Major donor fundraising manager jobs in manchester, greater manchester
Partnerships Manager
Location: Fully Remote
Salary: £27,992 per annum
Vacancy Type: Permanent, Full Time
Closing Date: 24th September 2025
We have an exciting opportunity for a Partnerships Manager to join our team and grow income from high-net-worth individuals and corporate supporters. You will identify, engage, and steward prospects to secure funding, while developing and implementing long-term relationship and stewardship plans.
You’ll be joining a passionate, fun, and target-driven team in a motivating environment, with the chance to make a real impact on the services we provide.
Key responsibilities include:
- Researching and identifying potential major donors, determining appropriate stewardship pathways, and involving Trustees or staff as needed.
- Implementing stewardship plans for major donors to secure five-figure gifts and above.
- Developing and supporting external fundraising committees to raise funds for local Forward Trust services.
- Researching and approaching potential corporate supporters, cultivating relationships, and securing funding.
- Collaborating across the organisation to develop engagement packages, partnership proposals, and progress reports.
- Managing the Fundraising Officer, providing support, motivation, and guidance.
- Representing Forward Trust at meetings, networking events, and conferences.
- Supporting the Head of Fundraising to develop strategies to maximise income from high-net-worth individuals and corporates.
- Ensuring data in the CRM is accurate, compliant with GDPR, and used effectively to inform fundraising activities.
- Managing and reporting on income and expenditure budgets, liaising with Finance, and contributing to reports for Senior Management and Trustees.
- Collaborating with other fundraising team members and participating in team meetings, supervision, and training.
What We’re Looking For
Essential Skills & Experience:
- Proven track record of major donor fundraising, securing five-figure sums and managing effective stewardship pathways.
- Proven experience in identifying, managing, and growing corporate supporter accounts of at least five figures.
- Experience managing at least one member of staff.
- Skilled at managing high-level relationships internally (Trustees) and externally (high-net-worth individuals).
- Experience managing budgets related to your area of work.
- Proficient in using a CRM or other database to manage contacts.
- Understanding of GDPR principles and their impact on fundraising.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly and compellingly.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to understand departmental income and expenditure projections.
- Willingness to attend fundraising events, which may be out-of-hours or away from home.
About Us
We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often-interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits:
- Flexible working
- Training and development opportunities
- Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
- Season Ticket Loan Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Crisis Loan Scheme
- Electric Car Scheme
- 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
- Access to Blue Light Card
- 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
- Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
- Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
- Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)
To Apply
If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.
Registered Charity 
501 - 1000
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Child’s i Foundation
Child’s i Foundation is a small but mighty social impact organisation that started in Uganda and now has a growing global footprint. We work with communities, caregivers, and individuals with lived experience to co-create and scale sustainable alternatives to institutional care. We address the root causes of family separation and demonstrate that every child belongs in a safe and loving family, not in an orphanage.
Purpose of the Role
The Business Development Lead will play a critical role in driving the financial sustainability of Child’s i Foundation. This person will lead efforts to secure new income, grow existing partnerships, and strengthen supporter engagement. This role combines strategy and execution and is ideal for someone with a passion for social justice, a flair for building relationships, and experience in both fundraising and donor communications. The role will report into our Chief Executive Officer.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development & Income Generation
- Develop and execute the fundraising and income generation strategy across diverse streams including:
- Trusts and Foundations
- Corporate Partnerships
- Major Donors
- Regular Giving
- Campaigns and Events (UK & Uganda)
- Track investment in partnership with Finance Manager
- Identify and cultivate new funding opportunities aligned with Child's i mission, values and strategic objectives.
- Lead proposal writing, donor reporting and relationship management for high-value funders and partners.
- Work closely with the CEO and Board to unlock networks and steward strategic relationships
Supporter Engagement & Communications
- Oversee supporter care and stewardship, ensuring timely acknowledgements and meaningful engagement.
- Manage and work with the comms team to develop content for digital fundraising platforms (website, social media, and email).
- Guide the comms team to develop compelling supporter journeys and storytelling that reflect the voices of communities we work with.
- Oversee the development of newsletters and donor communications that build long-term loyalty.
Operational Fundraising Management
- Oversee donation processing, database management, and tracking of fundraising KPIs.
- Coordinate with UK and Uganda teams to align messaging, campaigns, and compliance.
- Provide strategic oversight of volunteer-led and community fundraising initiatives.
Team Collaboration & Leadership
- Line manage junior fundraising support if applicable.
- Work collaboratively with programme, comms, finance, and impact teams to ensure donor requirements are met and learning is shared.
- Contribute to organisational learning on ethical fundraising, locally-led development, and shifting power to communities.
Person Specification
Essential
- Proven experience in business development and fundraising (minimum 3 years), ideally in the social impact or NGO sector.
- Track record of securing income from trusts, foundations, or major donors.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives.
- Strong relationship-building skills, from individual supporters to institutional donors.
- Organised, proactive, and adaptable, able to juggle multiple priorities in a small, fast-moving team.
- Commitment to Child’s i’s values and vision, and to ethical fundraising grounded in dignity and equity.
Desirable
- Experience working in East Africa or with Global South-led organisations.
- Familiarity and confidence with use of CRM systems. We use Beacon.
- Understanding of child protection, care reform, or community development sectors.
What We Offer
- A chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families.
- Flexible and supportive working environment.
- Opportunity to be part of a globally respected, locally rooted team shaping the future of child care in Africa and beyond
- 25 days of holiday entitlement
- Contributory Pension
Normal office hours are 9:30am to 5:30pm (with one hour for lunch), but flexibility will be required
We are open to part-time working requests.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
This is a critical and exciting leadership role for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust which will take the Trust forward to the next phase of organisational growth, building on the superb achievements to date of our retiring CEO.
You’ll need passion and energy to work on some of the most profound challenges of our time. Nature needs its champions, and you’ll need to harness all of your skills, all of your personality, and your network to grow our influence, our impact, and our outcomes. You’ll excel at galvanising others to take action enabling us to achieve our aims and ensure bumblebees are thriving and valued by everyone.
This is an incredible opportunity to join a very special organisation with passionate and high-performing teams who are truly dedicated to our vital purpose.
Please refer to the CEO pack for further information.
The Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer. This means that whilst seeking employment or during such employment with the Trust, we will seek to ensure equality of treatment for all persons regardless of sex, race, age, marital or civil partnership status, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity status.
At the Trust, we have a clear goal: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, to stay and do their best work. We pride ourselves on reaching for our vision, through the hard work and dedication of our passionate and creative employees.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.