdoors (swimming, hiking, wild camping, anything that gets you outside).
Why Level Water?
Our values: Bold, Driven, Personal, and Joyful are at the heart of this role. You'll be expected to bring ambition, move with purpose, care deeply about impact, and help create marketing that feels genuinely joyful to be part of.
Bold. This isn't a "follow the playbook" role. We want your ideas. We want you to challenge us. We want you to help us build something better.
Driven. We're growing fast and we need people who can scale with us. If you're ambitious, there's a huge opportunity here.
Personal. We're a small, founder-led team. We move fast, we debate hard, we test everything, and we care deeply about what we do.
Joyful. You'll work on some of the most iconic outdoor swims in the UK. You'll help tell stories that change lives. You'll be part of creating something people remember forever.
Practical details
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Flexible working: remote, hybrid, or (even better) office-based in Tunbridge Wells or Exeter, your choice.
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You'll attend weekend events throughout the summer (with time off in lieu).
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Salary: £30k–£45k depending on experience.
How to apply
We want to hear from you in whatever way best shows us who you are and how you think.
Get creative. It’s a marketing job so sell us on your personality and style. A traditional CV and cover letter? Absolutely fine. A video introduction? Great. A presentation deck? Bring it on. Whatever format helps you shine and show us who you are.
Here's what we'd love to know:
1. How you'd approach marketing growth:
Imagine we want to double sign-ups for one of our summer events (currently sitting at 500 swimmers). Walk us through your approach: which channels would you use, what would your messaging be, how would you measure success, and what would you test first?
2. What excites you about this role:
Tell us why this opportunity appeals to you specifically.
3. Something you're proud of:
Share one thing you've built, grown, or improved. Doesn't have to be in charity or even at work, it could be anything that shows your drive and ability to make things happen.
Before you apply
If you've got questions about the role, the team, or whether this might be right for you, please reach out. I'm Andy Punter, Fundraising Director at Level Water, and I'd genuinely love to chat.
Deadline
20th March 2026
We're excited to meet you. Let's build something brilliant together.
We equip pools and leisure providers across the UK to deliver specialist swimming lessons for children with disabilities.



Reporting to: Director of Development
Salary: £53,000 - £57,500
Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week)
Key Relationships: Director of Development, CEO, COO, Trustees, External Partners
Location: Hybrid
Overall Purpose
The Fundraising Lead will both raise money to support the sustainability of NHS Charities Together and contribute to supporting NHS Charities to increase their income.
The role oversees the day to day operations of both our fundraising activity and our practical support to members.
Overall Objectives
- Lead the strategic development of a simplified individual giving programme focused on donor retention, stewardship, and legacy conversion.
- Oversee the creation and rollout of scalable, white-label fundraising products or campaigns that enable member charities to increase income and deepen supporter engagement.
- Oversee and support the development and stewardship of corporate relationships to deliver partnerships in support of our mission.
- Guide and empower a skilled team to deliver donor-centric fundraising with excellence and empathy.
- Ensure all fundraising activity is compliant, data-informed, and aligned with NHS Charities Together’s values and strategic priorities, ensuring it complements and doesn’t compete with our members.
- Support a culture of innovation, collaboration, and strategic philanthropy across NHS Charities Together and its member network.
Key Responsibilities
The main duties and responsibilities of the role holder are as outlined below:
NHS Charities Together Fundraising Strategy
- Oversee the shaping of and support the Stewardship Manager on the delivery of a simplified, effective individual giving programme aligned with NHS Charities Together’s strategic priorities, with a focus on the retention and upgrade of existing donors and avoiding competing with our members.
- Ensure individual donors are regularly engaged and asked for appropriate cash gifts through a light-touch programme.
- Ensure that legacy messaging is prominent in the donor engagement cycle, to inspire existing donors to consider long-term support, aligned with their gratitude to the NHS, with appropriate pathways offered.
- Oversee prompt, accurate, and heartfelt thanking processes for all donations.
- Manage the welcome journey for unsolicited donations, and oversee the cost-effective management of existing commitments for community or events-based activity to ensure a return
- Lead stewardship for donors giving up to £25,000.
- Oversee and support the Partnerships & Philanthropy Manager to manage the relationships with selected key corporate relationships, identifying opportunities for partnerships and liaising closely with NHS Charities Together colleagues to support the development of fundable propositions which benefit our sector and our own organisation.
Sector Fundraising Support
- Champion sector-wide change by equipping member charities with scalable, plug-and-play fundraising products and strategic guidance that enhances their income generation capacity through individual giving, working closely with the engagement team.
- Oversee the development of support the Products Manager on the rollout of replicable or white-label fundraising products, starting with the roll-out of a lottery and legacy product, and on the development of campaigns (e.g. focused on grateful patients).
- Oversee and drive the thinking on future fundraising products that will appeal to and benefit our diverse group of member charities.
- Work closely with the engagement team and other NHS Charites together staff to tailor activity in line with segmentation and engagement strategies.
- Build trusted relationships with member charities, positioning yourself as a knowledgeable and empathetic fundraising expert.
- Contribute to supporting NHS Charities to raise their income, providing advice and guidance 1:1 and through supporting the delivery of member events. Where required support the delivery of paid for consulting support to NHS charities on fundraising.
Team Leadership & Compliance
- Lead and motivate the team, providing effective direction in their activities to ensure individual and team objectives are achieved.
- Deliver the new NHS Charities Together fundraising programme on budget and on target, and ensure appropriate reporting is delivered to support our governance.
- Directly line manage the Stewardship Manager, Products Manager and Philanthropy & Partnerships Manager
- Ensure excellent use of the CRM for donor engagement, reporting, and data management, and ensure the development of efficient systems and process that maximise donor income and satisfaction.
- Ensure all fundraising activity complies with relevant legislation, including GDPR and the Data Protection Act.
- Contribute to a culture of strategic philanthropy across the organisation.
Other duties
- Visibly live NHS Charities Togethers values, including our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Carrying out the duties of post in accordance with NHS Charities Togethers policies and procedures on Health and Safety and take responsibility for ensuring personal health and safety.
- Working flexibly, prioritising workload, and working effectively as part of a team. Demonstrating an ability to work calmly and effectively when under pressure of tight deadlines, to deliver work on time and to a high standard.
- Adhere to relevant legislation, best practice, policies, and processes including, but not limited to charity law, the fundraising regulator, GDPR and professional codes and standards.
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of duties. The need for flexibility is required, and the post holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee’s skills and abilities whenever reasonably instructed.
Competencies
Teamwork – ‘One charity’, working within and across teams
- Collaborates across teams, ensuring our approach is aligned with our support of members and the segmentation strategies we are pursuing.
- Builds strong relationships internally, and models a ‘one charity’ approach.
- Identifies and creates opportunities to support members, and works with colleagues to identify how to best to deliver support
Building trust and respect – listen, feedback and learn
- Provides clear leadership, fostering a strong team and supporting individuals to perform.
- Models our values through their work, seeking to support colleagues and understand their perspectives.
- Proactive and adaptable to support the wider work of the organisation as required
Responsibility – owning your part in our success
- Takes responsibility for maximising our fundraising return, keeping costs to a minimum.
- Proactively adjusts our approach to deliver maximum success, and keeps the organisation updated on likely returns.
Professionalism – creating an environment to achieve success
- Maintains virtual and face to face presence across NHSCT and with key supporters and third-party agencies.
- Takes a learning approach to ensure we continually improve our fundraising
- Upholds the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and transparency, ensuring we always work within the Fundraising Code
Stakeholder focus – understanding the needs of our key stakeholders and audiences
- Passionate about supporting NHS charities and helping them to increase their income.
- Seeks to understand the needs of NHS charities, shaping our support to maximise our impact in supporting them to raise income
- Ensures our stewardship and fundraising work does not compete with members.
Acumen – Sound decision-making
- Adapts and shapes appeals and campaigns based on learning to deliver success.
- Identifies and shapes member support around what is most effective.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications/Education:
Desirable
- Fundraising Qualification, Chartered Institute of Fundraising, or equivalent
Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
Essential
- Demonstrable success in developing and delivering fundraising strategies across a range of disciplines/mediums (e.g. individual giving, legacy, products, corporates) to meet or exceed financial targets.
- Ability to identify and act on opportunities for innovation in donor engagement and fundraising product development.
- Entrepreneurial with a high level of motivation and initiative, and a demonstrable desire to succeed and achieve results.
- A passion for thoughtful, accurate and timely donor stewardship
- Experience in building credibility with senior external stakeholders and managing relationships with diplomacy
- Experience managing external relationships with suppliers
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Experience of leading and managing successful teams, providing clear direction and creating a values-based culture
Desirable
- Experience in individual giving or retention programmes
- Experience in developing corporate partnerships.
- Experience working within an NHS charity or large health-related fundraising environment.
- Consulting or advisory experience, or of providing specialist advice
Benefits: 10% employers pension contribution (NEST) HSF Health cash Plan-covering employee partners and dependants under 18 28 days Annual Leave plus bank holidays and increases with length of service 2 hours weekly wellbeing time out Employee assistance program , offering GP advice lines, virtual doctors, prescription services, emotional wellbeing support, a legal help line and counselling. Funded eye site test (Specsavers) Pay it forward days- 2 days volunteering Mindful Employer Perkbox and Reward Gateway – discount platforms
REF-226 887
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
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!
Are you a strategic, results-driven fundraiser ready to make a real impact?
Join the Orpheus Centre, a vibrant charity that transforms lives through the performing arts. We’re on an exciting journey, launching a £25m capital appeal to expand our facilities and grow our reach. To achieve this, we need an exceptional Deputy Head of Fundraising to help lead our income generation efforts and drive sustainable growth.
About the role
As Deputy Head of Fundraising, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering innovative fundraising strategies across multiple streams—corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, individual giving, and community fundraising. You’ll oversee donor acquisition and stewardship, inspire your team, and ensure we meet ambitious targets. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence the future of a charity that champions creativity, inclusion, and resilience.
Location: The Orpheus Centre, Surrey
Salary: £45,000 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week (flexible working considered) / 52 weeks per year
Contract: Permanent
What you’ll do
- Lead revenue fundraising strategies and secure income through personal efforts.
- Manage and develop a talented fundraising team.
- Build strong relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders.
- Design compelling campaigns and optimise performance using data insights.
- Deputise for the Head of Income and Growth when required.
What we’re looking for
- Proven experience in managing multiple fundraising streams and meeting income targets.
- Strong leadership and team management skills.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
- Strategic thinker with a track record of delivering results.
- Knowledge of fundraising compliance and best practices.
Why join us?
- Be part of a passionate team that celebrates creativity and makes a tangible impact on people’s lives.
- Work on a high-profile capital appeal and exciting projects.
- A supportive, inclusive workplace where your ideas matter.
- Join us in making a lasting difference in the lives of young disabled people through the power of the arts.
Orpheus is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. All posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and satisfactory references. This post is classed as having a high degree of contact with vulnerable adults and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
As part of our safer recruitment process and in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, online searches may be undertaken as part of due diligence.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
In order to be considered you must be eligible to work in the UK.
The Orpheus Centre is proud to be a disability confident employer.
We have made a positive commitment to employing disabled people. Reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment procedure as required in consultation with the applicant to ensure no-one is disadvantaged because of their disability. If a disabled person is selected for a position, reasonable adjustments will be made to the workplace, including premises and equipment, work duties and practices or policies, as appropriate. All disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role as set out in the role profile and person specification will be considered for interview.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are:
- Challenging attitudes towards disability
- Increasing understanding of disability
- Removing barriers to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
- Ensuring that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspiration
No agencies please.
We are focused on inspiring and empowering young disabled students to live fulfilling, independent lives



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
FUNDRAISING OFFICER
Supporter focused Fundraising Officer role with SAT 7 UK, delivering supporter engagement, donor stewardship and fundraising campaigns to grow impact across the Middle East & North Africa.
Location: Hybrid (Chippenham office) – ideally 1 day a week onsite (minimum 1 day per month)
Contract: Full time (37.5 hours)
SAT 7 UK is part of an international Christian media ministry bringing faith based TV and digital content to millions across the Middle East and North Africa. Across four channels, SAT 7 broadcasts 365 days a year, offering hope, encouragement, and a fresh perspective to viewers often living in challenging or isolated situations.
Why work for SAT 7 UK?
- Daily team prayer and Bible reading
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increases after 2 years of service
- Opportunities to visit SAT 7 studio locations
- Supportive, purpose driven team environment, with team days throughout the year
- Employer pension contribution of 5% and Health cash plan
- Learning and development opportunities personalised to your role
We’re looking for a well organised, warm, and proactive Fundraising Officer to help strengthen supporter relationships, individual giving, and deliver excellent donor experiences.
You will:
- Nurture supporters through calls, emails, and written communications
- Support fundraising appeals, regular giving, welcome journeys, and campaigns
- Work closely with the Fundraising & Impact Manager on donor stewardship
- Deliver monthly Joy Bringer campaign calls
- Contribute to direct marketing campaigns
- Maintain accurate and timely supporter records
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves connecting with supporters and wants their work to have real global impact.
This role is subject to a Basic DBS check.
For further details please have a look at the candidate pack.
For an informal chat to ask any questions, please contact Nick Thomas, Senior Consultant, Charisma Charity Recruitment.
Please apply through the Charisma Charity Recruitment website with your CV and supporting statement.
Key dates
- Closing date: Monday 16 March 2026
- Charisma vetting interviews must be completed by: Thursday 19 March 2026
- SAT 7 UK in person interviews: Thursday 26 March 2026
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion*, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or other category protected by law.
*Under the Equality Act 2010, it is a genuine occupational requirement that the post holder is a practising Christian.
Growing Church in the Middle East and North Africa, confident in Christian faith and witness, serving the community, contributing to society & culture
First Give
First Give is a national charity that partners with secondary schools to inspire and equip young people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to drive change. Through our structured programmes, students explore social issues, connect with charities, and take tangible steps to improve their community.
Empowering and equipping young people to meaningfully contribute to their community is a first step to addressing many of the challenges we face at this time of social disconnection and division. Our vision is of a more generous society where everyone is willing and able to give their time, money and skills to the causes they care about.
The Route to a Million Campaign
This is an exciting time for First Give, as we seek to expand and diversify our fundraising streams into Corporate and HNWI. To support this, we are launching the Route to A Million campaign in March, aiming to raise an additional £1.5 million over the next 3 years on top of our forecast income. The campaign is supported by a newly recruited campaign board, and the new Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships will spearhead the work required to achieve this target.
Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships
We are seeking a dynamic, strategic and entrepreneurial Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships to supercharge First Give’s next phase of income growth. This is a pivotal role at the heart of our mission, offering the opportunity to shape and deliver a multi‑year fundraising strategy that fuels real, measurable impact for young people and society as a whole. First Give is a small charity, with a growing fundraising team and big ambitions. You will therefore be someone who thrives in a start-up environment, brings new ideas to the table and is comfortable leading a brand-new team.
As the senior leader for all income streams, you will own and drive our major donor programme; unlock new philanthropic partnerships; and build a talented team across other income streams to achieve ambitious goals. Working closely with the Director and our emerging Campaign Board, you will play critical role in growing our £1m+ annual income, deepening donor engagement and building the culture, systems and relationships that will propel First Give into its next phase of expansion.
This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional fundraiser who thrives in a values‑driven, high‑ambition environment and wants to make a lasting contribution to a fast‑growing education charity.
Contract: Full time (35 hours per week), Permanent
Salary: £60K (+£2K London weighting if applicable)
Location: This is a hybrid contract. The successful candidate will be expected to work from our London office or attend in-person meetings and host donors at school Final events as required. The remainder of the week can typically be worked remotely, with flexibility as required.
The students we work with come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and so do we. We want to foster a diverse and inclusive culture, to empower our teams to achieve our vision drawing on the broadest possible range of experiences. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates from minoritised groups currently underrepresented on our executive team, particularly black and minority ethnic and disabled candidates.
Please download the candidate pack for more details, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like a chat about the role or any reasonable adjustments we can make before applying: contact details provided in the candidate pack.
Creating opportunities where young people are inspired and empowered to give their time, money or skills to charities and causes that they care about


Want your fundraising to change lives, not just balance sheets?
The Friendly Food Club is looking for an ambitious, values-driven Fundraising & Partnerships Manager to grow income, build powerful partnerships, and help create healthier futures for families across Dorset and BCP.
The Friendly Food Club supports people from vulnerable groups and communities by building their cooking skills, confidence and resilience, to help break the cycle of food insecurity and low wellbeing.
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of an established and growing charity and deliver real-world impact every day.
This role is perfect for someone who:
- Is aligned with our values of care, good health, inclusion and community
- Brings empathy, energy and a people-first approach
- Has a friendly, creative, resilient and solutions-focused mindset
- It happy to get stuck in and involved at all levels of development and delivery
- Lives in Dorset or BCP areas who likes a mix of working from home and getting out and about.
The role will:
- Develop and deliver Friendly Food Club’s fundraising strategy to align with the charity’s priorities.
- Identify, build and steward strong, values-aligned long-term funding and partnership relationships.
- Write compelling and effective funding applications, proposals and impact reports
- Monitor income performance and report to the CEO and Board
- Represent Friendly Food Club externally as an ambassador for its mission and values
Apply now and help cook up healthier futures for thousands across Dorset.
If you want your work to truly matter — and to be part of a supportive, mission-led team — we’d love to hear from you.
Deadline 28 February 2026 | In person interviews mid-March 2026 | Start date: Flexible for the right person
To apply, please submit your cv and a 1 page proposal stating why you are the perfect fit, presenting in a format that is aligned to a corporate partnership proposal for a chosen company, ensuring that you cover the criteria above.
To empower everyone to enjoy a positive connection to food and have the ability to prepare nutritious and delicious meals that transform lives



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
First Give
First Give is a national charity that partners with secondary schools to inspire and equip young people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to drive change. Through our structured programmes, students explore social issues, connect with charities, and take tangible steps to improve their community.
Empowering and equipping young people to meaningfully contribute to their community is a first step to addressing many of the challenges we face at this time of social disconnection and division. Our vision is of a more generous society where everyone is willing and able to give their time, money and skills to the causes they care about.
Corporate Parnterships Manager
We are seeking a self-motivated and driven Corporate Partnerships Manager to lead on growing and stewarding First Give’s portfolio of high-value funders. This role will focus on developing corporate partnerships and will also support our Campaign Board and major donor activity.
First Give is a small charity, with a growing fundraising team and big ambitions. You will therefore be someone who thrives in a start-up environment, brings new ideas to the table and is comfortable setting up new systems and processes. You will play a pivotal role in shaping First Give’s income growth, working closely with our Head of Philanthropy and the Director. This role will also support key engagement activities, including hosting donors at student-led Final events and facilitating employee volunteering at schools.
This is an exciting opportunity for a confident fundraiser and communicator looking for the next step in their career. Someone who thrives on strategy, storytelling, and social impact.
Contract: Full-time, 35 hours per week. Permanent.
Salary: £40K (+£2K London weighting if applicable)
Location: The successful candidate will be expected to work from our London office or attend in-person meetings and host donors at school Final events for two days per week on average. The remainder of the week can typically be worked remotely, with flexibility as required.
Reporting to: Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships
The students we work with come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and so do we. We want to foster a diverse and inclusive culture, to empower our teams to achieve our vision drawing on the broadest possible range of experiences. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates from minoritised groups currently underrepresented on our executive team, particularly black and minority ethnic and disabled candidates.
Please download the candidate pack for more details, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like a chat about the role or any reasonable adjustments we can make before applying: contact details provided in the candidate pack.
Creating opportunities where young people are inspired and empowered to give their time, money or skills to charities and causes that they care about


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!
It’s an exciting time to join the Rugby Portobello Trust.
We are a vibrant, place-based community charity supporting children and young people in North Kensington. As we expand our reach and deepen our impact, we are investing in the next phase of our fundraising growth, and we’re looking for an ambitious, strategic fundraising leader to help drive that forward.
As Head of Supporter Engagement, you will lead our income-generating strategy across special events, challenge events, individual giving (one-off and regular) and major donors. You’ll shape how we tell our story, deepen supporter relationships and grow unrestricted income to ensure our long-term sustainability.
This is a senior leadership role with real breadth. You will:
- Lead and grow income across multiple fundraising streams
- Develop and steward major donor relationships
- Oversee high-quality, income-generating events
- Drive multi-channel supporter communications
- Analyse performance data and report against KPIs
- Manage and develop a small, committed team
We’re looking for someone who:
✔ Has a strong track record of achieving and growing fundraising income
✔ Has delivered successful income-generating events
✔ Is confident managing donor relationships, including major donors
✔ Can translate organisational strategy into income growth plans
✔ Is comfortable holding targets and being accountable for performance
✔ Brings energy, creativity and leadership to a small but ambitious organisation
You’ll be joining a charity with a loyal supporter base of 3,000+, a strong fundraising history and a passionate leadership team. This is a hands-on role that's strategic in outlook, operational in delivery and deeply connected to the community we serve.
If you’re motivated by the opportunity to shape growth, lead from the front and make a tangible difference in the lives of children and young people, we’d love to hear from you.
We work alongside PEOPLE to improve lives and communities, to unlock POTENTIAL and open up new POSSIBILITIES
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
To provide inspirational and effective leadership, ensuring the charity delivers its mission and strategic objectives while maintaining strong relationships with the Board of Trustees, staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, and funders.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Lead the development and implementation of the charity's vision, mission, and long-term strategy in partnership with the Board.
- Governance & Compliance: Work closely with the Chair and Trustees to ensure full compliance with Charity Law, the Charity Commission, and all relevant legislation (e.g., safeguarding, data protection).
- Fundraising & Financial Management: Oversee the charity's financial planning, manage budgets, and lead on developing and delivering a diversified fundraising strategy to ensure long-term sustainability and growth. This includes writing grant applications and identifying new income streams.
- Operational Management: Oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring efficient and effective service delivery and managing risk.
- Team Leadership: Lead, motivate, and manage a team of staff and volunteers, fostering a positive and inclusive organisational culture.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Advocacy: Act as the primary ambassador for the charity, building strong relationships with local authorities, funders, community partners, and the media.
Person Specification
Essential Experience & Skills
- Proven experience in a senior leadership or management role, ideally within the charity/non-profit sector.
- Demonstrable success in income generation, including grants and fundraising.
- Strong financial acumen and experience in budget management and reporting.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and networking skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
- Experience of working closely with or reporting to a Board of Trustees.
- Strong understanding of governance, safeguarding, and regulatory requirements in the UK charity sector.
- Ability to be a decisive, adaptable, and inspiring leader, comfortable with a hands-on role in a small organisation.
Desirable Attributes
- A qualification in business administration, non-profit management, or a relevant field.
- Knowledge of the specific issues or services the charity provides.
- Experience in social enterprise development or digital transformation
- Existing vetting and safeguarding clearances
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applicants who support our mission of inclusivity.
All applicants must have a right to work in the UK.
To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter. Your cover letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) should demonstrate how you meet the person specification set out in the job description.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Director of Fundraising
Salary: £70,000 to £75,000 per annum
Location: Hybrid – London EC1Y/Home
Join MQ and help transform mental health research.
At MQ, we champion and fund world-class research to transform the lives of everyone affected by a mental health condition. We strive to create a world where mental illness is better understood, diagnosed, treated and, hopefully someday, prevented. We believe research is the first step towards making that a reality.
We connect scientists with supporters, people with lived experience of mental health illnesses, policymakers, and practitioners, so together we can strive to understand mental health, improve treatments and prevent mental illnesses.
Supported by our world-class Science Council, MQ funds research globally and works in partnership with leading organisations in the field including Wellcome Trust, the Mental Health Mission, DATAMIND, University of Oxford, Glasgow University and Kings College. In the US, we work through our sister charity the MQ Foundation.
What you'll be doing:
The Director of Fundraising is a senior, strategic leadership role responsible for driving significant and sustainable growth in income for MQ, with a target of achieving £10 million annual turnover over the next five years.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the postholder will set and deliver an ambitious, data-led fundraising strategy across philanthropy, trusts and foundations, partnerships and other income streams. They will personally steward high-value relationships while building a high-performing, commercially minded fundraising function capable of supporting MQ’s long-term mission.
Key Responsibilities:
Fundraising Strategy & Income Growth
- Develop and deliver MQ’s overall fundraising and income generation strategy, aligned to organisational priorities
- Set clear income targets and KPIs across all fundraising streams
- Personally lead and secure six- and seven-figure gifts, grants and contracts
- Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with major donors, funders and partners
- Ensure excellent stewardship, reporting and donor experience across all income streams
Pipeline, Performance & Data Oversight
- Provide strategic oversight of the fundraising pipeline, ensuring a healthy balance of prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship
- Use data, insight and CRM reporting to track performance, forecast income and manage risk
- Identify income concentration risks and develop mitigation strategies
- Drive continuous improvement in fundraising processes, systems and ways of working
Financial Management & Reporting
- Own the Fundraising budget, including income forecasting, expenditure control and cost-of-fundraising oversight
- Work closely with the Finance team to ensure accurate income phasing, reporting and financial planning
- Produce regular reports for the CEO, Executive Team and Board on income performance, pipeline health and risks
- Ensure all funding is managed in line with grant conditions, donor expectations and regulatory requirements
Leadership & Team Development
- Provide strategic leadership and line management to the team
- Build, develop and retain a high-performing, motivated fundraising team
- Foster a collaborative, ambitious and accountable fundraising culture
- Support succession planning and talent development within the Fundraising function
External Profile, Partnerships & Thought Leadership
- Represent MQ at high-level events, conferences and networking opportunities
- Strengthen MQ’s profile with funders, corporates, policymakers and partners
- Work closely with the Board and Science Council to maximise fundraising and partnership opportunities
- Undertake speaking engagements where appropriate to generate visibility & awareness
Executive Leadership & Governance
- Act as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to organisational strategy and decision-making
- Support the CEO with Board engagement, particularly around fundraising strategy and performance
- Ensure fundraising activity complies with all relevant legislation, regulation and best practice
- Uphold MQ’s values, reputation and commitment to ethical fundraising
Person Specification:
We'd love to hear from you, if you have:
- Significant senior leadership experience in fundraising or income generation, ideally within the charity, research or mission-driven sector
- Proven track record of delivering substantial income growth and securing high-value gifts
- Experience leading and developing high-performing fundraising teams
- Strong commercial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting and performance management
- Demonstrable experience of managing complex stakeholder relationships
- Strategic, analytical and data-driven approach to decision-making
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, including at Board and senior stakeholder level
- Strong understanding of the UK research funding or philanthropic landscape
- Clear alignment with MQ’s mission and values
The following is highly desirable
- Knowledge of mental health research and lived-experience-led approaches
- Experience of US philanthropy or international fundraising
- Experience working with Boards, trustees or scientific advisory groups
- Familiarity with modern CRM systems and fundraising analytics
Why Join MQ?
We offer a great working experience within a friendly team. Hybrid working (in the London office Mondays and Tuesdays, with the remaining days from home). We are located near Barbican Tube.
Plus, we offer lots of generous benefits and training opportunities.
We're a Sunday Times Top Company to work for.
Benefits
- Flexible working: As a mental health charity, staff wellbeing is of paramount importance. We operate a core hours policy (10-4) to encourage flexible working and staff are mainly home based with the requirement to come into the office two days per week. A standard full-time working week is 35 hours, plus an hour for lunch breaks.
- Holidays: Annual holiday entitlement of 31 days (inc. office closure between Xmas and New Year) plus bank holidays.
- Wellbeing Allowance: MQ provides an allowance of up to £1200 per annum for each employee to spend on activities that increase their wellbeing. This is paid through payroll and is taxable.
- Virtual GP & Other wellbeing services - Get quick GP appointments and support with cancer and caring responsibilities through our Zurich benefits scheme.
- Cycle to work scheme: An interest-free loan is available to enable employees to purchase a bike and accessories, repaid via equal deductions from the employee’s salary over 12 months.
- Employee Assistance Programme: All employees and their families have access to a 24-hour confidential advice and support line.
- Counselling: Employees have access to a number of free face-to-face sessions, via the EAP scheme.
- Pension: MQ makes contributions of 5% and employees make contributions of 3%.
- Life Assurance - Up to 4 x your salary in the event of death in service.
- Season Ticket Loan: An interest free season ticket loan is available, repaid via equal deductions from the employee’s salary over 12 months.
- Personal Development: We value employee development and review individual training needs through our performance management system. HR also runs internal management development sessions for all staff.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Closing date: 22nd February 2026
Please note, we typically start interviewing within two weeks of the job advert going live. We reserve the right to close the job before the deadline based on the volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
We believe in equality and inclusion and we welcome job applications from everyone, provided you meet the criteria for the job.
Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration and undertake a DBS check.
No agencies please.
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!
JOB DESCRIBTION
Job title: Executive Assistant to the CEO
Contract: Part time, 3 days. Flexibility regarding working pattern: hours could be worked across 3 or 4 days in the week. Permanent contract.
Salary: £17, 398 pro rata (£29,000 full time equivalent)
Manager: Gestalt Centre CEO
Location: Hybrid working. In-person at London Kings Cross and remotely.
ABOUT US: THE GESTALT CENTRE
We are the Gestalt Centre, an established therapy not-for-profit organisation, supporting the mental and psychological well-being of individuals, groups, and organisations. We are a dynamic charity that runs, accommodates, and supports a number of counselling, psychotherapy, personal and professional development courses, and a range of therapeutic practices that enhance mental and psychological wellbeing.
As Gestalt Centre, our relationship with people who work for the centre starts from a place of trust. We see our structure as an organisational shape that we use to organise ourselves. What matters for us is how we all work together. We prioritise collaboration and ‘horizontal’ consultative decision making with individual and collective responsibility and accountability.
OUR VISION is a world were meaningful and fulfilling relationships lead to wellbeing and positive change in people’s lives.
OUR PURPOSE is to promote the mental and psychological well-being of individuals, groups and organisations through Gestalt education, training and practice.
Gestalt is a life-changing approach to life, counselling, and psychotherapy. It enables people to develop meaningful relationships, navigate change and lead fulfilling lives by creatively utilising their own resources, skills and strengths.
OUR VALUES IN PRACTICE
Diversity, equality, inclusion and anti-discrimination: We value equity and inclusion and welcome diversity and difference in backgrounds, identities, cultures, and voices. We also commit to anti-discriminatory action and encourage personal and collective awareness, reflection, and learning. It is integral to who we are and how we work and study together.
Kindness and respect for each other and the space we cohabit. Our relationship with people who work, learn and access therapy at the centre starts from a place of respect and kindness. This way we create a space where we can show up, work, and learn authentically and meaningfully. Feel seen, heard, and included.
Collaboration and mutuality: We work and study together, collaboratively and with respect and appreciation for each other. Every person matters and so does the collective.
Community, awareness, and personal responsibility: We are a community of staff, students, practitioners, and clients; working, studying, and accessing therapy at the centre. Individually and collectively, we are responsible for our presence and behaviour. Also responsible for our community and the space we inhabit.
ABOUT THE JOB
Job Purpose
We are looking for an exemplary people-oriented administrator to provide administrative support to the Gestalt Centre CEO and the workstreams she manages. An important role in the organisation, working with senior leadership and across teams, in a welcoming and supportive environment with opportunities to learn and grow on the job.
Areas of work and responsibility
- Administrative Support to the Gestalt Centre CEO
- Coordinate and support projects and workstreams the CEO leads on: Operations, Communications and Marketing, Short Courses and Post Graduate Qualifications, HR, Finance, Policies, Fundraising and Health & Safety.
- Liaise with the CEO and the leadership team to update the organisational plan and workstream plans, also keep track of relevant priority actions and progress.
- Provide administrative support for governance processes such as the Annual Financial Audit, Trustee Board meetings, the Charity Commission and Companies House submissions.
- Provide administrative support to the organising and running fundraising activities and events.
- Administrative support and coordination for the annual planning of Short Courses and Post Graduate Qualifications programmes.
- Organise, provide administrative support, and attend as appropriate, weekly operational meetings, monthly Executive meetings, and other project meetings, led by the CEO. Prepare meetings set up, information and any required papers in advance. Organise dates, taking and sending out minutes and coordinate follow-up actions ensuring progress and completion.
- Liaise with the CEO to prepare, format, edit and update reports and policies for internal and external audiences to a high standard.
- Provide a professional first point of contact for the CEO and as required liaise with her and the leadership team in order to respond to emails or phone calls and organise follow up meetings.
- Office team support such as reception/admin cover or support with events, as and when occasionally required.
- Carry out responsibilities with due regard to the Gestalt Centre values, policies and procedures.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Key Competencies and Qualities
- Educated to degree level or equivalent with good English and Maths.
- Experience working with and assisting senior leadership professionals.
- Excellent organisation and planning skills and experience, including balancing competing demands and prioritising effectively, forward planning and working to tight deadlines.
- Excellent coordination skills and good experience of coordinating projects, workstreams or activities.
- Excellent communication skills, including conveying information clearly and adjusting approach, manner, and language to suit varying situations.
- Excellent interpersonal skills (‘people person’) such as developing good working relationships with colleagues, working collaboratively and initiating relevant discussions to progress with work tasks.
- Experience and able to work well with senior professionals and in a positive professional matter.
- Able to work in a confident, calm, diplomatic and confidential way in a senior role and a therapy setting. Reliable and mature with a sense of personal responsibility for the role and the work involved.
- Flexibility and proactive problem-solving, always working with kindness and respect.
- Excellent attention to detail and confident with numbers.
- Good working knowledge and experience of databases and online administration systems, including information and files management.
- Able to plan and organise own work effectively and able to work well in a dynamic busy setting.
- Able to work collaboratively and independently on own initiative.
- Experience working effectively and appropriately with confidentiality and data protection in mind and in line with organisational policies and practice.
- Good working knowledge of MS Office applications such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, email, and the internet.
- Commitment to Equal Opportunities and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
- Preferably experience working within an educational, training or therapy setting (desirable).
To apply please forward to Archie Rotap, your CV and a supporting statement of no more than 2 pages, outlining how you meet the job requirements and the value you’ll bring to it. Archie's email can be found in the job description document attached.
OUR VISION is a world were meaningful and fulfilling relationships lead to wellbeing and positive change in people’s lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
To enable Operation Smile’s global surgical activities, OSUK’s Partnerships Team works to maximise high-potential income channels such as corporate partnerships, major donors, community fundraisers and trusts and foundations.
We have created an exciting new position in our team for an ambitious and confident relationship fundraiser. Working as part of the Partnership Team and line managing one Partnerships Officer, the Partnerships Manager position will secure critical income from new and existing corporate partners through compelling pitches and excellent stewardship.
The position will build on existing partner relationships with high-profile businesses like Superdrug, the Perfume Shop and Johnson & Johnson, aiming to grow their contributions, as well as making approaches to new prospects in relevant sectors, working closely with the Director of Partnerships.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Corporate Partnerships Development
- Ensure achievement of annual income target for corporate partnerships
- Take primary responsibility for managing the current pool of medium and large corporate partnerships, including global partners (working with Operation Smile Inc), to ensure their growth and longevity – strategic input into the growth of each partner will be essential
- Develop and implement plans for partner activity to maximise all income channels, including corporate philanthropy, employee engagement, cause-related marketing and more
- Develop and maintain a pipeline of new corporate fundraising prospects, creating propositions/proposals and making approaches, working with the Director of Partnerships
- Enhance our employee engagement and community fundraising offer with simple, easy-to-do fundraising activities, linked to key moments in the calendar
- Ensure accurate and timely reporting to partners and internal stakeholders
- Represent Operation Smile UK in global corporate partner discussions, applying any global strategies to develop successful fundraising plans for the UK
- Lead on the development and management of any corporate partner cultivation events
Additional Responsibilities
- Line manage one Partnerships Officer, supporting them to manage inbound community fundraising requests and existing relationships, as well as smaller corporate partners
- Oversight of community fundraising income target delivered by the Officer
- Create and maintain annual corporate partnerships and community fundraising budgets and business plans, including activities from current supporters and forecasting new business income
Additional Information
- 2 years’ experience in a corporate partnerships or business development role
- We promote flexible and hybrid working, with 2 days per week in our London office in Battersea (nearest stations Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Town). There will also be some UK travel for meetings, conferences and events.
- Some overseas travel required to visit projects and partner countries, a highlight of the role!
First-round interviews are set for the week of 2nd March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.
Disability Confident Committed Employer
We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.
At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.
If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation.
We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.