Head of Fundraising

About Dreams Come True

We deliver moments of magic with lasting impact to children living in poverty who have a serious illness, disability, or life-limiting condition. We are the only wish granting charity focused solely on children living in social deprivation in the UK.

About the Role

Dreams Come True is seeking an ambitious, strategic and highly skilled Head of Fundraising to lead and expand its income generation and manage and drive a high performing team. This senior role prioritises the development and delivery of an ambitious major donor and individual giving strategy - cultivating, stewarding, and upgrading supporters, including high-net-worth individuals and regular donors. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, you will diversify income streams, maximise philanthropic support, and ensure the charity's long-term sustainability whilst leading, managing, motivating and inspiring the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a growth-oriented fundraising strategy, with a strong focus on major donor fundraising and individual giving (regular giving, donor journeys, legacy giving).
• Build a robust pipeline of major donors, personally managing relationships with high-value supporters, cultivating new prospects, and maximising lifetime value through tailored stewardship.
• Oversee the design and execution of engaging campaigns and supporter journeys for individual and legacy donors.
• Direct and support building other fundraising streams (trusts & foundations, events, digital, community), setting ambitious yet achievable income targets.
• Monitor, analyse, and report on fundraising performance, using data-driven insights to identify opportunities and refine approaches.
• Inspire, manage, and develop the fundraising team, fostering a culture of collaboration, high performance, and innovation.
• Ensure policy, governance and compliance with all relevant fundraising legislation and sector regulation.
• Represent the charity in external meetings, building networks and leveraging senior volunteers and Trustees to extend philanthropic reach.
• Translate complex beneficiary needs into compelling cases for support, proposals, and stewardship reports that resonate with donors and partners.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Demonstrated success in major donor fundraising, including personally securing substantial gifts (five and six figures); proven ability to build from scratch, cultivate and maintain relationships with high-net-worth individuals.
• Proven expertise in individual giving, including donor journeys, donor retention and engagement, and developing bespoke campaigns.
• Strong leadership skills, with a track record of building, motivating, and developing high-performing fundraising teams.
• Up-to-date understanding of the fundraising compliance environment (Fundraising Regulator's Code, GDPR, PECR).
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, both written and verbal.
• Analytical mindset and the ability to use data to inform strategy, track performance, and drive growth.
• Creative approach to stewardship, recognising, thanking, and meaningfully involving supporters at all levels.
• Passion, resilience, and integrity aligned with the charity’s mission.
• A recognised fundraising qualification (e.g. Certificate/Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising or equivalent).
• Inspiring and experienced team leader.

Desirable:

• Experience with innovative donor engagement, digital tools, and CRM/database systems.
• Background in a similar scale or mission-driven UK charity.

How to Apply

Apply by submitting a CV and covering letter via CharityJob.