Philanthropy Manager in London

The Philanthropy & Partnerships Team at Impetus is high performing, experienced and ambitious, united by a shared commitment to achieving lasting change for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We combine deep fundraising expertise, strong sector insight and a clear focus on impact, working collaboratively to build partnerships that enable Impetus and our charity partners to succeed.

We are brave and curious in our pursuit of better outcomes, open to new perspectives and supportive of taking considered risks that help us learn and improve. We set high standards for ourselves and are evidence-led and results-driven for young people, with rigour and excellent execution underpinning our work across the full fundraising cycle.

We bring high trust and high challenge, building strong relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity and respect, while creating a safe environment for constructive challenge and accountability. We thrive through diversity, valuing difference in background, experience and thought, and we always seek collaboration, knowing that we will not achieve our mission alone.

Team members are trusted with responsibility and encouraged to take ownership of their work. You will be supported by skilled, engaged colleagues and challenged to grow in a team that values learning, reflection and continuous improvement.

In the Philanthropy & Partnerships Team, you will:

• Be part of a high-performing and respected fundraising team
• Build meaningful, long-term relationships with thoughtful, impact-driven donors
• Develop your skills across the full fundraising cycle, supported by strong leadership
• Work on some of the charity sector’s most exciting and long-term partnerships
• See a clear connection between your work and improved outcomes for young people

If you are motivated by purpose, enjoy working to a high standard, and want to be part of a team that is ambitious about both impact and excellence, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The Philanthropy Manager will own an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors at five to six figure level and act as the day-to-day relationship manager within that portfolio. The role plans and delivers cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activity to agreed KPIs, makes timely operational decisions within scope, and escalates risks/opportunities early.

The post holder contributes evidence and insight into team planning, supports senior colleagues on major/strategic accounts, and collaborates across teams to ensure high quality, inclusive delivery.

Key responsibilities

• Own and manage an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors at the five to six figure level, delivering agreed income and engagement targets.
• Build and maintain professional, long-term relationships within the portfolio, escalating strategic issues or risks promptly.
• Act as the day-to-day relationship manager for donors in your portfolio, adapting style to audience and context and ensuring clear, timely communications; seek support for major strategic relationships.
• Maintain structured cultivation plans with milestones, update stakeholders proactively, and adjust plans based on learning.
• Develop clear, evidence-led proposals and reports using agreed templates, definitions and KPIs; quality check data before submission.
• Support senior colleagues on major prospects with briefings, meeting notes, and follow ups.
• Supporting Senior Philanthropy Managers, Development Directors and the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships on key accounts (typically £500k–£1m+), preparing high quality materials and inputs and maintaining accurate records of progress through the fundraising cycle in Salesforce.
• Contribute insights to identify and prioritise new grant opportunities and themes; share relevant sector updates with the team.
• Co-develop stewardship plans tailored to donor priorities in collaboration with Engagement, Pro Bono and Events teams.
• Maintain accurate, complete records in Salesforce; apply definitions consistently and quality check data before reporting.
• Maintain Salesforce and contribute inputs for SMT/committee reporting via the Senior Philanthropy Manager; propose lightweight improvements to existing processes.
• Keep professional knowledge current; share useful updates/resources and ensure compliance with relevant standards and legislation.
• Support delivery of major fundraising, cultivation and stewardship events, and ad-hoc Philanthropy Team activities.
• Demonstrate professionalism and best practice in all duties, complying with organisational policies and procedures, and proactively supporting the wider team.
• Model inclusive, professional behaviours; design inclusive meetings/interactions, act as an ally and challenge bias constructively while supporting the wider team.
• Share know-how and peer-coach officers/assistants, offering constructive feedback and supporting onboarding for new colleagues.
• Attend Impetus events to provide support to Philanthropy team.

Person specification

Essential

• Demonstrable experience generating gifts at five to six figures from UK trusts, corporate partnerships and/or foundations.
• Ability to work through the fundraising cycle with donors to initiate, renew and grow gifts.
• Experience developing partnerships and managing an allocated portfolio of donor relationships.
• Excellent research and prospecting skills.
• Strong experience using Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint, and substantive experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
• Strong planning and organisation skills – build structured plans with milestones/dependencies and track portfolio income/expenditure, highlighting variances early.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong bid-writing and storytelling ability.
• Ability to grasp and convey complex ideas, including Impetus’ model and the private equity industry.
• Able to engage confidently and professionally with senior stakeholders, adapting style and seeking support where appropriate.
• Ability to work well under pressure, meet tight deadlines, manage multiple projects and maintain excellent attention to detail.
• A commitment to Impetus’ mission.
• Demonstrated inclusive practice in meetings/interactions, challenges bias constructively and acts as an ally to colleagues and young people.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the youth, education or employment sectors.
• Experience fundraising for grant makers, infrastructure organisations or intermediaries.
• Digital fundraising skills.
• Ability to think innovatively.

At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background. We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:

• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school
• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths
• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment

We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve. Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence. You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

Our Values

In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• We are brave and curious
• We bring high trust, high challenge
• We are evidence led and results driven for young people
• We thrive through diversity
• We always seek collaboration

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results. We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful. We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Our employee benefits

Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers.

How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button. You will need to complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form) and upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement. The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification. You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage. The deadline for applications is Sunday 1st February 2026, 11:59pm.

Interviews: 1st Interviews will take place on Tuesday 10th - Wednesday 11th February 2026. 2nd Interviews will take place on Tuesday 17th February 2026.

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.