Development Manager

About Pushkin House and Role Overview

Pushkin House is embarking on an exciting new phase following significant transformation including a renovated ground floor and the establishment of a bilingual bookshop. This has broadened its audience reach and strengthened its standing as an independent cultural hub for intellectual discourse and artistic exchange. To continue this momentum, the organisation is looking to enhance its fundraising capability, expand philanthropic support, and ensure sustainability over the long term.

We seek a seasoned and driven Development Manager to lead our development and fundraising operations. Reporting to the Executive Director and collaborating with the Interim Head of Development, you will oversee a varied fundraising portfolio comprising trusts, foundations, major donors, as well as Friends and Patrons schemes. Your role will involve identifying new financial opportunities, cultivating support, and fostering partnerships essential to Pushkin House’s artistic programming and overall growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee fundraising initiatives across diverse income streams including trusts, foundations, major donors, individual contributions, and membership schemes.
• Conduct research to identify potential funders, philanthropic individuals, and corporate partners, maintaining a dynamic and reviewed pipeline of fundraising prospects.
• Create compelling cases for support, develop funding applications, major gift proposals, and partnership pitches aligned with the organisation’s mission and priorities.
• Support major gift proposal development involving prospect research, due diligence, budgeting, and tailored donor engagement strategies.
• Build and sustain relationships with existing and prospective donors, patrons, and friends, implementing personalized strategies for cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, renewal, and upgrades.
• Manage Friends and Patrons programs focusing on supporter acquisition, retention, increased giving, and engagement with Pushkin House activities.
• Implement comprehensive donor stewardship plans including timely acknowledgements, personalized communications, impact reporting, and recognition of support.
• Manage institutional fundraising efforts including research, application planning, proposal drafting, submissions, and ongoing funder relations.
• Identify funding sources for varied needs such as core operations, artistic programs, capital projects, and organisational development ensuring alignment with funder and organisational goals.
• Coordinate budget preparation, supporting documents, monitoring, and reporting in collaboration with relevant staff.
• Maintain and update the fundraising database to ensure accurate and consistent recording of donor information, gifts, communications, pledges, and stewardship activities.
• Monitor the fundraising pipeline, forecast income, maintain donor portfolios, and generate performance reports to assist strategic decision-making.
• Administer donation processes including acknowledgements, invoicing, renewals, Gift Aid claims, and other financial records, liaising with the Finance Manager as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and data protection standards relating to fundraising activities and donor information management.
• Manage fundraising budgets and expenditures ensuring activities are well costed and aligned with organisational objectives.
• Plan and execute donor cultivation and stewardship events, both physical and virtual, collaborating with the wider team for smooth logistics and impactful delivery.
• Support senior leadership and trustees by preparing presentations, reports, and budgets related to fundraising efforts.
• Perform additional duties necessary to support the Development team's goals and organisational mission.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Proven track record in fundraising and development with demonstrable success in securing income.
• Experience implementing multi-stream fundraising strategies including trusts, foundations, major donors, individual giving, and membership programs.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the UK fundraising environment encompassing trusts, foundations, philanthropy, and public funding.
• Expertise in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship practices.
• Proficient in preparing persuasive funding proposals, cases for support, budgets, and detailed reports.
• Strong interpersonal skills enabling effective relationships with donors, funders, corporate partners, and internal colleagues.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities for producing clear proposals, presentations, and reports tailored to varied audiences.
• Excellent organizational and project management competence to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Experience managing budgets and contributing to financial forecasting and planning.
• Robust IT skills including CRM database management for maintaining accurate donor records and fundraising workflows.
• Ability to operate independently and as part of a team, demonstrating initiative, judgement, and practical solutions focus.
• Highly professional, discreet, and tactful handling of confidential and sensitive donor relations.
• Skilled in organising both in-person and online donor cultivation and stewardship events.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with adaptability and eagerness to identify and develop novel fundraising opportunities.
• Genuine enthusiasm for Pushkin House’s mission and cultural programmes.

Desirable Attributes

• Background in fundraising within arts, heritage, or cultural charitable organisations.
• Experience managing or developing Friends, Patrons, membership or recurring giving schemes.
• Proven ability to secure major gifts and craft bespoke proposals for substantial philanthropy.
• Familiarity with Beacon CRM or similar fundraising databases.

Additional Information

Start date: Immediate.
Workweek: Full-time commitment, 5 days per week.
Salary: £36,000 to £42,000 depending on experience.
Applications should include a CV and a cover letter concise to two A4 pages.
The organisation welcomes alternative application formats such as video or audio responses up to 5 minutes, emphasizing candidate comfort.