Philanthropy Manager

Major Giving

Lead the major donor portfolio. Design and deliver personalised stewardship for each donor - impact updates, direct engagement, and a clear annual plan for each relationship. Every donor should feel known, informed, and valued.

Convert warm prospects. Work with the Communications, Corporate Partnerships, and Individual Giving leads to identify people who already know WONDER: through events, the board, or partner organisations, and build considered approaches to move them towards their first major gift.

Grow income from existing donors. Identify donors ready to give more. Work with the Individual Giving Manager to spot regular givers who could move into a more personal giving relationship.

Make the ask. Draft tailored proposals and solicit five- and six-figure gifts with confidence and warmth. Frame each ask around the donor’s motivations and WONDER’s real, evidenced impact from nursing students in Kinshasa to mentees across Latin America.

Maintain the pipeline. Keep donor records accurate and current on Salesforce. Produce regular pipeline and income reports. Use giving patterns and engagement data to sharpen your stewardship decisions.

Trusts and foundations

Support the Director of Development on prospect research: identifying new trust and foundation funders aligned with our programmatic priorities and maintaining a healthy pipeline.

Draft compelling applications to small and mid-size trusts and foundations (typically £1,000–£20,000), tailored to each funder's criteria and grounded in our current work.

Manage the grants calendar. Track deadlines, submission status, and outcomes. Flag risks and report progress to the Director of Development.

What Success Looks Like

At 12 months, you will have:

• Built or deepened relationships with the active major donor portfolio, with a clear stewardship plan in place for each
• Converted at least two warm prospects into new major donors
• Contributed to income growth from the major giving programme, with a pipeline that supports future-year targets
• Submitted grant applications on time, to a high standard, with a clear tracking system in place
• Established yourself as a trusted, credible member of the Development team

We will agree specific income and pipeline targets with you at the outset, based on the current portfolio.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven track record in major gifts fundraising, or strong transferable experience working closely with individuals who make significant financial decisions: whether in philanthropy, private wealth, professional services, or similar fields
• Excellent written English: able to turn complex impact evidence into a clear, compelling case for support
• Relational confidence: comfortable building trust with senior, experienced individuals and asking for significant financial commitments
• Sound judgement about when to push forward and when to hold back in a relationship
• Comfortable working independently, owning a portfolio, and delivering results within a structured part-time week
• Confident using AI tools as part of day-to-day work, we use Claude across the team and will support you to use it well

Personal Attributes

• Emotionally intelligent: reads people accurately, adapts your approach, and navigates difficult conversations with tact
• Organised and disciplined: manages multiple relationships and deadlines without things falling through the cracks
• Honest and clear: writes and speaks plainly, does not overclaim or under-deliver
• Genuinely curious about the work: interested in understanding what WONDER does and why it matters, not just raising money in the abstract
• Comfortable with ambiguity works well in a small organisation where not everything is prescribed

Desirable

• Experience drafting trust and foundation applications
• Working knowledge of Salesforce or a comparable fundraising CRM
• Interest in girls’ education, women’s economic empowerment, or international development
• Additional languages, particularly French or Spanish

Reporting Structure

You will report to the Head of Individual Giving and work closely with the Director of Development on trusts and foundations. You will collaborate regularly with the Communications, Corporate Partnerships, and Individual Giving leads.

WONDER’s Development team is small. You will have real ownership and direct access to senior leadership.

Working Style and Expectations

This is a 2.5-day role. We expect focused, high-quality output, not volume. You will need to prioritise rigorously and be clear about what you can and cannot take on within your hours.

We are flexible about how the days are arranged. Most of the team works remotely most of the time, with 1–2 days in our Brixton office each week. We are happy to discuss what arrangement works for you.

You will be expected to manage your own time, flag blockers early, and keep your colleagues informed. We do not micromanage, but we do expect ownership and follow-through.

Why This Role Matters

Every major gift we raise goes directly into programmes that change real lives. The women and girls WONDER funds are not passive recipients: they are people building businesses, returning to education, mentoring others, and reshaping what their communities expect of women. Your fundraising makes that possible.

WONDER is at a point where our donor relationships are strong and the potential to grow is real. This is a genuine opportunity to build something not maintain a system someone else created.

Why WONDER?

• Impact: Your work directly funds the education and empowerment of women and girls globally.
• Flexibility: We value outcomes over hours. We are happy to discuss how these 2.5 days fit into your life.
• Culture: Join a dedicated, expert team that is collaborative, supportive, and ambitious.

How to Apply

Apply at wonder.careers.flair.hr with your CV and a short cover letter (no more than two pages) by 12 June 2026.

In your cover letter, please tell us:

• Why this role, and why WONDER.
• One example of a relationship: donor, client, or otherwise that you grew over time, and what made it work.

Interviews will be held on a rolling basis in person in Brixton.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

WONDER Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1148679).