Head of Philanthropy
London, UK
Role Type
Part-time
Workplace
Remote
About the Role
Philanthrope is supporting Inside Track with the appointment of a Head of Philanthropy.
This is not a conventional fundraising role.
Inside Track is looking for a senior major gifts fundraiser to help build the philanthropic base behind a new form of insider-led change.
Inside Track works with experienced people inside powerful industries to surface what they can see about the norms, incentives and structures shaping poor social and environmental outcomes. It then helps turn that insight into careful, targeted engagement with the people and institutions best placed to act.
Inside Track is not selling research, consultancy or corporate access. It is building independent civic infrastructure for corporate accountability, funded through aligned philanthropy rather than corporate, government or lobbyist money.
The Head of Philanthropy will help secure the major gifts and long-term supporter relationships that allow that independence to hold.
The work is senior, relational and practical. The successful candidate will help shape the case for support, support donor relationships, build a focused major donor pipeline and help turn interest into committed philanthropic backing.
This is a building role: a chance to help create the philanthropy capability for a young organisation with a distinctive model and serious ambition.
The priority is major gifts and HNW philanthropy. Trusts, foundations and institutional funders may form part of the wider funding picture, but this appointment is primarily focused on high-net-worth individuals, family offices and aligned individual philanthropists.
The role will involve:
- developing and delivering a focused major donor strategy;
- building a pipeline of high-net-worth individuals, family offices and aligned philanthropists;
- shaping a clear and compelling case for support;
- supporting founder-led donor relationships;
- leading or supporting donor cultivation, asks and stewardship;
- helping secure significant gifts from individual donors;
- developing donor briefings, proposals, updates and follow-up materials;
- bringing structure, discipline and momentum to the fundraising pipeline;
- helping Inside Track build a thoughtful, credible and relationship-led philanthropy function from an early stage.
Key details:
Role: Head of Philanthropy
Organisation: Inside Track
Contract type: Part-time, initial 12-month contract
Working pattern: 1 to 2 days per week, with possible scope to increase by mutual agreement
Salary: £60,000 pro rata
Location: UK-based, remote working, with some London / in-person meetings
Start date: As soon as practicable
Application deadline: 5pm, Friday 19 June 2026
Requirements
We are looking for a strategically minded major gifts fundraiser with significant experience building trusted, long-term supporter relationships.
Candidates should bring:
at least 6 years’ relevant professional experience;
at least 3 years’ experience running or delivering major gift fundraising programmes;
a track record of raising gifts of at least £25,000 from individual donors;
confidence engaging high-net-worth individuals, family offices and senior philanthropic stakeholders;
experience developing and managing a major donor pipeline;
strong judgement, discretion and emotional intelligence in relationship management;
the ability to support senior or founder-led donor conversations;
the ability to communicate complex, sensitive and high-leverage work clearly;
strong written communication skills for donor and stakeholder audiences;
the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a small, founder-led organisation;
a serious commitment to social and environmental progress.
This experience may have been gained in a professional fundraising role or through significant voluntary leadership, trustee or lay fundraising experience.
Experience in any of the following would be useful:
raising major gifts from high-net-worth individuals;
working with family offices, philanthropic advisers or donor networks;
supporting founders, trustees or senior volunteers with donor engagement;
developing cases for support for complex or sensitive work;
building major donor pipelines or fundraising systems in growing organisations;
fundraising connected to climate, democracy, social justice, corporate accountability, media, technology, food systems or related public-interest work;
working with funders who care about independence, systems change and long-term social or environmental outcomes;
trusts, foundations or institutional fundraising, where this complements major donor work.
The role is a good fit for someone who:
wants to build a major donor function from an early stage;
understands that high-value philanthropy is relational, patient and trust-led;
can translate complex work into a clear and compelling donor proposition;
is comfortable working close to a founder and senior team;
brings discipline without making the work feel transactional;
can operate with discretion in sensitive contexts;
cares about social and environmental change but avoids simplistic narratives;
is practical, calm and clear under pressure.
Inside Track welcomes applications from people from all backgrounds and recognises that there are many routes into philanthropy, fundraising and social change work. Selection will be based on the role criteria, the evidence candidates bring and their ability to contribute to Inside Track’s mission and fundraising priorities.
About the Organisation
Inside Track is a UK non-profit building insider movements in industries that shape society and the environment.
It creates safe, confidential spaces for experienced professionals to share what they can see from inside their sectors, then helps turn those insights into focused engagement with stakeholders who have the power to act.
The work is not about attacking individual companies, asking people to disclose sensitive company information or creating publicity for its own sake. It is about understanding industry-level patterns and helping credible insider insight reach the right places.
Inside Track is funded by philanthropy. It does not take corporate, government or lobbyist funding. That independence is central to the trust it builds with insiders, partners and supporters.
The Head of Philanthropy will help build the supporter base that makes this work possible.