Philanthropy lead – Permanent – Full Time – London
ID: 328363Job Specialism: Fundraising and MarketingLocation: LondonSalary: 57671 (inclusive of inner London weighting)Closing Date: Sunday, 15th November 2026
About the role
We’re looking for an experienced and ambitious Philanthropy Lead to join Sense and play a key role in growing our major donor programme.
This is an exciting time to join our Fundraising and Marketing directorate. With a new three-year organisational plan and fundraising strategy supporting our ambitions for growth, you’ll have the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with high-net-worth individuals and secure significant philanthropic support that makes a lasting difference to disabled people with complex needs.
Working closely with our Head of Philanthropy, you’ll take the lead on managing relationships with some of our highest-value donors, developing a strong pipeline of prospective supporters and securing six and seven-figure gifts.You will also line manage our Philanthropy Manager, supporting the development of the team and helping drive income growth, financial performance and excellent donor stewardship.
This is a highly relationship-focused and externally facing role, ideal for someone who thrives on building connections, developing compelling funding opportunities and turning conversations into transformational support.
Key Responsibilities
Manage and develop a portfolio of high-value donors, delivering personalised cultivation and stewardship plans that deepen relationships and maximise support.
Identify and secure new philanthropic opportunities, building a strong pipeline of high-net-worth individuals.
Secure six and seven-figure gifts from new and existing supporters, helping achieve ambitious income targets.
Work closely with our Prospect Research Manager to develop insight-led donor engagement strategies.
Create compelling funding proposals, personalised communications and impact reports that demonstrate the difference philanthropic support makes.
Lead face-to-face donor meetings, confidently making funding asks and negotiating significant gifts.
Plan and deliver engaging cultivation and stewardship events that strengthen relationships with existing and prospective supporters.
Line manage and develop the Philanthropy Manager, supporting their performance and professional development.
Work collaboratively across fundraising teams to identify and develop major donor opportunities.
Oversee philanthropy income monitoring, budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting, working closely with the Head of Philanthropy.
Maintain accurate donor records and pipeline information within our CRM, using data and insight to inform fundraising activity.
About you
You’ll be an experienced major donor or philanthropy fundraiser with a proven ability to build influential relationships and secure significant financial support.
We’re looking for someone with:
Strong knowledge and experience of the major donor fundraising cycle, from prospect identification and cultivation through to solicitation and stewardship.
A proven track record of securing six-figure gifts from high-net-worth individuals.
Experience building and developing successful major donor pipelines, including securing new supporters and stewarding existing relationships.
Excellent networking, relationship-building and influencing skills.
Confidence and experience in conducting face-to-face donor meetings, making significant funding asks and successfully closing negotiations.
Previous line management experience, with the ability to support and develop others.
Experience managing fundraising budgets, financial reporting, reforecasting and monthly income reconciliation.
Experience organising and delivering successful donor cultivation and stewardship events.
The ability to develop persuasive proposals, engaging communications and compelling donor experiences.
Strong knowledge of fundraising best practice and relevant regulatory requirements.
Excellent communication, organisational, IT and numeracy skills.
A collaborative approach and the ability to build effective relationships across an organisation.
About Sense
Sense is a leading disability charity, here to break down barriers alongside disabled people with complex needs. We use our knowledge and expertise to deliver personalised, creative and flexible support at every stage of life. Together, we drive change, building a future where everyone has the power, choice and control to live the lives we choose.
Were proud to be aDisability confident leaderand a charity where people can grow their skills and careers in a supportive, flexible environment.
Our values
Our values shape the way we behave and work alongside disabled people with complex needs to break down barriers.
- We’re creating change
- We’re always learning
- We’re better together
To apply
Please use the link below to complete your application. Managers will use your application to shortlist candidates for interview, in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly. We would recommend that you read the job description and person specification before applying.
Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time.
No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable.
- If you require any further assistance, please contact the Recruitment Team on 0121 415 6735 or recruitment@sense.org.uk
- Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to a DBS check; level dependent on the nature of the role.
Sense is here to break down barriers alongside disabled people with complex needs. That’s why we’re committed to increasing the number of disabled people working across our organisation and creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
We actively encourage disabled people to apply for our vacancies and believe that a diverse range of perspectives, experiences and talents makes us stronger.
We know there’s always more we can do to become a truly inclusive employer, and we’re working together to achieve that. Join us and help create the change thousands of disabled people with complex needs and families told us they want to see: a world without limits.
If you need us to adjust our recruitment process to help you access our vacancies, then please get in touch with a member of the talent acquisition team. We are a Disability Confident Leader and commit to interviewing disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for a role. More information on this can be found hereOur commitment as an employer | Sense Careers
Precise Location: 101 Pentonville Road, , London, Greater London, N1 9LG, United Kingdom…