Head of individual giving and legacies

Head of individual giving and legacies

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About the Role

We’re looking for a passionate and strategic Head of Individual Giving and Legacies to lead one of the most impactful areas of our fundraising programme.

This is a pivotal leadership role within Sense’s Fundraising and Marketing team, responsible for developing and delivering our individual giving and legacy strategies, currently generating over 70% of Sense’s voluntary income.

You’ll lead on innovation, insight, and supporter experience - diversifying income streams, driving loyalty, and ensuring that every supporter feels valued and inspired. Working closely with senior leaders and your talented team, you’ll shape how Sense engages with the public, strengthening relationships that transform lives for years to come.

We offer flexible working arrangements. You’ll need to be able to travel occasionally within the UK, including to our London and Birmingham offices, and to attend events, sometimes during evenings or weekends.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver Sense’s Individual Giving and Legacy strategies, growing income through appeals, regular giving, lottery, and legacy marketing.
• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing team of fundraising and marketing professionals, fostering creativity, accountability, and collaboration.
• Diversify and grow the individual giving portfolio, driving acquisition, retention, and supporter value.
• Use data and insight to inform strategy, improve efficiency, and enhance supporter journeys.
• Oversee budgets, forecasts, and performance targets to achieve ambitious income goals.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships and manage supplier relationships to maximise ROI.
• Embed a culture of innovation and co-production across the team, encouraging new ideas and continuous improvement.
• Champion the importance of legacy giving across Sense, building understanding and engagement across teams.
• Ensure compliance with GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and Sense’s privacy policies.

About You

You’ll be a confident, creative, and values-driven leader - someone who combines strategic vision with hands-on delivery. You’ll have the experience to lead successful individual giving and legacy programmes, and the passion to engage supporters in Sense’s mission in new and inspiring ways.

You will bring:

• Extensive management experience across individual giving and legacy fundraising with a track record of achieving growth.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience developing high-performing teams and driving collaboration.
• Proven experience in strategic planning, budgeting, and performance management.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Analytical ability and proficiency with fundraising systems, data analysis, and tools such as Power BI or MS Dynamics.
• A commitment to innovation, inclusion, and supporter-centric fundraising.

Desirable experience includes working in the charity or not-for-profit sector and familiarity with multi-channel fundraising campaigns.

About Sense

We believe that every disabled person should have the opportunity to connect with others and be included in the world. We use our knowledge and expertise to deliver personalised, creative and flexible support at every stage of life. Sense is proud to be a disability confident leader.

Working at Sense can be incredibly rewarding; we offer the opportunity to work in a large, diverse and successful charity where people can develop their skills, knowledge and careers in a supportive and flexible environment. In addition, we have excellent training and development, the opportunity for you to join our Group Personal Pension scheme and a generous annual leave entitlement.

To apply

Please use the link below to complete your application. Managers will use your application to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly.  We would recommend that you read the job description and person specification before applying.

Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time.

No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable.

Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to a DBS check; level dependent on the nature of the role.