Major donor manager jobs in london

An exceptional opportunity to lead, grow, and transform lives 

Home-Start Richmond, Kingston & Hounslow is seeking an inspiring and strategic Chief Executive Officer to lead our trusted local charity through its next stage of growth and innovation. 

This is a rare opportunity to make a tangible difference for children and families — by strengthening our community presence, driving income generation, and ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life. 

About Home-Start Richmond, Kingston & Hounslow 

We believe strong families make strong communities. 
Our trained volunteers provide emotional and practical support to parents of young children, helping them navigate the challenges of early childhood and family life. 

Operating across three London boroughs, we are a vibrant, values-driven charity and part of the wider Home-Start network — one of the UK’s leading family support movements. 

The Role 

As CEO, you’ll be both strategic leader and hands-on advocate, driving our fundraising and partnership agenda while overseeing operational excellence. 

You’ll lead our talented team, work closely with trustees, and represent our charity with energy and passion — ensuring we remain a visible and trusted voice for families across Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead and inspire staff and volunteers to deliver high-impact family support services. 

• Develop and implement a bold, diversified fundraising and income generation strategy. 

• Build and nurture relationships with funders, corporates, philanthropists, and community partners. 

• Act as a confident ambassador, raising the organisation’s profile locally and regionally. 

• Work closely with the Board of Trustees on governance, strategy, and long-term sustainability. 

• Oversee service delivery, safeguarding, and operational compliance. 

About You 

You are: 

• A proven fundraiser and relationship builder who can secure sustainable income across multiple sources. 

• A confident and inclusive leader who inspires and empowers teams. 

• Skilled in partnership development and community engagement. 

• Experienced in charity governance, financial management, and service delivery. 

• Deeply committed to safeguarding, equality, and family wellbeing. 

Why Join Us? 

• Lead one of London’s most respected family charities. 

• Shape our strategy for growth and sustainability. 

• Join a passionate, values-led team and supportive board. 

• Enjoy flexible, hybrid working across three vibrant boroughs. 

How to Apply 

If you meet most but not all of our criteria and are passionate about giving children the best start in life we'd still like to hear from you.

Apply via CharityJob or reach our to our Chair for an informal conversation. 

Home-Start Richmond, Kingston & Hounslow is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. 

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) is the world’s largest alliance of national societies of obstetrics and gynaecology, bringing together professionals from more than 139 countries and territories. For over 70 years, FIGO has collaborated with the world’s top health, rights and donor bodies. We are in official relations with the World Health Organization and consultative status with the United Nations.

FIGO is dedicated to the improvement of the health and rights of women and girls and to the reduction of disparities in health care, as well as to advancing the science and practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. We pursue our mission through education, research implementation, advocacy and capacity building with our member societies.

As a proactive member of the Secretariat team,  to deliver high quality, professional services to FIGO. This will be achieved by;

· Ensuring effective administrative processes within FIGO (incl. meetings support, notetaking, communication, facilities management)

· Supporting the Human Resources function at FIGO (incl. recruitment, BREATH HR and training)

· Coordination of Health and Safety/Fire Safety Support

Senior Fundraising Manager (New Business)

Salary£51,100 per annum

LocationLondon/Hybrid

Weekly Hours35

The Vacancy

Job Title: Senior Fundraising Manager (New Business)

Location: London/Hybrid

Salary: £51,100 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1149337

We have an outstanding opportunity to drive new revenue streams to help young people.

YMCA England & Wales is seeking a Senior Fundraising Manager to lead the development of new high-value corporate partnerships. This role offers a unique career opportunity to shape and deliver the next phase of our national corporate fundraising ambition, building on a strong foundation of award-winning work.

Our Corporate Partnerships team has recently been recognised at the Corporate Engagement Awards:

Gold – Best Educational Programme with Cadent Gas, for the Safe and Well Communities Project, supporting vulnerable people with energy efficiency, safety, and healthy living.

Silver – Best Alignment of Brand Values through Sponsorship with Vestey Holdings, for the Youth Ambassador Programme, giving young people a voice in policy and change.

As Senior Fundraising Manager, you will play a leading role in securing new partnerships of similar scale and impact. You will bring a strong track record in new business development—identifying, cultivating, and closing significant corporate relationships.  You will design compelling partnership propositions, manage high-level external engagement, and ensure alignment with YMCA’s mission and strategic priorities.

This is a senior position with scope to influence both the direction of YMCA’s corporate fundraising strategy and the culture of the wider team. Managing a Senior Fundraising Officer, you will provide leadership and guidance, while also contributing to a collaborative and ambitious environment across the fundraising team.

The successful candidate will be an experienced fundraiser with demonstrable results in winning new corporate partnerships. You are probably the top performer at your current charity, can evidence multiple six figure successes and are eager to take the next step in your career by moving to a more strategic, senior role. You will be motivated by the chance to shape a growing programme, work with high-profile brands, and create opportunities that deliver lasting change for young people and communities across England and Wales.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.

Tender is an arts charity working with children and young people to prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence through creative projects. Our programmes are safe, enjoyable, age-appropriate spaces where young people can engage with sensitive topics and “rehearse” for real-life scenarios. Participants are encouraged to be both consumers and producers of learning through script-work, role-play and creative media such as films and art. Throughout, we enable young people to explore their choices, rights and expectations in relationships and to recognise the early warning signs of abuse. 

Tender has grown significantly in recent years. We have secured income from an increasing range of sources: corporates, major donors, trusts & foundations and statutory funders. We have done this with a small but highly effective development team.

With a clear strategic focus for the next five years, we are strengthening our development team to ensure we have the funding needed to achieve our strategic ambitions. We plan to grow both the extent of our reach across the country, and the difference we make to the people we work with. We are also planning to increase the effectiveness of our policy & influencing work, aiming to deliver significant, systemic change to how violence against women and girls is prevented.

You will play a pivotal role in raising the funding for our ambitions, focusing on statutory and trusts & foundations income streams. You will lead on both these income streams, managing existing funders and securing new funders. You will secure income from your own portfolio of funders and partners, and lead and inspire the team to achieve their own ambitious targets, both through new sources and through excellent stewardship of existing funders.

Role purpose

The main purposes of this role are:

• Researching, identifying and applying for grant funding and commissioning from statutory sources, trusts and foundations (T&F)
• Developing and writing high quality fundraising bids which align with the objectives and needs of statutory funders, T&F and Tender’s strategic objectives
• Managing and maintaining partnerships and relationships with a range of stakeholders (statutory funders, T&F, delivery partners, professionals in the sector, internal stakeholders)
• Developing the Statutory and T&F strategy in collaboration with the Development Director

Main responsibilities and duties

New business development

• Developing and implementing a strategy to develop relationships with, and maximise income from, statutory sources, T&F
• Working with service managers, designing, developing and submitting high-quality funding proposals to statutory sources, T&F which are technically sound, meet donor requirements and align with Tender’s strategic objectives
• Maintaining an up-to-date market awareness of grant-making trends and best practice in T&F fundraising
• Developing the overall statutory and T & F strategy with oversight from the Development Director
• Monitoring and reporting against business development plans to ensure objectives are achieved, and proposing plans for remedial action if projections are not on track

Relationships

• Managing relationships with Statutory sources and T&F funding Tender, building a deep understanding of the needs and requirements of each funder
• Developing and executing stewardship and relationship management plans for T&F to maximise the value and duration of their support for Tender
• Overseeing the production of high-quality monitoring reports for T&F, and using insights from funded programmes to develop case for support materials
• Working with other Tender managers to ensure the consistent tone and positioning of Tender in the implementation of marketing of all projects
• Line managing two Development Officers

Administration

• Working with the Governance team to improve operational effectiveness and quality service by identifying and implementing process improvements
• Contributing to the maintenance of Tender’s overall Development function, providing appropriate analysis and reports
• Developing and maintaining a funding database and ensuring it is up to date to effectively monitor and evaluate the strategy
• Completing all mandatory training, and proactively seek opportunities for ongoing professional development
• Ensuring that all policies and procedures are followed, including safeguarding, data protection and equal opportunities
• Working as a member of the Tender team and carrying out other duties that may be required to meet the needs of the organisation

Salary: £35,873-£41,200
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Location: Hybrid – Remote with monthly travel to London office
Closing date: 11^th November
Benefits: 34 days off annually, flexible working, generous health & wellbeing allowance, learning & development budget, and more

We are thrilled to be partnering with AfriKids to recruit a Partnerships Manager – Trusts and Foundations. AfriKids is a locally-led, globally respected charity working to transform education opportunities for children in northern Ghana, where poverty and climate challenges threaten futures. With over 20 years of impact, AfriKids empowers communities to lead change and is now scaling its model to reach even more children.

In this role, you will lead AfriKids’ relationships with trusts, foundations, and institutional funders, securing five- and six-figure multi-year grants. You’ll co-create compelling proposals and reports with the Ghana team, steward major donors and corporate partners, and help shape the fundraising strategy to expand and safeguard AfriKids’ work.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• A proven track record of securing significant new donations and multi-year grants
• Experience in trust and foundation fundraising, including prospect research and pipeline development
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills
• Strong proposal writing and reporting abilities, with attention to detail and financial accuracy
• A proactive, collaborative approach and a passion for making a difference

For an informal discussion, please contact Ashby Jenkins Recruitment and ask to speak to Heather.

Ashby Jenkins Recruitment is a specialist charity recruitment agency. We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and take a relationship-led approach to recruitment in the sector. You can read more about our commitment to diversity on our website.

If enough applications are received, we reserve the right to close the application period early.

Please quote reference 2747HB when applying.
 

We are delighted to be partnering with STEM Learning to find their next Head of Fundraising. 

Fundraising has developed rapidly for the organisation in recent years, with investment, board-level commitment and a growing team driving success. With strong foundations in place and a portfolio of high-value partnerships across corporate, trust, foundation, and major donor income, they are now poised to scale their strategic influence and deepen their impact.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and leading a five-strong team, the Head of Fundraising will shape and deliver the long-term fundraising strategy, strengthen the organisation's positioning as a trusted, high-impact partner, and drive sustainable, multi-year income growth that enables transformational change.

As Head of Fundraising, you will: 

• Lead the development and delivery of a high-level fundraising strategy, securing multi-year six-figure+ partnerships across corporates, trusts, foundations, major donors and HNWIs
• Manage, develop and inspire a team of 5 direct reports (responsibility for 7), fostering a proactive, collaborative and high-performing culture
• Engage senior stakeholders including the CEO, Chair, Trustees and senior partners to unlock networks and open opportunities
• Represent the organisation at senior-level networking events, conferences and sector forums, influencing decision-makers and strengthening brand positioning

Essential skills and experience: 

• A strategic, senior-level fundraiser with a proven track record delivering six-figure, multi-year partnerships from corporates. Experience across trusts, foundations, and/or major donors highly desirable
• A proactive new business mindset, with eagerness to meet with donors and attend events
• Strategic leadership experience, with proven ability to motivate and develop fundraising teams
• An experienced relationship-builder who has used confidence and gravitas to engage CEOs, trustees, C-suite leaders and high-net-worth individuals — and successfuly make compelling asks

STEM Learning offer a sector-leading employee benefits package, which includes 30 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays and up to 15% employer pension contributions. 

This is a mostly home-based role, with travel to N.England and London for office time and meetings. There are travel-cost reimbursements available - please discuss. 

Detailed briefing notes and full support with CV and cover letter will be provided for suitable applicants. 

Are you passionate about making a real difference and driving transformative change? Join the British Heart Foundation as our New Business Lead – Philanthropy, a pivotal new role designed to take our fundraising ambitions to the next level.

With bold plans to significantly grow our philanthropic income over the next five years, you’ll spearhead a fresh approach to new business, helping us unlock high-value opportunities and strengthen our commitment to life-changing research.

Working closely with the Head of Philanthropy, you will shape and deliver a new business strategy that inspires six- and seven-figure gifts, managing a dynamic portfolio of Major Donor and Trust & Foundation prospects. Your expertise will help create a culture of innovation and collaboration, supporting your colleagues as you collectively drive new relationships and secure sustainable, multi-year income streams.

This role is perfect for someone with the vision and autonomy to navigate the entire philanthropic journey—from identifying prospects and building relationships to crafting compelling proposals and collaborating across teams. You’ll play a central part in developing our Philanthropy Board and leading the development of a new business culture, all while helping us build a world where everyone enjoys a healthier heart for longer.

If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by the prospect of high-value fundraising, and ready to make a lasting impact, we would love to hear from you.

About You

We’re seeking an ambitious, results-driven fundraising professional with a proven track record in securing six and seven figure multi-year gifts.

As our ideal candidate, you have new business knowledge and are adept at building and nurturing high-value relationships, demonstrating gravitas and passion for the cause when engaging with senior stakeholders, Trustees, and high-net-worth donors.

You have the skills and experience to autonomously lead on every stage of the cultivation journey. Strategic thinking is crucial – you can spot growth opportunities, shape innovative fundraising propositions, and collaborate across teams to deliver transformative outcomes for the BHF.

As someone who adopts a truly collaborative perspective, you can think beyond your own portfolio and team to deliver transformative relationships.

Your experience of engaging senior volunteer leaders, managing complex stakeholder relationships, and working within a matrix structure will be essential.

You have exceptional communication, both written and verbal, and the ability to inspire commitment and connection to our mission. Strong organisational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM systems are required.

Working arrangements

This is a hybrid role, where your work will be split between your home and at least one day per week, on average, in our London Office. This may vary from time to time, so you will need to work in a flexible way to unlock your best work for our cause.

On occasion you will need to attend evening events.

Do you want to join a passionate and driven Philanthropy team? Do you love uncovering opportunities, connecting insights, and helping to grow meaningful supporter relationships that make a real difference?

Working for this social welfare charity, you will lead on identifying and researching potential major donors, trusts, and companies, turning complex information into clear and actionable insights.

The charity are looking for a proactive individual with excellent analytical skills, a passion for prospect research, and a commitment to maintaining high-quality data.

This is hybrid role with 2 days per week in the London office.

The Charity
A long standing national charity, dedicated to providing life long support from advice services to rehabilitation. They have a staff of c1,500 people securing over 150m last year.
You would be joining a highly respected organisation, known for its supportive and inclusive working culture, offering fantastic benefits including 28 days paid holiday per year (plus bank holidays), contributory pension scheme -employer contribution up to max of 10% and an employee assistance programme as well as much more!

The Role
Working with publicly available information, develop the prospect research function
Work with the team to provide high quality research materials
Ensure new prospects are identified across all fundraising streams
Develop and deliver an effective new business strategy for Trusts and foundations, focusing on the 5 and 6 figure + gift levels
Manage supporter information with respect, and maintain high quality data
Identify, develop and maintain cross stewardship opportunities with other engagement teams

The Candidate
Demonstrable experience of personally conducting research into high-net-worth individuals, companies or Trusts
Experience of retrieving, collating, analysing, distilling and presenting information from a wide range of sources
Experience of presenting research findings to a high standard in a readable, accessible format
Passion for Prospect Research

IMPORTANT NOTE

Our aim is to respond to all successful applications within 5 days. If you havent been contacted within 5 days your application has been unsuccessful and your details will not be held further but we positively encourage you to apply for any other positions that you may see in the future.

We apologise that we cannot contact everybody in person but thank you in advance for your interest.

Third Solutions encourages applications from individuals of all ages & backgrounds. Appointment will be made on merit alone but candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to work in the UK. Third Solutions acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment & an employment business for temporary recruitment as defined by the Conduct of Employment Agencies & Employment Business Regulations 2003.

Senior Philanthropy Manager

Grade and Salary: £53,947 - £63,350 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance
Department: Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Exec
Job ID: 128285

About Us

Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement (P&A) provides a fundraising and alumni engagement function in support of King’s College London. We are proud to work with colleagues across the university and its health partners to help them serve society through world-leading education, research and healthcare.  Our work also includes a partnership with the Maudsley Charity in support of children’s mental health initiatives between the university’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and the South London & Maudsley NHS Trust.

We are a committed team that brings together fundraisers working across different channels, alongside colleagues who promote King’s College London’s engagement with its worldwide alumni community. Our work is underpinned and enhanced by a range of dedicated professionals in supporting areas covering proposition development, supporter engagement, supporter operations and business operations.

We have an impressive, well-established track record of success in securing support that allows the university and partners to deliver on their missions. This includes our global, award-winning World Questions: King’s Answers campaign, which set the standard in the sector and enabled us to raise substantial funds to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. Ambitious and innovative, the team has won awards such as a CASE Platinum Award for Fundraising and a CASE Gold Award for Donor Relations and Stewardship. We are strongly values-driven with a focus on sustaining an excellent and supportive culture, which we see as key to creating a successful team that can support the university and its partners in making a real and positive difference to the world we live in.

More on King’s College London

King’s College London is an internationally renowned university delivering exceptional education and world-leading research. The university is dedicated to driving positive and sustainable change in society and realising our vision of making the world a better place.  Through its commitment to exceptional education, impactful research and genuine service to society, King’s College London is creating positive change in its communities, both in London and on the world stage. The Strategic Vision 2029 looks forward to King’s College London’s 200th anniversary in 2029 and sets out ambitious plans in five key areas: 

• Educating the next generation of change-makers
• Challenging ideas and driving change through research
• Giving back to society through meaningful service
• Working with our local communities in London
• Fostering global citizens with an international perspective

About the role

We are looking for an exceptional individual fundraiser to join the Philanthropy team at King’s College London, leading on fundraising for The Dickson Poon School of Law.

This role will be responsible for managing a portfolio of major gift prospects, securing and stewarding significant philanthropic gifts at the £50k to £5 million gift level, supporting senior stakeholders with their fundraising efforts, and championing the work and priorities of King’s and the Dickson Poon School of Law.

The team will play a crucial role in the delivery of the University’s ambition to significantly scale philanthropic income for faculties, as we prepare to launch our next major fundraising campaign in 2027 and mark the university’s bicentenary in 2029.

We will build on our already successful fundraising to achieve ambitious new goals for philanthropy – creating strong partnerships across campus and with donors, to realise shared priorities and deliver strategic impact.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively with academic and professional service colleagues across King’s to secure significant philanthropic income to support student outcomes and drive world-leading teaching and research.

We are strongly values-driven with a focus on sustaining an excellent and supportive culture, which we see as key to creating a successful team that can support the university and its partners in making a real and positive difference to the world we live in.

The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London is one of the oldest law schools in England. The School’s research and teaching address some of the most pressing questions of our time relating to equality and human rights, the legal implications of climate change, globalisation, international relations, trade, competition and global finance, to name but a few. Members of The Dickson Poon School of Law advise governments, serve on commissions and public bodies and are seconded to national and international organisations, helping to shape policy and practice nationally and internationally.

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract. P&A has a hybrid working approach, with a minimum of 40% of time in the office. Typically, this equates to two days per week, but we’re very happy for colleagues to be in more frequently if they so wish.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. A proven track-record of cultivating, securing, and stewarding five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts
2. Experience of qualifying and cultivating new philanthropic relationships
3. Ability to develop and maintain key relationships with senior internal stakeholders
4. Proven interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)
5. Ability to plan strategically and implement those plans
6. The ability to negotiate throughout a large, complex environment with multi-dimensional points of view
7. Ability to manage multiple projects, identifying conflicting demands and establishing clear priorities in order to meet agreed objectives and income
8. An understanding of the philanthropic landscape and what would motivate a prospect to give to King’s

Desirable criteria

1. Major gifts fundraising experience in law 

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements, including part-time, compressed hours and/or job shares, as appropriate and in the context of the business needs associated with the role.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

Closing Date: 19th November 2025

This role will have two interview stages, a standard skills-based interview followed (for up to two appointable candidates) by a Core Values interview.

First stage interviews are due to be held on Monday 1st December. Core Values interviews are due to be held w/c 8th December.

The role supports the Individual Giving team by leading the day-to-day delivery of legacy stewardship, supporter journeys, and mid-level donor care. By strengthening supporter relationships, it enables the Individual Giving Manager to concentrate on acquisition and retention campaigns. 

Head of External Engagement

Clergy Support Trust is an organisation which “punches above its weight”, in terms both of the help provided to hardworking clergy households, and the influence we seek to have on Church culture. We are looking for an experienced communications professional, able to lead a broad function encompassing all aspects of our external engagement: media engagement, strategic communications, events and fundraising, so we are looking for someone with strong experience across these areas.

As member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Head of External Engagement will be joining the leading Anglican wellbeing charity, supporting thousands of households each year, as we embark on a new strategic period (2026-30) and at a pivotal point in our mission.

Key responsibilities include:

• To lead, manage and report on the work of the External Engagement team.

• To design and deliver communications relating to the charity’s 2026-28 Strategy, ensuring appropriate, informative content for colleagues, applicants, supporters, partners and stakeholders.

• To oversee delivery of our first ever Fundraising Strategy.

• To be the charity’s principal Press Officer, and to support the Chief Executive

• as the charity’s principal spokesperson.

• To oversee the charity’s growing programme of events.

If you have significant experience in a comparable role, with exceptional writing skills and an excellent understanding of strategic communications together with previous team and budget management experience, we would love to hear from you!

The Role

The Hummingbird Pollinator is a strategic and external-facing leader who combines vision with agility, precision with creativity. They will guide Canopy’s Philanthropic Partnerships team in cultivating high-value relationships, securing transformational funding, and embedding a culture of philanthropy across the organization.

As part of Canopy’s leadership team, the Hummingbird Pollinator will serve as a trusted advisor on fundraising strategy, donor relations, and organizational sustainability — ensuring every partnership fuels our mission and amplifies Canopy’s impact on the world’s forests and climate.

The Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Philanthropic Vision

• Develop and execute Canopy’s 5-year philanthropic strategy, aligning major gifts, institutional partnerships, and stewardship with Canopy’s bold goals.
• Set and achieve ambitious revenue targets, ensuring forecasting and pipeline accuracy.
• Collaborate across teams to integrate storytelling, communications, and immersive engagement into all donor interactions.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor the Development Director and Donor Engagement Specialist.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performing team culture.
• Partner with Grants, Research, and Analytics colleagues to ensure seamless execution and reporting.

Donor Engagement & Relationship Building

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward high-value donor and institutional partnerships.
• Lead high-impact donor experiences that inspire connection and long-term commitment.
• Represent Canopy externally as a trusted, strategic ambassador to our philanthropic partners.

Philanthropic Culture & Collaboration

• Champion a culture of philanthropy across Canopy — helping all teams understand and celebrate the power of donor partnerships.
• Equip colleagues with the tools and confidence to engage in meaningful donor storytelling.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure that philanthropic principles are integrated into all strategic planning and communications.

About Canopy

At Canopy, we partner with the world’s largest brands and innovators to protect the world’s forests, species, and climate. We’re a not-for-profit that makes the impossible happen — building market solutions to keep Ancient and Endangered Forests standing and scale Next Gen alternatives that change supply chains forever.

Why Join Canopy

This is a rare moment to join a movement on the rise. With a transformational foundation in place and a clear path toward long-term sustainability, the Hummingbird Pollinator will help shape the next era of Canopy’s philanthropic growth.

You’ll join a globally distributed team of innovators and advocates, united by the belief that bold collaboration can protect the planet’s most vital forests — and transform industries along the way.

About You

You are agile, curious, and creative. You see patterns others miss, forge connections that spark growth, and thrive in dynamic environments. You’re both strategic and relational, bringing energy, empathy, and excellence to every interaction.

You bring:

1. 10+ years of experience in fundraising, major gifts, or institutional philanthropy, including leadership experience.
2. A record of securing transformative gifts and managing complex donor portfolios.
3. Experience leading and mentoring collaborative, high-performing teams.
4. Strategic thinking paired with operational excellence.
5. Creativity, curiosity, and a “Yes AND…” mindset.
6. Excellent communication and relationship skills that inspire confidence.
7. Resilience, adaptability, and humour.
8. Passion for environmental impact, conservation, or systems change.

Location: Reading, Hybrid 
Hours: 37 per week 
Salary: £49,098 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Campaign Closes: 28th November 2025
First Stage Interviews: 9th/10th December 2025

Second Stage Interviews: 15th/16th December 2025

We are looking for a Communications Lead to shape and deliver impactful communications that inspire and engage. You will lead day-to-day coordination of internal and external communications, ensuring clarity, consistency, and creativity across all channels. Acting as deputy to the Head of Brand, Communications & Entertainment, you’ll manage specialist managers and oversee integrated planning for campaigns, partnerships, and internal engagement.
Essential Criteria 

• Significant experience (2+ years) in a mid-senior communications role, ideally within the charity or not-for-profit sector. 
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and coordinate communications teams and projects across multiple disciplines.
• Strong understanding of integrated communications planning – including PR, digital, social, and internal comms.
• Demonstrated experience delivering impactful communications that build engagement, increase awareness and drive consideration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, compelling, and emotionally resonant messages.
• Experience developing and delivering internal communications strategies that foster alignment and culture.
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to coach, motivate, and support a high-performing team.
• Skilled in managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management and partnership communication experience.
• Strategic thinker with strong operational delivery skills and a focus on impact and efficiency.

Core Purpose
The Communications Lead plays a pivotal role in delivering Make-A-Wish UK’s mission by leading the planning, coordination and execution of impactful communications across internal and external channels.

Acting as the communications lead across every day operations, this role ensures alignment, clarity, and consistency across the organisation’s communications outputs, storytelling and messaging. It provides strategic and operational leadership to specialist communications managers and supports the delivery of high-quality campaigns, partnership communications, and internal engagement activity.

This role supports the Head of Brand, Communications & Entertainment to develop long-term brand and engagement strategy, while ensuring excellence in delivery, team coordination, and communications impact. 

Key Responsibilities 
Communication leadership & coordination

• Lead the day-to-day management and coordination of Make-A-Wish UK’s communications activity, ensuring cohesive planning, consistent messaging, and effective delivery.
• Line manage specialist communications managers and coordinate cross-team workflows to improve collaboration and reduce operational bottlenecks.
• Oversee integrated communications planning for key projects and partnerships – ensuring alignment across media, social, digital and internal channels.
• Lead and support delivery of flagship communications moments such as organisation wide annual campaigns, events and major brand partnerships.
• Serve as deputy to the Head of BCE where required, representing the communications function internally and externally.

Internal communications

• Lead the development and implementation of a structured internal communications strategy to strengthen staff engagement, visibility of organisational priorities, and alignment across teams.
• Alongside senior leadership and relevant stakeholders, deliver consistent, creative, and on-time internal communications such as internal newsletters, all staff update meetings, and ad hoc announcements.
• Equip managers and internal stakeholders with tools and guidance to communicate effectively across teams.
• Corporate and partner communications
• Coordinate and develop communications for key corporate partnerships, high-value donors, and campaigns to ensure strategic alignment and high-quality delivery.
• Work collaboratively with fundraising and partnerships teams to ensure communications activity enhances partner experience, reinforces brand values, and drives impact.
• Oversee the production of tailored communications plans, toolkits and templates for partners to ensure consistent, on-brand engagement.

Campaigns and storytelling

• Provide senior communications support for major campaigns, ensuring clear narratives, powerful storytelling, and consistent brand representation across all channels.
• Support the Head of BCE in developing emotionally resonant communications that connect audiences to the mission and deepen understanding of Make-A-Wish UK’s impact.
• Ensure quality control and brand alignment across all public-facing content, in partnership with the Content Manager.
• Drive the development and optimisation of key messages, and their effective use across all touch points within the organisation.

Measurement and continuous improvement

• Track and evaluate communications performance using agreed KPIs.
• Use available data and insights to refine processes and improve communications effectiveness across channels. Seek out new data and tracking ability to enhance learnings and inform development.
• Contribute to a culture of learning, collaboration and continuous improvement within the BCE team.

Transform STEM Education for Africa's Brightest Young Women

The African Gifted Foundation (AGF) exists to develop Africa's future STEM leaders by supporting gifted young women to access world-class education. Our flagship project, the African Science Academy (ASA) in Ghana, is a fully-scholarshipped boarding school focused on mathematics and physics, with students drawn from across Africa.

We're at a pivotal moment. Having grown to circa £1 million in annual income, we're ready to scale our impact. We are embarking on an exciting new initiative to build a new campus and double the size of our school over the next couple of years. We need an exceptional fundraising leader to help us get there.

The Opportunity

As Head of Fundraising, you'll be a key member of our senior leadership team, shaping strategy and driving income growth to transform opportunities for hundreds more young African women in STEM.

In your first year, you'll:

• Take ownership of our £1m fundraising portfolio and develop a clear growth strategy
• Deepen relationships with our existing major donors, trusts and corporate partners
• Identify and secure at least 3-5 significant new funding partnerships
• Build robust systems for pipeline management, donor stewardship and impact reporting
• Work closely with our Executive Director and Board to align fundraising with our ambitious expansion plans

Your long-term impact:

• Lead AGF toward £2m+ annual income over 3 years
• Diversify our funding base to ensure sustainability
• Establish AGF as the go-to partner for funders passionate about African girls' STEM education
• Build a culture of excellence in donor relationships and stewardship

What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and deliver a compelling fundraising strategy aligned with AGF's growth ambitions
• Set ambitious but achievable income targets and manage performance against them
• Provide clear metrics, insights and recommendations to the Executive Director and Board
• Identify opportunities for income diversification and risk mitigation

Major Donor & Partnership Management

• Manage and grow our portfolio of major donors, trusts, foundations and corporate partners
• Personally cultivate and steward high-value relationships
• Identify and pursue new funding prospects through research and networking
• Develop compelling cases for support tailored to different donor segments

Operational Excellence

• Establish and maintain effective systems for pipeline management, CRM and donor tracking
• Ensure excellent donor stewardship, reporting and compliance with all funder requirements
• Create compelling donor materials and impact reports, working collaboratively with communications, programmes and finance teams 
• Take responsibility for collecting compelling impact data, including through liaising with alumni
• Build efficient processes that support both immediate delivery and long-term growth

Representation & Advocacy

• Represent AGF at donor meetings, events and in philanthropic networks (UK and occasionally international)
• Act as an ambassador for our mission and impact
• Build AGF's profile within the UK and international education funding community

Who You Are

Essential Experience & Skills

✓ Proven track record of strategic fundraising in the UK charity sector, with demonstrable success in securing five-figure+ gifts from trusts, foundations and major donors

✓ Relationship builder with excellent ability to engage, persuade and steward high-value donors at senior levels (trustees, HNWIs, corporate decision-makers)

✓ Strategic thinker who can develop compelling fundraising strategies and turn them into practical action plans with measurable results

✓ Portfolio manager experienced in managing multiple major donor relationships simultaneously and building a robust pipeline

✓ Excellent communicator in writing and speaking - confident presenting to trustees, corporates and philanthropic audiences

✓ Organized & commercially aware with ability to manage budgets, set targets and deliver against KPIs

✓ Self-starter comfortable working in a lean organization, building processes, and collaborating across teams

✓ Mission-driven with genuine commitment to expanding STEM opportunities for African young women and cultural awareness of the international context

Highly Desirable

• Experience with international education or development fundraising, especially Africa-focused projects
• Track record with philanthropic individuals and/or corporate CSR/partnership teams
• Existing network in UK philanthropic, trust/foundation or corporate giving sectors
• Experience of USA fundraising
• Knowledge of fundraising CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce)
• Willingness to travel occasionally (UK and internationally) to meet donors and visit programmes

Why Join AGF?

Impact That Matters
Help open doors to world-class STEM education for brilliant young African women who will become tomorrow's scientists, engineers and innovators. Every pound you raise directly transforms lives.

Strategic Influence
You'll be a key member of the senior team during a crucial growth phase, with genuine influence over strategy and direction.

Mission-Driven Culture
Join a passionate, committed team and Board who truly believe in our mission and support bold, innovative thinking.

Professional Growth
Shape and lead a function, develop your strategic fundraising skills, and build lasting relationships in the UK philanthropic sector.

Flexibility & Support
Hybrid working, supportive leadership, and investment in your professional development.

What We Offer

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary: £55,000-£60,000 (depending on experience)
• Generous pension scheme with 7% employer contribution
• Group life insurance and income protection
• 25 days annual leave plus UK public holidays
• Additional day off for your birthday

Professional Development

• £2,000 annual professional development budget for relevant training, conferences and qualifications
• Chartered Institute of Fundraising membership paid
• 3 professional development days per year

Working Arrangements

• Hybrid working
• Flexible hours to support work-life balance
• Occasional travel within the UK and international travel (fully covered)
• Standard 37.5 hours per week
• Open to 4-day week option at pro-rata for the right candidate

Contract Details

• Permanent, full-time position
• 6-month probation period
• 3-month notice period after probation