Philanthropy Manager, Individual Giving and Legacies

£40,000 per annum (Job band 5)

Full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, has a pioneering spirit and a style of its own. Creative and intellectually bold, it offers a contemporary interpretation of the ancient traditions of collegiate life and learning. Our beautiful mid 20th century campus is also home to The Women’s Art Collection, the largest public collection of art by women in Europe.

As the College prepares for its first major fundraising campaign, this new role is an exciting opportunity for an individual giving and legacy specialist to join an ambitious team at a moment of real momentum and institutional growth. As Philanthropy Manager, Individual Giving and Legacies, you will lead the development and delivery of the College’s individual giving and legacy programmes, creating compelling propositions and an inspiring legacy offer to engage our global community of more than 7,000 alumnae and supporters. You will develop the 1954 Society as the College’s legacy recognition and stewardship community, designed to sit at the heart of the legacy programme and provide a meaningful, enduring way for supporters to be connected with and celebrated by the College.

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter to hr@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk by midnight on Monday, 20 July. Your cover letter and CV should be no more than two pages each.

Shortlisting will take place shortly after the closing date, with interviews being held on Tuesday, 28 July. If you are not available on these dates, please let us know in your application email.

Job Description

Job title: Philanthropy Manager, Individual Giving and Legacies Department: Development and Alumnae Relations Office Location: Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge. Hybrid working is available for this role: requests are made according to our Hybrid Working Policy Purpose of role: To grow philanthropic support for the strategic priorities of the College by developing and delivering individual giving and legacy fundraising programmes, managing a portfolio of donors and prospects, and fostering long-term engagement through effective stewardship and donor communications. Line manager: Head of Philanthropy Salary Band: 5 Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Overview of the role

Founded in 1954 to create greater opportunities for women to study at Cambridge, Murray Edwards is now home to more than 600 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a global network of over 7,000 alumnae. Renowned for its supportive and pioneering ethos, the College is home to The Women's Art Collection, the largest collection of modern and contemporary art by women in Europe. As the College looks towards its first major fundraising campaign, the new role of Philanthropy Manager, Individual Giving and Legacies, offers an exciting opportunity to help shape a new generation of philanthropic support and build the College’s endowment.

Working closely with the Head of Philanthropy and wider Development and Alumnae Relations (DARO), the postholder will lead the planning and delivery of annual fundraising appeals, regular giving campaigns and donor engagement initiatives. Drawing on data, insight and creativity, they will broaden participation, deepen supporter engagement and encourage lifelong relationships with the College. A particular focus will be the implementation of the College's new legacy strategy. Building on the strong affinity many alumnae and supporters feel for Murray Edwards, the postholder will create and deliver a compelling legacy programme that celebrates the College's distinctive mission and inspires supporters to invest in its future through gifts in their Wills. Central to this will be establishing and developing The 1954 Society, creating a meaningful and engaging community through which legacy supporters can be recognised and thanked.

The postholder will have experience and a good understanding of individual giving and legacy programmes and mechanisms and the ability to build strong personal relationships with colleagues, donors and prospects. They will be able to identify opportunities to develop support over time and ensure donors understand the impact of their giving and help create a seamless supporter experience to strengthen the pipeline of future donors for the College.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Individual Giving and Legacy Fundraising 

• Lead the planning and delivery of the College's individual giving and legacy fundraising programmes
• Develop compelling fundraising propositions and communications that align with the College's strategic priorities and fundraising priorities.
• Plan and deliver annual fundraising appeals, regular giving campaigns, telephone campaigns, Giving Days and other donor engagement initiatives.
• Develop and implement the College's new legacy strategy, creating a compelling legacy programme that inspires alumnae and friends to support Murray Edwards’s future through gifts in their Wills.
• Establish and develop The 1954 Society as the College's legacy recognition programme, creating meaningful opportunities for engagement, stewardship and recognition.
• Monitor campaign performance and use data, insight and segmentation to improve engagement, participation, retention and donor value.
• Identify opportunities to broaden participation and increase philanthropic support from alumnae and friends of the College.

Donor Relations and Stewardship 

• Develop and manage a portfolio of individual prospects and donors, building relationships that deepen engagement and encourage long-term philanthropic support.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of legacy prospects, identifying opportunities for meaningful conversations about their intentions, and encourages pledges that are aligned to the College’s priorities, as set out in the Legacy Framework guidance.
• Create and deliver stewardship plans that demonstrate the impact of giving and ensure donors receive timely acknowledgement, recognition and reporting.
• Work closely with the Head of Philanthropy to identify opportunities to progress supporters towards increased levels of giving and, where appropriate, major gift conversations.
• Support the cultivation and stewardship of major donors through coordinated communications, events and engagement opportunities.
• Represent the College at events and meetings, acting as an ambassador for Murray Edwards and its mission.

Data Management, Collaboration and Compliance

• Maintain accurate donor records and reporting through the College's CRM system, Raiser's Edge, ensuring data quality and consistency.
• Produce regular reports on fundraising activity, income, participation and performance against agreed objectives and KPIs.
• Ensure all fundraising activity complies with relevant legislation, fundraising best practice and data protection requirements.
• Liaise with colleagues across the College and the wider University, including CUDAR and Cambridge in America, where appropriate.
• Undertake any other duties that are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the role, as requested by the Head of Philanthropy or Director of Development.

Person Specification

Essential Desirable Qualifications Educated to degree level Skills, knowledge and experience• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with the ability to write succinct, compelling and persuasive fundraising copy for a range of audiences and channels 

• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills

• Proven success in delivering individual giving and/or legacy fundraising programmes

• Experience of developing and implementing fundraising campaigns, appeals and donor communications across a range of channels

• Ability to cultivate and steward individual donors through a planned programme of engagement

• Experience of using data analysis, segmentation and insight to inform fundraising activity and improve performance

• A record of achieving fundraising targets and KPIs

• Knowledge of fundraising regulation, data protection legislation and fundraising best practice

• Marketing experience or qualification 

• Experience of working in philanthropy in Higher Education

IT skills• Experience of the systems and processes necessary to underpin successful fundraising, including managing donor and prospect relationships on a CRM 

• Proficient with MS Office and Excel

• Experience in using Raiser’s EdgePersonal attributes • Ability to influence alumnae and supporters with diplomacy: must be able to gain personal credibility and trust in order to have effective conversations on complex and/or sensitive matters such as legacies 

• The ability to manage confidential information

• Drive and ambition to pursue goals and the ability to problem-solve

• The ability to work calmly under pressure, to prioritise and to manage expectations and deadlines

• An enthusiasm for the mission and values of Murray Edwards College