Head of Philanthropy (3472)

Do you want to create a better world for animals? At the RSPCA, we believe all animals deserve kindness and respect. We work for the benefit of every animal – as well as pets, that includes farmed animals, wildlife, and animals used in science. Choose a career with us and make a difference for every kind.

We are looking for a new Head of Philanthropy to work closely with the Assistant Director of Fundraising to drive transformational growth and build the profile of major donor and trust fundraising across the RSPCA.

• Contract: Permanent
• Working hours: 35 hours- Monday to Friday. 
• Hybrid role: You will work from home and from either our London or Horsham Hub. To succeed within this role, it is essential that the post holder travels to events and key meetings on a regular basis. 

Transform the Future of Animal Welfare Through Philanthropy

Philanthropy at the RSPCA is experiencing an extraordinary moment. Over the past three years, our philanthropy income has more than doubled and we have received a historic £18 million transformational gift. Supported by an Executive Leadership Team committed to investing in major donor growth, we are positioned to redefine what is possible for animal welfare philanthropy across the UK.

We are looking for an ambitious and inspiring Head of Philanthropy to join us at this pivotal moment. Working alongside our Assistant Director of Fundraising, you will lead a talented team of nine as we embark on our next phase of growth. In this role, you will lead major strategic initiatives including an ambitious capital campaign to build a new Animal Centre in the North West, the scaling up of the Katherine Martin Circle (our new women's network), and a groundbreaking partnership with Prof. Jen Shang and the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy to embed donor psychology into our donor journeys. 

If you are a high-performing fundraising leader with natural gravitas, strategic precision, and a passion for animal welfare, this is your opportunity to lead the next phase of the RSPCA's philanthropy journey.

As Head of Philanthropy, you will:

• Take ownership of our existing philanthropy strategy, establishing clear work plans, OKRs, KPIs, and a roadmap to hit annual targets and meet our 3, 5, and 10-year income goals.
• Lead, coach and empower a high-performing Philanthropy team to work autonomously while delivering on ambitious shared income goals.
• Inspire and coordinate the involvement of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), CEO, Chair, and Trustee Board in major donor stewardship, peer-led fundraising and capital campaigns.
• Build, manage and model exceptional donor cultivation and stewardship programmes, personally driving relationships with high-value prospects and existing donors (£500k+), including the Postcode Lottery.
• Integrate philanthropy across the RSPCA by working collaboratively across the Society with our Strategy, Policy, Estates, Animal Welfare and Public Affairs teams (amongst others), to connect funding needs with our wider organisational strategy.
• Work closely with the Head of Resource Hub (whose team covers prospect research, project development, and proposal writing) and the Special Events team to ensure the philanthropy team is supported to deliver high-impact donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Maintain high standards across all aspects of major donor and trust fundraising, managing policies, mitigating risk and staying ahead of UK sector trends to bring fresh, innovative thinking into the RSPCA.

We are seeking an innovative and collaborative fundraising leader who commands natural gravitas and possesses an unyielding passion for animal welfare and philanthropy.

To succeed within this role, you will have:

• Demonstrated success securing and managing donors with capacity to give gifts of over £500k, alongside proven experience managing a team delivering ambitious income targets.
• Significant experience leading, coaching and structuring fundraising teams to achieve high performance.
• Proven track record in capital appeals or peer-led fundraising, including supporting senior influencers to make approaches.
• Expertise in developing compelling narratives that attract transformational gifts.
• A proven ability to build budgets, interpret internal performance data and translate strategy into structured, accountable work plans.

We are looking for an adaptable, forward-looking leader who thrives on turning big ideas into reality, bringing energy, optimism, and creative drive to our team alongside a deep commitment to animal welfare and philanthropy.

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK as we are unable to sponsor visas.

This will be a 2 stage interview process, with the first stage interviews taking place remotely on the 10th, 11th and 12th of November.

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. Our purpose is to inspire everyone to create a better world for animals. We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed  to our purpose.  For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family! 

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.