Term: Fixed Term - 2 years, with scope to extend
Hours: 1.0 FTE, 37.5 hours per week with the opportunity for flexible working hours.
Salary: £80,000
Location: Hybrid; minimum two days per week in the London office.
Department: Fundraising
Reporting to: Chief Growth Officer
Managing: Front-line fundraising staff, including the Senior Manager of Corporates, a part-time U.S. Philanthropy Lead, and future roles as they are defined.
About the role
Mission 44 is at an exciting inflection point—we’re growing, evolving, and expanding our global impact. As our Director of Philanthropic Partnerships, you’ll be at the forefront of driving our revenue, leading a dynamic front-line fundraising team, and crafting innovative strategies to secure the resources that power our mission. While this role will have a particular focus on expanding our UK donor portfolio, the ideal candidate will come with experience working with global audiences.
This is a dynamic position suited to a strategic doer: someone who builds systems, drives outcomes, and leads by rolling up their sleeves. You’ll wear multiple hats - major gift strategist, relationship-builder, data-driven decision-maker, and team leader. You’ll personally manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, while also overseeing our growing UK trusts and foundations portfolio. And because we’re a fast-moving, ambitious organisation, you’ll have the opportunity to shape our fundraising approach, experiment with new ideas, and play a key role in advancing Mission 44’s global vision.
You also won’t do this alone. You’ll work closely with senior leadership and key partners to create a fundraising strategy that’s not only sustainable but truly game-changing. If you’re excited about making an impact, driving innovation, and rolling up your sleeves in a collaborative, mission-driven environment—this role is for you.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising Strategy & Leadership
1) Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing front-line fundraising team, fostering collaboration and efficiency across Mission 44 and the broader ecosystem.
2) Represent Mission 44 at high-profile external meetings and events (particularly in the UK), positioning the organisation as a leading force in youth empowerment, education, and employment.
3) Support the development and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy that leverages high-net-worth individuals, trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, and other revenue sources to grow a sustainable funding base.
Personal Portfolio & Pipeline Management
1) Work with the wider fundraising team to identify, map and develop a pipeline of potential supporters across high-value income streams with a focus on delivering against the long term strategy for growth.
2) Personally cultivate and manage a UK focused, but potentially global portfolio of 25-30 high-net-worth donors, developing individualised strategies to secure major gifts and multi-year commitments.
3) Oversee and grow the trusts and foundations portfolio, identifying and securing relevant funding opportunities in the UK.
Donor Cultivation & Stewardship
1) Oversee the development and execution of tailored cultivation and stewardship plans for various donor segments, ensuring long-term engagement and retention.
2) Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective donors, ensuring they are actively engaged in and inspired by Mission 44’s work.
3) Develop initiatives to deepen donor involvement beyond financial contributions, including volunteering and advisory opportunities.
4) Lead the strategy and execution of Mission 44’s donor communities and new ideas to attract and retain donors.
5) Work with the Impact and communications teams to refine and continuously evolve Mission 44’s case for support, ensuring donors understand the role and impact of their investment.
6) Work closely with the Head of Engagement and Events to implement stewardship and cultivation initiatives, strategically leveraging year-round events for donors, and plans to ensure donors feel valued and appreciated.
Data-Driven Insights & Reporting
1) Monitor and evaluate fundraising performance, leveraging data insights to inform strategy and optimise results.
2) Produce and present insightful fundraising reports, forecasts, and analysis to senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.
3) Continuously assess and refine fundraising activities, ensuring they align with best practices and organisational goals.
4) Collaborate with Finance and Events to ensure accurate forecasting, budget management, and compliance with reporting requirements.
5) Implement and refine operational systems and moves management processes to optimise fundraising efficiencies and effectiveness.
Personal Qualities
At Mission 44, we believe that success comes not just from expertise but from the right mindset, approach, and values. We’ve carefully considered the qualities that will enable someone to thrive in this role and contribute meaningfully to our fundraising efforts. The bullets below reflect the attributes of a leader who will help make our team more strategic, effective, and enjoyable. Please consider these thoughtfully when applying.
1) Passionate About Young People: You are deeply committed to Mission 44’s vision of creating a fairer, more inclusive future for young people. Your passion and previous experiences allow you to be effective as a front-line fundraiser.
2) A Global Fundraiser: You have a proven track record in securing major gifts from high net worth donors globally and building long-term donor relationships. You understand the nuances of high-value fundraising and can create compelling cases for support.
3) Remote-Savvy: You excel at building trust and relationships across different time zones and remote settings. Given that the Chief Growth Officer is based outside of London, you are comfortable with flexible scheduling to accommodate global meetings and playing a key leadership role in the London office.
4) A Team Leader & Motivator: You have experience managing and mentoring fundraising professionals, fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture that drives results.
5) Data-Driven & Analytical: You use data to inform decisions, track performance, and optimise fundraising strategies. You’re comfortable presenting insights to leadership and pro-actively think about the right data-sets to inform decisions.
6) An Excellent Communicator: You are skilled at building relationships, engaging stakeholders, and inspiring donors, whether in-person or remotely.
7) Flexible & Adaptable: Mission 44 is a fast-moving, ambitious organisation. You thrive in an environment of rapid change, adjusting priorities and problem-solving as needed.
8) Detail-Oriented & Organised: You have exceptional project management skills, ensuring that fundraising efforts are executed flawlessly and efficiently.
Knowledge and Desirable Experience
1) At least 8-10 years working in nonprofit fundraising, business development, sales, startups, marketing, or new product development/management.
2) Demonstrated success in securing diverse revenue streams for organisations with budgets of £10M+.
3) Proven track record of designing, pitching, and closing £100,000+ gifts from high net worth individuals and UK trusts & foundations
4) On the ground experience and perspective on under-resourced communities, school and workforce systems to authentically and respectfully raise funding and communicate program participants’ stories.
5) Strong track record of effectively managing, leading, and inspiring a high-performing fundraising team in a hybrid/remote environment.
6) Deep understanding of the sales cycle, fundraising strategies, systems, and processes.
7) Strong emotional intelligence and the ability to engage authentically with diverse stakeholders.
8) Solutions-oriented, with a proven record of problem-solving complex and high-stakes external partnerships.
9) Financial acumen and understanding of nonprofit finances.
10) Highly organised, with strong prioritisation skills and the ability to balance short-term needs with long-term strategy
11) Knowledge of philanthropy, grant-making and HNW landscape including philanthropic motivations of individuals, companies and foundations, and the relevant giving mechanisms and strategies they deploy.
To apply, please submit an anonymised CV and a memo answering three questions (remove any identifying details such as name, address, photos). Your submission should answer the following three questions (max 350 words per question):
1) What excites you most about our mission and what makes you a great fit for this role in line with our values and the criteria outlined in this job description?
2) Describe a time you designed and led a successful fundraising or sales strategy that resulted in revenue growth. What were the key components of your approach, and how did you align your team / stakeholders to deliver results?
3) Give an example of how you cultivated a relationship with a high-net-worth individual or foundation that led to a major gift or long-term commitment. What was your process for identifying, engaging, and stewarding this donor?
The deadline for applications is 9am BST 18th June.
Protecting your personal data is of the utmost importance to Perrett Laver and we take this responsibility very seriously. Any information obtained by our trading divisions is held and processed in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation. The data you provide us with is securely stored on our computerised database and transferred to our clients for the purposes of presenting you as a candidate and/or considering your suitability for a role you have registered interest in. As defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Perrett Laver is a Data Controller and a Data Processor, and our legal basis for processing your personal data is ‘Legitimate Interests’. You have the right to object to us processing your data in this way. For more information about this, your rights, and our approach to Data Protection and Privacy, please visit our website: http://www.perrettlaver.com/information/privacy/
Accessibility Statement
For a conversation in confidence, please contact George Hourmouzios on George.Hourmouzios@perrettlaver.com
Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, please contact Chloe Smith, Project Manager on chloe.smith@perrettlaver.com
If you have comments that would support us to improve access to documentation, or our application processes more generally, please do not hesitate to contact us via accessibility@perrettlaver.com
