Philanthropy Manager

University of Leicester; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Excellent pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Job summary

University of Leicester’s Advancement team is seeking a Philanthropy Manager to maximise income from major donors, build lasting supporter relationships, and develop a network of advocates for the University. You will focus on securing gifts above £25,000 as part of the 2121 Founders of the Future campaign, with collaborative work across departments and prospects.

You will engage donors, researchers, and alumni, crafting compelling cases for support and leading cultivation and solicitation

Qualifications

• Substantial relationship fundraising experience
• Experience in asking for and securing significant philanthropic gifts
• Experience developing compelling fundraising proposals
• Experience stewarding major donors
• Ability to research prospects and develop cultivation/ solicitation plans
• Strong communication to translate complex ideas into cases for support

Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with individuals, trusts and corporate supporters focusing on gifts above £25,000
• Identify and engage prospective donors; plan cultivation and solicitation activity
• Hold donor meetings and develop compelling proposals aligned with strategic priorities
• Collaborate across Advancement and with senior colleagues to grow major giving programme and supporter engagement

Skills

Relationship fundraising

Donor engagement

Proposal development

Cultivation planning

Solicitation plans

Donor stewardship

Collaboration across teams

Organisational skills

Job description

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the University of Leicester’s Advancement team as Philanthropy Manager, at a pivotal moment for philanthropy at Leicester. Following the public launch of 2121: Founders of the Future, our most significant philanthropic campaign to date, you will help maximise philanthropic income from major donors, build lasting supporter relationships and develop a committed network of advocates for the University. The campaign aims to raise £100 million to support transformative projects across four interconnected areas: People, Planet, Health and Culture.
Reporting to the Senior Philanthropy Manager, you will manage relationships with individuals, charitable trusts and/or corporate supporters, with a focus on securing major gifts of more than £25,000. You will identify and engage prospective donors, plan cultivation and solicitation activity, hold one-to-one donor meetings and develop compelling proposals that connect supporters’ interests with the University’s strategic priorities. Working collaboratively across Advancement and with senior professional and academic colleagues, you will also contribute to the development of the major giving programme and help grow philanthropic support, alumni and supporter engagement across the University.

About you

You will bring substantial relationship fundraising experience gained within or alongside an Advancement Office or third-sector charity, together with a strong understanding of major gift fundraising. You will have experience of asking for and securing significant philanthropic gifts, developing successful fundraising proposals and stewarding major donors. You will be comfortable researching prospects, creating cultivation and solicitation plans and developing trusted relationships with donors, senior colleagues, alumni and academic staff.
An engaging and persuasive communicator, you will be confident making the fundraising ask and able to translate complex ideas into accurate and compelling cases for support. You will combine excellent organisational skills with initiative, sound judgement and the ability to manage competing priorities and progress towards agreed targets. Most importantly, you will be a collaborative relationship-builder who can provide an excellent experience for supporters while helping philanthropy make a lasting difference to the University’s research, education and wider impact.

We are open to discussing hybrid requirements including remote options.

Additional information

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Clare Green at [e-mail]
We anticipate that interviews for this position will be held on 10th/11th December 2026.

When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world.

Company culture

As a diverse and forward-thinking employer, we embed the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. That includes not just our core missions of teaching and research, but also our support for staff, students and our local community through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive.

We’re committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and to the sustainability of our environment, on our campus and beyond. We offer a competitive salary package, excellent pension scheme and a generous annual leave allowance, along with opportunities to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Vacancy terms

Full time, permanent