Senior Trusts & Foundations Manager, Philanthropy Team

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Healthcare cash plan

25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays + 3

Volunteer leave

Job summary

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is seeking a Senior Trusts & Foundations Manager to lead fundraising across trusts, foundations and statutory funders from a home-based base with travel to our London office. The role targets significant income growth within our Philanthropy and Major Giving team and reports to the Head of Philanthropy.

You will develop and deliver fundraising strategies, manage a portfolio of supporters, and collaborate to produce compelling funding proposals and impact reports

Qualifications

• Proven track record of securing significant income from trusts, foundations and statutory funders.
• Experience generating five- and six-figure gifts, including multi-year funding commitments.
• Excellent written communication skills for funding applications, proposals and impact reports.
• Strong stakeholder management with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrable success identifying and developing new funding opportunities.
• Strong organisational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Attention to detail and a results-focused, collaborative approach.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and delivery of income plans and fundraising strategies.
• Build a sustainable pipeline of trust, foundation and statutory funding opportunities.
• Support income forecasting, budgeting and performance monitoring.
• Develop high-quality applications and secure new income through strategic prospecting and bid writing.
• Manage a portfolio of trust and foundation supporters with engagement and reporting.
• Collaborate across the organisation and maintain CRM records with accurate fundraising activity.
• Represent the charity at meetings and events and contribute to cross-organisational projects.

Skills

Trusts & Foundations fundraising

Five to six-figure gifts

Multi-year funding

Stakeholder management

Job description

Senior Trusts & Foundations Manager, Philanthropy Team

Application Deadline: 24 October 2026

Department: Philanthropy and Major Giving

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract

Location: Home based / with travel to the London office

Compensation: £42,567 - £50,079 / year

Description

At DofE, we believe every young person should have the chance to develop the skills, confidence and resilience they need to thrive. As part of our ambitious World Ready strategy, we're aiming to reach 2 million young people by 2031, and fundraising will play a pivotal role in making that vision a reality.

We're looking for an experienced, strategic and ambitious fundraiser to join our Philanthropy and Major Giving team and play a leading role in growing income from trusts, foundations and statutory funders. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact within a well-established national charity, working with senior stakeholders and funders to secure transformational support for young people across the UK.

The Philanthropy and Major Giving team manages an annual income target of approximately £3.5 million, with plans to significantly increase this over the coming years to support our growth ambitions.

The team works with a wide range of high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, foundations and statutory funders, many of whom are long-term supporters of the charity. We take a proactive and relationship-led approach to fundraising, working collaboratively across the organisation alongside the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, Trustees, operational teams and colleagues across fundraising.

About the Role

As Trusts & Statutory Fundraising Manager, you will be responsible for developing and delivering strategies to grow income from trusts, foundations and statutory bodies. You will identify and secure new funding opportunities, manage a portfolio of existing supporters, and build compelling cases for support that demonstrate the impact of our work.

You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation to develop high-quality applications, manage key funder relationships and ensure excellent stewardship and reporting.

This role would suit someone with a proven track record of securing significant five and six-figure gifts, who is motivated by building relationships and achieving ambitious income targets.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Planning & Income Growth

• Contribute to the development and delivery of annual income plans and fundraising strategies.
• Build and maintain a sustainable pipeline of trust, foundation and statutory funding opportunities.
• Support income forecasting, budget management and performance monitoring.
• Contribute to strategic fundraising projects that support long-term growth and organisational priorities.

New Business Development

• Work closely with Prospect Research colleagues to identify and qualify new funding opportunities.
• Develop compelling and innovative funding applications aligned to organisational priorities.
• Secure significant new income through strategic prospecting, relationship development and high-quality bid writing.
• Identify opportunities for multi-year and partnership funding.

Relationship Management & Stewardship

• Manage a portfolio of trust and foundation supporters, leading all aspects of cultivation, application, stewardship and reporting.
• Support the management of high-value philanthropic relationships alongside the Head of Philanthropy.
• Develop engaging impact reports and funding proposals that demonstrate the value and outcomes of our work.
• Build and strengthen long-term relationships with existing and prospective funders.

Collaboration & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of fundraising activity, applications and income on the CRM system.
• Monitor fundraising performance and provide pipeline reporting and analysis.

External Representation

• Represent the charity confidently and professionally at meetings, events and networking opportunities.
• Contribute to internal planning processes and cross-organisational projects that support fundraising success.

What we are looking for:

• A proven track record of securing significant income from trusts, foundations and statutory funders.
• Experience generating five and six-figure gifts, including multi-year funding commitments.
• Excellent written communication skills, with experience producing high-quality funding applications, proposals and impact reports.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including experience working with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrable success in identifying and developing new funding opportunities.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail and a focus on achieving results.
• A collaborative, proactive and positive approach to work.

What You'll Bring

• Strategic thinking and commercial awareness.
• The ability to build trusted relationships with funders and colleagues alike.
• Confidence in representing the charity externally.
• A passion for supporting young people to achieve their potential.

Benefits

We offer excellent staff benefits including a generous pension contribution, an employee assistance programme, healthcare cash plan and volunteer leave. Also, 25 days holiday, plus Bank Holidays and an additional 3 days paid leave between Christmas and the New Year. Buy additional annual leave, benefits discount website, death in service benefit 4 x salary, incapacity benefit, generous family leave and sick leave.

The DofE are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. All successful applicants will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. (e.g. DBS/PVG or similar), including references covering any gaps of employment/education, confirm eligibility to work in the UK and complete a health check. The geographical allowance is based on a member of staff having a home or office-based postcode within 30 miles (as the crow flies) from Charing Cross, WC2N 5HS. The allowance is 7% capped at £4,000 per annum.