We are on the lookout for a brilliant leader of Philanthropy, working across major gifts, patron giving and trust fundraising to join our successful and friendly team at Cheltenham Festivals. If you thrive in a hands-on, fast-paced role and have a proven track record of securing funding from trusts & foundations, statutory bodies and Lottery funders, this is your chance to make a real impact. Why Join Us? Work on an exciting portfolio of world-class Festivals (Jazz, Science, Music & Literature) Be part of year-round learning, participation & talent development programmes Help drive our ambitious fundraising strategy & secure vital funding for the arts Collaborate with colleagues across the organisation & key external partners We Can Offer You: Flexible working (with a preference for you being in the Cheltenham office two days a week) 33 days of holiday per annum A 5% pension contribution Staff ticket allocation for our festivals. What You Will Do: Identify and secure funding opportunities Lead and inspire a small team, providing direction (with support) for philanthropy and trust fundraising Craft compelling cases for support that bring Cheltenham Festivals’ vision to life Manage budgets, re-forecast income, and develop bid budgets Build & nurture relationships with existing and new funders What We Are Looking For: A mid-career fundraiser with proven experience in trust & grants income generation and an understanding of major donors and individual giving A storytelling pro who can translate our work into persuasive proposals Someone who’s comfortable working with numbers and managing budgets A team player who loves collaborating and spotting new opportunities Trusts, foundations, and statutory sources (including Arts Council England) currently provide over £800,000 a year and Individuals (patrons, members, donors) a further £1,250,000—and we need you to help grow this even further! Now is the perfect time to join Cheltenham Festivals. With an existing strong fundraising portfolio and a good pipeline of opportunities; a stellar fundraising team; and a chance to work across an incredible range of cultural events: this is your opportunity to be part of something special. Detailed Job Description: With support and in consultation with the Director of Fundraising and Marketing, develop and implement a targeted programme of trusts & grants fundraising, a central part of the fundraising portfolio for Cheltenham Festivals. Line-manage the two part-time Patrons Managers and the Patrons and Grants Executive, to ensure that stewardship within the charity is of the highest standard, opportunities for individual giving are maximised, and that team culture is supportive, fun and dynamic. Co-ordinate a dynamic rolling programme of high-quality tailored grant applications, working with relevant colleagues across the organisation to ensure that they are accurate, compelling, contain the required budget information and are submitted within deadlines. Proactively identify and research potential grant-givers and trustees of trusts and foundations, maintaining a regularly updated pipeline of prospects. Have a clear focus on building excellent relationships with existing and potential grant-givers, including key contacts and trustees, as well as with colleagues. Report to funders demonstrating the impact their gift has made, ensuring all criteria for reporting are met on time. Work with the team to ensure donor acknowledgement is delivered according to grant-givers’ requirements and organise any hospitality around events or visits, liaising with other colleagues as necessary. Maintain and update reports on income secured, expected income from applications pending and potential income for future projects. Contribute to the Development Department’s programme of events to ensure high quality stewardship of existing funders, and the extension of our profile amongst potential grant-givers. Create opportunities for Cheltenham Festivals to meet with funders and make presentations and face to face asks, using the festival events as stewardship and cultivation opportunities. Work across the organisation with Development, Box Office, Production and Marketing colleagues to meet both internal production needs and donor requirements relating to sponsored Festival events. Ensure all data on grant-givers and prospective funders is kept up to date on the CRM database, Spektrix, and is managed in compliance with the Data Protection Act, GDPR and internal policies. Provide additional support where required to support agreed departmental priorities, including for individual giving and legacy fundraising. Ready To Apply? Find out more & apply via the button below Got questions? Drop us an email at peoplematters@cheltenhamfestivals.org At Cheltenham Festivals, we celebrate diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities—we’d love to hear from you! Come and help us make amazing things happen!