Major gift fundraiser jobs in Sale, greater manchester

Location: London (Hybrid. One day per week if commutable. One day per month for remote candidates.)
Salary: £38,000 to £42,000 DOE
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Employment Type: Permanent
Closing Date: 13 April 2026

Help secure transformational funding at a nationally respected charity
We are looking for a Senior Trusts Fundraiser who can inspire major funders and help unlock significant income. The Trusts team has grown strongly over the past two years and the area continues to be resilient. This vacancy has been open since Christmas and offers an exciting opportunity to join a team with strong leadership, a supportive culture and a wide portfolio of impactful projects.

You will work on substantial bids at the two hundred thousand pound level and above. The role involves navigating the breadth and complexity of a large national organisation. It also offers the chance to develop compelling cases for support, fuelled by recently funded capital improvements and innovative services such as online bereavement counselling. There is a wide range of fundraising opportunities and no shortage of inspiring work to present to funders.

This role is ideal for someone who is ready to take the next step and has the confidence and capability to work at the scale expected by major national charities.

About the role

• Build and steward relationships with significant trust, foundation and statutory funders.
• Lead on high value applications for five and six figure gifts, including bids worth two hundred thousand pounds or more.
• Produce persuasive, tailored proposals and budgets for major funders.
• Manage a forward looking pipeline and meet agreed income targets.
• Plan and deliver cultivation activity including meetings and service visits.
• Record and track activity using a fundraising CRM.
• Work collaboratively across teams throughout a complex national organisation.

About you

• Significant experience securing income from trusts and foundations at a high level.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to produce compelling proposals.
• Confidence working with senior stakeholders and external partners.
• Ability to manage your own workload and take initiative in cultivating supporters.
• Strong relationship building skills and a collaborative approach.
• Willingness to travel nationally with occasional evening and weekend commitments.

Our values
You will bring supportive, connected and impactful behaviours to your work. You will listen with care, collaborate with colleagues and help deliver meaningful change for the people the organisation exists to support.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.

Head of Principal Gifts
Employer: University of Manchester
Salary: £59,966 to £71,566, depending on experience with scope to go beyond for an exceptional candidate
Location: Hybrid working, Manchester

We are looking for our new Head of Principal Gifts to work with our highest level of donors, securing principal gifts in support of the University of Manchester's key priorities - gifts that are truly transformational and enable us to tackle some of the world's greatest challenges.

We're taking our big gift fundraising to the next level with the launch of a dedicated Principal Gifts programme, and we're looking for someone to play a key role in shaping that transformation, building deep, lasting relationships with top-level donors in the UK and internationally.

With our inspirational new strategy in place and our first-ever university-wide philanthropic campaign, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, launched in November 2025, this is a pivotal moment for Manchester and for your career.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, Principal Gifts, you'll be joining a brilliant, values-driven team with a fantastic pipeline of prospects, strong existing relationships, and academics who are fully engaged in what we're building together.

Great things happen at The University of Manchester every day - from finding new treatments for cancer and discovering wonder materials like Nobel Prize-winning graphene, to providing life-changing scholarships and influencing government policy to help the world's poorest people. This is the work your fundraising will make possible.

If you're a major gifts or big gift fundraiser ready to make your mark at a world-renowned institution and take that next career-defining step, we'd love to hear from you.

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 20 April 2026

Interested?

Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.

The University of Manchester is partnering with Constellate Global Talent on this search. No agencies please.

Join our team and help deliver real-world change

We stand at a defining moment. Climate change, inequity, and health challenges demand action. This isn't the first time Manchester has risen to the moment, and now we are ready to do it again.

At the end of 2025 we launched our first ever fundraising and volunteering campaign, “ Challenge Accepted”. We're uniting alumni, donors, staff, students and civic, industry and community partners to tackle the world's toughest challenges and transform lives locally and globally.

We are building an exceptional team of people to champion bold thinking that is rooted in impact.

Will you accept the challenge?

Manchester individuals are recognised for embracing shared values such as integrity, courage, ambition, and collaboration. Our community is strengthened by a pioneering outlook and a collective determination to drive positive change. We welcome people of all backgrounds who demonstrate resilience, optimism, and a genuine commitment to fostering a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable world. If you share these qualities, we warmly encourage you to get in touch with us.

This is a fixed term position for 3 years.

Details of the Role

Reporting to the Head of Principal Gifts, the Philanthropy Manager (Principal Gifts) will operate at the higher end of donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship to secure significant support (six and seven figure gifts) in support of the University’s key priorities.

As an exceptional fundraiser, you will be responsible for managing a portfolio of relationships with alumni and significant philanthropists, to secure gifts for bold, impactful projects and programmes across the University. You will proactively build the pipeline, demonstrating a creative approach to reach potential new donors in the UK and globally.

We seek individuals with success in securing significant philanthropic gifts in the Higher Education, Voluntary or Cultural Sector or proven transferable skills. You will have experience of working within a team whilst working towards personal targets. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are results orientated, persuasive and have exceptional negotiation skills.

Fundraising at The University of Manchester

As a member of the University's fundraising team, you’ll have access to a robust support structure that enables you to do your very best work. This includes regular training and development opportunities; access to detailed reports, data, and management information to guide and inform your fundraising; an expert team of Operations and Prospect Research colleagues supporting your work; and the full engagement of senior University leadership. As part of an experienced and supportive network of fundraisers, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to collaborate and share best practice. You’ll also have access to a whole host of learning and development opportunities to help you develop core skills like personal effectiveness, leadership, and management.

Manchester Mindset

Our approach to fundraising is driven by our values of being collaborative, bold and ambitious – and approaching our work with integrity. These values underpin the Manchester Mindset: our framework for fundraising success, authored by and for our fundraising team.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons and all appointments will be made on merit. As we are committed to the principles of the Race Equality Charter Mark, we would particularly welcome applications from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community who are currently under-represented at this level in this area. 

What you will get in return:

• Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
• Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
• Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
• Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here

Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.

Please be aware that due to the number of applications we are unfortunately not able to provide individual feedback on your application.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Any CV’s submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

Senior Legacy Officer

Location: Manchester (Northern Quarter) or London
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £32967.34 - £41740.90 
Closing Date: Monday 6th April 2026
Interviews: w/c 7th April 2026

About us

Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, is looking for a Senior Legacy Officer to join our Individual Giving and Legacies team.

We support over 16,000 young people each year by providing accommodation, health support and life skills to help them move on from homelessness. Our ambition is to end youth homelessness by 2037.

Our fundraising teams play a vital role in making this happen, with legacy giving forming an increasingly important part of our long-term, sustainable income.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering Centrepoint’s growing legacy programme, helping to generate over £2.5m annually and supporting our wider fundraising ambitions.

You’ll lead on the development and delivery of impactful legacy marketing campaigns, inspiring supporters to leave a gift in their Will and helping to build meaningful, long-term relationships.

Working collaboratively across teams, you’ll create compelling supporter journeys, use insight and data to drive performance, and manage agency relationships to deliver high-quality, multi-channel campaigns.

This role can be based in either our London or Manchester office.

What you’ll be doing

• Delivering multi-channel legacy marketing campaigns (direct mail, digital, telemarketing and paid media)
• Developing and optimising supporter journeys to increase engagement and legacy pledges
• Using data, insight and a test-and-learn approach to improve campaign performance
• Managing relationships with external agencies and suppliers
• Collaborating with internal teams including Data & Insight, Communications and Supporter Care
• Monitoring budgets and ensuring campaigns deliver against KPIs
• Supporting the development of in-memory giving products and stewardship approaches

About you

We’re looking for a creative and data-driven fundraiser who understands the sensitivity and impact of legacy giving.

You will have:

• Experience in legacy, direct marketing or relationship fundraising
• Strong knowledge of supporter journeys and campaign delivery
• Experience managing external agencies and delivering campaigns end-to-end
• The ability to analyse data and translate insight into action
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• A proactive, collaborative approach with a passion for innovation

Most importantly, you’ll have a genuine commitment to supporting young people and helping to end youth homelessness.

Why join Centrepoint?

In return for your efforts, you’ll receive:

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days)
• Healthcare cash plan and private medical insurance
• Employer pension contribution (5%)
• Income protection
• Cycle to Work scheme and interest-free travel loan
• Ongoing training and development opportunities

We operate a hybrid working model, with a minimum of 50% office attendance (typically 2–3 days per week).

Our commitment to inclusion

At Centrepoint, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including those with lived experience of homelessness.

Using AI in your application

We recognise that some candidates may choose to use AI tools  to support their application. While this is fine, we encourage you to ensure your application reflects your own skills, experience and motivations. Applications that appear overly generic or not tailored to the role may not be progressed.

Apply now

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to join our team as a Senior Legacy Officer — click Apply now.

Background

We are Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. Since 1954, we have worked to create a more humane society for animals. Working side by side as the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, we have helped to pass thousands of landmark laws, rescue hundreds of thousands of animals, and cared for and protected millions more.

In 2025, to convey our mission and make sure that everyone understands who we are and the bold work that we do, our organisations are standing together under a new shared name: Humane World for Animals. 

We are dedicated to changing the world for animals. We drive change with human action. We help people, communities, governments, and corporations shift behaviour, providing the right support and advocating for policy change to stem the root causes of suffering and cruelty.

Purpose of role

As the Managing Director for the UK and Europe, you will develop and deliver the European fundraising strategy and plans and oversee the execution of all fundraising activities in Europe. These activities include, but are not limited to individual giving, major gifts, bequests, corporate giving, and community fundraising.

Primary responsibilities

The job holder will have the following key responsibilities: 

• Oversees fundraising activities and performance in Humane World for Animals’ EU and UK offices. Works closely with the Country Directors and the VP of International Fundraising on the execution of the fundraising programmes. Identifies opportunities to improve efficiency and facilitates collaboration efforts across European offices. (30%)
• Manages all fundraisers in the region and ensures they achieve their goals by providing guidance and advice, training, performance management and career development. Coordinates priorities and tasks and monitors progress. (25%)
• Monitors and reports on performance progress towards agreed revenue targets; efficiency and cost-effectiveness (including external fundraising contractors); and challenges or opportunities in the external fundraising environment. (20%)
• Creates and manages the budget for fundraising expenses and income targets. Sets and reviews multi-year and yearly investment and revenue targets. (10%)
• Leads research, planning, and implementation of new marketing initiatives and acquisition programmes, including but not limited to DRTV, face-to-face, telemarketing and PSMS Mobile channels. Establishes effective donor retention strategies and oversees their execution. (10%)
• Works closely with the VP of International Fundraising to develop and execute a strategic vision to grow fundraising income in the Europe region, translating the vision into an action plan, and ensuring the successful implementation and execution of the vision. (5%)

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and experience

• An academic degree or equivalent work experience is required.
• A minimum of eight or more years of fundraising experience with a proven track record in driving significant, multi-channel revenue growth across multiple markets.
• A minimum of five years of senior management experience leading fundraising or marketing teams, including leadership responsibilities for staff, strategy development and execution, and budget accountability, preferably in the animal welfare arena, required.
• Demonstrated experience scaling high-performing international fundraising programs. International NGO experience strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to deliver multi‑million income portfolios, optimize ROI, and drive continuous improvement in donor acquisition and retention.
• Experience accurately forecasting and reporting on revenue, expenditures and delivering against agreed KPIs.
• At least five years’ experience in at least one of the following income streams: individual giving, major gifts, bequests, corporate giving, and/or community fundraising. Additionally, a strong preference for marketing experience.

Skills and qualifications

• Excellent people managerial skills: ability to coach, motivate, and manage high‑performing fundraisers across dispersed locations.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to plan workload in order to manage fundraising program priorities and meet agreed targets.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, entrepreneurial spirit, and drive to achieve desired outcomes.
• Ability to thrive in a matrixed, fast-paced, mission‑driven environment and drive collaboration across countries and functions.
• Knowledge and understanding of GDPR and other data protection regulations.
• Excellent English verbal and written skills.
• Ability to work in a self-directed manner.
• Willing and able to travel extensively in Europe.

We are looking for a part time Fundraising & Development Lead to join a small, ambitious global charity and play a critical role in securing funding from Trusts and Foundations to deliver innovative development initiatives.

The ideal candidate would bring senior-level fundraising experience from a similar role at an NGO, organisation, or charity with an established network of executive relationships in major foundations.

This is a remote working role.

The charity
An ambitious, fast paced and passionate global development charity, dedicated to to collaborating world wide to make a lasting social impact. A small charity having a big impact, with an innovative start up culture with staff in the UK and Europe . This role will report into the Director and work closely with another part time highly experienced trusts and foundations fundraiser.

The Role
This is a new business focused role, where you will be required to build a high value pipeline of suitable donors and develop and deliver compelling high value bids for support.

Applications & Fundraising Development
Lead the development of high-quality grant proposals, ensuring proposals are compelling, well-written, and tailored to meet the requirements and priorities of each donor.

Relationship Management
Oversee the complete grant lifecycle, from initial lead to application to reporting and closeout.
Build and maintain relationships with current and prospective donors, program officers, and other key stakeholders.

Events and Networking and Representation
Effectively convey the charity mission, vision, and programs to potential donors, organising fundraising events while overseeing teams of volunteers and probono partners.

The Candidate
Senior-level fundraising experience from a similar role at an NGO, organisation, or charity.

Extensive existing network of senior executives with major global foundations and organisations.

Proven track record of identifying and closing deals for 6 - 7 figure gifts.

IMPORTANT NOTE

This charity is reviewing applications on a rolling basis so please get in touch ASAP to find out more. Please note the post must be based in the UK.

Our aim is to respond to all successful applications within 5 days. If you haven't been contacted within 5 days your application has been unsuccessful, 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.

Trusts and Foundations Manager
Permanent | Full time
Ideally 1 or 2 days a week in either in Coventry or Middlesbrough
circa £38,000 - £45.000 per annum

Are you an experienced trusts & foundations fundraiser looking to join a much loved charity which supports babies and young children who have life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

Aquilas is delighted to be supporting Zoe’s Place in the appointment of a new Trusts and Foundations Manager, a key role at an exciting time of growth for the charity.

About the charity

Zoe’s Place is the only baby specific hospice charity in the UK, providing specialist palliative, respite and end of life care for children aged 0 to 5 with life limiting and life-threatening conditions. They offer a safe, nurturing and joyful environment where families can feel completely supported. With their dedicated nurses delivering 24-hour care, they work together to make every moment of childhood count.

About the role:

Supporting the delivery of Zoe’s Place overall income generation strategy, by researching, record keeping, applying and reporting to a portfolio of trusts and foundations to deliver long term sustainable income growth for the Trust. Overall accountability for capital projects across the Trust

Key Responsibilities:

Account manage the trust and foundations fundraising function   

• Contribute to the maintenance of a comprehensive database for both hospice sites of all relevant grant making trusts and keep up to date with changes in the sector.
• Develop and write applications and bids to a wide range of funders as required.
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Fundraising and fundraising colleagues to ensure all funding opportunities are maximised
• Manage and develop relationships with new and existing funding partners.
• Work collaboratively with Director of Clinical Services, clinical teams and finance to prepare bids and reports.
• Ensure funding partners receive timely and appropriate information about the progress and outcomes of projects including written reports and evaluation in accordance with requirement.
• Responsible for delivery of income targets.
• Ensure excellent relationships are maintained with current, past and prospective funders so the Zoes Place Trust name is associated with honesty and high standards of service delivery.
• Organise visits and tours for trustees of charitable foundations if requested to both Middlesbrough and Coventry sites.

 Administration and pipeline

• Use our fundraising CRM and in line with GDPR to ensure accurate and timely record keeping allowing for good stewardship.
• Carry out detailed research on prospective foundations, identify and maintain a calendar for submitting applications.
• Working with an income pipeline / tracker to ensure accurate and timely financial forecasting, identifying risk to income and mitigating accordingly.
• Ensure activities comply with current law, guidance and best practice of the Fundraising Regulator

Person Specication:

• strong track record in Trusts and Foundations fundraising
• Experience of working in the charity Sector
• Excellent and persuasive writing skills and a sharp eye for details
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills

To Apply:

To receive a candidate pack or arrange a confidential conversation, please contact:

Kieran McGorrian, Head of Not for Profit Appointments, Aquilas (contact details in candidate pack)

Applications close 5pm Monday 20th April

Aquilas are wholly committed to equality of opportunity and diversity and we warmly welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates.  We are truly invested in our candidates and being supportive and informative throughout the application journey