Major Donor Manager

About this role

Major Donor Manager - £42,000
Job role
An ambitious, driven fundraiser who will grow and develop Cool Earth’s major donor income by building meaningful, long-term relationships with high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic supporters. With a brand-new five-year strategy, our goal is to secure transformational gifts and multi-year commitments that enable Indigenous peoples and local communities to protect rainforests.
You will take ownership of a portfolio of existing and prospective major donors, identifying new opportunities and building relationships through personalised cultivation, compelling proposals, face-to-face meetings and strategic asks. From researching and qualifying prospects through to solicitation and stewardship, you will manage the full donor journey, turning potential supporters into committed, long-term partners for Cool Earth’s work.
About Cool Earth

Cool Earth backs Indigenous peoples and local communities who are protecting rainforest. We work to put more resources and more decision-making power in their hands. For a philanthropist, this means supporting rainforest protection led by the people who live there, with community leadership at the heart of how we work. We are a close, collaborative organisation with an international footprint.

Why this role, now
Over the next five years, we want to get more resources, and more decision-making power, to Indigenous peoples and local communities protecting rainforest – and faster. That needs reliable, growing, multi-year income, and major giving is one of the main ways we plan to fund it.
This is where a skilled fundraiser can make a real difference. You will deepen relationships with current supporters, find new donors, make thoughtful asks and turn single gifts into longer-term support. Longer-term funding helps communities plan ahead and protect rainforest on their own terms.
The remit covers the UK, the US and worldwide. You will work closely with the Senior Manager, Partnerships and Philanthropy, who leads our wider philanthropy strategy. Together, you will prioritise the strongest relationships and opportunities across markets. You will own your portfolio, approaches and asks, and your insight from the front line will shape the programme as it grows.
1. Prospecting & Pipeline Development

• Review existing supporters to identify those with the interest and potential to give at a major level.

• Use prospect research, and wealth screening where available, to discover potential, then qualify prospects on capacity, interest and alignment with Cool Earth’s mission.

• Develop new relationships through introductions, networks, referrals and events, including connections from trustees, senior leaders and existing supporters.

• Work with individual giving, corporate and gaming colleagues to identify major giving opportunities and agree relationship ownership.

• Build a strong, realistic pipeline of prospects across the UK, the US and international markets, focusing with the Senior Manager on the strongest opportunities.

• Keep accurate, up-to-date CRM records.

2. Cultivation, Solicitation & Stewardship

• Personally cultivate donors and prospects through face-to-face meetings, calls, events and tailored engagement, connecting their interests and motivations to Cool Earth’s work.

• Develop tailored proposals and donor communications, drawing on Cool Earth’s agreed case for support, programme insight and prospect research.

• Make asks for significant and multi-year gifts, involving the Senior Manager, senior leaders or trustees where this strengthens the approach.

• Provide thoughtful, highly personalised stewardship, so donors understand what their support makes possible and feel connected to the communities and rainforest they help protect.

• Grow relationships over time, pursuing larger and longer-term commitments, including transformational gifts where the relationship supports it.

3. Due Diligence & Ethical Fundraising

• Carry out appropriate research and due diligence on prospective and existing major donors, considering reputational, ethical and mission-alignment risks.

• Work with the Senior Manager and leadership team to navigate complex or sensitive donor relationships, ensuring fundraising reflects Cool Earth’s values and ethical fundraising principles.

• Keep appropriate records of donor decisions, restrictions, preferences and relationship considerations.

4. Donor Engagement & Collaboration

• Work with Programmes colleagues on accurate propositions and impact reporting, and involve them in cultivation where it helps donors understand the work.

• Work closely with MarComms, Finance and other teams on proposals and donor communications.

• Bring the work of Indigenous peoples and local communities to life for donors in an authentic and respectful way.

• Plan the involvement of senior leaders and trustees in introductions, cultivation and significant asks.

• Contribute insight from your portfolio to shape the major donor strategy and proposition, which the Senior Manager leads as part of the wider philanthropy strategy.

• Share intelligence, networks and opportunities across the wider fundraising team.

5. Portfolio Management & Income Growth

• Own your portfolio of major donors and prospects, developing tailored plans for your highest-value relationships, including opportunities for renewed, increased and multi-year support.

• Take responsibility for agreed major donor income targets, balancing new donor acquisition with the development and retention of existing supporters.

• Help build effective portfolio and pipeline practices as the programme grows, including accurate forecasting and reporting to the Senior Manager.

• Track progress through pipeline quality, qualified prospects, meetings, proposals, asks, retention and income.

Requirements

Essential

• A track record of personally securing five- and six-figure gifts from individuals.

• Experience of finding and developing new donor…