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- Tasks: Lead impactful fundraising strategies and engage supporters to grant life-changing wishes.
- Company: Make-A-Wish UK, dedicated to bringing hope to children with critical illnesses.
- Benefits: Fixed-term contract with a chance to make a real difference in the charity sector.
- Why this job: Shape the future of fundraising while making a positive impact on children's lives.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership skills and experience in public fundraising.
- Other info: Join a passionate team and contribute to a meaningful cause.
The predicted salary is between 42000 - 84000 £ per year.
Head of Public Fundraising (Maternity Cover)
Join to apply for the Head of Public Fundraising (Maternity Cover) role at Make-A-Wish UK
Contract Type: Fixed Term, up to 12 months (Maternity Cover)
Full Job Description including essential & desirable criteria is listed on our careers page.
Make-A-Wish UK is seeking a visionary and strategic leader to join our team as Head of Public Fundraising. This is a pivotal maternity cover role that offers the opportunity to lead one of the most impactful fundraising portfolios in the charity sector. If you’re passionate about driving income growth, enhancing supporter experience, and shaping the future of fundraising, we want to hear from you.
About Make-A-Wish UK
Make-A-Wish UK exists to grant life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Every wish is as unique as the child who makes it, and every wish brings hope, strength, and joy when it\’s needed most. Our work is powered by the generosity of supporters across the UK, and public fundraising plays a vital role in enabling us to reach more children every year.
Role Overview:
The Head of Public Fundraising is a strategic leadership role responsible for the direction, planning, delivery, and long-term growth of all public fundraising and supporter engagement activity. This includes oversight of multiple income streams and operational leadership of the Supporter Care team.
You’ll lead a multi-disciplinary team of around 20 professionals across four core functions, delivering high-performing fundraising programmes and sector-leading supporter care. You’ll contribute to over 50% of the charity’s total fundraised income and play a critical role in shaping our long-term sustainability.
As part of the Extended Leadership Team (XLT), you’ll report to the Director of Income & Engagement and influence decisions at Board level through strategic investment planning and performance reporting.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategy and Planning
- Develop and own the Public Fundraising strategy, aligning it with organisational goals to ensure scalable and sustainable income growth.
- Shape long-term plans across all public income streams: individual giving (cash, regular giving, lottery, payroll), legacies, in-memory giving, challenge events, community fundraising, owned products, and innovation.
- Use insight, segmentation, and lifetime value data to inform planning across acquisition, engagement, and retention.
- Lead the development of scalable propositions and product strategies tailored to audience needs.
- Establish new income streams with robust financial models to support Board-level investment decisions.
- Oversee the engagement strategy for supporters, ensuring alignment with income growth and supporter satisfaction.
- Deliver a comprehensive Supporter Care Roadmap to ensure high-quality, compliant, and values-aligned supporter interactions.
- Provide strategic leadership to the Supporter Care function, embedding it into the fundraising model and preparing it for future growth.
- Lead strategy on audience journeys and supporter touchpoints, including Make-A-Wish’s Contact Strategy.
- Contribute to organisational strategy through XLT engagement and cross-functional planning.
Operational Delivery
- Oversee delivery of public fundraising programmes, ensuring alignment with income, supporter volume, and ROI targets.
- Lead development and testing of new fundraising propositions and products.
- Manage multi-channel campaigns across DRTV, direct mail, F2F, telemarketing, digital, and social.
- Ensure supporter journeys are aligned, data-driven, and optimised for engagement and retention.
- Oversee Supporter Care operations, ensuring efficient income processing and prompt, compliant responses.
- Drive continuous improvement across supporter care workflows, including training and KPI development.
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, including Fundraising Code, Gambling Commission, and GDPR.
- Lead strategic projects that enhance supporter engagement and operational scalability.
- Manage multi-million pound income and expenditure budgets.
- Lead business planning, investment proposals, budgeting, and reforecasting for 5–10 year plans.
- Build and manage multi-year investment models for high-potential income streams.
- Monitor and report on financial performance, providing insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders and the Board.
- Support senior managers in effective budget management and financial adaptability.
- Ensure cost-effective and high-value operations within supporter care.
People Leadership and Culture
- Lead a team of approximately 20, including four senior direct reports.
- Set a clear team vision and foster a supportive, inclusive culture focused on shared goals and continuous improvement.
- Embed a high-performance culture through coaching, accountability, and development plans.
- Champion innovation and cross-team collaboration.
- Ensure Supporter Care staff are resourced and trained to deliver exceptional supporter experiences.
- Lead culture change within Supporter Care, embedding shared purpose and understanding of its impact on retention and income growth.
- Shape future team structure and capability to support long-term growth.
Stakeholder and Supplier Management
- Lead strategic supplier relationships across media, creative, F2F, print, and fulfilment.
- Build strong internal relationships with Brand, Digital, Tech, Finance, Data, and Wishgranting teams.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to deliver integrated, insight-led supporter journeys.
- Work with the Head of Brand & Comms to ensure fundraising communications reflect the brand and engage audiences.
- Represent Public Fundraising at XLT, contributing to cross-charity strategy and project delivery.
- Act as an internal ambassador for supporters, using feedback to shape propositions and operations.
Data, Insight and Innovation
- Partner with Data & Impact to develop insight tools and performance dashboards.
- Oversee segmentation, journey mapping, and predictive analytics to inform planning.
- Lead the innovation pipeline within Public Fundraising, identifying and scaling new product opportunities.
- Monitor market trends and competitor activity to ensure relevance and responsiveness.
- Deliver the supporter care improvement programme, embedding satisfaction and service level measurement.
Reading, England, United Kingdom – 1 day ago
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Head of Public Fundraising (Maternity Cover) employer: Make-A-Wish UK
Contact Detail:
Make-A-Wish UK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Public Fundraising (Maternity Cover)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the charity sector, especially those who have experience in fundraising. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Make-A-Wish UK and its fundraising strategies. Show us you’re passionate about our mission and have ideas on how to enhance supporter engagement and income growth.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to discuss your vision for public fundraising and how you can lead a team to achieve ambitious goals. Confidence is key, so rehearse with a friend or in front of the mirror.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team at Make-A-Wish UK.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Public Fundraising (Maternity Cover)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight how your experience aligns with the Head of Public Fundraising role. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Show Your Passion: We want to see your enthusiasm for our mission! Share why you're passionate about fundraising and how you can contribute to granting life-changing wishes for children. A personal touch goes a long way!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read through your achievements and skills. We appreciate clarity!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our careers page! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity.
How to prepare for a job interview at Make-A-Wish UK
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Make-A-Wish UK's mission and values. Understand their fundraising strategies and how they align with your vision. This will not only show your passion but also help you articulate how you can contribute to their goals.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Public Fundraising, you'll be leading a team. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past, focusing on fostering a supportive culture and driving performance. Be ready to discuss how you would approach team dynamics and development.
✨Bring Data to the Table
Since this role involves strategic planning and performance reporting, come prepared with insights from your previous experiences. Discuss how you've used data to inform fundraising strategies and improve supporter engagement. Highlight any innovative approaches you've taken.
✨Ask Thoughtful Questions
Interviews are a two-way street! Prepare insightful questions about their current fundraising initiatives, challenges they face, and how they envision the future of public fundraising at Make-A-Wish UK. This shows your genuine interest and strategic thinking.
