Philanthropy Lead

Philanthropy Lead

£50,311 - £55,650pa

City of London and we are a hybrid working organisation

This role is offered on a hybrid contract giving you the opportunity to also work from home three days a week.

Purpose of job:

As our Philanthropy Lead, you will develop and implement a visionary strategy targeted at captivating the attention of ultra-high net worth and high net worth individuals, including a new generation of donors. Collaborating with colleagues from across the organisation, you will sculpt compelling funding propositions, and secure gifts spanning figures in the six and seven digits. Your contribution will be pivotal in transforming lives and helping us achieve our goal of a Just World Free From Poverty.

Key responsibilities:

·         To develop, deliver and monitor Comic Relief’s strategy for engagement of ultra-high net worth and high net worth individuals in line with our mission 

·         To work closely with Talent to identify artists and their ecosystems who have the capacity and propensity to give financially and leverage support through networks

·         To develop a robust prospect pipeline, effectively cultivate prospects and manage and steward relationships with existing donors

·         To deliver and/or support with engagement events for prospects and donors, working with the Life Presidents, Trustees and other teams at Comic Relief as needed

·         To work closely with the Funding Team to create  compelling propositions for high net worth individuals

·         To represent Comic Relief in relevant philanthropic circles, specifically targeting next generation donors, wealth advisers, intermediaries and talent ecosystems

·         To be results oriented while creatively develop new ways of reaching and communicating with our target audience of philanthropists, driving income against an agreed target and documenting learning to seek constant improvement 

·         Drive accountability for annual revenue generation exceeding £1 million, with a focus on consistent year-over-year growth, targeting a minimum of £1 million for 2024/2025 and surpassing existing income levels of £800k+

Person specification

Essential criteria

·         Solid experience of developing and delivering a philanthropy strategy which contributes to the organisations overall strategic aims on income and relationships.

·         Solid experience of securing 5 and 6 figure gifts from philanthropists and/or family foundations

·         Solid experience of high-level relationship management and support which enables senior stakeholder to grow income and networks

·         Exceptional communication, networking, influencing, negotiating and persuading skills.

·         Strategic Thinker – able to evaluate decisions in the short, medium and long term.

·         Building and sustaining effective working relationships both internally and externally.

Desirable criteria 

·         Experience of securing 7 figure gifts and working with leading philanthropist

·         Strong sector knowledge and a familiarity with the charitable/funding sector 

·         Experience with innovative outreach and creativity in developing new methods to reach and engage target audiences of philanthropists, along with a knack for driving income growth and leveraging insights for continuous improvement.

Perks and benefits:

·         Flexible working hours

·         Work from home option

·         Wellness programs

·         Employee Assistance Programme

·         Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

·         Paid emergency leave

·         Sabbatical Opportunities

·         Professional development

·         Mentoring/coaching

·         Paid volunteer days

·         Payroll giving

·         Team social events

·         Extracurricular clubs

·         Cycle to work scheme

·         Free fruit

To apply please visit our website via the link and apply online.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Comic Relief we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Why work at Comic Relief

There are lots of good reasons to join us at Comic Relief. You can read more about our employee benefits, such as our commitment to flexible and hybrid working. We ask staff to come to the office twice a week, normally on agreed team days, so that we can do all those things that are difficult to do online. Our office is based in Whitechapel, London,

There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills and experience at Comic Relief, including opportunities to become a Mental Health First Aider or to participate in our Employee Network Groups that focus on making Comic Relief a more inclusive place to work.

Equal opportunity

We recognise diversity and inclusion are a source of strength in achieving our mission. We therefore welcome everyone, trusting what makes us different brings creativity, styles and experiences to help us collectively do our best work. That’s regardless of your gender, race, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural identity. We especially welcome those from under-represented groups in modern grant-making and fundraising. We are on a journey, but if you join our team you will be part of a community that is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where we want you to: Be valued for being yourself Do your best work, and be supported to break down barriers so you can succeed Be heard, respected, and treated as an equal, whatever your level, experience or background Be part of a team that is committed to making this happen – with our colleagues, partners, and contributors.