Senior Philanthropy Manager (Events)

Job Summary

The salary for this permanent, full time role is circa £50,000 per annum

We are sector leading with our heritage, connections, and relationships. Our friends are superbly connected and ready to use their networks to help us. With a talented, hard-working team, we deliver amazing, creative and innovative fundraising events that have a huge capacity to inspire people.

We are looking for a strategic and relationship-driven Senior Philanthropy Manager (Events) to join our growing Philanthropy team. This role is pivotal in cultivating and deepening relationships with War Child’s philanthropic supporters, through the power of our high-value events.

Working in a fast-paced environment, you’ll bring deep expertise in the strategic role high-value events have for a philanthropic audience. With exceptional interpersonal skills, and a strong understanding of major donor fundraising you'll provide strategic input into the planning and donor experience of our high-value philanthropic events, ensuring these moments strengthen relationships and inspire giving.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and experienced events fundraiser who has previous experience of working in a high-value team, with a passion for international development. You’ll join a high-performing, values-driven team at a time of exciting growth. You will shape the future of our high-value events programme and work closely with inspiring supporters, this role offers both influence and impact.

If you share our values and believe that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war, we want to hear from you.

Your Role

As Senior Philanthropy Manager (Events), you will lead War Child’s high-value events programme, engaging high-net-worth supporters and Global Ambassadors to maximise income from major donors. You will focus on shaping and delivering the donor engagement strategy for high-value events, working collaboratively with colleagues to maximise fundraising impact. You will partner closely with the Ambassador & Advocate Manager, who is responsible for operational planning and delivery of events across War Child.

This role requires a strategic thinker who is comfortable building trusted relationships with high-net-worth individuals, C-Suite level executives, philanthropists and senior event volunteers and advisors, managing multiple priorities, and operating confidently in a high-profile environment.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead the development of the philanthropy team’s high-value events portfolio, ensuring events are strategically designed to support cultivation and stewardship goals, including those hosted by Global Ambassadors.
• Advise the Head of Philanthropy on the development of War Child’s high-value events strategy, identifying opportunities to enhance impact and income.
• Work closely with the Head of Philanthropy and Philanthropy Lead to deliver income targets, contributing to wider team strategy and planning.
• Act as the team’s subject matter expert on high-value events, setting clear objectives and KPIs to measure success over time.
• Build and manage relationships with high-net-worth individuals involved in events, including event committees and advisory boards. Identify and progress prospects to develop long term, high-value relationships, progressing event attendees through the major donor pipeline.
• Represent the team at events, building relationships, identifying new opportunities, and ensuring a high-quality donor experience.
• Use Salesforce to provide donor insights and guidance on high value events, including guest list management, briefings evaluations, and development of data dashboards to inform future event strategy track attendee journeys, and assess long-term value.
• Working closely with the Research & Insights Manager, to produce high-quality, post event evaluations using an insights led approach to continuously improve philanthropic events.
• Ensure philanthropy messaging and donor experience at events reflect War Child’s values and impact.
• Collaborate across War Child UK and the War Child Alliance building strong internal working relationships that benefit the high-value events strategy.
• Engage senior leadership, trustees and key external stakeholders in high-value events where appropriate, providing briefings and strategic advice to maximise their effectiveness.
• Represent the Philanthropy function in cross-organisational projects, helping to shape strategic initiatives that strengthen philanthropic engagement and provide inspirational departmental leadership.
• Provide first-rate line management to the Philanthropy Assistant, modelling excellence in management that will result in line reports thriving in their role, with high standards of performance and behaviour.
• Monitor progress against income targets and contribute to accurate forecasting, reporting and budget planning.
• Contribute to organisational learning by capturing insights from event attendee interactions, staying up to date on sector trends and proactively identifying new opportunities.
• Champion best practice in fundraising, data protection, and donor care, ensuring compliance and ethical standards at all times.
• Always maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current activities of War Child and be an advocate of the War Child brand.
• Responsible for creating a culture committed to the safeguarding of children, and adults and compliant to War Child’s Safeguarding and PSEAH (Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse & Harassment) policies.
• We are committed to building an inclusive and equitable workplace. All staff are expected to actively contribute to this by embedding principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into their day-to-day work, decision-making, and interactions with colleagues, partners, and supporters.

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the role.

 

You Are

• Confident, engaging high value events specialist and fundraiser with exceptional networking and interpersonal skills (for both internal and external audiences) who can inspire high net worth and high-profile individuals to support War Child’s mission
• Significant experience in a similar special events/high value events role, with a specialist knowledge of high net worth major donor fundraising ideally within an international development or humanitarian NGO so you can present War Child’s work with authority.
• Experience advising on and optimising high-value supporter engagement at events, with a strategic understanding of how to deepen relationships through tailored experiences and be confident working alongside high profile individuals and Ambassadors who support our events
• Able to work independently in a target led environment with a proven track record of delivering successful high value fundraising events that achieve results, delivering against targets (including securing six-figure targets) and income growth.
• Able to understand and clearly articulate international development issues and trends including War Child’s vision, mission and values and present War Child’s work with authority.
• Organised and able to plan and prioritise to meet multiple deadlines in a fast paced environment.
• Flexible and committed to supporting high-profile donor engagement, including attendance at events in the evenings or on occasional weekends, as part of delivering a sector-leading fundraising programme.
• Experience in line management is desirable but not essential.
• Up to date knowledge of fundraising regulation, compliance and GDPR, and its implications for fundraising policy and practise. Experience of using a CRM database, such as Salesforce.
• An excellent communicator, confident in managing relationships at all levels, influencing and negotiating as well as writing compelling formal and informal communications.
• Strong experience of project leadership and organisation including critically evaluating activities to achieve strategic priorities and maximise their effectiveness.

About Us

At War Child we are driven by a single goal – ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war.

Using our 30 years of experience and proven methodologies, we aim to reach children as quickly as possible when conflict breaks out and stay long after the cameras have gone to support them through their recovery. We work with local communities and governments to help protect and educate children, and support them to heal and learn, for a safer, brighter future.

We understand children’s needs, respect and stand up for their rights, and put them at the centre of everything we do – because one child caught up in conflict is one child too many.

Every day, our local teams are in communities and in refugee camps creating safe spaces for children to play, learn and access psychological support, and we specialise in responding rapidly to emergency crisis situations to deliver immediate and critical care impartially to help to those who need us most, when they need us most.

Because no child should be part of war. Ever.

Our Values

• Bold:We use our passion and creativity to deliver high quality evidence-based work designed to maximise our beneficial impact for children in conflict.
• Accountable to children:Children can rely on us to respond to their voices and to treat them with respect and dignity.
• Anti-racism:Anti-racism is not merely a belief. It includes actions that we mainstream throughout our work to change and challenge policies and behaviours that perpetuate racism.
• Transparent:We expect to be held to account by our supporters and participants and we respond with openness and honesty.
• Supportive of each other:We support each other to achieve ambitious goals and be the best we can be. We are honest and open, sharing our successes & confronting our challenges.

Our Benefits

• Flexible working- we recognise the considerable benefits that flexible working can bring and are happy to discuss any possible flexible working options with our employees from hiring. For most roles, the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, occasional working from home and compressed hours.
• Annual leave– 28 days per year (full-time) rising to 33 days with service, plus bank holidays
• Pension- all eligible employees automatically enrolled into a Group Personal Pension Plan with a 5% employer contribution, with minimum employee contribution on a salary sacrifice basis. This increases to 6% after one year's service.
• Family leave– we offer enhanced Maternity, Partner/Co-Parent/Paternity Leave, Adoption & Shared Parental Leave
• Health & wellbeing- employees may take advantage of a healthcare cash plan and a range of wellbeing initiatives and training. In addition, all employees have access to free, confidential one-to-one wellbeing consultations with trained counsellors.
• Learning & development- dedicated to the investment in learning and continuing professional development for all our employees
• Workplace Nursery Benefit– employees make tax and NI savings on nursery costs for children up to the age of 5
• Flexible public holidays- up to two standard UK public holidays can be exchanged for those that have cultural or religious significance.
• Voluntary contributions can be made through payroll allowing employees to claim back on a range of cancer treatments.Cancer Cover:
• GP 24/7 Helpline:A GP helpline is be available to all UK employees providing access to a qualified GP, 24/7 via a telephone or webcam consultation, and offers diagnosis, advice and reassurance on a range of medical matters, as well as authorisation of private electronic prescriptions.
• Welcome Bag for new starters:A War Child Tote bag, War Child T-shirt and some other practical things to welcome new colleagues to War Child.
• Discounts on War Child Merchandise: 25% discount on full price War Child merchandise, available to all employees, sold through Everpress.
• Range of flexible benefits such a Cycle to Work scheme and season ticket loans.

Flexible Working

We positively support flexible working arrangements. These currently include: office working, homeworking, part-time hours, compressed hours, flexi-time, flexi-place (hybrid working) and job shares. We would be happy to discuss individual flexible working requests during the interview process.

How to Apply

• To apply, simply submit an application through our Current Vacancies page and attach a copy of your CV.
• On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible.
• If you have any questions about reasonable adjustments before or during your application, we welcome the opportunity to talk about what we can do to fairly adapt our process for you. Please share what you’re comfortable with to help us put the right support in place, by emailing careers@warchild.org.uk. Anything you tell us will be kept completely confidential by our HR team.
• We are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. In order to apply, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the country where this role is based.

Safeguarding

Our work with children and at-risk adults to ensure their safety is our top priority. We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in all aspects of our work. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior or practices that put children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse or harm.

Successful applicants will be required to comply with and sign our Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and PSEAH Policy. You can find the Safeguarding and Integrity policies here:https://warchild.sharepoint.com/sites/Integrity

Diversity and Inclusion

We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to ensuring that all our people and job applicants are treated fairly, irrespective of where, what or whom they were born, or of other characteristics. We want to offer a safe and inclusive workplace where all our people, especially those who are currently marginalised or underrepresented, can be themselves at work. You can read our Diversity and Inclusion policy on our website, and if you have any questions about our commitment to diversity and inclusion do get in touch: https://www.warchild.org.uk/our-work/policies-and-reports/diversity-and-inclusion

Pre-employment Checks

Employment with War Child will be subject to the following checks prior to your start date:

• a satisfactory police record check to include a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and/or an International/National Criminal Record Check
• a clear vetting and Due Diligence check
• receipt of two professional satisfactory references