Jobs for the Animal sector

Philanthropy & Legacy Manager

Full time, permanent contract with an option for some hybrid working.

We are Chester Zoo

We’re not just an amazing, award-winning visitor attraction that’s home to over 30,000 incredible animals within 128 acres of stunning gardens. We’re not just the UK’s most popular zoo. We’re an international wildlife charity that’s committed to the recovery of endangered species.

The Role – Philanthropy & Legacy Manager

The Fundraising Department of Chester Zoo, a major wildlife charity, with a mission of Preventing Extinction works to secure income which contributes towards the delivery of our strategic development plan and ambitious conservation plan, helping to ensure nature can survive and thrive.

We have an exciting new role for an outstanding Philanthropy & Legacy Manager to join our ambitious fundraising team. We are looking for an experienced individual to help to lead the delivery of Chester Zoo's high value relationship strategy, helping to build new relationships with philanthropists to fund a range of vital conservation projects and support the zoo’s ambitious growth targets leading to its centenary in 2031.

This role also delivers the organisations legacy programme, leading the growth and stewardship of legacy giving and ensuring these deeply personal gifts are honoured with sensitivity and compassion.

Reporting to the Fundraising & Philanthropy Lead and working across the organisation, we’re looking for somebody who is ambitious and results orientated with a natural enthusiasm and curiosity, who has strong relationship building skills and the ability to influence, negotiate and listen when representing Chester Zoo.

We’re looking for someone who can:

• Fundraising Strategy

Implement plans to attract high-value individual philanthropists in collaboration with the Fundraising & Philanthropy Lead and wider Fundraising strategy.

• Targets

Contribute to the delivery of the organisation’s ambitious growth around philanthropic giving, setting KPI’s and working with our Executive team to secure donations of £10,000 and above.

• Prospect Research

Work across the organisation to identify and research potential major donors who align with the organisation's conservation mission and goals.

• Legacy management

Lead on the growth and management of legacy giving, ensuring our lifetime supporters are stewarded. Building on relationships with families and solicitors to ensure these deeply personal gifts are honoured with sensitivity and care.

• Donor Cultivation and Communications

Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective donors, creating individual plans for donor stewardship. Working closely with the Senior Data and Insights Manager and Senior Marketing Manager to fully utilise the CRM - preparing strong communication updates and regular bespoke reports.

• Event Management and Stewardship

Work across the organisation with our in-house teams to lead and curate exceptional engagement opportunities through events and experiences. Develop donor visits, creating bespoke touchpoints with individuals which cultivate and inspire donors and prospects.

• Proposal Writing

Create compelling, persuasive and bespoke proposals for prospective donors to influence and engage them and secure philanthropic support.

• Recording and Thanking

Keep accurate records on the database to include all communications, donor plans, pledges, proposals, gifts and restrictions. Working with the Fundraising Administrator to handle accompanying gift administration as well as recognition.
 

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?

Well, where do we start? Here goes…

We’re a huge team of conservationists, scientists, educators, animal welfare experts, marketeers, visitor experience professionals, environmental policy influencers; the list goes on. Each and every one of us is on a mission to make Chester Zoo the best in the world, and our planet a better place.

As the UK’s biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there’s always lots going on here. We’re an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of over 600 permanent and 500 temporary team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term on our exciting journey.

Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office – where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll among rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?

The Package

• Permanent contract
• 40 hours per week
• Salary – £39,833 per annum
• Option for some hybrid working, based at Chester Zoo minimum of 3 days per week.
• 33 days annual leave (includes bank holidays) plus the option to buy or sell up to 5 days.
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9%
• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme.
• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Discounted gym membership
• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks

Our Requirements

• Demonstrable experience in securing and managing five figures+ philanthropic gifts from individuals
• Proven track record in writing exceptional, accurate and compelling proposals
• Experience in producing high-quality impact reports for funders
• Skilled in managing and developing a portfolio of funders and meeting fundraising targets
• Experience in developing and building long-term donor relationships
• Outstanding communication skills
• Proven experience of delivering consistently high levels of supporter care
• Experience in curating and managing stewardship events
• Experience of prioritising and balancing a busy workload
• Experience of working closely with other fundraising streams
• Experience of using a database to manage and track donor relationships and pipeline for accurate recording
• A proven understanding of legacy giving

Although not essential, the following would be desirable:

• Strong working knowledge of individual giving, Gift Aid and charitable sector
• Ability to recognise the needs of differing stakeholders
• Ability to work well independently and under pressure
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail

Shortlisting of applications and arrangement of interviews will take place while the advert is live, candidates are therefore encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close the advert early.

At an exciting time in JGDR's fundraising, we are looking for volunteering & community fundraising officers to support our communities in North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire. It is a great opportunity to join a passionate team.

Hours: 35 hours per week (with occasional weekend and evening working as and when the role requires)

Location: This is a hybrid role, with regular travel required across the North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire regions, including visits to our charity shops and centres. Weekend and evening work will be expected, as and when the role requires. Post holders will be expected to be working flexibly across their community 4 days out of 5 – with at least one day per week from our North Lincolnshire Centre – and attend regular team meetings in an agreed location.

Due to the scope and nature of the role, you will need to live within, or in close proximity to, North Lincolnshire. You will be required to have a valid driving license and access to a car to enable you to travel freely across the area without reliance on public transport.

When applying please send a CV and covering letter including why you are interested in the role, the skills and experience you can bring, how these relate to the position and any other information you would like us to know. 

About us

All dogs deserve a good life and a safe, loving home. We exist to provide a safe place for dogs without a home, and to find new loving places for them to live.

We currently have three operating centres in North and South Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, and also provide support and community specific initiatives across East Yorkshire.

Fundraising at Jerry Green Dog Rescue (JGDR)

We are at an exciting moment in our fundraising history at Jerry Green Dog Rescue (JGDR). Our CEO, Christina Marriott, is a champion for the importance of fundraising and volunteering in securing the future of JGDR, and it is a great opportunity to join a passionate team ready to tackle the next stage of JGDR’s history.

Job summary

We are looking for a proactive, confident and supporter-focused fundraiser to build and manage relations with JGDR’s local community across North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.  Working with the Volunteering and Community Fundraising Manager, you will deliver a strategy to grow income and volunteer numbers from the local community. This is a varied role which will cover:

· Stewarding and recruiting supporters undertaking their own fundraising activities, including those taking part in challenge events

· Organising & attending local events to raise awareness and income

· Proactively approaching and working with local &national businesses

· Recruiting and overseeing a network of volunteers who can support income generation in your local area. This role would suit a target-driven, approachable and resourceful fundraiser with ambition and drive – there is plenty of opportunity to make this role your own and drive forward growth in these crucial income streams.

Your role

You will sit in the Volunteering and Community Fundraising team, and report to the Volunteering and Community Fundraising Manager. You will manage your own time to effectively balance both developing and stewarding relationships with individual and corporate supporters in the local area and working through a network of volunteers to deliver fundraising and retail objectives.

You will develop and grow strong relationships with supporters, collaborating with colleagues across the wider organisation to ensure you are offering the best supporter experience you can. You will attend local events with, and through, volunteers, work with colleagues in our retail and operation sites, and spot other opportunities to promote JGDR in your community and drive support for our work.

You will deliver excellent stewardship to supporters and volunteers and develop relationships with key local contacts who can help to further JGDR’s mission. You will champion supporter care and ensure that all relevant supporter information is stored on JGDR’s CRM, Donorflex.

Key responsibilities

Community fundraising

· Identify, engage, and steward DIY and community fundraisers, developing strategies to promote fundraising activities in these groups and grow income from your local area

· Proactively pursue local business partnership opportunities, developing a pipeline of potential corporate support and making applications to secure support

· Provide high quality stewardship of supporters, groups and businesses within the community, responding to enquiries in a timely way and ensuring relationships are developed and maintained at a high standard

· Represent JGDR as the first point of contact within the community, promoting our mission, vision, and values alongside fundraising and volunteer opportunities

· Ensure that Donorflex is up-to-date and develop regular reporting mechanisms to inform the Volunteering and Community Fundraising Manager of outputs and results, and support understanding of the local audiences, including individual supporters, local businesses, and volunteers, and their historical engagement with the charity

Volunteering

· Work with the Volunteering and Community Fundraising Manager and Volunteering Administration Assistant to recruit, induct and train volunteers to support fundraising and other relevant initiatives in the local community

· Via volunteer support, oversee the distribution of collection boxes in your local area, monitoring and reporting on income generated

· Coordinate and attend – supported by a network of volunteers – key local events, e.g. county shows, to raise awareness of JGDR in the local community and drive support for the charity amongst target audience groups.

· Ensure JGDR retail shops, and their volunteers, in your area have relevant and timely information on current fundraising campaigns and other initiatives to share with customers

· Ensure that the Volunteering database, Volunteero, is up to date

Other duties

· Contribute content for social media, fundraising newsletters, publications and local media to support marketing objectives and increase our engagement with adopters, supporters and donors online

· Keep up to date with sector trends and developments in community and regional fundraising, and volunteering

· Ensure all fundraising activities and events operate within best practice and regulatory guidelines and comply with health and safety requirements.

· Act as a champion for fundraising compliance across the organisation, including ensuring adherence to the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice, the General Data Protection Act and PECR, and other relevant legislative requirements.

· Manage any complaints from supporters efficiently and sensitively

· Act as a collaborative role model to the wider team, and build strong working relationships with colleagues across the wider charity to be an internal ambassador for Fundraising and Marketing

This is not an exhaustive list of duties but outlines the key roles and responsibilities for this post. The post holder’s specific objectives will be set upon commencing their role.

You are:

· A target-driven and tenacious professional with experience in community and regional fundraising

· Knowledgeable about your local community, with a positive approach to your work and supporting your colleagues to achieve shared objectives

· Skilled at building relationships with people, and motivated by spending time getting to know supporters and volunteers in the local area

· Entrepreneurial, with a drive to seek out new opportunities to drive income generation and pursue them with a continual eye on hitting KPIs and targets

· Organised, with a keen eye for detail and a confidence in managing competing priorities effectively

· Financially proficient, and comfortable planning, monitoring and being accountable for fundraising budgets to agreed deadlines

· Familiar with sector trends and best practice methods of acquiring, retaining and stewarding supporters

· A credible and clear communicator

· Experienced in using CRM databases to input, monitor, and report on supporter data and to gather insights

· Diligent, organised and respectful of others’ contributions, and keen to work in an environment that encourages constructive feedback and collaboration

· Committed to dog welfare, and representing the values of JGDR both internally and externally

· Prepared and able to travel extensively in your region, including to other JGDR Centres and retail sites. A valid UK driving license and access to a vehicle will be necessary.

· Prepared and able to attend relevant supporter events in the evening and at weekends within the community; a time off in lieu policy for this is in place.

Diversity and Accessibility

Jerry Green Dog Rescue is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and encouraging equality and diversity among our workforces. We acknowledge that some candidates may require additional support to overcome barriers experienced during the application process. 

Join Us in Protecting People While Saving Species

At Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, we’re not only passionate about saving species from extinction — we’re equally committed to ensuring a supportive environment for every person who contributes to that mission. Whether working with endangered animals, researching in the field, or supporting operations at Jersey Zoo, safety underpins everything we do.

We're looking for a dedicated and proactive Safety & Risk Manager to champion health and safety across all areas of our global operations.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in health & safety management, ideally in diverse or multi-site organisations

• Strong working knowledge of relevant UK/Jersey H&S legislation

• Confident in conducting risk assessments, audits, and delivering safety training

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence and support teams at all levels

• A practical, solutions-focused mindset with genuine commitment to people’s safety and wellbeing

• Willingness to travel occasionally to support our global conservation efforts

 Why Join Durrell?

• Be part of a globally respected conservation organisation making real impact

• Work in a unique, purpose-driven environment at Jersey Zoo

• Collaborate with passionate, mission-aligned colleagues

• Help shape the future of safety in one of the most inspiring workplaces imaginable

Closing Date: 14th September 2025