Senior major giving officer jobs in birmingham

You will be joining us at a time that holds the greatest potential for fundraising in our history, following the launch of the UK Government’s Delivery Plan for ME and initial findings of the DecodeME genetics study (co-led by Action for ME) in Summer 2025. 

Building on our charity’s already established level of support from major donors, you will provide exceptional relationship management to existing donors alongside growing our network of high value supporters.

Working closely with the CEO, alongside managing a portfolio of donors and prospects ensuring excellent stewardship, you will support our Breakthrough-ME Group (a group of high net worth and highly networked individuals). There is an established level of support from major donors at Action for ME so this is a role that will require exceptional relationship management to retain our current valued supporters while growing this crucial area of fundraising. 

This would be an ideal role for an experienced philanthropy professional seeking to work for a small but ambitious charity, helping us to achieve our mission to improve the lives of all people affected by ME – better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow.

Key duties

Major Donor Fundraising

• Successfully develop and implement the philanthropy strategy to secure and maximise funds from high value individuals for Action for ME achieving annual income of £250k+

• Set plans and budgets which will deliver income through major gift fundraising and philanthropic giving through family trusts and foundations, including quarterly forecasting.

• Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors at the £5k to £100k level, to develop and maintain strong and long-standing partnerships

• Work closely with the Director of Fundraising and Development and other colleagues to ensure that plans and activities for fundraising from high value individuals are integrated into the overall fundraising strategy and plan for significant growth.

• Be responsible for our Breakthrough-ME Group with high quality proposition development.  Contribution to Group fundraising activities with a specific focus on ensuring their networks support pipeline growth for future fundraising.

• Lead the delivery of our biennial fundraising gala dinner, maximising income and new opportunities from attendees.

• Develop engaging and inspiring opportunities to steward and cultivate support creating a calendar of activities including events, presentations, approaches, networking and meetings.

• Utilise the CRM database (Raisers Edge) to provide the data required to strategise your approach to philanthropy, monitor progress and provide a high-quality donor experience.

• Ensure utilisation of insight & data, producing management information data to inform planning and strategy development.

• With the Director of Fundraising & Development, create inspiring cases for support and resulting propositions with clear budgets and outcomes.

• Create adequate systems and processes to support the major donor programme.

• Undertake and manage research into prospects and major donors, preparing for approaches and presentations and briefing senior leadership and trustees for donor meetings and events.

• Develop and maintain relationships with donors, a wide range of staff and volunteers from trustee level down.

• Provide regular feedback and internal reporting to line management.

• Work with other fundraisers to ensure that all fundraising opportunities and leads are followed up – particularly in corporate, community and trust fundraising.

• Work with Trustees, the Chief Executive and members of the Leadership Team to develop relationships with major donors.

• Self-administrate including managing your own diary and meetings, keeping accurate and up to date records of activity

• Occasional travel to London, Bristol & events

Other duties

• To positively promote the work and activities of Action for M.E. at all times.

• To contribute to the team’s overall, ongoing and annual planning and budgeting.

• To undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post as requested by the Director of Fundraising and Development, Chief Executive or any other senior Action for ME management.

• Act as an advocate for the Charity and its work.

• To work in accordance with Action for ME’s values of collaboration, equity and empathy.

About the role

Kids Cancer Charity have been supporting children affected by cancer from all over the UK since 1989.  Life changes when a child is diagnosed with cancer, every aspect of their life and that of their family is thrown into turmoil.  We offer support through our care breaks and Play Therapy during treatment and beyond.

We are looking for a passionate, talented Trusts and Foundations Manager to join our ambitious, successful Fundraising team that has been growing year-on-year since 1989 as we approach our new fundraising strategy.

Role summary and purpose

This role is responsible for managing and developing the charity’s portfolio of Trusts and Foundations, securing significant gifts and growing the long-term potential of this portfolio.  There are no direct reports, however the successful candidate will be expected to work closely with the General Manager, to build and develop cases for support to help fund our much-needed work.

The successful candidate will utilise their expert writing skills to shape those cases for support into compelling, high-quality proposals and reports.

Building relationships with a wide range of audiences including funders is key. Inspiring them to support families affected by cancer across the UK.

A dynamic, self-motivated, ambitious and pro-active fundraiser is required for this role, demonstrating enthusiasm for the projects and services we are seeking funds to support.

About you

The ideal candidate for this role will have experience and a proven track record of successful income generation and delivering against targets.

You will have demonstratable experience in researching potential Trust funders, submitting compelling proposals, securing funding and project managing successful bids through to completion of the grant award.

You will also have a background in report writing and demonstrating grant impact whilst being able to build relationships with funders, individual/major donors and senior stakeholders.

Experience of providing excellent supporter care, building mutually beneficial long-term relationships with funders is a must for this role.

Key responsibilities

Research and process management

· Work closely with our General Manager and fundraising team to fully understand our work, and the costs of delivering our work.

· Build strong cases for support, ensuring that you have all the information needed to create compelling proposals and reports for high and mid-value funders.

· Research and identify prospective trusts and foundations and other grant giving bodies.

· Grow and maintain a strong trust funding pipeline, creating new trust prospects for our priority funding areas.

· Develop our long-term trusts and foundations strategy and agree ongoing budgets and targets for this income stream.

· Maintain accurate records including tracking and analysing opportunities, results, and outcomes.

Fundraising 

· Identify and manage a pipeline of high-value prospects and opportunities which have the potential to deliver five- and six-figure grants.

.         Oversee the Trusts Team in delivering to develop and deliver persuasive and timely funding applications.

· Develop relationships with staff members and other key stakeholders across the charity maximising every opportunity for cultivation and development.

· Plan and organise opportunities for funders to view Kids Cancers Charity’s work first-hand, ensuring all safeguarding procedures are followed and met.

Reporting

· Compile comprehensive and compelling progress reports to feed back to grant makers in a timely fashion and incentivise continued support.

· Alongside the General Manager prepare accurate budgets detailing spending of specific grants.

· Draw down on any multi-year grants as outlined in our annual budget.

· Provide briefing notes and income pipeline on donor activities and potential funding opportunities.

About GNDR

We are the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), the largest global network of organisations committed to working together to improve the lives of people affected by disasters worldwide. Since being established in 2007, we have grown into a network of 2,010 member organisations across 132 countries, representing millions of people on the frontlines of hazards, climate change and mass displacement. Through transformative, evidence-led programming and powerful advocacy, we are driving climate action and disaster resilience alongside our members across the globe.

About the role

GNDR is seeking a motivated and strategic leader to join our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) as Head of Fundraising, Impact and Communications on a full-time basis for a fixed-term maternity cover of one year.

In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for driving forward GNDR’s fundraising and communications strategy, increasing our reach, impact, and income in alignment with the organisation’s strategic priorities.

You will lead a fully integrated function spanning fundraising, monitoring and evaluation, and communications. This includes ensuring a joined-up and collaborative approach to consistent, distinctive messaging and engagement activities. These efforts underpin successful fundraising outcomes and support GNDR’s wider organisational goals – particularly our work in influencing policy and engaging external decision-makers.

This maternity cover role comes at an exciting moment in GNDR’s journey. We are currently evaluating our existing strategy and designing a new five-year organisational strategy that will unlock fresh opportunities to deepen our impact, extend our reach and amplify our global voice. 

The successful candidate will play an essential role in ensuring our fundraising, MEAL and communications operations remain strategically aligned and fully responsive to this evolving context.

Overall scope of the role

The remit of this post will cover the following core responsibilities:

• Sustainability and income growth
• Effective donor relations
• Funding proposals
• Impact measurement
• External communications
• Training and capacity building
• Leadership and governance
• Line management and team development

Candidate requirements

We are ideally looking for candidates who have the following core skills and experience:

• Fundraising & Communications: Proven success securing funding from donors, trusts and foundations, with strategic experience in NGO fundraising and communications
• Leadership & Strategy: Strong team leadership, capacity building, and strategic planning skills within humanitarian or development contexts
• Interpersonal & Cultural Agility: Excellent communicator, culturally sensitive, adaptable, and able to thrive in fast-paced, diverse environments
• Project & Proposal Delivery: Skilled in developing proposals, and producing high-quality reports and budgets
• Technical & Analytical Skills: A sharp analytical mindset and strong decision-making capabilities
• A strong commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and alignment to GNDR’s core values

Eligibility

We are accepting applications from candidates eligible to work in the UK. Candidates will need to be able to travel internationally when necessary. 

This role will be predominantly remote. However, we are currently piloting a revised hybrid working model for our UK-based team, which includes monthly in-person meetups at a flexible workspace in London. This arrangement remains subject to the outcome of the ongoing consultation, with the trial period scheduled to conclude at the end of October.

Please note that all offers of employment at GNDR are conditional and subject to satisfactory background checks.

We welcome applications from candidates who meet most of the essential criteria outlined in the job specification below.

A full Job description is attached, or please visit our website.

Salary

The gross annual salary for this role is £56,098 per annum based on working full-time.

This is a one year, fixed-term full time contract.

Start date

We are ideally looking for candidates who are available to start in November 2025. However, we recognise that availability may vary due to individual notice periods, and we are happy to accommodate some flexibility where possible.

How to apply

Please submit an up to date copy of your CV (max. two A4 pages) and a Cover Letter (max. one A4 page) outlining skills and experience relevant to the role by email to HR.  Please include in the subject of the email, the following: “Application for the Head of FRIMCO role”.

Please note: we are unable to accept incomplete applications.

If you have any questions or need to discuss any adjustments to the recruitment process, please contact our recruitment team. Full contact details are availble on our website, please follow the link below.

Interview

Week commencing 13 October

Please note: The interview process usually consists of two online stages which may include a role-specific task. Interviews are typically conducted by a panel of two to three members, including the Hiring Manager. Applicants are encouraged to advise us of any adjustments required to ensure the whole recruitment process is accessible and equitable.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

We are dedicated to creating a team that embodies the rich diversity of the society and communities we serve. Our commitment lies in cultivating an inclusive environment, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

We strongly encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented ethnicities, nationalities, socioeconomic circumstances, LGBTQIA+ and individuals with disabilities. We celebrate the unique experiences and perspectives that every candidate brings and are dedicated to ensuring fair and equitable opportunities for all.

We’re committed to making our recruitment process as accessible and inclusive as possible for individuals of all needs and abilities. If you require any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us. Contact information are available on our website.

Find out more about our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion by visiting our website.

Our benefits and wellbeing

At GNDR, we are committed to cultivating a happy and healthy working environment for all our staff.

We provide a competitive salary and benefits package across all of our locations. 

Find out more about our approach to wellbeing and our benefits by visiting our website.

Flexible working

In order to support and encourage a healthy work-life balance for our staff, we are happy to consider flexible working requests as part of our recruitment process. As a global organisation, most staff work remotely depending on their role and location. 

If you have any questions on any of the above information or if you have any specific requirements that would enable you to participate more fully in the recruitment process,  please contact our recruitment team. All contact information are available on our website.