Director of Fundraising - Philanthropy

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people worldwide for a better future.

IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in the UK.

The External Relations (ER) department is comprised of three main but complementary functional areas: Private fundraising, Communications, and Advocacy. The main objective of the department is to enable the organisation to have the resources needed to continue serving millions of people worldwide in places affected by war and disaster.

The Director of Fundraising - Philanthropy will provide leadership and strategic direction for individual high net worth fundraising activities focused on the UK market, ensuring the delivery of significant, multi-year resources for the IRC's global mission. The Director will also serve as the primary high-value fundraising partner to the UK Executive Director as they facilitate cross-team collaboration, accountability, and success among all private fundraising teams in the UK (Philanthropy, Global Corporate Partnerships, Foundations & Trusts, and Mass Markets). The Director will play a leadership role in IRC UK more widely as a member of the UK Senior Management Team (UKSMT). The UKSMT is collectively responsible for achieving the cross-functional goals of IRC UK’s strategy and actively fostering an inclusive workplace at IRC UK.

This role will be responsible for:

• Leading a team of fundraising professionals focused on raising unrestricted and restricted contributions from High-Net-Worth Individuals.
• Managing a personal portfolio of significant donors and partners focused on securing six and seven-figure commitments.
• Facilitating cross-functional collaboration and ensuring coordination and alignment across all UK-based fundraising teams, including maintaining Management-in-Partnership relationships with other high-value teams to drive cross-HV accountability.
• Working closely with other team leaders in the UK (e.g. Communications, Advocacy, and Programmes) to ensure aligned planning and delivery.
• Serving as the high-value fundraising representative on the UK Senior Management Team, directing and progressing strategic goals in fundraising as well as advising on the wider management of IRC UK.
• Serving as the principal fundraising and partnerships lead for the IRC's UK Board of Directors.
• Overseeing key Board relationships and providing complex stakeholder management in partnership with the UK Executive Director and HV fundraising teams to build a stronger culture of philanthropy across the Board.
• Strategically leveraging Board members’ networks and influence to support fundraising.
• Directly driving the UK Executive Director's engagement in fundraising and external partnership activities.
• Interfacing closely with US-based and other international colleagues in External Relations to ensure global strategic alignment.

The Director will craft and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies for the UK market, mentor and guide the team to optimise the size and impact of gifts and ensure donor-centric fundraising practices are consistently deployed. This critical role involves developing and implementing strategies informed by bold revenue targets.

Major Responsibilities

Fundraising and Partnerships

• Manage a focused, complex portfolio of individual high-value prospects and supporters that results in increasing gifts at the six and seven-figure level.
• Design and execute customised fundraising and partnership strategies for their personal portfolio, to maximise size and impact of gifts to the IRC.
• Travel and meet with donors and prospects across the UK and occasionally internationally as required.
• Achieve personal and team-wide goals and metrics related to visits, solicitations, gifts/pledges closed, and other critical key performance indicators.
• Serve as the primary staff liaison and resource for the IRC's UK Board on all matters relating to philanthropy and partnerships, ensuring their engagement is maximised for fundraising impact.

Leadership and Management

• Lead and directly supervise a team of approximately 3 individuals across the UK-based Philanthropy team, inspiring, motivating and challenging them through active mentorship and fostering an environment that supports new ideas and innovative approaches to donor relationship management.
• Provide strategic oversight and Manage-in-Partnership the UK-based leads of the Foundations and Trusts and Global Corporate Partnerships teams, ensuring strong coordination in executing comprehensive donor engagement strategies across the UK market.
• Provide comprehensive thought leadership for the Philanthropy team's efforts towards increased financial revenue and other modes of private sector engagement that support the impactful delivery of the IRC's mission.
• Partner with the Senior Director of International Philanthropy to develop a strategic plan, including setting annual goals and key outcomes for the team. This will include but is not limited to collaborating with the UK Board and Senior IRC leadership in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding donors through strategic engagement opportunities such as meetings and events.
• Collaborate as a peer with other UK leaders on the UK Senior Management Team, holding collective accountability for achieving the goals of the UK strategy and advising on the wider management of IRC UK to support those goals.

Executive and Global Collaboration

• Proactively drive the UK Executive Director's fundraising activities, including identifying and vetting high-level engagement opportunities, preparing briefing materials, and ensuring excellent donor/partner stewardship.
• Interface and collaborate superbly with US-based colleagues in External Relations to ensure consistent messaging, coordinated prospect management, and alignment with global fundraising priorities.
• Facilitate the deployment of IRC leaders (including the UK ED and global Executive Board and programme leadership) throughout the donor life cycle to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward five, six, and seven-figure commitments.

Candidate Requirements

• Significant demonstrable years progressive experience or proven background of non-profit fundraising experience and expertise in high-net-worth individual fundraising, and/or foundation/trust/corporate partnership development.
• Demonstrated history of being an empowering and supportive manager to front-line fundraisers.
• Outstanding communication skills, including writing, listening, verbal presentation, and speaking.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Consistent track record of securing 6 and 7+ figure gifts/partnerships from a complex portfolio of diverse donors and prospects, including qualifying prospects and upgrading donors.