Head of Community Engagement

Head of Community Engagement

Full-Time 83000 £ / year No working from home possible
Giving What We Can

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Build relationships with donors and inspire impactful giving through engaging events and strategic outreach.
  • Company: Join Giving What We Can, a leader in effective philanthropy and community engagement.
  • Benefits: Enjoy remote work, generous leave, professional development budget, and health insurance.
  • Other info: Be part of a growing team dedicated to reducing suffering and promoting effective giving.
  • Why this job: Make a real difference by directing funds to the world's most effective charities.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years in fundraising or relationship management; high emotional intelligence and strategic thinking required.

A rare chance to build something from zero and see your work move millions of pounds to the world’s most effective charities.

The opportunity

In recent years, some of the biggest problems in the world have gotten worse. The decades-long decline in extreme poverty has slowed. Factory farming continues to grow, with 13 billion farmed animals killed annually in the U.S. alone. The rapid deployment of increasingly powerful AI systems raises questions about safety and alignment that remain largely unresolved. What gives us hope is that research-backed, scalable, but grossly underfunded ways to make progress on these problems exist. More than 11,000 people have pledged at least 10% of their income to the world’s most effective charities through Giving What We Can’s 10% Pledge. Our global community gives over 63 million every year, funding malaria prevention, poverty reduction, animal welfare, AI safety research, and more. GWWC has over 5,000 UK donors. 12.5M came from the top 300 alone in 2025. Despite this, there has been virtually no proactive relationship management. We believe there’s huge potential to increase this figure with dedicated, high-quality donor stewardship. London is GWWC’s largest concentration of community members: over 2,600 CRM contacts and over 500 active pledgers. It’s the natural centre of gravity for events and in-person engagement, with a rich ecosystem of high-net-worth individuals aligned with effective giving.

What you’ll do

  • Build deep, lasting relationships with donors and pledgers. You’ll proactively manage a portfolio of GWWC’s highest-value community members through 1:1 meetings, calls, and thoughtful follow-up. Expect 8 to 10 meaningful conversations per week: coffees, dinners, calls.
  • Guide donors toward the highest-impact giving. Think of it as philanthropic advising. You’re helping people think through where their giving goes furthest, directing generosity toward GWWC-recommended, evidence-backed charities. You’ll also inspire people to give more, helping them see why giving more significantly and effectively can transform the impact they have with their donations.
  • Run high-quality donor events. Intimate dinners, networking evenings, and community gatherings. You’ll have an events budget and the freedom to experiment with formats that build connection.
  • Re-engage lapsed and non-reporting donors. When someone takes a pledge with GWWC, they commit to giving 10% of their income to effective charities. Some donors give through our platform (where we can track it), while others give directly to charities and report it back to us. Over time, many stop doing either: our data shows recording rates drop from 60% in year one to just 22% by year five without any proactive engagement. These aren’t necessarily people who’ve stopped caring; many have simply drifted without anyone checking in. A single outreach test to 369 lapsed donors recovered $2.3M in reported donations. You’ll do this systematically, bringing recording rates to around 70% for the group of people you’re engaging with.
  • Inspire warm leads to take a giving pledge. Follow up with people who’ve attended events, expressed interest, or sit in our CRM but haven’t yet committed. We expect approximately 80 new pledges per year from this work.
  • Build the strategy. You’ll build the strategy in partnership with your counterpart in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a joint endeavour: together you’ll develop the model for how GWWC does donor engagement, then adapt it for each geography to replicate globally.

What we’re looking for

  • A social chameleon with high EQ. You can read a room and calibrate, holding your own at a black-tie dinner or a casual coffee with equal ease. Different donors need different things; you instinctively know which register to use.
  • Energised by getting out there. You’re the kind of person who’d rather have ten meetings in a week than five. You want to be out in the world, meeting people, opening doors, and building relationships. Some weeks half your outreach will go unanswered, and that doesn’t slow you down.
  • Highly organised and strategic. You’re able to use a CRM to maximise the number and quality of interactions you have, thinking strategically about how to invest the most time on the highest-potential opportunities, whether that’s inspiring new donors or stewarding existing ones to give more.
  • Super agentic. Give you KPI targets and a CRM and you’ll build the strategy from there. You’re the kind of person who doesn’t need to be told what to do next, you just see what needs doing and get on with it.
  • You really care deeply about these issues. You find the core questions of effective giving compelling. You can talk about why cost-effectiveness matters without sounding robotic, and you come across as authentic because you actually care about these issues.
  • 5+ years of relevant experience. In fundraising, philanthropy, donor stewardship, major gifts, high-touch relationship management, or senior sales and partnerships. We care about what you can do, not credentials, but this is a senior role that requires demonstrated experience.

Nice to haves

  • Experience or familiarity with global catastrophic risks, global health and wellbeing, or animal welfare as cause areas.
  • Experience in the effective altruism or effective giving ecosystem.
  • Experience running or hosting donor events.
  • Experience with HubSpot specifically (CRM proficiency is essential, but HubSpot experience is a bonus).
  • Understanding of UK tax-efficient giving (Gift Aid, share donations via ShareGift, payroll giving).
  • Being a GWWC pledger yourself.
  • People management aptitude (you may grow a small team over time).

Compensation and benefits

77,000 - 89,000 depending on experience. You can see how we calculate pay in our public salary calculator. Contract: One-year fixed-term contract with a three-month probation period. We’re open to exploring making it permanent if the first year is successful. Benefits include:

  • Fully remote work (with regular in-person donor meetings and events as part of the role).
  • 25 days paid leave + public holidays.
  • 10% employer pension contribution and private health insurance.
  • 4,000 annual professional development budget.
  • 4,000 annual mental health support budget.

The knowledge that your work moves millions of pounds to the world’s most effective charities.

About us

Giving What We Can is working towards a world without preventable suffering or existential risk, where everyone is able to flourish. We do this by making giving effectively and significantly a norm among those who can afford it. Founded in 2009, we are best known for the 10% Pledge, where over 11,000 people have committed to donating at least 10% of their lifetime income to highly effective charities. Our larger community of ~20,000 pledgers and donors currently gives ~ 63M annually, of which GWWC processes and grants 24M+ yearly through our own donation platform. We’re a lean, remote, performance-focused team. Our impact evaluation shows a 7x multiplier: every $1 spent on our operations generates $7 in donations to highly effective charities. We’re committed to a high level of transparency. And we’re growing fast, on track for more than 40% year-over-year growth on donations in 2026.

You’ll report to: James Rayton, Director of Community Partnerships.

How to apply

You can apply by filling out the form linked in this job ad. We review applications on a rolling basis and will move quickly when we find the right person. Our process typically includes: application review, screening call, paid work test, interviews with James (line manager) and cross-functional team members, paid work trial, reference checks and interview with the CEO. We provide compensation for all work tests and trials. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Giving What We Can is committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds.

Head of Community Engagement employer: Giving What We Can

At Giving What We Can, we offer a unique opportunity to make a significant impact while working in a dynamic and supportive environment. Our fully remote work culture promotes flexibility, allowing you to engage with high-net-worth individuals in London, where our community thrives. With generous benefits including a substantial professional development budget and a commitment to employee growth, we empower our team to drive meaningful change in the world of effective giving.

Giving What We Can

Contact Details:

Giving What We Can Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Community Engagement

Tip Number 1

Get out there and network! Attend events, meet-ups, and gatherings related to community engagement. The more people you connect with, the better your chances of landing that dream job.

Tip Number 2

Follow up with everyone you meet. A simple message or email can go a long way in keeping you on their radar. Remember, it’s all about building those relationships!

Tip Number 3

Show your passion for effective giving. When chatting with potential employers or connections, share why you care about the cause. Authenticity can really set you apart from the crowd.

Tip Number 4

Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our mission.

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Community Engagement

Donor Stewardship
Relationship Management
Philanthropic Advising
Event Planning
CRM Proficiency
Strategic Thinking
High Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Some tips for your application 🫡

Be Authentic:When writing your application, let your true self shine through. We want to see your passion for effective giving and how you connect with our mission. Don’t be afraid to share personal stories or experiences that highlight your commitment to philanthropy.

Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to reflect the specific role of Head of Community Engagement. Highlight relevant experiences and skills that align with building relationships and managing donor engagement. Show us why you're the perfect fit!

Show Your Strategy Skills:We’re looking for someone who can think strategically about donor engagement. In your application, give examples of how you've successfully managed relationships or developed strategies in previous roles. This will help us see your potential impact at GWWC.

Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, we review applications on a rolling basis, so the sooner, the better!

How to prepare for a job interview at Giving What We Can

Know Your Impact

Before the interview, dive deep into the mission of Giving What We Can and understand how their work translates into real-world impact. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how effective giving can change lives, and think about how you can contribute to that vision.

Showcase Your Relationship Skills

As a Head of Community Engagement, your ability to build relationships is key. Prepare anecdotes that highlight your experience in donor stewardship and relationship management. Think about times when you've successfully engaged with high-value individuals and how you navigated those interactions.

Be Ready to Discuss Strategy

This role requires strategic thinking. Come prepared with ideas on how to enhance donor engagement and increase reporting rates. Think about innovative event formats or outreach strategies that could resonate with potential donors and be ready to share them.

Demonstrate Your Passion

Your genuine interest in philanthropy and effective altruism should shine through. Be prepared to discuss why these issues matter to you personally. Authenticity is key, so share your own experiences or motivations that drive your commitment to effective giving.