Philanthropy Manager

Do you have an entrepreneurial approach and a proven record of securing major gifts from philanthropic individuals? Would you like the opportunity to be part of something truly impactful, helping to grow our reach and deepen our relationships with donors to deliver meaningful impact on the lives of people affected by dementia?

We are recruiting for a Philanthropy Manager (Major Donors) to join on a full-time basis, working 35 hours per week on a permanent contract.

This is a home-based role, though you will be required to travel to attend donor meetings and some team-based meetings and training, so you must reside in the UK, have the correct right to work documents to work in the UK and able to travel to our London flagship office when required.

This is a hugely exciting time to work for the UK’s leading dementia charity. The Major Donor team is growing fast, doubling their income target last year to fund even more critical dementia support services and research. As Philanthropy Manager you will help us to reach our goal of securing £5+ million a year from Major Donors by 2027.

At the heart of our ambition is forging powerful partnerships with philanthropic supporters across all communities and regions. As part of our team, you’ll help unlock funding for a pipeline of groundbreaking research and transformational projects that are set to change lives. From pioneering clinical trials and cutting-edge scientific discoveries to tackling health inequalities and delivering vital, on-the-ground support for people affected by dementia—our work is bold, far-reaching, and deeply needed. This is a unique opportunity to be part of something truly impactful, helping to grow our reach and deepen our relationships with donors who share our vision for a better future.

In this role, you will work with the Major Donor Lead to forge new relationships, grow our prospect pipeline and build connections with sector specialists (such as wealth managers). We are committed to ensuring our work reaches and reflects every community. We are especially keen to deepen our engagement with South Asian communities, where we have dedicated support programmes and a growing base of supporters. This role will give you the chance to deliver meaningful impact on the lives of people affected by dementia

Interviews for this role have been provisionally scheduled to take place on Tuesday 9^th and Wednesday 10^th September.

About you

Joining us, you will have a proven record of securing major gifts from philanthropic individuals. You will have an entrepreneurial approach and be able to demonstrate how you have secured new opportunities and built lasting relationships and long-term income.   

You will be a confident and engaging communicator, adept at collaborating with stakeholders internally and externally. You must understand the motivations of social impact investing for supporters and be curious and highly motivated about ending the devastation caused by dementia.

This role provides a great opportunity for an established fundraiser to grow our pipeline, an area that we know has huge potential for growth. You will get the opportunity to work on a variety of interesting and vital programmes of work that provide help and hope for everyone affected by dementia. 

You will have either be able to build or have pre-existing (personal or professional) links to South Asian communities. You will be able to develop a cultural insight, or experience working within these networks, you will play a vital role in helping us build trust, broaden our reach, and connect new prospects to the Society’s ambitious vision.

What you’ll focus on:

• Forging close relationships with philanthropists, with a focus on engaging the South Asian community with our work.
• Managing a portfolio of donors, to provide our supporters with best in sector stewardship.
• Building networks with philanthropic ‘intermediaries’, such as private wealth managers and family offices.
• Cross-team working with our Insurance United Against Dementia and Sport United Against Dementia development boards, to grow our philanthropic networks.

Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer’s Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a DBS check at the relevant level.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it’s like to be an employee at the Society.