Philanthropy and partnerships advisor jobs
Philanthropy Lead
Salary: £75,000 - £85,000 plus
Reports to: Associate Director of Philanthropy
Directorate: Strategy & Philanthropy
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (flexible working requests will be considered)
Location: Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)
Closing date: Sunday 22nd June 2025 23:55
This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. Please let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, in particular if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply. Please contact or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.
Visa sponsorship: Cancer Research UK can consider visa sponsorship for this vacancy. If this applies to you, please ensure that this is clearly marked on your application.
At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
We're a collective force, tackling cancer on all fronts to save and improve lives. We fund pioneering research, we provide reliable and accessible information, we influence policy, and we encourage positive behaviour change. We are a passionate team of professionals driven by purpose, striving to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer research and treatment. We are the world's biggest charitable funder of cancer research raising on average £640m a year.
As we expand our efforts, we're recruiting an inspiring, principal gifts fundraiser to join one of the most successful philanthropic fundraising teams in the UK. We're a dynamic, innovative team of talented professionals spearheading the ambitious £400m More Research, Less Cancer campaign. With over £230m already raised, we're making strides to revolutionise cancer research, focusing on; The Francis Crick Institute, Cancer Grand Challenges, Translation & Innovation and our Future Leaders' programme.
In this role, you'll lead the cultivation and stewardship of a portfolio of donors capable of making £1 million+ gifts. With a particular focus on advancing research into children's and young people's cancers, your work will have both national and international reach - and a lasting impact.
What will I be doing?
Work in partnership with the Associate Director of Philanthropy to spearhead a new philanthropic initiative to raise seven and eight figure gifts for children and young people's cancer research.
Manage a portfolio of prospects with a primary focus on qualifying prospects and developing the engagement and stewardship of prospects through the full life cycle of giving and renewal. Ensure consistent pipeline movement and contribution of prospects both through their giving as well as helping to build CRUK's donor pipeline.
Achieve agreed fundraising income and prospect cultivation targets and provide regular reporting and metrics against goals.
Lead the development of the Wealth Advisors and Intermediaries strategy and engagement plan working in partnership with CRUK stakeholders.
Partner with the CRUK Leadership, Chairman, Trustees, as well as scientists, Philanthropy colleagues to develop and implement strategies for gifts of £1M+; help the development and supporting the management of volunteer leaders committed to advancing CRUK philanthropy; guide discussions with senior leadership on prospect strategy;
Own, develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders; including academics and researchers, institutional leaders, volunteer leaders, and writing briefings and coordinating engagement that will lead to gifts;
Work closely with internal colleagues to coordinate engagement with CRUK funded scientists and leadership develop proposals and propositions.
What are we looking for?
Proven success in philanthropic fundraising within complex, high-achieving organisations.
Strong track record of securing six and seven-figure gifts.
Skilled in building and expanding a personal pipeline, cultivating relationships with philanthropic individuals and families.
Deep expertise in principal and major gift fundraising, with a strong grasp of best practices and current philanthropic trends.
Extensive experience managing multiple complex projects in fast-paced environments, including significant fundraising campaigns.
Proficient in translating scientific research for diverse audiences to support fundraising efforts.
Experience of working with senior stakeholders.
Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do.
Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination
Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism
Human: Act to have a positive impact on people
Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively
We're looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.
This position is an incredible opportunity to join an ambitious and innovative team and to make an impact in your work every day, helping to ensure we can change lives for the better. If you are attracted by the scale of the ambition here, please get in touch. We hope to hear from you!
What will I gain?
We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.
You can explore our benefits by visiting our .
How do I apply?
We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively.
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!
We’re delighted to be partnering with one of the UKs best established and well-known charity brands to recruit a strategic and driven Philanthropy Lead.
This is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of a high-value portfolio, working with a broad range of major donors, trusts and foundations, senior volunteers, and influential stakeholders. You’ll play a vital role in delivering significant income through thoughtful, tailored engagement and stewardship strategies that inspire transformational, multi-year giving.
The role will focus on growing and diversifying their network of major supporters—delivering six- and seven-figure gifts through proactive relationship management, strategic donor engagement, and collaborative internal working. You’ll work closely with senior leaders, Trustees, and external partners to enhance the philanthropic impact and build long-term partnerships that align donor ambitions with the organisation’s goals.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of high-value donors and prospects, including HNWIs, trusts and foundations, and senior figures such as Ambassadors, Trustees, and the President
- Identify and cultivate new supporters through targeted prospecting, research, events, and networks
- Develop and deliver an engaging stewardship and cultivation programme to foster lasting relationships and secure long-term, transformational gifts
- Collaborate with internal colleagues to shape compelling, tailored cases for support that reflect donor motivations and strategic priorities
- Build strong cross-organisational relationships to ensure cohesive, donor-centred experiences
- Champion a data-informed approach to donor management using CRM and internal systems to track pipeline activity and support reporting
- Represent the philanthropy function across the organisation, championing best practice and ensuring high-value fundraising is embedded and supported
- Ensure compliance with fundraising legislation and maintain the highest standards of ethical fundraising
Key Skills and Experience
Essential
- Significant experience managing major donor and/or trust relationships at six- and seven-figure levels
- Strong track record of securing high-value gifts and meeting or exceeding income targets
- Expertise in developing compelling, high-quality fundraising proposals tailored to donor needs
- Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders
- A strategic, creative thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset and solution-focused approach
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a sharp eye for detail
- Highly organised, adaptable, and able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Confident using CRM systems to manage pipelines, analyse data, and support donor stewardship
Desirable
- Experience working with senior volunteers or philanthropic advisers to increase income and influence
- Collaborative, team-oriented approach with the ability to align across departments
- Financially literate and able to interpret complex impact or income data to inform donor discussions
To be considered for this position please apply with your CV as soon as possible, regrettably please note we may not be able to reply to each and every application.
We are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practises that ensure equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and will happily make reasonable adjustments to always ensure a fair process.
We are looking for a CEO for our ambitious maths charity. Will you help us make life easier for teachers and more interesting for students?
About the charity
Dr Frost Learning is an education charity that believes there should be no barriers to a student’s desire to learn. Our product, Dr Frost Maths, allows students to learn maths online whether independently or via their school. We also provide learning materials and resources to support teachers, so children can maximise their potential in mathematics in and out of the classroom.
Tens of thousands of teachers, and hundreds of thousands of students use our product every month. Over 1000 schools subscribe to our paid product which is subsidised by our generous funders and donors. As we enter our fourth year as a charity we have some key priorities:
- Continue to migrate from a reliance on philanthropic funding to a subscription model
- Deepen our offerings in maths to support more teachers and more students
- Increase our focus on schools which have either high levels of social deprivation or teachers who are not STEM trained
We need a leader who is going to help us deliver on those and work with us to decide what the future strategy should be. We are positive about our future, keen to use the latest technologies to improve our offerings, and ambitious to meet the requirements of students and teachers in new and exciting ways.
Our name recognition is incredibly high. Our reach into schools, across the UK and beyond, is very strong. Our charitable status differentiates us from our competitors.
About the role
We are looking to appoint a CEO to lead our Charity. You will be working with a committed Board, alongside our founder and Chief Mathematician, Dr Jamie Frost, and with a staff team all dedicated to delivering a top class, online, maths education.
We have a lot of maths expertise, and our developers are excellent. What we need is someone who can lead the team, create a great working environment, and grow the business. So we need a proven leader who has an entrepreneurial mindset, perhaps with experience growing a start-up business, but definitely passionate about the transformational power of a good maths education.
Jamie Frost joins Board Meetings as an advisor. He has handed over all his intellectual property to the Charity. He much prefers creating teaching materials and going out into schools than managing staff and getting involved in the day to day running of things. He will report to the CEO.
Job description
Lead all aspects of DFL, exciting stakeholders with the vision and inspiring staff to give their best every day
Create a high performing culture across the organisation which makes people proud to work at DFL and which produces content that delights and inspires all who use it
Work with the Board to define strategy, focusing on deepening our offer in maths and potentially broadening our offer in other subjects
Translate the strategy into action plans, and clear measurable milestones and objectives, and drive the organisation to meet them
Develop a sustainable funding model that balances subscriptions, philanthropy, and seeks sources of income from areas outside but close to our vision
Keep abreast of changes in the education landscape, both policy and technology, ensuring that DFL is never left behind as new areas develop
Person Specification
Essential
· Passion for the transformative power of a good maths education
· Have led teams and can demonstrate and breadth of experience and understanding which means that could be the CEO of a small, but ambitious, organisation
· Able to demonstrate a growth mindset
Desirable
· Experience of growing a small business or startup, in a leadership role
· Experience of technology business, ideally software
· Knowledge of VC or philanthropic funding
Salary and terms
· £90,000 p.a.
· 10% employer pension (5% employee contributions, with the option to contribute more via salary sacrifice)
· Fully remote working with the option of using our London co-working space as much or as little as you like
· 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays
Closing date is Sunday 29th June
Please send us a CV and a 2 page cover letter / supporting statement showing how you match each of the points on on the person specification.