Philanthropy manager jobs in cambridge

The Supporter-led Fundraising (SLF) Department at Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) is responsible for mass fundraising, enabling individuals, communities and companies to support ARUK through their own talents and passions. As well as driving registrations and income through third party, virtual and mass participation events and managing these relationships to maximise income.

The Online Fundraising Team is key to the success of SLF as they work across Regional, Sporting Events, Marketing and Corporate teams to drive a future focussed department, exploring new technologies, audiences and opportunities for ARUK, testing the potential of these and advising other teams on how to capitalise on these.

The role of Online Fundraising Manager will work with the Senior Central Fundraising Manager to identify the strategy for the team, lead fundraising campaigns, and develop new propositions and ways of working for the team, department and wider organisation. This role will line manage two Online Fundraising Team Officers and one Online Fundraising Executive to support SLF in delivering our strategy and meet our departmental annual income target.

You will work closely with the Marketing and Supporter Engagement Team, Regional Fundraising Team, Corporate Team, Celebrity Team and Digital Team to ensure we are identifying and partaking in the latest, most relevant and time-worthy online fundraising campaigns to ensure maximum income generation for SLF and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

This is a 12-month fixed term contract to cover a period of maternity leave.

Key Responsibilities:

Line Management

· Recruitment, induction, training and ongoing line management of the Online Fundraising Team (OFT); providing direction and support to drive their success to ensure a highly motivated team, equipped to deliver the operational plan and support in reaching SLF’s targets.

· Conduct monthly one-to-ones, quarterly reviews and annual appraisals to ensure high performance and development within the team.

· Responsible for workload distribution among the OFT, ensuring focus on income generation, community engagement and operational priorities.

· Support, encourage and motivate the OFT to hit financial and non-financial targets and to work collaboratively across SLF and the wider charity.

· Responsible for inputting and translating the Team Strategy, executing operational plans and for the operational performance of the team.

· Ensure OFT is fully trained and are competent representatives of ARUK.

Digital Fundraising & Online Communities

· Support and coach the team to generate fundraising through online communities, including Facebook challenges, cryptocurrencies, streaming channels and new tech. You will provide guidance on content, stewardship, and conversion.

· Lead the Facebook Challenge strategy and translate this for all stakeholders. Bringing all relevant teams together to ensure the Challenges are reaching the right audiences, supporters are stewarded appropriately, and the opportunities of these events are maximised.

· Responsibility for managing and delivering c£500k from Facebook challenges p.a

· Develop and oversee strategies for crypto and streaming fundraising, identifying opportunities within Web3 communities and streaming ecosystems.

· Ownership of relationship with external agencies, holding regular check ins and ensuring the skill levels across the team of third-party systems.

· Monitor trends, campaign performance, and supporter behaviour to inform strategy adjustments and post-event improvements.

· Build relationships with other third sector organisations to share ideas, successes and concerns to build robust fundraising challenges and develop direction for new opportunities.

· Lead the creation of a Streaming New Product Development pipeline to test innovative fundraising approaches with content creators and streaming communities.

· Ensure the team effectively engages online communities to amplify ARUK activity and maximises supporter participation.

· Work with internal teams to ensure consistent supporter engagement and stewardship across all online platforms.

New Audiences & Partnerships

· Lead and oversee the development of partnerships with crypto/blockchain companies, gaming developers, industry events, and other relevant networks to expand supporter reach.

· Maximise fundraising opportunities through third-party collaborations and emerging digital channels.

· Work closely with the Celebrity Team to identify potential content creator fundraisers and ensure they are stewarded appropriately.

· Responsible for developing Online Fundraising Corporate strategy, providing guidance to team for developing corporate pipeline, building partnerships and maximising relationships.

· Work with Digital team to identify new potential fundraising platforms and digital methods of fundraising.

Team Management

· Attend relevant sector-wide meetings to understand latest trends to inform strategy and direction of team.

· Undertake evaluation of income area, considering contribution, ROI and long-term potential.

· Stay abreast of competitor activity, particularly in designated areas, to inform strategy.

· Develop a full understanding of ARUK systems including data, finance and compliance in order to support the team in creating well informed processes and use of systems.

· Champion the Online Fundraising Team across SLF and ARUK, sharing knowledge and education teams on the opportunities available.

· Upskill the OFT and team development, with focus on corporate applications and content creator proposals.

· Upskill internal teams (e.g. fundraising, corporate, philanthropy) to embed cryptocurrency and digital fundraising into everyday supporter interactions.

What we are looking for:

· Relationship management experience

· Project management experience

· Experience in fundraising strategy development and delivery.

· Understanding of social media and online platforms

· Line management experience, particularly experience managing a team

· Proven track record of meeting or exceeding financial and non-financial targets.

· Good practice and understanding of GDPR and compliance.

· Experience in creating supporter journeys

· Adept at utilising data strategically for decision-making and achieving organisational goals and using analytics to identify trends and optimise donor engagement.

· Strong financial management and budgeting skills.

· Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

· Ability to manage a busy and varied workload

· Excellent organisational skills

· Great attention to detail

· A positive and contagious enthusiasm to learn and spot potential

· Skilled at building excellent relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

· An approachable team player who is always seeking opportunities for collaboration

· Effective account, people and performance management skills

· Flexibility to work unsociable hours

Additional Information:

Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals.  This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD. 

Salary: Circa £43,000 per annum, plus benefits

Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 7th December 2025, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.  Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. While we strive to anonymise your CV where possible, there are certain sections, such as the application question, that cannot be fully anonymised. We kindly ask that you remove any personal information, including your name, when answering the application question. The hiring panel will not have access to your personal details, such as your name and address, until you are invited for an interview. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us via our website. 

How to apply: Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK: Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure.  Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope. 

There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure. 

In 2024, we were incredibly proud to be awarded a 3-star accreditation by Best Companies which recognises ‘World Class’ levels of workplace engagement. This is the second consecutive time; we have been awarded a Best Companies 3-star accreditation.

We were also listed in the prestigious Best Companies lists:

· 18th in the 100 Best Large Companies to Work For in the UK.

· 10th in the 50 Best Companies to Work For in the East of England.

· 2nd in the 30 Best Companies to Work For in the Charity Sector.

ARUK really does look after its people, where you will be able to add value and make a difference. 

To view further details about working for us and the benefits we offer, please visit Alzheimer’s Research UK