Donor Relations Manager

We help to level the playing field between state and independent schools by giving all young people access to the same prestigious networks available to the top fee-paying schools.

We believe that by inspiring young people to explore their ambitions through our speaker programme, facilitating access to multi-day experiences of the world of work, and supporting young people to successfully seize opportunities available to them, then we can make a profound difference to the lives of young people, their future happiness and prosperity.

By 2028, our ambition is that every young person in the UK has access to high quality work experience. Yet today, less than half of young people leave secondary school having had any work experience whatsoever. 

Speakers for Schools Values:

PASSION: 

We are committed to levelling the playing field for young people across the UK, creating social mobility and tackling disadvantages.

AGILITY: 

We challenge our ideas of what is possible in order to better meet the needs of those we support. We are human, make mistakes, learn, evolve and adapt.

INTEGRITY: 

We act with empathy and bring our authentic selves to work every day. We value and respect the talent, time and intentions of those we work with.

COLLABORATION: 

We are one team with one mission and only by working together can we deliver better outcomes for young people. We support each other unconditionally and feel motivation in shared success as well as individual progress.

DIVERSITY: 

We know it takes people with different ideas, strengths, identities, interests, and cultural backgrounds to make our organisation succeed. We encourage constructive debate and critical friendship.

Role Summary

The Donor Relations Manager will play a pivotal role in fostering meaningful connections between Speakers for schools and its key prospects and supporters. This position focuses on creating, implementing, and maintaining strategies and processes that engage, retain and uplift donors. The Donor Relations Manager at Speakers for Schools will ensure that donors and key funders feel valued, informed, and appropriately stewarded and reported to with respect to their contributions.

Key Duties / Responsibilities

Donor Engagement:

Develop and execute personalised engagement strategies for donors, tailoring approaches to different donor segments, including Speakers who wish to engage philanthropically with the charity, as well as Philanthropy and Trust and Foundation partners.

Initiate regular and meaningful communication with donors and funders through various channels, including emails, newsletters, phone calls, and in-person meetings.

Stewardship Plans:

Create and manage donor stewardship plans, recording and tracking donor interactions, interests, and preferences.

Oversee the production of high-quality acknowledgment letters, recognition, and reports for donors and key funding partners.

Events and Recognition:

Plan and coordinate donor recognition events, such as dinners, receptions, and other stewardship activities.

Ensure that donors receive the recognition and benefits they are entitled to, including naming opportunities and personalized recognition in campaigns.

Database Management:

Maintain and update the donor database to accurately track donor information and interactions.

Produce reports and analysis to identify trends and insights that inform donor engagement strategies.

Fundraising Support:

Working as part of a growing fundraising team to support fundraising initiatives, including capital campaigns and annual giving efforts.

Provide assistance in identifying potential major donors and prospects.

Donor Feedback:

Collect donor feedback and insights through surveys, interviews, and feedback mechanisms to improve donor engagement practices.

Use feedback to enhance the donor experience and adjust strategies and processes accordingly.

Development Committee:

Support the Head of Philanthropy to manage the Speakers for Schools Development Committee, and their benefits, ensuring donors are invited to Committee meetings, are stewarded and thanked appropriately, and Committee meeting follow ups and actions are pushed through effectively and efficiently.

Essential skills

• Proven experience in donor relations, donor stewardship, or a related field within a sales and/or nonprofit area
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Strong time and project management as well as robust organisational skills
• Proficiency in using donor databases and CRM software. We use Salesforce at Speakers for Schools
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team