Major Gifts Fundraiser​/Partnerships Lead; Part-time

Who we are:

Hope is here. The Global Returns Project (GRP) is a UK charity unlocking new philanthropy to deliver urgent solutions for our planet.

We are a fast-moving nonprofit that makes donations to high-impact nature and climate charities simple – and we don’t take any fees. We’ve already mobilised nearly £2 million for top environmental solutions and are working to unlock at least £30 million annually by the end of the decade

We are growing quickly:
We expect annual fundraising to increase by 70% this year compared with last year.

The problem: Charities protecting our planet can turn the tide on climate change and nature loss. They have the skills, strategies and networks to deliver fast and global impact. But less than 2% of philanthropy goes to climate mitigation.

Our solution: In the UK alone, around £2 trillion sits with “HNW+” individuals – those holding between £100k and £30 million. Yet traditional philanthropy largely overlooks them. We’re unlocking this funding by offering trusted, pro bono advice and a simple, portfolio approach to giving. Our expertise in UK wealth advice offers a unique path to scalability and systems-change.

What we are looking for:

We’re looking for a confident, experienced fundraiser to lead major-gift fundraising — securing transformational gifts from high-net-worth individuals while building wealth-adviser relationships that generate referral leads. You’ll own the full pipeline: prospecting, cultivation, making direct asks, closing and stewardship.

The ideal candidate will be excited to cultivate networks of wealth managers, private-client teams and other advisers to HNWIs, and to convert adviser introductions into committed support. You’ll also prospect independently for major gifts outside those referral streams.

To succeed you’ll master three distinct fundraising pitches: a business case for advisers; an impact case to persuade donors to support our portfolio charities; and a systems-change case to win backing for GRP’s operating costs (salaries, office costs, etc) to keep the charity running fee-free.

You’ll be comfortable making direct asks for funding, with evidence of having closed high-value gifts or multi-year commitments. You’ll be willing to roll up your sleeves and get hands-on with everyday cultivation tasks. You’ll thrive in a small team, taking initiative and juggling priorities. Crucially, you’ll care deeply about climate and nature.

Experience required:

Substantial experience in frontline major gifts fundraising (as a guide, likely 5+ years), or an exceptional track record in adjacent fields (private client advisory, philanthropy advisory, etc).

Skills required:

• Major-gifts fundraising, with track record securing high-value and multi-year gifts
• Confidence making direct asks for major gifts
• Prospecting, research and CRM
• Donor stewardship and tailored reporting
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Team player
• Time management
• High attention to detail
• Strong understanding of, and passion to address, climate change / nature loss

Skills preferred but not required:

• Experience in environmental philanthropy
• Experience managing relationships with wealth advisers
• Geographic expertise in Jersey, Guernsey or other high-potential jurisdictions
• Trust/foundation expertise

Main duties and responsibilities:

Major gifts to GRP’s portfolio of charities

• Prospect, cultivate and convert major gifts from individuals to support GRP’s charity portfolio.
• Act as principal point of contact for HNW client referrals from GRP’s wealth-adviser network.
• Source and qualify major gift leads outside the adviser network and add them to the pipeline.
• Prepare tailored cases for support, bespoke asks and gift agreements for portfolio donors.
• Coordinate with team to ensure timely, high-quality, bespoke stewardship.

HNW wealth adviser relationships

• Prospect, cultivate and manage relationships with wealth managers, family offices, private-client teams, philanthropy advisers, etc as a referral stream for GRP.
• ​Present GRP’s proposition to advisers (meetings, presentations, webinars) and design adviser-facing materials when necessary.
• Develop initiatives to generate adviser referrals (events, webinars,…