Philanthropy and partnerships officer jobs

Senior Prospect Research Manager

Location: Home Based, United Kingdom

Group: Social Impact

Vacancy type: Permanent

35 hours per week

£45,000 per annum / pro rata (plus allowances) 

Remote

The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 130 years. We run local services that support children when they are at their most vulnerable and in desperate need of help. We're there for children, every step of the way. 

This role sits within our Social Impact Group and you will work closely with Senior Philanthropy Leaders and Major Appeal Programme Director to identify and access new and existing networks of wealth, opportunity and influence.

Our step-change in impact with children will be achieved by a step-change in our philanthropy & partnerships: as our new Senior Prospect Research Manager you'll take a crucial role in this transformation through strategic development and delivery of the full Philanthropy Programme prospect identification and pipeline management framework to enable high quality research, cultivation, stewardship of high value philanthropists and partners in support of TCS

In order to be successful in this role, you must have: 

-Extensive knowledge and understanding of Philanthropy audiences (particularly high net worth individuals and corporates) including motivations for giving and the principles of major gift fundraising to include identification, research, solicitation and stewardship

-Strong track record of successful performance as a prospect/fundraising researcher, including experience conducting due diligence within the not-for-profit sector

-Excellent written and presentation skills and confident ability to deliver verbal and written proposals up to CEO / Board level

-Excellent knowledge of legal, regulatory and ethical environment of philanthropy fundraising, including General Data Protection Regulation

The Children's Society runs over 100 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children's lives happier and safer. 

Every day we're changing the lives of children in this country for the better - and with your help, tomorrow we can be there for even more. 

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with.  As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks.  We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 22nd September 2025.

Fundraising Manager

We are seeking an ambitious Fundraising Manager to grow income and support thousands of rural young people across England and Wales.

• Salary: Circa £37,000 -£40,000pa
• Location: Warwickshire, Hybrid 2-3 days per week from home 
• Hours: Full-time:  37.5 hours/week Core hours 10am-4pm (occasional evenings/weekends)
• Contract: Permanent
• Closing Date: 26th September 2025 Interviews: On a rolling basis

About the Role

We’re looking for a motivated and experienced Fundraising Manager to secure funding of one of the UK’s most vibrant rural youth charities. This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference, supporting young people through training, competitions, skills certificates and travel. 

You will take the lead in developing and delivering fundraising strategies that grow income from trusts, foundations, corporate partners, and individual donors. The role requires someone who can spot opportunities, write compelling bids, and nurture long-term relationships with funders and supporters.

Key Responsibilities

• Researching and identifying new funding opportunities
• Writing persuasive funding applications, reports, and case studies
• Growing income from trusts and foundations
• Building corporate partnerships and sponsorships
• Developing innovative individual giving campaigns
• Creating fundraising toolkits for local clubs and federations
• Tracking income and reporting against targets
• Collaborating closely with marketing and communications teams

About You

You may have experience in a membership-based organisation, ideally in the sporting, horse racing, countryside, or youth sector, and now want to use your skills to benefit rural young people.

You’ll be:

• A confident communicator, able to build rapport with funders, volunteers, and young people
• An experienced bid writer with a track record of securing income from trusts, foundations, or corporate partners
• Empathetic, with a genuine passion for youth development
• Charismatic and personable, able to connect naturally with rural communities and young people
• Proactive, creative, and always seeking new ways to grow income and engage supporters
• Career focussed

About the Organisation

Our client is a national charity covering England and Wales,  committed to empowering young people in rural areas. Through a wide range of programmes, from sports and training to community projects, they help thousands of young people develop skills, confidence, and leadership. Joining them means contributing to a vibrant and meaningful cause, working with passionate colleagues who care about rural youth.

Other roles you may have experience of could include:

Fundraising Officer, Development Manager, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Trusts and Grants Officer, Membership Development Manager, Head of Fundraising, Philanthropy

We’re looking for a dynamic, strategic and articulate professional fundraiser to drive forward our emerging major donor programme. Working alongside senior Laureus staff and stakeholders to connect, cultivate and steward high net worth individuals around the work of the Foundation, the post holder will be expected to design and support the execution of a range of high-quality events leaning on the excellent brand profile assets at Laureus’ disposal.

Experience of creating bespoke donor journeys, delivering long term engagement and an understanding or experience of the third sector will enable success in this fast-paced and varied role.

KEY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate all HNW activity ensuring that:
  • Appropriate levels of communication are established and maintained
  • Records are kept fully up to date and are appropriately reported
  • Key staff (Chairman, CEO, Development Director etc) are prompted and supported with communication and activities

• Create and/or deepen partnerships with organisations where mutual benefit can be received, including Richemont maisons ; other Laureus partners; new prospective partners with connections to pools of HNW individuals

• Assess existing events and amend/develop a revised calendar of events annually that supports outreach, conversion and stewardship of HNW pool of supporters – whilst also ensuring profit is made on the event itself

• Encouragement and support of HNW supporters to create their own activities to raise funds and/or broaden the network of Laureus donors

• Provide first class stewardship to the International Council/Friends of Laureus group of HNW supporters whilst also exploring if other products or partnerships might offer attractive benefits to donors

• Work with programme colleagues to create opportunities for programme visits open to key donors – either in the UK or internationally, whilst also extracting key programme asks for funding

• Work with talent team colleagues to create engagement opportunities with Laureus Academy Members and Ambassadors that support HNW engagement and stewardship

• Use sector knowledge and insight to keep on top of best practice around HNW donor engagement, cultivation and stewardship

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Proven track record of successful fundraising experience
• Experience of building long-term, trust-based relationships with HNWI
• Developed or contributed to HNW fundraising campaigns 
• Strategic and result-driven approach to planning donor journeys and stewardship programmes
• Proficient in using donor databases (e.g. Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce) for tracking contacts and income and data analytics/ prospect research
• Experience in organising bespoke donor and facilitating networking opportunities between donors and charity leadership or beneficiaries
• Skilled in writing tailored proposals, impact reports, and stewardship updates
• Ability to manage stakeholders relationships (trustees, directors, senior volunteers)
• Understanding of Philanthropy Landscape

We offer our employees a competitive benefits package including pension scheme, private health and life insurance, generous holiday allowance, ride to work scheme and employee friendly policies.

We offer flexible working with one day per week working from home.

LTSB is a social mobility charity that works with talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring they find meaningful, skilled careers – and that companies get positive, effective staff who can make a difference from their first day.

Reporting to the CEO, we are seeking a Director of Income Generation to lead on securing income. This is an exciting role which will focus on: 

• maximising our unique portfolio of corporate supporters; further growing our Trust and Grants income, including building partnerships with like-minded charities; 
• building our events-based fundraising, including bespoke events; 
• looking for new areas for growth which could include developing a HNWI giving programme. 

This role sits within our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and will manage our Fundraising team. You will seek to maximise value from opportunities across the organisation and ensure that fundraising is consistent with the charity’s broader goals. You will also work closely with of Director of Employment and Opportunities and team to co-design a Corporate Supporter Strategy. 

To be successful, you will need proven success in securing five and six-figure value partnerships (both in corporate and philanthropy), as well as an overall understanding of our wider key income streams. Previous experience of working in a youth charity is highly desirable. Whilst your income generation achievements are important, your mindset and the way you approach your work are equally important to us, and we are looking for an inspiring and collaborative leader who seeks out opportunities alongside supporting your team to achieve their potential. 

We are a remote-based organisation which promotes flexible working. This role will require frequent travel to our hub cities (Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Manchester). 

To apply to be our Director of Income Generation, please submit the following:

• Your CV 
• A personal statement (max. two pages) outlining how you fit the person specification and why you feel you can contribute to LTSB’s work and impact.

The closing date for applications is 6.00pm on Wednesday 10th September 2025. 

The first round of interviews will take place on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th September 2025 via Zoom, with the final round scheduled for Wednesday 17th September 2025 in person - most likely in London.

If you have any access requirements, please let us know - we’d be happy to discuss alternative arrangements.

To arrange an informal chat about the role or the charity, or to get a sense of whether your skills and experience would be a good fit, get in contact with Nic Skipwith, our current Director of Income Generation at Nic@ ltsb.charity. 

Job TitleHead of Communications

LocationHome based (Home working with regular meetings in London)

Salary£45,000 - £55,000

HoursFull Time, permanent 

Reports to                   Chief Policy Officer 

About Parentkind

As one of the largest federated charities in the UK, with arguably greater reach into the lives of families and educational settings than any other non-Government organisation, Parentkind is on a bold and urgent mission: to support, champion, and empower parents to be partners in their children’s education and wellbeing. 

Although best known for our support of almost 24,000 Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), Parent Councils, and Schools, helping them build strong school communities whilst they raise approaching £140 million each year to enhance children’s education, our work stretches far beyond the school gates. Parentkind is building a powerful movement that recognises parental engagement not as a nicety, but a necessity.

Supporting parents beyond the school gate

In recent years, families have faced a series of compounding challenges: the cost-of-living crisis, rising child poverty, and deepening educational inequality. These pressures have left many parents struggling to meet basic needs—let alone feel confident engaging in their child’s learning journey.  Parentkind has responded to this moment with compassion, agility and purpose, through a series of transformative campaigns, resources, and partnerships. 

Our No Cold Child initiative with FatFace stepped in to address a stark statistic: over 150,000 children in the UK do not own a winter coat due to poverty. Through our trusted relationships with schools we distributed 10,000 warm, high-quality coats worth £600,000 to the children who needed them most. Winning the Business Charity Awards ‘Fashion & Retail’ Award, and shortlisted for two further awards, the campaign has been praised not just for providing warmth, but for restoring dignity, inclusion, and school readiness to thousands of children.

The All Dressed Up campaign—developed with World Book Day and Rubies Masquerade—confronted the often-overlooked issue of financial exclusion on key celebration days. More than 100,000 free dressing up costumes worth £1.34 million were delivered to children from low-income families. By enabling participation in events like World Book Day, we helped spark imagination, joy, and belonging for children who might otherwise feel left out—boosting self-esteem and supporting a positive connection to learning.Furthermore, helping attract children into school on a day which often sees struggling parents keep their children at home.

Alongside these national campaigns, Parentkind supports families year-round through a growing suite of programmes designed to inform, prepare and empower parents. Our Be School Ready programme offers crucial guidance and confidence to parents preparing their children for the leap into primary education. With a mix of practical advice, developmental tips, and reassurance, through the distribution of 150,000 copies of Be School Ready and an online campaign, it supports families at one of the most formative moments in their child’s life.

We also deliver a wide-ranging series of live expert webinars and parent-friendly resources, covering topics such as managing anxiety, supporting special educational needs, navigating school transitions, and building home-school partnerships. These resources, developed in consultation with experts and rooted in lived parent experience, equip families to feel informed and empowered, no matter what challenges arise.

Our direct support of schools

Our collaboration with Asda on Cashpot for Schools is another example of unlocking support at scale. This innovative community-led funding model allowed shoppers to nominate and fund their local schools simply through everyday spending. This campaign has generated £5.78 million for schools during the past twelve months, supporting everything from basic classroom supplies to vital extracurricular programmes and pupil wellbeing initiatives. Also shortlisted for a Business Charity Award, it is already a model for community-driven philanthropy.

In April, we launched our Parent-Friendly Schools Accreditation Programme, designed to formally recognise schools that go above and beyond in fostering positive, inclusive relationships with parents. The accreditation celebrates schools that actively listen to parent voices, make engagement easy and accessible, and embed family partnership in their culture. It is a practical and inspiring tool to drive long-term change in the sector and offers a roadmap for schools wanting to strengthen their community.

Our focus on Policy & Research

Our work is grounded in evidence. Since 2023, we have conducted the UK’s largest annual parent survey: the National Parent Survey. With approaching 6,000 participants providing 130,000 bits of data to provide invaluable insights into the struggles, concerns, hopes and fears of parents. The findings are fed directly into government consultations and have already informed national debates on school funding, attendance, mental health support, SEND provision, and curriculum reform.

In each of the past two years the number of policymakers, educators, parents and researchers accessing the National Parent Survey exceeded seven thousand, and the survey featured in more than two hundred media outlets each year.Excitingly, the Times & Sunday Times are partnering with Parentkind to raise the profile even further in September 2025 and the survey will be launched at a lighthouse event featuring the Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson), the Ofsted Chief Inspector of Schools (Sir Martyn Oliver), the CEO of Mumsnet (Justine Roberts), the Children’s Commissioner (Dame Rachel De Souza), and our own Chief Executive (Jason Elsom). 

In addition to the National Parent Survey, Parentkind undertakes representative polling of parents throughout the year on a variety of important topics, which increasingly find exposure in the media and policy discussion.

Parentkind provides the secretariat for the Westminster APPG for Parents and the Stormont APG for Parental Participation in Education. Two very successful parliamentary groups bringing together policymakers and a variety of stakeholders to consider the challenges faced by parents and act as a voice for them through a variety of policymakers.

Our Media Engagement

Since becoming recognised as the UK’s largest parent charity, with likely more groups and frontline volunteers than the Scouts or Girlguiding, Parentkind has gained increasing prominence in the media.Beyond the reach of the National Parent Survey and our regular polling, Parentkind receives frequent requests for quotes of reflection and input by media in relation to their journalism and from Government and non-Government entities in support of policy announcements.

Beyond this, the Parentkind community of volunteers and PTAs share local or regional media announcements of their own.Whether or not it celebrating the completion of large projects they have invested countless hours and thousands of pounds into realising, or the community event they have worked into the night to deliver for their school communities.

It will be your role to take this much further, gaining increasing exposure for the work of Parentkind, its community, and parents more broadly. 

If you believe, like we do, that when parents matter, children succeed, we’d love to hear from you.

The role will involve:

· Promoting our parent polling data and work across social media platforms with eye catching content. 

· Providing comment on topical issues for social media so that we are part of the conversation. 

· Build the right relationships to dramatically increase the number of of media organisations seeking input and thought leadership from Parentkind.

· Build relationships with broadcast media so we get asked to appear on broadcast media more often. There’s a chance for you to be a talking head too.

· Help to draft parent polls and reports with a focus on compelling questions that will hit the front page. We need a brilliant writer, able to turn facts and figures into engaging narratives with bold headlines and strong messages that catch the eye. Boring writers need not apply…

· Draft eye catching press releases with bold headlines and a compelling narrative to promote the work we do across the charity. You’ll also place the press releases with national journalists leading to high profile coverage.

· Support the authoring of articles, op-eds and blog posts by members of the Executive Leadership Team.

· Be responsible for media monitoring, measuring our media hits, and reporting on coverage and interesting themes for the Executive Leadership.

Your mission is to massively increase our online, in print and social media presence to make us the highest profile parent charity in the UK. We don’t need you to be an education expert, we need someone to get us on the front page.

We have a huge amount of data on what parents think and we need you to get it seen. This is a great job for someone who wants to grab hold of a “comms” function and make it their own.

Parentkind is a UK wide charity, you will be expected to support our work in other parts of the UK where necessary.

For 'Person Specification' please see the job description

Job title: Director of Development: Principal Gifts and Global
Salary: circa £140,000 to £160,000
Location: Hybrid/South Kensington and White City (with travel to other Imperial campuses/meetings as required)

This is a unique opportunity to join one of the world’s leading universities and drive its principal gifts, global fundraising and foundation, corporates and trusts strategy. One of the most exciting leadership positions in the sector, the newly created role of Director of Development: Principal & Global, will be pivotal in helping Imperial scale its ambition and impact, at a moment of extraordinary momentum.

Founded in 1907, Imperial has long been recognised for its strengths in research, education and innovation. Throughout our history we have sought not only to be a world-leading university, but a world-changing one, with real-world impact at our core.

Earlier this year we launched our new strategy, Science for Humanity, which is bold and ambitious, and reflects the purpose of our global community. It is an actionable plan across all areas of our activity, a template for greater impact.

A strategy this ambitious requires us to think boldly, and we are in the planning stages of a comprehensive fundraising and alumni engagement campaign. Philanthropy already plays a significant role at the university, and we have a strong track record of securing principal gifts of £5m-£40m.

The Director of Development: Principal Gifts and Global sits at the heart of Imperial’s future. Reporting to the Vice President (Advancement), and sitting on their senior leadership team, the Director will steer high-level philanthropic engagement worldwide. Working closely with senior academic leaders and institutional stakeholders, you will lead a team that delivers gifts that are truly transformational.  You will build and deepen relationships with some of the most influential philanthropists globally and help to shape and drive Imperial’s next campaign.

With a track record of securing principal gifts and success in managing complex relationships, you will thrive in a collaborative and high-performing environment. You will be a values-driven strategic leader, energised by challenge, motivated by impact, and eager to inspire teams and donors alike.

This role will remain live until it is filled therefore please complete and submit your application at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid potential disappointment.

Interested?

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

In addition to this post, we are going to be recruiting to two exceptional Global Development opportunities. As we continue to expand our international presence, we will shortly be recruiting for the following key leadership roles:

• Deputy of Global Development, North America
• Deputy of Global Development, Asia

Each of these roles offers a unique opportunity to shape our strategic direction, build impactful partnerships, and drive growth across diverse regions. 

Imperial College is partnering with Constellate Global Talent on this search. No agencies please.

The Opportunity

Are you a senior relationship management professional with experience of managing and leading successful teams to deliver innovative and engaging experiences for a wide range of stakeholders?

The University of Leeds has one of the largest alumni constituencies in the UK, with a global community of more than 340,000 alumni in 190 countries. Alumni play a pivotal role in the life of the University and its mission to make a positive global impact, as stakeholders, advocates, ambassadors, supporters and lifelong learning participants.

Alumni of Leeds University Business School are an important part of this community, with a strong affinity to both the University and the Business School. Developing lifelong, mutually-beneficial relationships with its graduates is critical for a world-class Business School and we aim to maximise their experience, knowledge and diversity to enhance our school’s reputation, student experience, research agenda and add value to the experience of alumni themselves as members of a lifelong community.

This new role will enhance the strategic impact of our alumni to both the Business School and the University more widely through creative and collaborative working, and evaluating, and prioritising activity to best effect. Working in a matrix-management environment, you will be based in the Business School, reporting in to the Director of External Engagement (Partnerships and Executive Education) and will also be part of the University’s Advancement Team with professional accountability to the Head of Alumni and Supporter Engagement.

The post holder will therefore work in close partnership both with staff in the Business School (in particular External Engagement, key undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, Executive Education and the marketing and communications team) as well as with Advancement colleagues. You will be responsible for leading and managing the Business School’s alumni relations team, translating the School and University strategies into meaningful action, across two key areas of focus:

• Building our alumni community through a programme of engagement, events and communications that enhance our community engagement, identifying opportunities to maximise the impact within the context of Advancement and Business School strategies.
• Increasing the strategic impact of alumni engagement on research and student experience objectives, particularly through volunteering and advocacy.

Working with the team, you will play a critical role in adding strategic value to the Business School from alumni engagement, and developing how Business School engagement, content and activity can benefit the student and alumni community more widely. You will also be delivering against the strategic needs of the wider University, as we enhance our engagement of alumni and supporters (donors and volunteers). You will therefore have a proven approach to collaborative working and developing successful partnerships across organisations.
 

Person Specification

You will have significant experience of managing relationships and influencing senior stakeholders, both internally and externally, to deliver value-adding projects and initiatives. You will have experience of developing strategies, and translating these into activity, maximising events, communications and face-to-face relationship building activity to achieve strategic aims. You will be an experienced leader, able to manage and inspire a motivated, high performing, purpose-driven team with a culture of collaboration and a creative approach to opportunities and problem-solving.
 

Application

Valued Recruitment is working exclusively with the Alumni of Leeds University Business School to recruit for their team. We are an ethical recruitment company, intent on hiring inclusively and transparently.

The closing date for this role is 12th September 2025. 

Valued Recruitment is conducting informal chats with applicants between the 1st - 12th September.

First stage interviews are likely to take place on the 18th and 22nd September 2025. There will be two stages of interview, the first one virtual and the second stage will be in person.

To apply, we welcome a CV and a 1-2 page covering letter detailing your interest in the role. 
 

Accessibility

Accessibility is incredibly important to us here at Valued Recruitment and at the Alumni of Leeds University Business School. If you would like any accessibility amendments or support throughout the application and interview stage, please don’t hesitate to let us know. No question or request is too big or too small. We want this process to be comfortable and enjoyable and a chance for you to bring your best self to the process

Grants operations and data manager

Salary - £54,963 - £64,124 pro rata
Hours - Full-time / part-time (from 0.6FTE)
Benefits - Excellent package including 27 days annual leave + bank holidays

We believe that people’s sight matters and wish to strengthen our committed and passionate team by appointing a grants operations and data manager to join our grants and research team.

The grants operations and data manager is a newly created role, within Moorfields Eye Charity's grants and research team, to support, manage and develop grant funding operations. This is a really exciting time to join the team as this position will play a key role in the ongoing optimisation of the teams grants management system (Flexigrant, implemented 2024) and also the underpinning funding operations to support the delivery of our first grants strategy, due to be launched in early 2026.

We have ambitious plans. We have put into action a five-year business plan that is supporting our growth from raising and funding around £6 million annually to becoming a £10 million a year charity.

This is an exciting opportunity for the grants operations and data manager to bring passion and experience to our dedicated team, ensuring we have robust and effective processes to select and award the most impactful projects and programmes, and enable the monitoring of outputs, outcomes and impact.

Experience in grants management is essential and the successful candidate will be able to think creatively, plan, solve problems, and make effective decisions in a fast-paced environment.

About the role

You will be joining a supportive grants and research team who are committed to ensuring the charity has robust grant making mechanisms to determine best use of charitable funding together with monitoring and evaluating projects and programmes. 

You will be involved in optimising the grants management system and funding processes, driving effective data collection and reporting, and corresponding work-flows. The role is highly collaborative, requiring you to develop professional working relationships with stakeholders at various levels. It will suit a candidate who is dynamic and ambitious, confident delivering change, and in taking initiative.

About you

You will have an established track record in grant-making, ideally in a health or medical research charity. You will have experience in the full life-cyle of grants management and the delivery of grant-making programmes, working with complex data and databases. You will also have a keen interest in improving operational processes and developing/analysing reports for data driven grant making activities and showcasing the impact of funding.

You will be an effective communicator, able to build confident working relationships at all levels. You will bring strong interpersonal skills along with the ability to work collaboratively and to influence, lead others in matrix style working.

To apply

Your application should include your CV and your cover letter response (up to 500 words each) to the following questions:

› What attracts you to this role and Moorfields Eye Charity?
› How your experience applies to this role?

If you think you could do the role, but don’t have all the desirable experience, we would still welcome an application from you.

The closing date for applications is 16 September 2025.
Interviews are expected to be week commencing, 29 September 2025.

At Ambitious about Autism we're currently looking for a Community Fundraising Manager to join our Fundraising team.

You'll be the driving force behind the growth and success of this important income stream. You will inspire the communities in which we work to make a meaningful difference to the lives of autistic children and young people. You will have proven experience of exceptional relationship management and be able to think creatively to inspire community groups, schools, individuals and local businesses.

You'll develop and implement community fundraising strategies and identify, approach and cultivate relationships with community groups, schools, local businesses and individuals. Community Fundraising will play a key role in successfully delivering Ambitious about Autism's wider 2025-28 Fundraising Strategy. We are looking for a passionate self-starter with exceptional relationship building skills that feels excited at the prospect of shaping the future of Community Fundraising at Ambitious about Autism.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Experience of building and growing Community Fundraising income
• Experience of developing and delivering fundraising strategies
• Experience of planning and implementing successful Community Fundraising programmes including setting and meeting financial and supporter cultivation targets
• Excellent planning, project management and organisational skills

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

KEY INFORMATION

Location: Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, or London

Hours: 37.5 hours

Start date: September 2025 (we are happy to work with you and your notice period)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £46,420 - £51,725 per annum if based in London. £43,765 - £49,070 per annum if based in Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle or Bristol, plus a £312 yearly tax-free work from home allowance.

Application deadline: 11:59pm, Sunday 31 August

ABOUT UPREACH

Do you think that your socio-economic background should determine your career prospects?

upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential. Our work is important because right now a student from disadvantaged background who gains a first-class degree from a top university is less likely to secure an elite job than a more privileged student with a 2.2. 

Founded in 2012, we are an award-winning charity working in close partnership with employers and universities, we deliver a programme of 1-to-1 coaching to eligible undergraduates. We provide personalised employability support to over 3,000 students from across the UK, helping them to discover different career options, and develop the vital skills, networks and experiences needed to succeed in their chosen career and beyond.

To find out more about how we support our students, visit our website, read our Annual Report, and 2024-27 Strategy. 

ROLE SUMMARY 

It is an exciting time to join the team, with income growing year on year and an increasing awareness of our brand through activities such as the recent Radio 4 Charity Appeal. We have ambitious plans and the Head of Fundraising will make a significant contribution to future growth; you will manage the Fundraising and Events team with oversight of income generation from various sources including major donors, individuals, trusts & foundations and a portfolio of events.

The role will suit innovative individuals with experience of fundraising from major donors and at least one of the other specified income streams, and event planning or project management. 

You will represent upReach externally, acting as an ambassador for our work and building strategic relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders. You will be accountable for income targets, developing the fundraising strategy and identifying new opportunities.

OUR VALUES

upReach upholds the following values:

• Perseverance

• Integrity

• Advocacy

• Aspiration

• Proactivity 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

The Head of Fundraising will contribute to upReach's mission by meeting financial targets, recognising when to make the fundraising ‘ask’ and leading the annual budget process. You will use clear, creative written communication to produce convincing cases for support, represent the charity at relevant networking events, work closely with the upReach Development Board and act as an ambassador for the organisation.

Reporting to the Director of Income Generation and External Engagement you will manage three direct reports and support individuals participating in the Future Charity Leaders Programme (upReach’s graduate scheme). You will work closely with  the Head of Partnerships, CEO, Programmes and Finance teams and other colleagues across the income generating and external engagement team.

The core responsibilities include: 

Leadership and strategy 

• Lead fundraising and philanthropy to realise financial targets (2025/26: £2.45m).

• Securing 5 and 6 figure gifts. 

• Inspire staff and volunteers to excel and achieve, champion the upReach values.

• Commit to the annual appraisal process and develop stretching, SMART OKRs (objectives and key results) to meet our strategic goals. 

• Deputise for the Director in their absence and play an key role in the Income Generation & External Engagement Leadership Team.

• Lead the strategic and operational planning process for the functional areas of responsibility and ensure the involvement of relevant stakeholders. 

• Keep abreast of developments, changes in trends, new techniques and legislation. 

• Ensure planned activity is delivered in compliance with relevant charity law, other legislation, best practice and corporate policy.

• Act as a senior sounding board to ensure strategic decisions regarding donors and funders resonate with our objectives and mission.

• Contribute to strategic thinking including risk management and mitigation.

• Collate and present timely monthly management reports for each income stream.

• Lead the annual budget and financial forecasting processes to facilitate reporting and  strategic-decision making.

Working with stakeholders (internal and external) 

• Collaborate with colleagues to identify and secure all various income generating and profile raising opportunities, ensuring maximum impact and contribution from funders. 

• Lead, champion and model a culture of outstanding donor stewardship and supporter care; including best practice and behaviour. 

• Develop and foster effective relationships with key external contacts at all levels, e.g. donors, supporters, suppliers. 

• Make the fundraising ‘ask’ as and when appropriate, or support others to do so.

• Respond promptly to requests for information and action from supporters.

• Report and disseminate the key issues to emerge from supporter feedback. 

• Manage the complaints procedures for the department and conduct full investigation of all complaints received by the department.

Developing, maintaining systems and procedures 

• Determine and manage the operating systems needed to deliver activity and enable effective donor, supporter and volunteer relationship management. 

• Effectively develop the donor journey.

• Ensure records in the CRM are up to date.

• Conduct analysis of data from across functions responsible for, drawing conclusions, making recommendations to the Director. 

• Ensure the management of systems and processes comply with the organisation’s data protection obligations, charity law and other legal requirements.

People Management and Team Working

• Recruit and lead the Fundraising team, rotatees and volunteers as required.

• Ensure upReach promotes a high performance culture and professional integrity.

• Continue to develop the skills and knowledge of you and your team to ensure you are up-to-date with changing regulation and fundraising best practices.

• Lead and model the implementation of business improvement and people development initiatives including training and rotations.

• Collaborate with colleagues across the department and organisation.

Major Donors and Individuals

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies to grow income, including an annual appeal. 

• Work with the CEO, nurture relationships with donors including high net worth individuals maintaining the highest level of donor care.

• Research, identify and engage prospective donors to secure 5 and 6 figure gifts.

• Lead the team to grow and develop the burgeoning major donor portfolio. 

• Work with the Alumni Team to identify opportunities to sustainably grow the individual giving pipeline, including beneficiaries. 

• Develop a legacies strategy and oversee delivery of awareness campaigns.

Events

• Lead the team on the delivery of a sector-leading events portfolio, to include income-generating events, and the Student Social Mobility Awards (SSMA’s).

• Engage, steward and motivate key stakeholders including the Development Board, Patrons, potential event committee members and other high value volunteers to grow our network and deliver successful fundraising events.

Trusts, Foundations & Corporates

• Oversight of Trusts, Foundation & Corporate fundraising strategy.

• Work with the Senior Fundraising Manager to identify and build relationships with Companies, Trusts and Foundations which are mission and/or programme aligned.

• Collaborate with the Head of Partnerships to build strategic relationships with companies that grow philanthropic and commercial income. 

• Support the acquisition of new, multi-year philanthropic funders and existing donors.

Other

• Regular out of office work may be required in order that the organisation is able to deliver on its commitments to its stakeholders

• Some UK travel will be required from time to time

Please note that it is not possible for the job description to cover the exhaustive list of responsibilities of your role due to the varied nature of the role. The job description aims to provide an overview of your remit and core responsibilities. 

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate should display these skills: 

• Influencing, facilitation and communication skills (both oral and written)

• Problem solving and decision making, the ability to stay calm under pressure 

• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise and deliver to tight deadlines

• Passion and motivation 

• Leadership and collaboration skills

To be successful, it is anticipated that you will have experience working in a fast paced environment, third sector organisation with demonstrable success in meeting financial targets and motivating others;

• Exceptional relationship building, stakeholder management and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and persuade at the highest level.

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment, maintaining accuracy and working independently to find solutions to problems.

• You have developed fundraising strategies, budgets and plans with success in meeting income targets including 5 and 6 figure gifts.

• Coordinating annual budget reviews and preparing KPI/OKR reports and financial forecasts that help inform strategic decision-making at a senior level. 

• Ability to lead and motivate others, including senior team members; working cooperatively with and through people to reach goals.

• Clear and creative communicator and presenter; strong storytelling skills and a proactive attitude.

• You’ll understand fundraising performance metrics and how to use them in the delivery of objectives as well as showing knowledge in charity law as it applies to fundraising

• Sound knowledge of GDPR legislation and other fundraising regulations.

• Independent decision-making within authorised boundaries with the ability to anticipate and find solutions to potential problems.

• Strong project management and problem solving skills, in addition to superb organisational skills to manage a varied workload.

• Take responsibility for your own professional development.

TEAM CULTURE & BENEFITS: 

By joining the upReach team, you will be joining a team who are committed to supporting you in your career journey and fostering an inclusive culture. 

We offer: 

• Flexible and hybrid working.

• Statutory Holiday Entitlement of 25 days and bank holidays. This increases to 2 additional days after 2.5 years and then to 3 additional days after 5 years of working with us. 

• Birthday leave and volunteering leave

• Enhanced Parental Leave beyond statutory requirements for all team members. 

• 3% Pension Contribution, this increases to 5% after 5 years of working with us. 

• Cycle-to-work and tech buying schemes

• Monthly socials

• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme and annual wellbeing days

• Personal Development Budget, activated after 6 months in the role.

• The opportunity to participate in our fantastic staff networks: 

  • Disability and Inclusion Network

  • Diverse Roots Network 

  • Green Network 

  • LGBTQ+ Network

  • Mindfulness Network

  • Parents and Carers Network 

  • Socio-economic Background Network

READY TO APPLY?

We are committed to making our recruitment process inclusive. All applications will be blind screened, and our job packs are available in Braille, large text or another format upon request. We can provide reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment application process and on the job, and we'll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. 

Applications close at 11:59pm, Sunday 31 August. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

At upReach, we are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate in employment matters on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, social background or any other protected class. We celebrate and value the diverse perspectives that people from all backgrounds bring to our team. We are passionate about creating a workplace that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of communities across the UK. Diversity in the workplace creates dynamic and effective organisations and we are actively working to build a more inclusive workforce by continuously improving our recruitment, retention, and development practices. We  encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds, those with disabilities , those who are care-experienced, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those who are LGBTQIA+.

We are looking for someone who:

• Understands the power of sport to unite and uplift communities.
• Brings senior leadership experience in the required competencies of fundraising, communications and income strategy.
• Is confident managing relationships with high-value funders and partners.
• Has a deep understanding of inclusive storytelling and impact measurement.
• Can think big, act boldly, and build a strong and sustainable future for our movement.

We continue to be focused on our vision to create an inclusive world for all, driven by the power of sport, through which people with intellectual disabilities live active, healthy and fulfilling lives. 

We are looking for people who are passionate about Special Olympics and are completely aligned with our values. We are authentic. We act with honesty, integrity and respect. We are creative and innovative. We love to embrace difference and doing things differently. We are brave, courageous, resilient and determined. We listen and are led by the voice of our athletes. We are always kind. We are Inclusion in Action.

We are continuing to build a high-performing team who care for each other and care about our cause. Our athletes are incredibly inspirational, courageous and insightful people, and they deserve a team who are equally committed and passionate about our mission.