Philanthropy lead


Company:	Sense
Salary:	£57671 (inclusive of inner London weighting)
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	N1 9LG
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	20 Oct 2026
Closing date:	15 Nov 2026

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Summary

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.

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About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.