Director of Principal Gifts

Director of Principal Gifts

Hope and Homes for Children

Flexible Location

Location: Flexible. Applicants must have the right to work in the country in which they would be based
Location type: Home/office based, with significant travel
Reporting to: Director of Global Marketing Communications and Fundraising
Annual salary: Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
Contract type: Permanent
Working hours: 37.5 hours per week (4 days a week will be considered)
Candidate level: Director

Background

Since 1994, Hope and Homes for Children has been working to stop the institutionalisation of children. We’re 240 people, in ten countries, inspiring organisations, including the UN, EU and governments around the world, to close the doors of orphanages forever. Instead, we fight for every child to feel the love and belonging of a safe family home.

As challenges get tougher, we work harder – with children, for children. Our care reform specialists set up community-based family support services. Our policy experts promote stronger child protection laws. And our skilled social workers work directly with children to keep families together, to reunite them, and to nurture new ones. Through national reform, we inspire global action.

And we’ll continue. Transforming the system. Consigning orphanages to history. Until every child, everywhere, has the chance to thrive in a strong, supported family. Because children deserve better.

Purpose of role

Working closely with the Board of Trustees, the CEO and Global Director of Marketing Communications and Fundraising, the Director of Principal Gifts will enable Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) to establish and maintain relationships with high-net-worth-individuals (HNWI) and ultra-high-net-worth-individuals (UHNWI) and some of the country's largest philanthropic institutions, building on our existing 30-year pedigree and our status as the premier thought leader in our field, securing average investments of £5M to £10M GBP through multi-year commitments.

This is an ideal opportunity for a skilled and agile relationship builder who understands the potential of philanthropy to positively impact people's lives, particularly children. Approaching the role with an entrepreneurial mindset, the Director of Principal Gift’s overarching responsibility is to identify and promote high level philanthropic impact investment by donor partners in the childcare environment in order to advance the mission.

Together with the Board of Trustees, our CEO, and the Global Director, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising (GDMCF), this individual will work with all stakeholders, both inside and outside the organisation to build a culture of high level philanthropy that goes beyond transactional fundraising to build lasting, fruitful relationships rooted in a shared vision to reform the way the world cares for children in crisis. The post holder will work with the Global Director, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising to develop and execute a serious and comprehensive fundraising program that offers a range of philanthropic opportunities that align with individual, corporate, and foundation interests.

Key accountabilities

The essential functions of the role include, but are not limited to, the following:

Delivering high value fundraising:

• Work at the highest levels of engagement to develop investment-level-interest in HHC from UHNWIs across the globe;
• Lead innovative and data-driven giving solutions, positioning HHC as the visionary, market-leader and thought-leader, with donors, philanthropic organisations, and the wider, child- care focused community;
• Create, facilitate, and regularly monitor the performance of a fund development plan that specifies goals and objectives using moves management, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for annual, major, and planned giving, foundation, corporate grants, timelines, action items and assignments;
• Drive new growth opportunities. Identify, prioritise, develop, and launch new products, services, and business models that elevate the donor and volunteer experience;
• Integrate and adapt technological platforms and create strategies to improve the donor experience;
• Build mission-centric relationships with philanthropists, successfully soliciting principal gifts and creating data-driven strategies that inspire and engage donors;
• Guide, coach, and counsel the CEO, GDMCF and others in managing their portfolio of donors to ensure personalised cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies are in place, managed, and implemented;
• Engage and facilitate the Board of Directors' participation in fund development;
• Ensure donor segmentation models inform fundraising plans, prospective donors and partners are measured against those models, and efforts prioritise achieving a well-balanced donor portfolio and roadmap;
• Inspire UHNWIs to support HHC and create an aligned investment opportunity;
• Understand and contribute to the product development process, assess donor's interests, and accurately convey them to a cross-functional team;
• Provide strategic leadership for volunteer committees;
• Embody and consistently reinforce HHC Values;
• Develop, refine, and facilitate process improvements, increase efficiencies, and achieve goals and objectives.

Compliance and representation:

• Ensure all solicitation and acquisition activity is compliant with sector regulations and fundraising policies in each territory, following best practice across all channels;
• Represent and act as advocate for HHC at relevant forums and organisations and, ensure the organisation’s values and aims are effectively communicated and represented.

Key external contacts:

• Ultra-high value philanthropic donors, prospects, decision-makers and their networks (including influencers and celebrities) in the UK and globally;
• High level senior volunteers who are able to make peer to peer introductions to ultra-high-net-worth individuals and corporate prospects.

Person specification

Essential qualifications and experience:

• Proven ability to successfully identify, cultivate, solicit, secure and steward major donors and corporations at the high six and seven-figure levels, in multi-year partnerships;
• Significant experience of impactful leadership in fundraising, including major giving and corporate relations/giving;
• Proven experience successfully inspiring HNWI and major foundations to financial leadership;
• Experience advising and coaching senior leaders in optimising their donor portfolio performance;
• Demonstrated ability and experience building on an existing development program, including foundations and individual philanthropy;
• Experience leading innovative and data-driven giving solutions;
• Bachelor’s degree level qualification in a relevant area e.g. public relations, communications, or business. (Desirable).

Essential knowledge:

• Thorough understanding of the motivations and decision-making processes driving UHNWI and/or corporate giving;
• Extensive knowledge of the philanthropy and/or corporate fundraising environment;
• Knowledge of legislative and best practice requirements for fundraising;
• Knowledge of child protection issues. (Desirable);
• An awareness of our cause as a moral crusade. (Desirable);
• An understanding of international development and human rights issues. (Desirable).

Essential abilities and skills:

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication, proposal and presentation abilities;
• Excellent organisational and time management skills;
• Flexible to changes, able to work independently, and have strong problem-solving skills;
• Demonstrated ability to establish strong working relationships with multiple constituents, including high-level volunteers and Board members;
• Able to form effective relationships with people from a variety of diverse cultural backgrounds;
• Ability to travel regularly as needed to attend meetings and events in the UK or internationally.

Terms and conditions

Our holiday entitlement:

• 27 days annual leave increasing by 1 day for each completed year of service, up to a maximum of 30 days.

Our benefits:

• Hope and Homes for Children contributes 6% to its chosen workplace pension scheme when an employee contributes 4%;
• Generous flexible and home working practices;
• Employee Assistance Programme;
• Enhanced sick pay, maternity and paternity pay;
• Modern UK office locations in both London and Salisbury.

To apply for the post

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV/resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in the role and how you fulfil the requirements set out in the job announcement by clicking on the Apply Now button.

If you have any questions about the role or organisation, please contact Zoe Oldham at zoeoldham@darylupsall.com for any queries you may have. An applicant’s pack is available on request.

The deadline for applications is Monday, 23^rd June 2025 by 9 AM CET

Daryl Upsall International actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. In recruiting candidates, we seek candidates with the proven skills required; irrespective of race, gender, religion or belief, age, disability or sexual orientation.

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