Job Description
About the team
The Philanthropy & Partnerships Team at Impetus is high performing, experienced and ambitious, united by a shared commitment to achieving lasting change for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We combine deep fundraising expertise, strong sector insight and a clear focus on impact, working collaboratively to build partnerships that enable Impetus and our charity partners to succeed.
We are brave and curious in our pursuit of better outcomes, open to new perspectives and supportive of taking considered risks that help us learn and improve. We set high standards for ourselves and are evidence-led and results-driven for young people, with rigour and excellent execution underpinning our work across the full fundraising cycle.
We bring high trust and high challenge, building strong relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity and respect, while creating a safe environment for constructive challenge and accountability. We thrive through diversity, valuing difference in background, experience and thought, and we always seek collaboration, knowing that we will not achieve our mission alone.
Team members are trusted with responsibility and encouraged to take ownership of their work. You will be supported by skilled, engaged colleagues and challenged to grow in a team that values learning, reflection and continuous improvement.
Why work with us?
Working at Impetus means joining an organisation that is serious about impact and serious about people. Our values actively guide how we make decisions, how we work together and how we deliver change.
In the Philanthropy & Partnerships Team, you will:
Harbi Jama,
Director of Philanthropy & Partnerships
About this role
The Philanthropy Manager will own an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors at five to six figure level and act as the day-to-day relationship manager within that portfolio.
The role plans and delivers cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activity to agreed KPIs, makes timely operational decisions within scope, and escalates risks/opportunities early.
The post holder contributes evidence and insight into team planning, supports senior colleagues on major/strategic accounts, and collaborates across teams to ensure high quality, inclusive delivery.
Key responsibilities
Essential
About Impetus
At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.
We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:
Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.
We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.
You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.
Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is .
Our Values
In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We are brave and curious
We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.
We bring high trust, high challenge
We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.
We are evidence led and results driven for young people
. click apply for full job details
The Philanthropy & Partnerships Team at Impetus is high performing, experienced and ambitious, united by a shared commitment to achieving lasting change for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We combine deep fundraising expertise, strong sector insight and a clear focus on impact, working collaboratively to build partnerships that enable Impetus and our charity partners to succeed.
We are brave and curious in our pursuit of better outcomes, open to new perspectives and supportive of taking considered risks that help us learn and improve. We set high standards for ourselves and are evidence-led and results-driven for young people, with rigour and excellent execution underpinning our work across the full fundraising cycle.
We bring high trust and high challenge, building strong relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity and respect, while creating a safe environment for constructive challenge and accountability. We thrive through diversity, valuing difference in background, experience and thought, and we always seek collaboration, knowing that we will not achieve our mission alone.
Team members are trusted with responsibility and encouraged to take ownership of their work. You will be supported by skilled, engaged colleagues and challenged to grow in a team that values learning, reflection and continuous improvement.
Why work with us?
Working at Impetus means joining an organisation that is serious about impact and serious about people. Our values actively guide how we make decisions, how we work together and how we deliver change.
In the Philanthropy & Partnerships Team, you will:
- Be part of a high-performing and respected fundraising team
- Build meaningful, long-term relationships with thoughtful, impact-driven donors
- Develop your skills across the full fundraising cycle, supported by strong leadership
- Work on some of the charity sector s most exciting and long-term partnerships
- See a clear connection between your work and improved outcomes for young people
Harbi Jama,
Director of Philanthropy & Partnerships
About this role
The Philanthropy Manager will own an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors at five to six figure level and act as the day-to-day relationship manager within that portfolio.
The role plans and delivers cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activity to agreed KPIs, makes timely operational decisions within scope, and escalates risks/opportunities early.
The post holder contributes evidence and insight into team planning, supports senior colleagues on major/strategic accounts, and collaborates across teams to ensure high quality, inclusive delivery.
Key responsibilities
- Own and manage an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors at the five to six figure level, delivering agreed income and engagement targets.
- Build and maintain professional, long-term relationships within the portfolio, escalating strategic issues or risks promptly.
- Act as the day-to-day relationship manager for donors in your portfolio, adapting style to audience and context and ensuring clear, timely communications; seek support for major strategic relationships.
- Maintain structured cultivation plans with milestones, update stakeholders proactively, and adjust plans based on learning.
- Develop clear, evidence-led proposals and reports using agreed templates, definitions and KPIs; quality check data before submission.
- Support senior colleagues on major prospects with briefings, meeting notes, and follow ups.
- Supporting Senior Philanthropy Managers, Development Directors and the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships on key accounts (typically £500k £1m+), preparing high quality materials and inputs and maintaining accurate records of progress through the fundraising cycle in Salesforce.
- Contribute insights to identify and prioritise new grant opportunities and themes; share relevant sector updates with the team.
- Co-develop stewardship plans tailored to donor priorities in collaboration with Engagement, Pro Bono and Events teams.
- Maintain accurate, complete records in Salesforce; apply definitions consistently and quality check data before reporting.
- Maintain Salesforce and contribute inputs for SMT/committee reporting via the Senior Philanthropy Manager; propose lightweight improvements to existing processes.
- Keep professional knowledge current; share useful updates/resources and ensure compliance with relevant standards and legislation.
- Support delivery of major fundraising, cultivation and stewardship events, and ad-hoc Philanthropy Team activities.
- Demonstrate professionalism and best practice in all duties, complying with organisational policies and procedures, and proactively supporting the wider team.
- Model inclusive, professional behaviours; design inclusive meetings/interactions, act as an ally and challenge bias constructively while supporting the wider team.
- Share know how and peer coach officers/assistants, offering constructive feedback and supporting onboarding for new colleagues.
- Attend Impetus events to provide support to Philanthropy team.
Essential
- Demonstrable experience generating gifts at five to six figures from UK trusts, corporate partnerships and/or foundations.
- Ability to work through the fundraising cycle with donors to initiate, renew and grow gifts.
- Experience developing partnerships and managing an allocated portfolio of donor relationships.
- Excellent research and prospecting skills.
- Strong experience using Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint, and substantive experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
- Strong planning and organisation skills build structured plans with milestones/dependencies and track portfolio income/expenditure, highlighting variances early.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong bid-writing and storytelling ability.
- Ability to grasp and convey complex ideas, including Impetus model and the private equity industry.
- Able to engage confidently and professionally with senior stakeholders, adapting style and seeking support where appropriate.
- Ability to work well under pressure, meet tight deadlines, manage multiple projects and maintain excellent attention to detail.
- A commitment to Impetus mission
- Demonstrated inclusive practice in meetings/interactions, challenges bias constructively and acts as an ally to colleagues and young people.
- Knowledge of the youth, education or employment sectors.
- Experience fundraising for grant makers, infrastructure organisations or intermediaries.
- Digital fundraising skills.
- Ability to think innovatively.
About Impetus
At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.
We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:
- Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school
- Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths
- The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment
Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.
We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.
You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.
Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is .
Our Values
In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We are brave and curious
We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.
We bring high trust, high challenge
We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.
We are evidence led and results driven for young people
. click apply for full job details
About Impetus