Vacancies

Job Number: 2546

Job Title: Head of Fundraising – Major Gifts
Charity: Leicester Hospitals Charity
Salary Range: £55,690 – £62,682 (Band 8a NHS AfC)
Location: Leicester Hospitals. Hybrid working available. Min requirement to be able to travel to Leicester twice per minth.

Deadline for applications: 9th January 2026

About us

Leicester Hospitals Charity is here to make a real and lasting difference for patients, families and staff across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. As the official charity for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust we help fund projects that improve patient experience, support staff wellbeing and enhance the environments within our three hospitals and seven community sites. We focus on what matters most for our community and align with the Trusts strategic priorities. From transforming clinical spaces, supporting pioneering research and innovation, to the small but impactful projects that seek to improve comfort and bring a smile, our aim is simple: to help our hospitals go further for the people who rely on them every day.

About the role

Leicester Hospitals Charity is looking for an experienced and ambitious Head of Fundraising -Major Gifts to take their charity fundraising to new heights.

The Charity is about to launch their new strategic plan, and this will be a pivotal role to ensure long term success and growth.

This role will bring highly valued senior major gift fundraising experience to the Charity and support the team in growing this important area of philanthropy.

You will be a key member of the team building long term mutually beneficial relationships between Leicester Hospitals Charity and the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) with existing and potential major supporters across Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland and beyond.

You will have extensive experience of major donor fundraising and possess excellent communication and networking skills with the ability to identify influential contacts, both internally and externally. With excellent people skills, the post holder will be able to build strong relationships with current donors and where needed re-engage lapsed supporters and build trust in the new charity strategy. The successful candidate will be able to use their powers of persuasion to convey complex messages through written proposals and face to face meetings. Experience of building and maintaining strong relationships with donors is essential.

Key responsibilities

Fundraising:

• In consultation with the Charity Directors develop and implement a new Major Gifts strategy and roadmap that significantly evolves Major Giving. This would include agreed targets, ambitious KPIs and plans to realise the charity’s ambition to secure six-seven figure gifts from new and existing supporters over the next 3-5 years to be reviewed on a regular basis.
• Identify, manage and cultivate a portfolio of prospects both individuals and trusts/foundations, working with colleagues across the Charity and the Trust to identify new prospects alongside managing current donor relationships.
• Proactively conduct face-to-face major gift cultivation and solicitations with HNWIs and Trusts.
• Create proposals and develop fundraising projects that align donors with the Trust and Charity’s strategy.
• Work with colleagues to establish processes for identifying new prospective major donors who may interact with the charity through different streams (i.e. corporate, individual giving, legacy, in memoriam).
• Collaborate across research, clinical areas and charity operations to create compelling cases for support and impact reporting.
• Managing stewardship activity across the individual donor journey.
• Be accountable for major gift activity against charity targets, demonstrating plans to meet goals, mitigating risk and highlighting challenges in good time to the senior team and the Corporate Trustee.
• Provide regular monthly reports about grants and major donor fundraising activity, performance and cultivation events.
• To lead by example as a front-line fundraiser and provide coaching and guidance to leadership on how they can best support major gift fundraising and crucially prospect cultivation and stewardship.

Communications:

• Proactively engage with and maintain excellent working relationships across University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trusts (particularly with senior clinicians and leaders).
• Communicate complex and sensitive analytical and statistical information.
• Develop sophisticated communications suitable for High-Net Worth individuals as well as Trusts and Foundations to communicate potentially complex projects or appeals.
• Utilise high-level negotiation, influencing and relationship building skills with both internal staff/senior leaders and clinicians and external stakeholders to the benefit of the charity.
• Ensure Major Gift and Trust/Foundation communications are compliant with relevant privacy legislation.
• Oversee communications activity relating to individual donor stewardship journey.
• Act as a fundraising spokesperson for the Charity in media relations, and with relevant external bodies.
• Deputise for your line manager where needed in relation to media relations and signing off comms materials.
• Ensure that funders (Individuals and Trusts) receive accurate, timely impact reports on the use of their donations and to ensure regular stage payments where appropriate.
• Attend a range of events including conferences, external meetings, seminars and presentations that will inspire audiences to engage with the charity, representing the Charity at a senior level with different stakeholders.

Budget:

• Budget holder and manager for the non-pay budget, circa £50,000 in year 1.
• Directly accountable for an annual fundraising target (after 24 months in post) to be agreed as part of the new strategy and when postholder is in place.

Policy:

• Ensure that appropriate timetables are put in place to reflect the policies of possible grant funders and that all proposals are consistent with the criteria set.
• Working with the Charity Finance Team, ensure that all cash handling, banking, donor acknowledgement and receipts are in accordance with current procedures.
• Ensure all fundraising activities are conducted appropriately and within the law; to follow accepted codes of practice as set out by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
• Maintain and develop strong knowledge of relevant legislation and best practice, including the Charities Act, GDPR and Data Protection and due diligence of accepting gifts.
• Ensure all fundraising activities, stewardship and donation handling are aligned with the Charity’s donation and fundraising policy. Contribute to updating the policy in accordance with changes in legislation and review timelines set by the Trust.

Staff:

• Work with all team colleagues, providing updates through regular team meetings, ensuring that all activities are reported and seeking necessary support when greater resources are required. Share new ideas for potential improvement or opportunities.
• Engage colleagues to deliver appreciation and cultivation events to raise the profile with major donors/prospects either on site or at prestige locations with the support of the Head of charity, Chair, Trustees and senior clinical staff.
• Provide line management for the fundraising team ensuring all aspects of performance, attendance, training and appraisal are addressed in accordance with Trust policy.
• Create a supportive organisational culture across the team in which people feel empowered and committed to high standards of care within the context of Trust’s management culture through strong leadership which aligns with the Charity strategy.

Governance:

• Adhere at all times to the Charity’s policies and procedures.
• Ensure the effective and efficient use of the charity’s resources.
• Ensure effective due diligence is undertaken to protect the Charity and NHS Trust from reputational risk.
• Provide reports for the Charitable Funds Committee as needed for governance purposes.
• As part of the Senior Leadership Team in the charity, this role is responsible for reporting to the Acting Head of Charity/Charity Director any activity they uncover that may put the Charity and/or Trust at risk.

For a copy of the full job information pack including the full sperson spec and details on how to apply, please contact us using the form on this page.