Philanthropy Manager: Grants
The contract is full time for a fixed term, and the annual salary is £43,317. The employer, British Museum, is a Non-Departmental Public Body, which means it is part of central government accountable to the public through Parliament. You will work both remotely and at British Museum. The on-location is in Greater London.
Closing date 06-09-2026
We're looking for an experienced Philanthropy Manager to join our growing Philanthropy team at an exciting and pivotal moment. This is an opportunity for an established fundraiser to manage a portfolio of significant trusts, foundations and statutory funders, securing major support for projects that span every aspect of the Museum's work, from exhibitions and acquisitions to learning programmes, capital projects and research initiatives.
As Philanthropy Manager: Grants, you will independently manage and steward a portfolio of predominantly high five and six-figure trust and foundation relationships, delivering against an annual individual fundraising target of approximately £500,000. Alongside managing your own portfolio, you'll support senior fundraisers with complex, high-value donor relationships, helping to prepare funding proposals, reports, correspondence and donor meetings.
This role offers exceptional variety and visibility across the Museum. You'll collaborate with colleagues from curatorial teams, exhibitions, finance, learning, directorate and many other departments, gaining insight into the breadth of the Museum's work while helping to secure funding that brings it to life.
If you're an experienced trusts and foundations fundraiser looking for your next challenge within the cultural sector, we'd love to hear from you!
About you
We're looking for a confident and proactive fundraiser who can quickly build credibility with colleagues and donors alike. Strong candidates will have:
- Experience working in a fundraising role with responsibility for securing significant philanthropic income, including contributing to securing five and six-figure gifts.
- Experience of managing fundraising relationships and delivering successful applications, ideally within trusts, foundations and/or statutory fundraising.
- Strong relationship management and stewardship skills with experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to distil complex information into compelling funding cases.
- Experience managing your own portfolio with strong project management and reporting skills.
Key areas of responsibility
- Manage and grow a portfolio of key prospects and donors.
- Secure five and six-figure gifts from trusts, foundations, statutory funders and family giving vehicles.
- Develop and deliver tailored cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans.
- Represent the Museum at cultivation and stewardship events, including occasional evening events.
The British Museum is undertaking its biggest transformation since its founding nearly 300 years ago. This physical and intellectual transformation includes large scale building and gallery transformation, new ways of connecting with audiences and different ways of working. As we look towards this exciting future, we remain guided by the words of our founder Hans Sloane - who dreamed of a museum connecting all arts and sciences, which would be accessible to everyone, everywhere.