Senior Fundraising Manager

The Senior Fundraising Manager is responsible for delivering Brightside’s fundraising activity with a core focus on grants from trusts and foundations, and major donors. Reporting to and working closely with the CEO, the postholder will forge new relationships with major donors and manage our grant applications to support Brightside to achieve its fundraising targets. The postholder will deliver high quality stewardship across our major donor relationships and act as the key point of contact for all grant activity, working closely with the delivery teams to support funder relationship management and reporting.

The postholder will work closely with colleagues across the organisation to develop clear cases for support for potential funding projects, as well as managing our approach to individual giving and increasing regular donations. The role will involve working closely with the CEO and the trustees, who will provide warm introductions to their networks of potential major donors and support in their stewardship.

Please review the job description attachment at the end of the advert for full roles and responsibilities, application instructions, the essential criteria and further information on salary and benefits.

Responsible for:

Trusts and foundations:

• Identify and research trusts and foundations that would support our organisational priorities and funding needs
• Develop high quality, compelling grant applications and cases for support
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of funding opportunities
• Lead funder relationship management and deliver high-quality stewardship
• Lead on grant reporting, including monitoring, accountability and opportunities for reapplication
• Working closely with technology and delivery teams to build evidence-based cases for support for key projects
• Ensure clear and effective handover of successful grants to delivery teams, including reporting requirements and timelines
• Attending external events and meetings to support our fundraising strategy and learning

Major donors:

• Identify and research potential major donors whose interests and capacity align with our mission
• Cultivate new donor relationships through targeted outreach, contact mapping, networking and events
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of potential major donors
• Develop tailored engagement and stewardship plans approaches for each donor
• Create meaningful opportunities for donors to share insight, experience or sector knowledge and ensure this expertise is valued and acknowledged
• Lead major gift conversations and negotiations, including face-to-face meetings
• Provide high quality, personalised stewardship to major donors
• Identify opportunities to grow or repeat giving through deeper donor engagement
• Deliver exceptional stewardship to major donors

Individual giving

• Maintaining regular contact with donors and potential donors (including our volunteers and alumni) to generate donations
• Maintaining and monitoring our individual giving platforms
• Ensure all donations and supporter interactions are accurately recorded and that donors receive timely acknowledgements

Application instructions

• Submit your CV and one-page cover letter via CharityJob
• Your cover letter should be no more than 1-2 pages and must explain how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with a focus on the items tested in application and clear examples (see job description for the essential criteria)
• You must answer the screening question on the application page
• Applications without a cover letter or screening question will not be considered
• Applications due: 23:30 Wednesday 27 May
• First round interviews (online): 4/5 June 2026
• Final interviews (online or in person) 10/11 June 2026