Senior patrons and individual giving manager jobs

Each year the Donmar raises around half of its annual income from fundraising, from a combination of individual supporters, corporate partners, and trusts & foundations. The Development team is formed of 11 individuals and Individual Giving is responsible for around half of the Development target.

The Senior Individual Giving Manager plays a vital role, delivering excellent customer service to individual supporters; leading on planning and delivery for the Donmar’s membership scheme; building, developing and maintaining relationships with Patrons up to £6,500, as well as looking after their own portfolio of Major Donors,  securing gifts towards our productions and participation programmes.

Working closely with the Head of Philanthropy, this role is also responsible for the smooth and efficient running of the Individual Giving team, working with the Membership Officer and Development Assistant (Individual Giving) to establish processes, and overseeing internal and external communications; building and maintaining a prospect and upgrade pipeline, and leading on the delivery of campaigns. The Senior Individual Giving Manager is a key user of our CRM (Spektrix) within the Development team and will work with the Development and Audiences teams to ensure best practice.

The Senior Individual Giving Manager will also work closely with the Head of Philanthropy and Director of Strategic Development and Fundraising to deliver the individual giving strategy, carrying out regular research and benchmarking and identifying further income opportunities. 

While experience in the arts sector is an advantage, it is not a prerequisite, and we welcome candidates with a diverse background in fundraising.

About the role

The Institut français du Royaume-Uni is seeking a dynamic and strategic Head of Patrons’ Circle & Sponsorship Activation to lead the development of its patron engagement programmes and sponsorship (in-kind) activation strategy across the Institut’s major cultural events and flagship seasons.

This senior role has three core objectives:

• to grow and structure the Institut’s existing Patrons’ Circle;
• to create and launch a new Young Patrons Circle aimed at engaging a new generation of supporters;
• to design and deliver an in-kind sponsorship activation strategy across the Institut’s flagship cultural events and programmes.

The role combines community building, relationship management, experiential programming and sponsorship activation. It focuses on audience engagement, visibility and stakeholder experience rather than direct fundraising or financial sponsorship solicitation.

A key dimension of the role is the development of both:

• an in situ engagement programme at the Institut français;
• and a “Hors-les-murs” programme of exclusive events and experiences organised in partnership with leading cultural venues and institutions across London.

Working closely with the Head of Partnerships & Major Donors, the successful candidate will contribute to the Institut’s development strategy by creating meaningful experiences for patrons, sponsors and cultural stakeholders.

About the Patrons’ Circle

The Patrons’ Circle of the Institut français du Royaume-Uni is an active and committed community of individuals supporting the Institut’s mission through its Trust. Bringing together philanthropists, arts supporters and Francophile audiences, the Circle contributes to the development of the Institut’s cultural and educational programmes while fostering engagement with French culture in the UK.

Members benefit from privileged access to the Institut français and enjoy a curated programme of exclusive events and cultural experiences throughout the year, both at the Institut and through a “hors les murs” programme developed in partnership with leading cultural venues across London.

Key responsibilities

Patrons’ Circle & Young Patrons development

• Design and implement a development strategy for the Patrons’ Circle focused on engagement, retention and community growth
• Conceive, create and launch the Institut français du Royaume-Uni’s Young Patrons Circle, defining its positioning, audience, engagement model and value proposition
• Develop a recruitment and engagement strategy targeting younger audiences and emerging supporters
• Build and nurture a strong community through tailored engagement and personalised experiences
• Oversee the full patron journey, including onboarding, stewardship and retention
• Develop targeted communications and engagement campaigns (newsletters, invitations, tailored outreach)
• Structure and evolve benefits and membership offers for Patrons and Young Patrons
• Develop exclusive cultural experiences and networking opportunities for patrons and trustees

In-kind sponsorship activation & event partnerships

• Develop in-kind partnerships and collaborative sponsorship opportunities for major events including the French Film Festival UK, Night of Ideas and other high-profile programmes
• Identify and engage brands, cultural partners and lifestyle organisations aligned with the Institut’s values, audiences and events
• Develop creative non-financial partnership propositions focused on visibility, hospitality, audience engagement and cultural experiences
• Ensure meaningful and high-quality sponsor integration into events through experiences, visibility and tailored activations
• Coordinate sponsor activations in collaboration with programming, communications and production teams
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with sponsors and institutional partners
• Coordinate delivery and follow-up of partnership benefits and sponsor visibility

Events & experiences

• Curate, in coordination with the Institute cultural teams, selected moments from the Institut français’ existing programme for Patrons’ privileged access, including post-event encounters with artists and production teams
• Lead the conception and delivery of the “Hors-les-murs” programme, developed in close collaboration with cultural teams and hosted across partner venues in London
• Collaborate closely with programming, communications and production teams
• Ensure excellence in event delivery and premium stakeholder experience

Administration & coordination

• Prepare administrative committees and Board meetings in close collaboration with the Head of Partnerships & Major Donors
• Draft meeting minutes and coordinate follow-up actions
• Oversee administrative management of the Patrons’ Circle
• Coordinate agreements, partnerships and sponsor deliverables
• Ensure logistical and administrative follow-up for events and activations

Strategic contribution

• Propose innovative formats and initiatives to enhance patron and sponsor engagement
• Contribute to the Institut’s visibility and audience engagement strategy through cultural partnerships and experiences
• Monitor and evaluate engagement outcomes and partnership impact
• Benchmark best practices in patron engagement, sponsorship activation and cultural partnerships

Profile

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in partnerships, sponsorship activation, audience engagement, cultural programming or related fields
• Proven experience in developing and managing high-level relationships and stakeholder communities
• Experience in event partnerships, experiential engagement or brand activation
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to design and implement audience and engagement initiatives
• Excellent organisational and project management skills
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication abilities
• Fluent English and French (written and spoken) essential
• Proactive and entrepreneurial mindset with strong initiative
• Strong interest in arts, culture and international environments

Conditions & benefits

• One-year renewable contract: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• Gross monthly salary: £3,292
• 32 days of paid leave + public holidays
• travel allowance provided
• Possibility of joining a supplementary pension fund and health insurance subject to conditions
• Place of work: Institut Français du Royaume-Uni, 23 Cromwell road, London SW7 2EL
• Only applications from candidates who are already eligible to work in the United Kingdom will be considered.
• Start Date: as soon as possible

Lichfield Cathedral is about to embark on an exciting period of fundraising and development.

Are you a team player

• With senior fundraising experience?
• With experience of managing a team?
• Who enjoys engaging with stakeholders?
• Who has worked on large grant applications?

Do you have

• An excellent eye for detail?
• A desire to support a good cause?
• Excellent communication skills?

If you have the skills and qualities required and would like to work within our dedicated team at Lichfield Cathedral, then we would love to hear from you.