BACKGROUND
Church of England Birmingham (CofEB) is on a journey of growing churches at the heart of every community. Through this we are seeing growth in many exciting ways. Financially we are at a challenging point. We have had an operational deficit for a number of years and this cannot continue. The National Church has agreed to partner with us around this through their Diocesan Investment Programme enabling us to have the time, and resource, to tackle this head on. One key aspect of this is for us to increase our Common Fund returns (the giving from our parishes that supports the costs of our life together). We are taking a radical new approach to our finances which includes intentional reallocation of income to support the costs in our most economically deprived parishes and deeper relationships with each parish around finance through conversation rather than correspondence. Over the next five years we are hoping to be able to move to a financially sustainable platform which will enable us to better serve our communities in the future.
We have recently recruited a new Head of Generosity, who is also Bishops Advisor for Common Fund, to lead on this work and we are now looking to recruit the team to work with them. The focus of the team is to develop long term relationships with all of our parishes leading to:
- Greater support for our parishes.
- Increased generosity by, and within, our parishes.
- Increased Common Fund.
The current plan is to recruit two Giving & Generosity Advisor roles and one Giving & Generosity Support Officer role. Together this team will work with all of our parishes to roll out our financial approach, through in person meetings, and the support that is on offer as part of this.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The primary focus of this role is to work with parishes to:
- Understand their current financial situation and how this links to the wider Church of England Birmingham situation.
- Understand our model and how support is on offer for parishes who are economically deprived.
- Assess with them the support needed to increase generosity and giving at a local level and create an action plan around this that is bespoke and contextual.
- Create a long-term plan for their participation in the common fund.
We have 146 parishes and the Head of Generosity will manage the team so that all parishes can be engaged as quickly as possible. It is the Head of Generosity and two Giving & Generosity Advisors who will be carrying out the in-person meetings with each parish. These roles will work closely with a range of people and teams across Church of England Birmingham so that this work is integrated within our wider strategy and parishes are not confused by multiple disjointed initiatives. This will mean working with Archdeacons and Area Deans, Mission Support Team, Ministry Team, Property Team, Finance Team, Community Regeneration Team and Communications Team as well as others.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Develop strong relationships with parishes that will enable this project to flourish and also help increase the connection between parishes and the DBF. Signposting to other teams and projects will be important.
- Inspiring and encouraging parishes in their Christian approach to giving and generosity
- Creating bespoke multiyear plans for Common Fund with parishes with the support of a Steering Group that includes the Archdeacons and other key stakeholders.
- Provide consultancy, resources, and hands-on support to parishes to grow regular giving, legacies, and other forms of financial support. This work will be able to draw on the resources developed by the national church as well as the data held on their Cornerstone Grants Platform. The post-holder will be expected to engage in the work of the National Giving Team as part of the development of these wider resources.
- Develop and deliver training for clergy, lay leaders and PCCs on the theology and Christian practice of giving and generosity and also practical financial management (in conjunction with the Finance Team).
- Work closely with the Finance Team in matters of technical accounting, governance and financial management identified as needed by parishes.
- Encourage and assist parishes in the implementation of the Parish Giving Scheme, introduction of contactless giving mechanisms and related diocesan resources.
- Source, develop and curate practical resources (digital and print) to support local stewardship campaigns and initiatives.
- Evaluate the impact of stewardship and generosity initiatives and adapt strategies accordingly to achieve the project outcomes.
- Working with our Communications Team, create compelling communication tools that articulate the impact of generosity.
As we are looking to recruit two people into these roles there is flexibility to appoint people with complementary skill sets who may have greater expertise in certain elements of the role.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential Qualifications & Experience:
- Strong understanding of church governance structures and financial operations and requirements.
- Knowledge of generosity principles and Christian financial stewardship.
- A prayerful Christian with a deep commitment to the Church’s mission (Genuine Occupational Requirement).
- Experience of working in a sensitive environment and handling confidential matters with tact and diplomacy.
Essential Skills & Attributes:
- Resilient and adaptable, able to handle challenges and maintain momentum in a demanding role.
- Strong people skills, able to engage effectively with parishes and church communities.
- Good communicator being able to engage a wide range of stakeholders and hold their attention.
- Trustworthy and credible, able to build and maintain confidence with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Empathetic towards parishes and deeply committed to supporting the local church.
- Excellent conflict resolution skills, capable of handling difficult conversations with care and professionalism.
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and keep track of numerous ongoing responsibilities.
- Capable implementer, ensuring initiatives are successfully delivered, both at a local and diocese wide level.
- Financially literate, with a good understanding of budgets, stewardship, and sustainability within the Church.
- As the role involves visiting parishes across the diocese, including some locations not accessible by public transport, candidates must be able to travel independently. This requires holding a valid driving licence and access to a suitably insured vehicle.
- Be a person of integrity.
Other Considerations:
- The role requires significant evening and weekend work, demanding flexibility and commitment.
- Local presence is essential—the role must be delivered in an incarnational way, engaging directly with communities.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The post-holder will be employed by the Diocesan Board of Finance for a fixed term ending on 2nd November 2030, subject to funding.
Salary and Pension: Salary of £35,000 plus membership of the Church Worker’s Pension Scheme with 12% employer contribution. We are open to discussion especially if you are ordained and are moving out of parish ministry.
Hours: Full-time 35 hours (5 days) per week. Weekend and evening work will be required, for which the equivalent time may be taken back from standard working hours. We are happy to consider requests for flexible working and candidates seeking part-time hours. Please do mention in your application if you would be interested in looking at alternative working hours.
Holidays: 5 weeks per year plus Bank Holidays and 3 Discretionary Days between Christmas and New Year
Employer: Birmingham Diocesan Board of Finance
Responsible To: Head of Generosity
CLOSING DATE: 1stFebruary 2026
INTERVIEWS: 16th February 2026 in central Birmingham
For an informal conversation or further information about the role, contact Dawn Baker, Head of Generosity.
The Church of England Birmingham is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where all can be themselves and bring their unique identity to their ministry and/or work.
We welcome applications from any individuals who feel that they meet the person specification for any post, in particular from those who are currently under-represented in or staff teams such as those from Global Majority Heritage or UK Minority Ethnic backgrounds, those with visible or invisible disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQI+.
We offer a range of inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and other services to our staff teams.
The Church of England Birmingham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment.
Philanthropy Lead
CAP celebrates the value of diversity and our aim is for our workforce to be as inclusive as possible as well as representing the communities we serve. With this in mind, we welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from black and ethnic minority backgrounds. We are committed to continue building an environment that embraces diversity and includes all.
Context
We are building a church-based movement against poverty, delivering the right messages at the right times to inspire action and support. Our goal is to strengthen the CAP supporter and church movement as we roll out our 2026 messaging: Poverty stops with us.
As a directorate, we call people to action. We invite members of the movement to:
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Get help
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Access the help they need when they are facing or vulnerable to financial crisis.
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Give financially
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Have abundant lives which generously share with others.
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Partner with us
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Be actively involved in the end to UK poverty as a partner, coach, volunteer or client.
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Advocate for those in poverty
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Belong to a shared vision that advocates for those most in need: a local and national movement.
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Prayerful discipleship
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Become followers of Jesus, living a life of discipleship where we pray for those in need.
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We are driven to raise the necessary funds and partnerships needed to achieve CAP's vision of transformed lives, thriving churches, and an end to UK poverty. We collaborate with other fundraising and communications teams to provide a fantastic and rewarding supporter experience.
Purpose
The Philanthropy Leads, reporting to the Head of Philanthropy, are responsible for inspiring new prospective, cultivating and stewarding high-value donors into greater involvement with Christians Against Poverty. They aim to draw supporters closer to the work we do, deepening their relationship and support of CAP. Income from CAP’s major donors is vital for the future expansion of CAP in the UK.
Each Philanthropy Lead may be allocated one or more area of Philanthropy engagement in order to specialise in, but will be expected to support in any area as required. Such areas include:
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Principle gifts
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Philanthropy prospecting and development
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Trusts and Foundations
Along with seeking direct support for the organisation Christians Against Poverty, there is also an expectation for the postholders to support the raising of funds for the wider movement, particularly for local Church frontline partners.
They themselves will be an experienced and confident relationship builder, communicator and fundraiser, cultivating relationships with high-value donors and partners to achieve ambitious targets.
Passion
Our supporters are more than donors, they are a crucial part of the work we do. We are passionate about ensuring our supporters feel connected, engaged, inspired and committed to tackling poverty in the UK through CAP. We want to give our supporters the best experience of Christians Against Poverty.
Role
Accountabilities:
Strategic Implementation & Fundraising
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Implementation of a strategic plan to significantly increase major donor income.
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Implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy for major donor income, aligned with CAP's overall strategic priorities.
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Execution of market research and competitor analysis to identify new funding opportunities and best practice in Philanthropic fundraising.
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Build strong relationships with key internal stakeholders, in order to identify points of engagement and draft appropriate funding bids.
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Represent CAP at high-level events and conferences to build relationships with potential donors and partners.
Major Donor Development
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Manage a designated caseload of high-net-worth individuals or trusts, cultivating deep and meaningful relationships.
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Conduct face-to-face meetings, personalised communications, and bespoke stewardship plans to cultivate and steward major donors.
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Develop compelling restricted funding projects to attract major donor investment.
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Implement a donor recognition program to acknowledge and celebrate major donor support.
Philanthropy Team Membership
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A member of the Philanthropy Team of our Mission and Movement Directorate.
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Providing peer support and development with other members of the Philanthropy Team, fostering a high-performing and collaborative environment.
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Work with the Head of Philanthropy to set ambitious targets and KPIs for the postholder, ensuring they are aligned with overall fundraising goals.
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Ensure the timely submission of funding applications and effective stewardship of grant and donor relationships.
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Implement robust systems and processes for donor relationship management, data analysis, and performance tracking.
Impact & Reporting
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Ensure that the CRM is updated with engagements, proposal submissions and engagement plans in a timely fashion.
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Develop compelling narratives and impact reports that effectively communicate the impact of major donor support.
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Track and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of fundraising efforts and identify areas for improvement.
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Provide regular updates on fundraising progress to the Head of Philanthropy.
Innovation & Best Practices
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Stay abreast of current trends and best practices in major donor fundraising.
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Implement innovative fundraising strategies, such as engaging new philanthropists, digital engagement, corporate engagement and high-impact events.
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Evaluate philanthropy activities with the rest of the team and the Fundraising Insight & Innovation team to develop a deeper understanding of supporters and identify new prospects, making data-informed decisions.
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Champion a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the Philanthropy Team.
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Create opportunities for supporters to engage at a senior level and deepen their relationship with CAP, working with the CEO and other senior staff.
Communications & Campaign Management:
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Plan philanthropy initiatives that in order to produce excellent bids, proposals, events, and reports, delivered on time and within budget.
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Coordinate with the Brand and Digital Engagement teams to align messaging and campaigns.
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Ensure philanthropy plans align with brand guidelines and fundraising regulations.
Measurable Outputs:
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Implementation of an annual philanthropy plan that contributes to the wider long-term fundraising strategy.
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Deliver assigned agreed annual income targets for philanthropy which may include:
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Major Donor income
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Trusts & foundations income
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Corporate income
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Deliver key philanthropy targets including:
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Number of major donor prospects engaged and converted to a managed relationship
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% of major donor caseload met
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Number of trusts applied to
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Average gift size from major donors
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Culture:
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Clearly live out and embrace the cultural values of CAP.
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Clearly demonstrate a heart and passion for the charity.
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Sincere acceptance, understanding and practice of the Christian ethos and purpose of the charity.
Other responsibilities include:
Being willing to pray with staff and fully engaged with our Christ-centred culture.
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Encouraging friends, family and other contacts to support the charity through the Life Changer program, and other fundraising initiatives.
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Attendance at CAP staff conferences.
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Completing all compulsory CAP training within given timescales.
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This role falls within the scope of the FCA’s conduct rules, and you will be provided with training as to how these apply to the role. It is your responsibility to ensure that you follow these conduct rules.
The above job profile is a guide to the work you may be required to undertake but does not form part of your contract of employment. It may change from time to time to reflect changing circumstances.
Person
Education:
Essential:
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HND level or equivalent experience of critical thinking
Desirable:
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A relevant qualification in fundraising/marketing or equivalent in a relevant discipline (communications, sales).
Experience:
Essential:
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Proven track record of success in securing significant major gifts (5-6 figures) from high-net-worth individuals.
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Minimum 3 years of experience in high-value fundraising.
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Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with high-net-worth individuals.
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Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.
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Strong strategic planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills
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Strong understanding of fundraising best practices and regulatory requirements.
Desirable:
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Experience of managing budgets for projects and campaigns.
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Knowledge of fundraising databases and CRM systems and Salesforce in particular.
Skills/ Abilities:
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A proven fundraiser who can inspire, influence and deliver results
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Strong negotiation and influencing skills, particularly in securing philanthropic support and building partnerships
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Excellent interpersonal skills to build strong and collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders
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Excellent and passionate written and verbal communication skills
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Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities
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Strong financial literacy, including experience managing budgets, tracking performance and forecasting income
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Able to analyse complex situations, identify challenges, and make sound, data-driven decisions
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A high level of emotional intelligence
Christian Commitment:
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The candidate must be able to give both verbal assent to and practical demonstration of Christians Against Poverty’s Statement of Faith and Core Values.
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Must be able to actively participate in prayer and worship, whether individual, small group or corporately, as an expression of their own personal faith and in line with CAP’s Statement of Faith.
All adults working in or on behalf of CAP have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults. This includes:
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A responsibility to ensure a safe environment in which CAP services can be delivered.
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Identifying children and adults where there may be safeguarding concerns.
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Following the CAP Safeguarding policy in addressing any concerns appropriately.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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