Job Description
The Grange Festival is one of the fastest-growing arts organisations in the UK, offering exceptional opera, dance, and concert performances on an unparalleled English country estate sixty miles southwest of London. We're now recruiting an Individual Giving & Sponsorship Manager to own and grow our membership programme, steward mid-level donors, and manage our transactional corporate income streams—turning passionate opera-lovers into committed long-term supporters, building partnerships with local businesses and advertisers, and creating a sustainable future for the Festival.
The Grange Festival is one of the fastest-growing arts organisations in the UK, offering exceptional opera, dance, and concert performances on an unparalleled English country estate sixty miles southwest of London.
JOBDESCRIPTION
You will lead delivery of The Grange Festival's membership programme, individual giving work, and transactional corporate income streams. Working directly with the Director of Development & Partnerships, you'll execute our membership strategy, manage renewals and upgrades, personally steward mid-level donors through events and one-to-one contact, and deliver programme advertising sales and corporate sponsorship packages.
This is a hands-on role in a small Development team, and you'll work closely with Marketing, Box Office, and Hospitality colleagues. You will personally cultivate donors at events, manage membership data in Spektrix, deliver communication campaigns, coordinate donor benefits, run the annual programme advertising cycle, and steward small corporate sponsors through fulfilment and renewal. You'll have input into how we engage supporters and real responsibility for delivering results, while the Director focuses on major gifts, strategic corporate partnerships, and sets overall fundraising strategy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Membership Programme Management
* Lead delivery of membership renewal campaigns across all levels (Affiliate through Festival Circle), executing segmented outreach, communications, and upgrade pathways to meet annual retention targets
* Manage new member acquisition campaigns targeting ticket buyers and prospects, developing compelling propositions and supporter journeys
* Identify and cultivate upgrade opportunities, moving Members to Patron levels and Patrons between tiers through personal contact and targeted engagement
* Build membership welcome sequences and touchpoints throughout the year to drive retention and deepen engagement
* Track acquisition, renewal rates, upgrade conversions, and revenue performance, reporting regularly to the Director
Donor Cultivation & Stewardship
* Personally steward donors through cultivation events, one-to-one conversations, and tailored communications to deepen relationships and encourage increased giving
* Lead donor cultivation at Festival events including pre-performance receptions, behind-scenes access, and donor evenings, identifying upgrade and major gift prospects
* Manage gift processing, acknowledgment timelines, and stewardship communications to ensure donors feel valued and understand their impact
* Design and deliver donor communications including thank you letters, impact reports, newsletters, and invitations, working with Marketing colleagues on brand consistency
* Ensure GDPR compliance in all donor communications and data processing, maintaining consent records and preferences
Data & Analysis
* Manage Spektrix CRM to ensure data integrity, building segmented lists for campaigns and producing analysis of renewal patterns, prospect capacity, and pipeline performance
* Conduct prospect research including wealth screening analysis to identify cultivation and upgrade opportunities
* Produce regular reports on membership performance, individual giving income, pipeline progress, and pledge reconciliation for Director and senior leadership
* Liaise with Finance on Gift Aid processing, donation reconciliation, and audit documentation
Events & Donor Experience
* Plan and deliver cultivation and stewardship events including guest lists, invitations, RSVPs, logistics coordination, and timely follow-up
* Manage VIP experience during Festival performances including daily scope lists, Front of House briefings, and on-site donor support
* Coordinate donor benefits fulfilment across all recognition levels, liaising with Box Office on premium ticketing and Hospitality on VIP experiences
* Track event budgets and attendance, ensuring seamless donor experience throughout Festival season
* Provide hands-on event coordination including room preparation, donor check-in, on-site logistics, and post-event administration
Corporate Sponsorship & Programme Advertising
* Manage annual programme advertising sales cycle, maintaining advertiser pipeline and revenue tracking in Spektrix
* Execute corporate sponsorship packages including contract administration, benefit delivery coordination (tickets, hospitality, logo placements, recognition), and fulfilment tracking across all touchpoints
* Steward sponsors and advertisers through year-round touchpoints, deliver post-event impact reports, and manage renewal campaigns to support retention targets
* Maintain corporate prospect pipeline in Spektrix, support Director-led cultivation conversions, and coordinate strategic outreach for new business aligned with organizational mission
Grant & Research Support
* Support trust and foundation applications through prospect research, data gathering, and impact reporting in collaboration with Director and external grant consultant
* Maintain grant reporting calendar and coordinate funder acknowledgments and stewardship
* Gather impact data and case studies for funding applications, reports, and donor communications
Person Specification
* 3-5 years' fundraising experience in individual giving, membership, or donor development with track record of income growth and donor retention
* Confident cultivating new donors, comfortable at events and in one-to-one stewardship conversations
* Strong database and CRM skills with data-driven approach to campaign planning and donor segmentation
* Excellent written communication - able to craft compelling donor messages, impact stories, and stewardship materials
* Comfortable in commercial relationships with ability to cultivate sponsors, advertisers, and corporate partners
* Ability to manage multiple priorities and work autonomously with strong organizational skills
* Proactive, self-motivated approach with initiative to identify opportunities and solve problems
* Understanding of UK GDPR and data protection in fundraising context
* Flexibility to work regular evenings and weekends during Festival season (May-August)
* Experience in arts, culture, or heritage fundraising
* Spektrix or similar ticketing/CRM platform (training provided)
* Passion for opera or classical music
* Understanding of Gift Aid and Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice
* Experience with prospect research, wealth screening, or legacy giving programmes
* Experience with corporate sponsorship, programme advertising, or benefit delivery/fulfilment
Contract Details
* Contract type: Full time, permanent employment
* Hours: 35 hours per week
* Location: Alresford, Hampshire (with occasional travel to London for events)
* Holiday entitlement: in line with The Grange Festival’s standard annual leave policy, plus bank holidays, calculated pro rata for the holiday year
About The Grange Festival
The Grange Festival is one of the fastest-growing arts organisations in the UK, offering exceptional opera, dance, and concert performances on an unparalleled English country estate sixty miles southwest of London. Central to the Festival experience is the iconic Grade-I listed Neoclassical mansion house, one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Europe and protected under the guardianship of English Heritage.
Performances are held in a 622-seat RIBA award-winning theatre built inside a wing of the mansion, originally constructed as an orangery in 1825. Festival audiences can explore the house and grounds, and each performance features an extended dining interval with a range of options to choose from. Since its founding in 2017, the Festival has developed a strong reputation for superb vocal artistry, high production values, and an incredibly friendly audience community. As a charity, The Grange Festival advances the arts by commissioning new productions and championing the work of a wide range of creatives and artistic companies, as well as helping new audiences discover opera, dance, jazz and other artforms. Throughout the year, the charity also delivers a wide portfolio of projects with schools and community partners, including partnerships with Hampshire Music Education Hub, University of Winchester, English Heritage and other charities.
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