Senior philanthropy and trusts manager jobs in Islington, greater london

Do you have demonstrable experience of new business development? Have you personally secured six figure partnerships in previous roles?
We're recruiting a New Partnerships Manager to be responsible for proactively identifying, prospecting, and cultivating leads in key sectors to secure new 5-6 figure, multi-year corporate partnerships with local and national businesses.

What does this role do?
As New Partnerships Manager, you'll:

• develop a prospect pipeline to raise a personal income target which contributes to an overall team target,
• support the Senior New Partnerships Manager in the identification and cultivation of new corporate partnerships, accessing a range of income streams and budget holders,
• support senior team members in attending meetings with potential corporate partners, including preparing relevant briefs in advance,
• prepare relevant and creative applications and proposals for pitches for potential corporate partners,
• work closely with the Corporate Partnerships Team to ensure the transition between new business and account management is seamless for both Dogs Trust and the new partner.

First stage interviews for this role are provisionally scheduled for 16th and 17th March 2026, and will take place on Teams. Please note, this role is based at our London office, with office attendance at least one day per week and sometimes at short notice.

Could this be you?
To be successful in this role you'll have demonstrable experience of new business development, ideally in a charity setting, with a track record of securing six-figure partnerships. You'll be organised, articulate and credible, with a real appreciation of different budget holders within companies who may be interested in supporting Dogs Trust, and an understanding of different types of corporate partnerships. In addition, you'll have demonstrable experience of senior stakeholder management and negotiation skills, and you'll have the ability to write clearly and concisely, and to tailor written style to the needs of different audiences.

About Dogs Trust
We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.

To apply for this position please click the APPLY NOW button. Our application process requires you submit a personal statement explaining your interest and suitability for the role.
 
Dogs are incredibly diverse, much like the humans that love them! At Dogs Trust we value diversity, and we're committed to fostering an inclusive culture. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and cultures and believe that a diverse workforce helps us to achieve our mission. Our colleague networks give our people a voice, acting as vehicles for real and meaningful change within Dogs Trust. We truly want to see every candidate shine throughout the entire job application process, interview stages, and during their time with us. If there's anything on your mind or any adjustments you may need, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support you every step of the way.

Prospect Research Officer
Contract type: Permanent
Full time: 34.5 hours, we are open to a conversation about how you work these hours
Location: Hybrid between home and our London office (typically 1 day per week in office)
Salary range: £37,000 - £40,000

Are you a naturally curious researcher who loves turning insight into opportunity? Do you have a talent for writing high‑quality briefs and building strong, collaborative relationships?

We’re looking for a Prospect Research Officer who can help unlock transformative income to support people living with cancer.

About us

At Macmillan you'll find talented people working together to do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer. We're going all out to find even better ways to help even more people who need our support. Our values are at the heart of who we are and everything we do, inspiring our thinking and guiding our actions.

Our new organisational strategy sets out how we’ll fight even harder to make every pound raised count for even more. With your help, we’ll transform cancer care for good.

About the role

This is a pivotal role within our newly established Prospect Development and Insight function, giving you the opportunity to shape how we identify, research, and prioritise the high‑value prospects who can make transformational gifts to Macmillan.

You will be responsible for feeding high‑quality insight directly to fundraisers, supporting them to grow pipelines, prioritise approaches, and unlock opportunities across corporate partnerships, philanthropy, and trusts. You’ll use a wide range of research techniques and tools to identify prospects, evaluate their potential, support risk management through due diligence, and provide concise, high‑impact briefings for fundraisers and senior leaders.

Key responsibilities:

• Identify and qualify high‑value prospects using press scanning, wealth screening, network mapping, and research tools.
• Produce clear and concise prospect profiles, briefings and event research for fundraisers and senior stakeholders.
• Conduct due diligence on prospects and donors, assessing risks and escalating where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with fundraisers to support pipeline development, prioritisation and movement of prospects.
• Provide market insight and trend analysis to help shape fundraising strategy and highlight new opportunities.
• Ensure all research activity complies with GDPR, the Data Protection Act, and internal policies.

About you

The successful candidate will bring:

• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to summarise complex information clearly and concisely.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative working style.
• Excellent IT, database, research, analytical and organisational skills, including the ability to manipulate data to extract insights.
• Good awareness and understanding of the current corporate and philanthropy fundraising landscape.
• An enquiring mind, with the ability to challenge conventional thinking and draw out fresh perspectives on opportunities for donor development.

The following skills are nice-to-have but can be developed in‑role:

• Experience in prospect research, including identifying and prioritising prospects, network mapping, due diligence and developing gift capacity ratings.
• Experience using relational databases, ideally Raiser’s Edge.

In return, we offer a range of benefits including:

• 25 days holiday plus flexible bank holiday options, increasing by 1 day every year of service up to 30 days
• Pension matched up to 7.5%
• 120+ learning and development offers, with access to external professional qualifications
• Flexible working patterns, such as compressed hours, flexibility to work earlier or later around our core working hours of 10am-4pm
• Holiday buying and selling scheme, life insurance, free wills, retail discounts and much more

Recruitment process

Application deadline: 23:59 on Sunday 15th March
Interviews: Virtual Interviews will be held on the week commencing 23rd March (exact dates TBC)

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed.

So we can support you to be your best during the application or interview process, please contact Macmillan TA Team for advice and reasonable adjustments.

We welcome applications from everyone who meet the criteria and strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Macmillan. Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy along with our internal employee representation body, ‘Our Voice’ and 8 Employee Network groups help us promote fairness and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.

Our vision is of a society where everyone has the opportunity to live a rewarding and fulfilled life.

Are you our next Chief Executive?

• Are you passionate about addressing issues around poverty and inequality?
• Do you have the experience and skills needed to lead this innovative place-based funder?
• Are you a creative thinker who thrives on working collaboratively and collegiately?

If so, then you might be the right person to lead Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving.

About Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving

Established over 500 years ago, Cripplegate Foundation has become a pioneering, place-based grantmaking foundation with a reputation for innovation and making a difference. It created Islington Giving, which was the first scheme of its kind, to work with residents and a coalition of funders, businesses and voluntary organisations to create better solutions to the challenges of poverty and inequality. We make grants of over £2 million a year and we have become a major influencer in the grant-giving sector, achieving significant progress, such as:

• Raising over £12 million since 2010.
• Partnering with Islington Council to promote community development and support residents
• Developing innovative and participatory grant programmes
• Pushing forward with ambitious Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals

It’s an exciting (and challenging) time to join us!

Given the challenges in Islington (and beyond), the next few years promise to be pivotal in shaping our future and there are many opportunities for the new Chief Executive to make a difference, including:

• Leading on considerations around the changing political landscape
• Working creatively and innovatively to explore the strategy for the coming years
• Building on our programme of Social Impact Investing and ethical Investing
• Leading a passionate, professional and committed team

About the role and person 

The new Chief Executive could be someone with senior management experience who is ready to lead an organisation for the first time, or they may already have experience of being a Chief Executive.

Whatever your background you will need to demonstrate, amongst other things:

• Experience of leading and managing in a collaborative and collegiate style
• Skill at creating and delivering cross-sector partnerships
• An entrepreneurial style and a record of income generation
• A deep understanding of the issues arising in inner city areas, gained through lived and/or professional experience
• A pioneering, creative and innovative style and a commitment to DEI

If you feel you fit the role and are motivated by our work then we’d be excited to hear from you. Please find out more by looking at the Candidate Information Pack. 

Senior Philanthropy and Major Gifts Executive
Salary: £39,000–£42,000 per year
Location: St John’s Wood, London – hybrid (at least 3 days a week on-site, ideally 4)
Contract: Permanent

St John’s Hospice, part of the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, provides free, specialist care for people living with life-limiting illness and their families across North London. This new role is a great opportunity to grow our income from trusts, foundations and major gifts so we can reach even more people.

The role
As Senior Philanthropy and Major Gifts Executive, you will:

• Manage a portfolio of mid-level trusts, foundations and other funders.
• Lead on drafting and submitting compelling funding applications.
• Support the stewardship of high-value funders, including visits and meetings.
• Research and qualify new funding prospects to grow the pipeline.
• Produce clear, timely impact and financial reports with colleagues across care, finance and services.
• Maintain accurate records and pipelines on the CRM, ensuring full compliance with GDPR and charity standards.
• Work closely with the Senior Philanthropy and Major Gifts Manager and wider fundraising team, with scope to develop towards major donors and other income streams.

This is a collaborative role based at St John’s Wood, with hybrid working and regular contact with colleagues, senior management and trustees.

What we’re looking for

• Experience in trusts and foundations fundraising.
• A record of securing four-figure and above grants.
• Confident prospect research and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage a busy workload and competing deadlines accurately.
• Experience using CRM systems.
• Ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.

This charity is made up of an astounding group of professionals who believe that people's sight matters. They have ambitious growth plans to increase the investment they are able to make in life-changing eye health by supporting the work of Moorfields Eye Hospital and its academic partner UCL, and by funding innovative research, equipment, patient care and training through the delivery of innovative fundraising programmes. The team is looking to appoint a senior philanthropy manager, and Prospectus is leading the search. 

Senior philanthropy manager

Full time, 37.5 hours per week 

Permanent 

Hybrid/London EC1

£61,011 - £71,180 per annum 

This newly created role will line manage up to four philanthropy managers and lead key projects and income streams for the team, as well as developing senior relationships with key stakeholders across the charity, hospital and UCL. The senior philanthropy manager will manage a mixed portfolio of individual, trust and foundation and corporate prospects capable of making significant gifts at the six-figure and seven-figure level to secure philanthropic support towards priority projects. This role will be critical in supporting the head of philanthropy implement the strategy and the team achieving its exciting growth ambitions, and will play a key role in the charity's wider plans to embed a culture of philanthropy across the partnership.

The successful candidate will bring significant major gift fundraising experience, with a demonstrable track record of securing gifts at the six-figure level (£250k+), alongside a strong commitment to excellent stewardship and the ability to build effective relationships with senior stakeholders. You'll be an inspiring line manager and a collaborative, solutions-focused fundraiser, able to communicate complex medical projects clearly to non-specialist audiences and thrive in a fast-paced environment with overlapping deadlines. Experience of securing seven-figure gifts and/or fundraising in healthcare/medical research would be welcomed but is not essential.

How to apply:

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity. If you have any disability and require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the process then please contact Femke Vorstman at Prospectus.

If you feel you meet some of the criteria but not all, we really hope you'll enquire and learn more. Prospectus can advise and support on each part of the role and hopefully your application, so we look forward to hearing from you. 

In order to apply please submit your CV in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will arrange for a meeting to brief you on the role. You'll then have all the information you need to formally apply (your statement will need to answer three specific questions). We are looking forward to connecting with you soon. 

The Philanthropy Manager will develop a philanthropy strategy, building on the partnerships and resources already in place. You will develop a pipeline backed up by robust prospect research (some administrative assistance will be provided), and instigate a cultivation and stewardship programme, typically adopting a staged approach to major asks.

You will be accountable for the acquisition, development, and stewardship of high value supporters for CUF, both individual philanthropists and non-statutory grant-making bodies. You will develop and strengthen relationships with existing donors, as well as identifying warm prospects currently not supporting CUF financially. A key part of your role will be meeting and engaging major donor prospects to grow the pool.

You will engage with Trustees and senior leaders, to identify and nurture Christian philanthropists and grant body decision-makers within their spheres of influence.

You will lead on developing cases for support and writing grant applications, helped by the wider staff team.

The successful candidate will be a self-starter with high levels of motivation, and the ability to both develop and operationalise strategy as a member of a small team. You will have a track record of successfully initiating, managing and developing relationships with High-Net-Worth individuals and grantmaking bodies, and securing donations and grants, via proposals or through face-to-face meetings, as required. 

How to apply

To apply, please email an up-to-date CV and covering letter (please note that only CV’s accompanied with a covering letter will be considered for shortlisting) outlining your relevant skills and experience, relating to the listed responsibilities and person specification to:

Closing date: 17:00 Monday 2nd March 26, with interviews to be held on 10th March 26 online.

Liberty is seeking an ambitious, values‑driven fundraiser to oversee and deliver our trust and foundation, legacy, and major giving fundraising. As the Fundraising Manager for Philanthropy, this role requires proven experience of building, sustaining and growing significant income from philanthropic sources.

Liberty is a small organisation, which punches above its weight. The Fundraising Manager will combine strong leadership with hands on day-to-day delivery. As a key member of the Management Team, the role will oversee a talented team comprising a Philanthropy Officer and two Grants Officers. You will combine strategic oversight with hands‑on delivery, shaping compelling funding propositions and building strong, lasting relationships with funders and supporters. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will ensure our complex and multifaceted work is translated into inspirational cases for support that resonate with funders.

This is a critical role in a vital organisation. Success will see the maintenance and development of a diverse range of income generation streams, and Liberty being better able to achieve its mission of challenging injustice, defending freedom and campaigning to make sure everyone in the UK is treated fairly.

You will have a strong commitment to Liberty’s anti-oppression values and strategy.

Liberty fully embraces flexible working and is committed to employee development. We aim to encourage people from all backgrounds to work with us and are particularly interested in hearing from people from minority backgrounds and all socio-economic sections of society. Liberty supports hybrid working, with a minimum of two days per week in the Westminster office.

The deadline for applications is 9am Monday 2 March 2026

Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.

Please be aware that we do not accept CVs for this role. All applicants must complete the application form to apply.

First round interviews will be held online on Tuesday 17th March

Second round interview will be held in person on Tuesday 24th March

For more information and details on how to apply, please visit our website.

Job Title: Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnership
Reporting To: Deputy CEO/Director of Fundraising and Communications
Manages: Head of Trusts and Foundations, Head of Corporate Partnerships
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time (36 hours per week, flexible)
Salary band: £58,000 - £66,000 per annum
N.B. To ensure fairness and consistency across Home-Start UK, new colleagues usually join at the first point of the pay band for their role. This helps us maintain a clear and equitable approach to pay for everyone joining our team.

Location: Remote – with regular travel to meetings with donors, for events and to our central office in Leicester for collaborative meetings and team activities.

About Home-Start UK

Home-Start is a federated charity consisting of a central national office – Home-Start UK - and over 170 geographically dispersed local Home-Start organisations, all working together under the same identity.

We recognise that being a parent has never been easy. Every Home-Start volunteer is trained to work alongside parents to overcome the challenges they are facing. We work with parents to build on their strengths and give them the support that they tell us they need. We offer no judgement – just compassionate, confidential help and expert support. This peer-to-peer support is key to the difference Home-Start makes and often our volunteers have lived experience of the challenges their families are facing themselves.

About The Role

This is an important moment for us and for the families we support. Parents of babies and young children are facing huge pressures, and strong, values-driven partnerships matter more than ever. We’re looking for a senior leader who can help us meet this moment with confidence and ambition.

As Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships, you will help shape the future of our national work and support our federation of 170+ local Home-Starts working in communities across the UK. You will lead a talented team, build long-lasting relationships, and help make sure Home-Start has the funding, partnerships, and influence it needs to give every child the best possible start in life. This role will suit someone who is motivated by purpose, who values people and relationships, and who is comfortable working across a large and varied network.

We are looking for someone with a strong track record, someone who has already delivered high-value fundraising and partnerships at a senior level and is ready to take on a role with significant national influence. With responsibility for an annual income portfolio of circa £4 Million – with strong potential to grow this over the next 3-5 years to between £6Million-£8Million plus, you will work with a supportive Leadership Team and Board, who have already engaged external philanthropy expertise to develop a strategy and roadmap that you can build on. You’ll need to be confident working with high-value supporters: able to build trust, communicate clearly, and nurture long-term relationships with people who want to invest in families and early years support. You’ll bring the skills and confidence to grow a portfolio that is already strong and take it further, along with the ability to work well with others in a fast-moving environment.

You will be joining a warm, collaborative organisation that believes in the power of community, the strength of families, and the importance of early help. If you feel excited by the chance to make a national difference, to build partnerships based on trust and shared purpose, and to help shape the next chapter of Home-Start’s impact, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The people at Home-Start are its most important resource. Home-Start UK has been accredited with Investors in People since March 2005, which recognises the commitment we give to developing our staff.

Benefits of working for Home-Start

• Flexible working
• Family friendly policy
• PayCare health cash plan
• Enhanced employer contribution pension
• Learning and development
• DAS Employee Assistance

If it sounds like your type of challenge, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The closing date for applications is Friday 27th March at 4pm.
As part of our recruitment process, shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a full-day assessment centre at our Leicester office on Tuesday 14th April.
The assessment centre will include a mix of individual and group activities designed to understand your strategic thinking, relational approach, and leadership style.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Home-Start UK is committed to Equality of Opportunity and Diversity. We wish to encourage applications from all parts of the community irrespective of gender, race, colour, age, sexual orientation or disability. 

No agencies please.

Location: Home-based with regular meetings in London and travel across the UK as required
Salary: £41,063 to £45,626 per annum
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Permanent
 
Benefits: 27 days holiday bank holidays (pro rata for part time roles), perk scheme access, life assurance, paid compassionate leave, enhanced sick pay, Cycling UK membership plus many more staff benefits.
 
We are almost two years into our ambitious organisational strategy, and this is an exciting moment to join Cycling UK as our Philanthropy Manager. Cycling UK’s public fundraising programme is at a pivotal stage of development. The Philanthropy Manager will play a central role in shaping and accelerating this next phase, leading the growth of major gift and legacy income through strong donor relationships, compelling propositions and high-quality stewardship.
 
You don’t need to be a cyclist to work at Cycling UK, but you do need to have a strong commitment to our work. This is a senior role with real opportunity to influence direction, build capability and embed philanthropy at the heart of the organisation. Working closely with the Head of Fundraising and colleagues across Cycling UK, the postholder will help transform a developing philanthropy programme into a mature, relationship-led income stream that delivers sustainable growth over the long term.
 
We are an inclusive organisation and would particularly welcome applications from candidates from a broad range of backgrounds. We strongly believe that diversity strengthens our work. If you are already passionate about cycling, that’s great, many of us are too! But if you are simply really excellent at what you do, no matter what your background, that is what matters most to us.
 
Explore the attached job description for full details on this exciting opportunity. Complete the application form expressing why you are the right candidate for this opening. Focus on gearing your supporting statement to exemplify how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role, directly referring to the person specification. This enables the selection panel to assess your relative strengths against the specified criteria.
 
The role is home based in the UK, with regular meetings in London and travel across the UK as required.

Applications close at 9:00am on the closing date shown
 
Closing date: 23-03-2026
 
You may have experience in the following: Philanthropy Manager, Major Gifts Manager, Major Donor Manager, High Value Giving Manager, Fundraising Manager, Senior Fundraiser, Development Manager, Partnerships Manager, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Individual Giving Manager, Legacy Fundraising Manager, Legacy Giving Manager, Trusts and Foundations Manager, Grants Manager, Donor Relations Manager, Stewardship Manager, Relationship Fundraiser, Income Generation Manager, Strategic Fundraising Lead, etc.
 
REF-226 943

Do you have experience delivering high-quality Special and Challenge events? Are you highly organised, relationship-focused and motivated by making a difference? Join The Sick Children’s Trust and help raise vital funds to support families with seriously ill children in hospital.

The role

We are looking for a Senior Events Officer to join our Events team during an exciting period of growth. Working closely with the Events Manager, you will project manage a varied portfolio of Special and Challenge events, helping to grow income and awareness for the charity.

Our events programme includes events such as our Carol Service, Art Exhibition and Supper Club, alongside major challenge events including the London Marathon, Great North Run, Royal Parks Half Marathon and London Landmarks Half Marathon. As the programme develops, you will have the opportunity to lead on specific events and contribute to shaping future activity.

This is a varied and hands-on role, combining planning, logistics and on-the-day delivery with supporter stewardship, supplier management and collaboration across teams.

Key responsibilities include:

Planning and delivering a portfolio of special and challenge events, ensuring excellent supporter experience

Managing income and expenditure against event budgets and targets

Building and maintaining strong relationships with supporters, suppliers and external partners

Working with Communications and Marketing colleagues to promote events across digital, print and social channels

Collaborating with Philanthropy, Corporate Partnerships and Community teams to meet shared objectives

Securing auction prizes, raffle items and pro bono support for events

Maintaining accurate records, databases and event administration

About you

You enjoy delivering events that combine creativity with meticulous organisation. You are confident juggling multiple projects, building relationships and working collaboratively across teams. You will already have experience of fundraising events or challenge events, with strong communication skills and attention to detail. Experience working with high-value supporters, celebrities or suppliers would be an advantage together with experience of event management software/word press or if not a willingness to learn, enhance and streamline systems.

Most importantly, you are motivated by The Sick Children’s Trust’s mission and want to use your skills to make a meaningful impact for families when they need it most.

How to apply

Please submit your CV along with a covering letter outlining how you meet the requirements of the role 

Applications will be reviewed on an on-going basis and therefore early applications are advised. We may close the advert earlier than the closing date.

Closing date: Sunday 1 March

Funders In Good was founded to support Muslim donors in the UK who want to achieve strategic, long-term impact but lack the capacity, connections, or expertise to give effectively. We provide tailored financial grants and strategic support to social ventures serving Islam and Muslims, helping them scale, strengthen systems, and increase long-term impact. Our focus is on ventures and leaders contributing to a society where commitment to God flourishes.

Since 2021, we have grown from nine seed funders to over 130 members in our invitation-only Funder Network. Members contribute financially and through skills, receive quarterly progress reports, access events, and connect with other funders. This network is part of our wider community, which includes our team and the ventures we back.

As Funder Development Manager, you will shape this network by developing a compelling value proposition, building acquisition pipelines, nurturing funders, and curating engagement programs that deepen alignment with our mission. Success relies on both fundraising expertise and emotional intelligence: you will build trust with a diverse range of donors and philanthropists, navigating conversations about values, faith, impact, and community with warmth and confidence.

This senior, outward-facing role carries responsibility for income generation, stewardship, and relationship-building.

Please read the JD to find out more, application deadline is midnight 8th March 2026.

About Us

We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. We support and fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.  

We currently have around 95 staff based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’re in a privileged position to be able to grow our staff team to deliver our ambitious strategy, On a mission. There are huge challenges facing bowel cancer patients across the UK and our community needs us now more than ever. We’re building a strong and united team to bring us closer to a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer. 

Senior Early Diagnosis Programme Manager

The Senior Early Diagnosis Programme Manager is a key role as we develop and evolve our early diagnosis programmes at Bowel Cancer UK. The role will provide strategic and operational leadership across the charity’s awareness and engagement programmes and the new Bowel Towns programme. This role will manage a multi-disciplinary team delivering programmes that improve cancer awareness, empower communities, and drive earlier diagnosis.

In addition, as the charity’s services lead for Northern Ireland (NI), the post holder will build high-impact partnerships and develop a regional plan to enhance awareness, early detection, and support for people affected by cancer. You’ll work closely with the Head of Services and Support to ensure our early diagnosis services are impactful, inclusive, and evidence-based.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and at Bowel Cancer UK we are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Successful candidates may be subject to either a satisfactory basic, standard or enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) dependent upon the role.

Job Purpose

This role sits at the heart of Operation Smile UK’s five-year strategy to deliver transformational growth across all income streams. As Retention Fundraising Lead, you will be instrumental in delivering on three of the four core strategic priorities:

1. Build Regular Giving – retain and maximise value from the regular giving base

2. Drive All Donors to Legacy – ensure donors experience best-in-class stewardship, increasing their loyalty to the charity with an objective of feeding into legacy and long-term giving goals.

3. Maximise Growth Through Digital Fundraising Integration – leading the expansion and optimisation of digital growth for all existing supporters.

The Retention Lead is responsible for delivering Operation Smile UK’s strategic individual giving retention and legacy marketing programme. This role is key to driving income growth from our existing donors from the point of recruitment, maximising value and minimising attrition from the regular giving pool and generating and retaining legacy actions and prospects.

You will lead on the strategy, planning, delivery and evaluation of retention campaigns, with full accountability for managing significant budgets, agency partnerships and performance metrics.

You will support the development of the Legacy strategy, be instrumental in planning legacy activity and delivering legacy marketing for the existing supporter base across all income streams and methods of support, from Partnerships, Volunteers and public fundraisers.

This is a senior, hands-on role suited to an experienced Individual giving fundraiser with strong commercial acumen and a data-driven mindset.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Campaign Leadership

• Develop and implement the retention strategy, aligned with income targets and supporter growth objectives.
• Lead on the planning and delivery of campaigns across cash, donor stewardship, legacy prospecting and stewardship, welcome, conversion, reactivation and upgrade appeals.
• Lead on strategic development of the cultivation journey to ensure Operation Smile maximise growth through digital channels.
• Monitor and report on campaign performance, providing insight-driven recommendations to optimise results.
• Drive testing and innovation to expand existing approaches and introduce new ones within acceptable risk and return parameters.

Budget Ownership & Performance Monitoring

• Take full responsibility for retention and legacy budget management, income forecasting and cost control.
• Set, monitor, and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs), reporting against ROI, value and response, retention and conversion metrics and long-term value across all supporter groups channels.
• Collaborate with the Senior Database Manager and the Director of Data and Technology to develop and maintain performance dashboards (e.g., Power BI) and support strategic data analysis, including both short term and long-term channel performance evaluation.

Line Management

• Provide day-to-day leadership and support to the Retention team, ensuring clarity of objectives, effective workload management, and professional development opportunities.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, annual appraisals, and performance reviews for direct reports, supporting their growth and accountability.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture, encouraging innovation, learning, and high standards of delivery.
• Provide strategic and operational direction to external agencies or freelancers working on retention projects.

Agency & Partner Management

• Manage day-to-day relationships with external fundraising and creative partners.
• Lead on the relationship with the external fulfilment agency working with multiple internal stakeholders to ensure an effective partnership is in place.
• Lead briefings, content sourcing, agent training, stakeholder approvals, and quality assurance processes.
• Negotiate contracts and hold suppliers accountable for delivery and performance.

Cross-Team and Market Integration

• Represent the retention and legacy programme in cross-functional planning meetings and contribute to a unified team culture focused on strategic delivery.
• Work closely with the Acquisition and Digital lead to deliver a seamless supporter journey from point of recruitment to donor communications.
• Work closely with the Philanthropy Manager to develop and manage the pipeline of HV/Major donors.
• Work closely with the Legacy administrator, Philanthropy Manager and Volunteer Manager to develop the legacy pipeline.
• Work closely to ensure all digital communications are aligned and support the retention strategy
• Act as a key liaison with colleagues across Operation Smile global markets, sharing insights and exploring opportunities to align strategy, co-develop creative, or pilot cross-market initiatives.

Compliance, Risk & Best Practice

• Ensure all campaigns meet legal, ethical and data protection requirements (e.g., GDPR, Fundraising Regulator).
• Act as a key contributor to organisational risk assessments relating to income performance and supplier performance.
• Keep up to date with sector trends, innovations and benchmarks to maintain best practice.

 

Person specification

Essential Experience

• Extensive experience (ideally 5+ years) in Individual Giving, Legacy or fundraising acquisition roles.
• Proven success delivering multi-channel (including digital) retention campaigns for both cash, legacy and regular giving donors with strong ROI.
• Experience managing external agencies and suppliers to high performance standards.
• Strong background in regular giving retention.
• Demonstrable experience managing and reporting on retention budgets.

Skills & Attributes

• Strategic thinker with excellent campaign planning and execution skills.
• Highly numerate and confident using data for decision-making and optimisation.
• Strong project and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proactive, self-starting approach with high levels of ownership and accountability.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to represent the organisation externally.

Desirable

• Understanding of retention and supporter journey optimisation.
• Familiarity with CRM, Dot digital and data system Donorfy.
• Experience with Power BI or other reporting tools.

First-round interviews are set for the week of 9th March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.

Disability Confident Committed Employer

We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.

At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.

If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation. 

We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. 

Leukaemia UK – Our Charity

We are a ‘small but mighty’ charity with one big ambition: to stop leukaemia devastating lives. Over the next 10 years we want to help save and improve the lives of more people with leukaemia through finding and funding life-changing research and campaigning for change.

Despite progress in recent decades, someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer every 16 minutes and survival rates are among some of the worst of any cancer.  And the physical and psychological impact can be lifelong. 

Our current 5-year strategy outlines our plan to increase our investment into ground-breaking world class research and policy development focused on improving access to kinder, more effective diagnosis, treatment and care for leukaemia and other blood cancers. To do this, we have embarked on a period of significant growth, investing strategically to grow our income, profile, influence, and engagement and impact.

We are seeking an experienced, driven and passionate Head of Philanthropy to lead on delivering income from our High Value (HV) audiences and income streams. We are looking for someone with energy and ambition, who can demonstrate strategic leadership to maximise fundraising opportunities across Major Giving, Trusts and Foundations, Special Events and Corporate Partnerships. The post holder will be a key part of the Fundraising Leadership Team, helping to grow our supporter networks, optimise supporter experience and contributing to the development of the overall fundraising growth strategy, at this crucial stage as we complete the current cycle and move into our new 5-year strategy period in 2027.

Team

We are a close-knit team, who are all passionate about Leukaemia UK and putting those affected by the disease at the heart of everything we do.  We are all focused on “keeping it real” with pragmatic, practical solutions, as well as ensuring that our charity maximises voluntary income to invest in more life-changing research, so that we can continue to have impact for those with a leukaemia diagnosis.

From us you can expect all the laughter you can handle, as well as great challenge and support. We are all about delivering exceptional supporter experience and making a real difference to people’s lives.

You will be part of an ambitious fundraising team driving growth across the portfolio, so we can fund more leukaemia research and save more lives from this devastating disease. You will report to the Director of Fundraising, working alongside the Head of Public Fundraising, and collaborating across the wider organisation to ensure fundraising aligns with our organisational priorities and values (Bold, Collaborative, Curious) and feels insight-driven, strategic and competitive in a crowded marketplace.

 

Leukaemia UK and You 

In 2025 we invested in growing our fundraising team so that we could fund more life-changing research, to increase our understanding of leukemia as a disease, and accelerate the development of kinder, more effective treatments. This included investment to grow the Philanthropy fundraising team, develop new fundraising products, increase our supporter networks, and build a stronger pipeline. As a result, we have seen significant year-on-year growth for a charity of our size and are keen to maintain this trajectory with the opportunities in front of us.

We are in the final year of our current 5-year organisational strategy cycle and in the process of developing our new 5-year fundraising strategy, so you will be instrumental in bridging the gap, delivering against agreed income targets for 2026 and driving forward new plans into 2027. 

Reporting to the Director of Fundraising, the post holder will at times be required to work both strategically and operationally, autonomously and collaboratively, as a critical member of the Fundraising Leadership Team.  You will be results-driven with an appetite to innovate and drive continuous improvement, leading to increased conversions, deepened relationships, and long-term high value support to upscale our research programme.

Skills and Experience

• Previous experience of being a Head of Philanthropy, demonstrating strategic leadership with a remit that includes oversight of a broad High Value fundraising portfolio, across multiple income streams.
• Experience of applying the principles of Philanthropy fundraising to develop and nurture a growing pipeline of 5- and 6-figure gift opportunities for supporters able to give at the highest levels.
• Experience of managing engaging Major Giving and Trusts & Foundations fundraising programmes to generate a warm pipeline of 5- and 6-figure gifts.
• Experience of overseeing a Special Events programme, comprising both fundraising and cultivation events.
• Experience of overseeing a Corporate partnerships portfolio and representing the charity at a senior level.
• Demonstrable experience of managing a high-performing team, focussing on creating a culture where people thrive as individuals.
• Strong experience of building effective relationships with internal and external partners, senior stakeholders and suppliers, leading on the key relationships for the charity. 
• Strong written and oral communication skills with a real talent for connecting and influencing people at all levels.
• Strong project-management experience, including managing budgets, schedules, creative development, and supplier relationships for fundraising events and campaigns.
• Proven experience of driving effective High Value stewardship programmes to maximise supporter experience.
• Great listening skills and the ability to interpret the needs of individuals, teams, and organisations.
• Ability to think through complex issues and produce evidenced-based judgements.
• Experience of setting and managing annual budgets, monitoring, and reconciling results and financial performance in income and expenditure. Providing associated narratives and monthly reforecasts.
• Working to a wide range of financial and non-financial KPIs set in annual activity plans. 
• Ability to work well cross-organisationally, recognising different teams’ priorities and workloads.
• Entrepreneurial and results-led, with the ability to lead programmes of fundraising activity, with strategic, well thought through resourcing to deliver growth.

Knowledge

• Excellent specialist knowledge of the principals and methods underpinning successful Philanthropy fundraising and stakeholder management across Major Giving, Trusts and Corporate partnerships.
• Up-to-date knowledge of current fundraising trends.
• High level knowledge of Salesforce CRM and how best to steward supporters.
• High level knowledge and understanding of charity law in relation to legacy fundraising, GDPR, PECR, data protection and other relevant fundraising regulation.

Role specifics

• Hours: 0.8 FTE are 30 hours per week – days and times to be agreed
• 12 months fixed term contract – maternity cover
• Location: We are very flexible! Whilst our hybrid working policy is a minimum of two days per month in our London office, for this role we would typically expect the role holder to be in the office once a week.   
• Salary range £55,000 - £65,000 (FTE)

Applications

If you feel you have the passion for our work and the right mix of experience, skills, energy, and flair to embrace this broad and challenging leadership role and enable our strategy to fly, then we would love you to apply. Please also see the full job description attached to the advert.

• First interviews will be held via Teams Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th March 2026
• Second interviews will be face to face in our London Offices – at 26 Great Queen St, London WC2B 5Bl on either Tuesday 24th or Wednesday 25th March 2026
• We are proud of our benefits – see a summary on our website in the section Work With Us

Application instructions: To minimise unconscious bias, we use anonymous recruitment and are unable to consider direct applications. Please apply via the CharityJob website with your CV and covering letter.

Closing Date: Midnight Sunday 8th March 2026

I look forward to hearing from you! 

Holly Hastings-Payne

Director of Fundraising