Jobs

This Community Foundation are an exceptional group of people who believe that strong, connected communities can transform lives. Their mission is to build thriving communities through effective philanthropy, tackling urgent issues including unaffordable essentials, poor health, loneliness, fear, and lack of opportunity. By nurturing a network of local philanthropists, businesses and public sector partners, they empower small charities and community groups to deliver real, lasting impact. To support their growing donor community, the Foundation is now looking to appoint a Senior Philanthropy Adviser, and Prospectus is delighted to lead the search.

Senior Philanthropy Adviser

Full time, 35 hours per week (part time/flexible hours considered)

Permanent

Hybrid (2 days in Oxford office / home working / on the road)

£40,000 FTE

The Senior Philanthropy Adviser will play a central role in stewarding the Foundation's expanding portfolio of donor-advised funds, working closely with high-net-worth individuals, families, corporates and long-term philanthropic partners. This newly created role is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives on building meaningful relationships, offering exceptional donor care, and helping funders connect with the local causes that matter most to them.

The postholder will manage and deepen relationships with fundholders, ensuring high-quality account management, timely reporting, and warm and effective engagement that inspires continued and increasing support. They will work closely with donors to understand their philanthropic motivations and match them with impactful community organisations. Alongside donor relations, the Senior Philanthropy Adviser will be responsible for coordinating donor-advised grantmaking in partnership with the Foundation's Grants Team. There will also be potential to line manage in this role.

We are looking for a personable individual who enjoys meeting different types of people, listens with curiosity, and builds trust through excellent communication and relationship-management skills. You will bring strong administration, organisational ability and CRM experience, with the confidence to juggle competing priorities in a small, friendly and collaborative team. While experience in donor stewardship or grantmaking is desirable it is not essential.

To Apply:

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity. If you have any disability and require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the process then please contact Femke Vorstman at Prospectus.

If you feel you meet some of the criteria but not all, we really hope you'll enquire and learn more. Prospectus can advise and support on each part of the role and hopefully your application, so we look forward to hearing from you.

In order to apply please submit your CV in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will arrange for a meeting to brief you on the role. You'll then have all the information you need to formally apply. We are looking forward to connecting with you soon.

Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.  

• Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
• Hybrid working - home based and hospital based (Bristol Children’s Hospital) 
• Interview dates: Thursday 18th December 2025

Change lives in a life-changing career

When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.

The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.

We challenge the systems and policies that surround children and young people, we highlight gaps and campaign for change. Because we know what a better future could look like. And we know what we need to do to make that future a reality. We need to push harder, reach further and work smarter. And we need the right people on our team to help us get there. People like you.

About the role

We’re looking for a Social Worker to support children and young people diagnosed with cancer in our South West Team. 

We pride ourselves on delivering the highest quality support tailored to the needs of the children and young people and their families using a needs based assessment framework. The work we do is rewarding but also complex and demanding. You will be part of a close-knit Young Lives vs Cancer social work team, working with an established NHS multi-disciplinary team and services in the community.

This role is part home, part site-based. Your contractual base will be both Home and Bristol Children’s Hospital.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

This role is also subject to a Social Work Registration, with Social Work England.

What do I need? 

The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:

• A recognised Social Worker qualification and current registration with Social Work England/ Scottish Social Services Council/Social Care Wales/Northern Ireland Social Care Council
• Experience working with children, young people and their families/carers in a social care setting.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment, ideally in an NHS setting.
• Sound knowledge of child and young people development.
• An understanding of the impact of serious illness for children, young people and their families.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

What will I gain?

 For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:

• Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
• Wellbeing, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Great family/caring leave entitlements
• Enhanced pension
• Access to our employee savings scheme

To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.

We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. CVs can be uploaded, but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history sections of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly and objectively.

Accessibility

We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible.Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.

To arrange an informal chat, please contact Craig Pearce.

#ShowTheSalary

Our client is a leading independent funder. 

They aim to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. 

The foundation provides c. £50million annually in grants to organisations and initiatives with brilliant ideas who share their goals. They also provide social and impact investment for organisations with the aim of creating social and environmental impact.

Their strategy focuses on three interdependent aims: improving Our Natural World; tackling injustice to deliver A Fairer Future; and nurturing Creative, Confident Communities. They also want to play a more active role by using a range of tools to effect change. In addition to funding, this includes convening and brokering alliances, commissioning research, and using its influence to achieve its goals.

Prospectus is delighted to be working with the foundation to recruit a Funding Manager on a full-time (or 0.8) basis. This role will be part of the Our Natural World (ONW) programme and will primarily be focused on the foundation’s priorities: fishing in tandem with nature and space for nature (marine). This role is a maternity contract for up to 12 months. The foundation is open to potential secondments from thematically connected organisations.

A hybrid working model is in place which entails working at least 2 days per week in their office in Kings Cross (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and the remainder flexibly working from home if you wish.

The role:
This role is a key member of a friendly team of six people that hold over 250 relationships across the UK, through grants, investments and other support. The foundation works with a number of organisations across the UK, from national charities such as the Wildlife Trust, Blue Marine foundation and Oceana, to community-led organisations such as COAST and fisher led organisations such as the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation and the Plymouth Fishing and Seafood organisation.

The team works towards three impact goals: sustainable and ethical food, clean and healthy freshwater, and preserved and improved species health and habitats. They have five funding priorities under the current strategy: nature friendly farming, fishing in tandem with nature, freshwater, peat and space for nature. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and managing its marine programme. This supports organisations and initiatives across key areas such as a just transition for fisheries, small-scale fisheries, achieving 30% ocean protection by 2030, seascapes, coastal communities, and building a more equitable and inclusive marine sector. In the coming year, a key priority will be to advance their seascapes work, following the recent publication of the foundation’s reflections and plans in this area.

This person will nurture relationships and ensure continuity as well as assessing new applications. Primary responsibilities of this role will be to make significant contributions to the delivery of the foundation’s strategy, identifying and building a pipeline of activities that will contribute to the delivery of the five-year roadmaps and impact goals, assessing proposals and managing a broad portfolio of activities and relationships across the sector. This role will also support social investment opportunities and will gather learning from related work inform future decision making towards achieving impact goals.

The culture at the foundation is collaborative and nurturing, so working closely with colleagues to share ideas and learn from each other will be essential in this role.

The person:
The successful candidate will have substantial experience of having worked as a practitioner in the marine environment & fisheries sector, perhaps for a charity which is embedded in this area or for a business related to the sector which has aligned aims to the impact goals of the ONW programmes. Creative, imaginative and intellectually curious, this person will understand the work undertaken by charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises in the sector but also with local authorities, businesses and the investment world connected to the same ecosystem.

This person will be able to interpret and resolve complex and sometimes conflicting information and business plans in order to assess the viability and value of grant applications and the importance of the work of organisation in matching and promoting the aims and objectives of the ONW programme. An outstanding communicator both verbally and in writing, this person will represent the foundation positively and knowledgeably to a wide range of audiences whilst convening and consulting with sector professionals at events and forums to enhance the intelligence gathering and thought leadership within the sector.

IT confident and systematic in their approach, they will also be a confident and empathetic person in addition to being an excellent communicator, both verbally and in written work. Excellent attention to detail and thorough and collaborative in their approach to work, this person will be a real team player whilst being able to work under their own steam, in a fast-paced environment. A broad understanding and experience of systems change principles and an appreciation of the nuanced intersections between the various priorities of the ONW programme will be important to success in this role.

This role represents a fantastic opportunity for someone with the right skills and experience to really effect positive change and to make a real mark in one of the leading funders in the UK.

The foundation believes that a greater diversity of views, skills, and lived experience will help generate better ideas, and will lead to better decision making. We want to encourage applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. In particular, those with lived experience of racial inequity, disability, or poverty.