Senior Philanthropy Officer

Southampton Hospitals Charity; Manor Park; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Southampton Hospitals Charity is seeking a Senior Philanthropy Officer to lead major donor fundraising initiatives and grow a portfolio of high-value supporters. The role focuses on cultivating, securing five-figure gifts, and stewarding long-term relationships with clinicians and hospital leaders.

You will collaborate with the charity leadership to develop compelling cases for support, identify opportunities, and deliver engaging donor stewardship and events.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of securing income from individual major donors at five-figure level or above.
• Experience in a charity, NHS charity, or not-for-profit setting is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with major donors and prospects.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of individual major donors capable of five-figure gifts+.
• Identify and cultivate new major donor prospects with tailored engagement strategies.
• Build relationships with clinicians and senior leaders to identify opportunities and craft compelling asks.
• Plan donor meetings and approaches with senior stakeholders, supporting gift asks.
• Grow the major donor pipeline and multi-year support through stewardship reports.
• Collaborate with hospital engagement teams to ensure coordinated fundraising efforts.
• Maintain accurate records of donor engagement and income forecasting in the CRM.

Skills

Major donor fundraising

Relationship building

Donor stewardship

Strong communication

Project management

Attention to detail

CRM system proficiency

Proposal writing

Tools

CRM system

Fundraising databases

Job description

The Senior Philanthropy Officer will play a key role in delivering ambitious income growth, with a clear focus on securing philanthropic support from high-level individual major donors. Managing a portfolio of prospects capable of making five-figure gifts and above, the postholder will cultivate, develop and steward long-term relationships as well as identify and secure new opportunities. Building trusted relationships across the hospital will be central to the role. The postholder will work closely with clinicians and senior hospital leaders to identify fundraising opportunities, develop compelling cases for support and involve the right stakeholders in cultivating, asking and thanking major donors. We are looking for a self-motivated and proactive Senior Philanthropy Officer who thrives on building strong, long-lasting relationships. You will be curious and able to identify opportunities to strengthen relationships and demonstrate resilience when working towards ambitious fundraising goals. You will convey a genuine passion for Southampton Hospitals Charity and feel confident sharing our vision and impact with others.

Main Responsibilities

• Manage, grow and steward a portfolio of individual major donors and prospects capable of making five-figure gifts and above, delivering against agreed income targets.
• Identify and cultivate new major donor prospects, developing tailored engagement and solicitation strategies aligned to charity priorities and donors' interests and aspirations.
• Build credibility and trusted relationships with clinicians, senior hospital leaders and stakeholders across the hospital to identify philanthropic opportunities and develop compelling asks and stewardship reports.
• Work with senior hospital stakeholders and the charity's leadership team to plan and deliver donor meetings and approaches, supporting them to make asks and personally asking for gifts where appropriate.
• Grow the major donor pipeline, focusing on increasing multi-year support and progressing relationships from initial engagement through to giving and long-term stewardship.
• Support the Director of Income Generation and Marketing with the delivery of donor stewardship and cultivation events.
• Work closely with colleagues across hospital engagement, community fundraising and grants to ensure joined-up planning and delivery.
• Maintain accurate records of donor engagement, pipeline activity and income forecasting using the CRM system.
• Monitor trends in philanthropy and major giving, adapting approaches in response to changes in the external funding environment.
• Act as a professional ambassador for Southampton Hospitals Charity, representing the organisation with credibility and building understanding of the value and impact of philanthropy across the hospital.

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven experience of securing philanthropic income from individual major donors at the five-figure level or above.
• Experience working within a charity, NHS charity or not-for-profit organisation.
• Demonstrable success in managing and developing relationships with individual major donors and prospective supporters.
• Experience of building credibility and trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, and working collaboratively with subject specialists to shape fundraising opportunities.
• Experience of producing high-quality funding proposals, cases for support and impact reports.
• Track record of managing fundraising portfolios and delivering income against targets.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex clinical projects clearly and compellingly to non-specialist donors.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with confidence and diplomacy when engaging clinicians, senior stakeholders and major donors.
• Ability to ask for significant gifts and to support senior stakeholders in making effective approaches to donors.
• Outstanding organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and balance internal and external relationship-building.
• High attention to detail and strong project management capability.
• Confident use of CRM systems and fundraising databases.

Personal Qualities

• Self-motivated, proactive and able to work effectively on own initiative.
• Collaborative and relationship-led, with a strong team ethos.
• Professional, reliable and highly organised.
• Sound judgement, discretion and sensitivity when working with senior stakeholders and prospective donors.
• Resilient and adaptable.
• Passionate about improving patient outcomes and supporting NHS staff.