Job Description

King’s College London is committed to making the world a better place, and since its foundation in 1829, King’s students and staff have dedicated themselves in the service of society. King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences and social sciences. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. Fundraising & Supporter Development (F&SD) is an integrated department at King’s that provides a single fundraising and supporter engagement function for King’s College London (KCL), King’s Health Partners (KHP), Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation, and working closely with the Maudsley Charity. We work with colleagues across our partners to help them serve society through world-leading education, research and healthcare.  

This role, suitable for an experienced fundraiser, will have oversight of all £3m plus prospects across the KCL prospect and donor portfolio. The role is responsible for the development of a principal gifts programme that aligns these prospects and donors with our strategic and campaign priorities, working to a personal target between and in excess of £3m to £5m per year. The role is responsible for working with the Prospect Research team to broaden and deepen support from principal gift donors for KCL priorities, identifying new prospective donors and cultivating further support by building a portfolio of influencers. Planning cultivation strategies to secure principal gifts, building relationships that lead to asks that will inspire seven, eight and nine figure gifts.  

This post will be offered on an indefinite  contract.

This is a full-time post.

Key responsibilities

• Designing and implementing, in collaboration with the Director of Development, the University’s strategy for securing transformational principal gifts from individuals and organisations in support of agreed strategic priorities, to ensure gifts of £3m+ are secured, and overall income targets are achieved 
• Manage a portfolio of up to 40 prospects with a primary focus on qualifying prospects and closing gifts of £3+ 
• Qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward principal gift prospects to align benefactor interests with the strategic objectives of KCL 
• Own, develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders; including leading academics and researchers, coordinating the right people to secure transformational gifts 
• Work with the Prospect Research team to broaden and deepen support from principal donors for KCL priorities, identifying new prospective donors and cultivating further support by building a portfolio of influencers. 
• Plan and prioritise approaches to donors/prospects in order to develop an annual calendar of approaches. To be responsible for prospect management, ensuring movement from unqualified prospect status, through cultivation stages, to solicitation and pledge.  
• Accurately record prospect information gathered in the cultivation and stewardship process on the database, facilitating future fundraising and stewardship activity in addition to the production of management reports and your own research of prospects.  
• Supported by the Project Development team, develop a compelling fundraising narrative for agreed fundraising priorities and defined gift opportunities.  
• Disseminate and present complex & specialised information about the KCL fundraising priorities to prospects and internal stakeholders in a clear and compelling way. Produce thorough briefings for colleagues & senior management prior to meetings with principal gift donors. 
• To generate high levels of annual income according to agreed targets, guided by the achievement of a small but clearly defined set of monthly key performance indicators.  
• To engage prospects and donors through appropriate cultivation and stewardship events, in line with the department’s Events strategy.  
• To represent KCL, KHP and F&SD in internal and external fora where appropriate.   
• You may be required to work irregular hours in accordance with the needs of the role. 

  Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

1. An understanding of the philanthropic landscape and what would motivate a prospect to give to King’s and its partners 
2. Substantial and demonstrable knowledge and experience of principal gift fundraising and experience of developing and implementing fundraising strategies 
3. A comprehensive appreciation of major gift (£100k+) portfolio management and principal gift development 
4. A proven track record of success in expanding a donor base through cultivation and excellent stewardship. 
5. A track record in establishing, monitoring and achieving highly ambitious fundraising targets. 
6. Proven influencing and negotiating skills, demonstrating the capability to secure seven and eight figure gifts through face-to-face fundraising.  
7. The ability to negotiate throughout a large, complex environment with multi-dimensional points of view.  
8. Ability to manage multiple projects, identifying conflicting demands and establishing clear priorities in order to meet agreed objectives and income 
9. Ability to plan strategically and implement those plans  
10. The ability to manage multiple projects and maintain a high degree of professionalism and confidentiality. 
11. The ability to articulate and communicate the mission, goals, and activities at KCL with clarity, passion and enthusiasm. 
12. Excellent writing skills 
13. Proven ability of demonstrating initiative and creativity to achieve desired outcomes 
14. Ability to comprehend complex situations quickly and to provide creative solutions where appropriate 
15. Computer literate i.e., Word, Outlook, Excel 

Desirable criteria 

1. Knowledge of a Fundraising Database (e.g. Raiser’s Edge) 
2. Sufficient knowledge of philanthropic motivations and current trends in principal giving to be able to identify and exploit new opportunities

Please note, to apply for this role please submit an application via :    Senior Development & Philanthropy Positions | Kings College London (peridotpartners.co.uk) Please do not submit an application through the Kings College London job portal.