Senior Philanthropy Officer
- Full time
- £36,721 – £41,838
- On site: George Watson’s College, Edinburgh
- Closing 24th August 2026
- Advertised from 5th August 2026
- Eight weeks annual leave (two to be taken at Christmas and New Year, automatic enrolment in the contributory support staff defined contribution pension scheme, Membership of the Galleon Club (the school’s fitness club)
Role
George Watson’s College wishes to appoint a Senior Philanthropy Officer to lead the school’s individual giving and legacy fundraising initiatives, and support major programmes and campaigns. Develop strong relationships with donors and our alumni community to grow philanthropic income and long-term engagement.
Main Responsibilities
Individual Giving
- Lead the planning, execution and optimisation of individual giving efforts. Manage campaign setup, timelines, assets, and donor experience.
- Monitor performance and analyse results to drive continuous improvement in participation, engagement, and revenue.
- Collaborate with Admissions and Marketing, and other internal teams, to source and develop compelling content.
- Along with the Head of Development, manage a fundraising communications calendar and play a leading role in content creation.
- Collaborate with the Admissions and Marketing team to ensure website content, landing pages, and donation pages support digital giving goals.
- Execute fundraising strategies in partnership with the Head of Development. Build, segment, code, and deploy emails to support giving campaigns and organisational priorities.
- Manage a portfolio of donors linked to specific programmes and campaigns.
Legacies
- Plan and deliver multi-channel legacy marketing campaigns (print, digital, events)
- Build and maintain relationships with legacy pledgers and prospects
- Deliver high-quality, sensitive stewardship to recognise and retain legacy supporters
- Organise events and communications to engage legacy supporters
- Produce compelling and sensitive legacy messaging and materials
Campaign/Programmes
- Manage and grow the patrons programme, including recruitment, retention, and upgrades
- Develop a clear donor journey, including benefits, communications, and recognition
- Monitor performance against income targets and KPIs
- Work in collaboration with Heads of the Creative Arts programmes to monitor and administer funds for maximum impact across the arts
Foundation Places and Enrichment Fund
- Support impact reporting and administration of discrete aspects of our widening access programmes.
- Manage application process to the Enrichment Fund, including managing enquiries, disbursements and liaison with Finance.
- Any other duties related to these programmes as directed by senior staff.
The Ideal Candidate
Essential:
- Relevan degree, professional qualification or equivalent professional experience
- Demonstrable experience in Individual Giving, Direct Marketing or Legacy fundraising, with an annual income return of 6+ figures
- Proven track record of delivering successful multi-channel campaigns
- Strong understanding of supporter journeys, acquisition and retention
- Skilled in data analysis, performance tracking and forecasting
- Proficiency with graphic design tools, experience with Canva would be an advantage.
- Demonstrable experience with Raisers Edge, or similar CRM system
- Ability to manage complex projects and programs and deliver to set KPI and timelines
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience with content writing, brand voice, and digital fundraising best practices.
- Ability to build and foster relationships across business functions.
- Understanding of charity law, GDPR and best practices in fundraising
- Commitment to high level of professional standards
- Genuine appreciation of George Watson’s College’s mission and the ability to communicate it
Desirable:
- Fundraising or marketing qualification such as CIOF accreditation or CIM qualifications.
- Event management experience
- Experience of working in the education or charity sectors
- Understanding of the Independent School sector
Application notes
To apply, please click the link below:
apply.schooltalent.com/members/modules/job/detail.php?record=2698
Please include a letter of application of not more than 800 words giving us more information about you and why you would like the role, addressed to Ms Emma Lacroix, Director of Development.
If you require more information about the School, please visit our school website.
Closing date: 11:59pm on 24 August 2026
Interviews are scheduled to take place week beginning 31 August 2026
Trusts & Foundations Manager
- Part time
- £34,500 – £38,500 pro-rata
- On site: Edinburgh
- Closing 24th August 2026
St Mary’s Music School is Scotland’s specialist music school and the Choir School of St Mary’s Cathedral. It is easy to access, situated in a leafy campus in the heart of Edinburgh, a short walk away from Haymarket Station. Co-educational, day and boarding, the School provides specialist music training and an impressive and stimulating academic education for pupils aged 9 to 19 showing special ability and potential in music. St Mary’s Music School “aims to provide the highest possible standard of education and training to exceptionally gifted young musicians, in an inspiring, inclusive and supportive environment”.
Following a restructure of the school’s development department, St Mary’s Music School is looking toappoint a self-motivated and dynamic fundraiser to help secure and sustain significant grants from trustsand foundations.The postholder will develop high quality applications, bids and reports for a diverse rangeof audiences.
The School is keen to appoint someone with excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as exceptional relationship-management skills, who will work to develop and deliver a strategy to grow sustainable income from grants and foundations over time.
This is a part-time post of 21 hours/3 days per week, working over the whole year. It is expected the successful candidate would work mainly on-site.
The line manager for the role will be the School Bursar, and the successful candidate will also work closely with the Individual Giving Manager, Marketing & Communications Manager and Administration Assistant (in relation to databases) as well as members of the Senior Management Team
Top job! Executive Director
- Full time
- £55,000 – £70,000
- Hybrid: St Andrews, Fife
- Closing 11th September 2026
Founded in 1889, St Andrews Botanic Garden is managed by an independent charitable Trust to address the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. Our mission of botanical conservation and education has seen us take transformational steps in recent years, including radical steps to achieving Net Zero, investment in building projects, establishment of international and regional partnerships, development of the Garden’s habitats, and publication of research that establishes the Botanic Garden’s expertise in urban ecology.
These steps have been critical to establishing strong institutional foundations, and our focus now is to consolidate this progress by preparing for ambitious capital investment and in turn, growth in turnover and expansion of our charitable activities. The success of these next steps will depend on developing partnerships that connect our mission and resources to deliver positive, long-term change.
Located in the historic town of St Andrews, the Botanic Garden is part of a thriving coastal community with links across Scotland and further afield.
The role
We are looking to recruit an Executive Director and establish the Botanic Garden as a leading site for ecological innovation through programmes that deliver a new business model for conservation and education.
The Executive Director will be a capable, organised and experienced individual with an outstanding professional background who shares our enthusiasm for plants and the ways they shape places and people. We expect that the incoming Executive Director will have demonstrated experience of managing competing strategic demands amidst dynamic policy and funding landscapes.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who recognises the role that botanic gardens can play in bringing people together, wants to lead a vibrant and outward-looking organisation, and intends to continue and further the
excellent work of the last few years.
The opportunities for the Executive Director are significant and wideranging, as befits a botanic garden at an inflection point. Significant progress has been made to safeguard the Trust as an independent charity and demonstrate capacity for innovation in a fast-moving landscape, and the incoming Executive Director will be working with a Board of Directors
dedicated to supporting the Garden as it navigates new opportunities in a challenging and ever-changing environment.
Transition Edinburgh South (TES) works with local people and community organisations to regenerate greenspaces and community buildings in the South of Edinburgh, We do this in a number of ways -
- Growing food that is good for people and planet; blending growing with community health, learning, and volunteering programmes and events that reduce social isolation, mental ill health and poverty, improve health and community connections, increase bio-diversity and reduce carbon pollution.
- Increasing opportunities for volunteering and supporting local grassroots projects.
- Working with local residents and community organisations to develop the buildings and greenspaces where we are based and in surrounding communities.
- Working to improve the environments where we are based, by tackling the impacts of climate change, reducing carbon pollution, increasing bio-diversity, and promoting sustainable development and regenerative horticulture.
We are based at the Gracemount Community Garden where, since 2013, we use organic and ecological techniques that regenerate the soil while growing fruit and veg for the community. We are part of the Transition Movement which “is a movement of communities coming together to reimagine and rebuild our world”.
We are currently looking to appoint a Treasurer to join our small Board. The Treasurer will be responsible for managing all financial matters on behalf of our organisation and will be responsible for ensuring that the organisation has robust financial processes to meet its legal and constitutional requirements. It will also be the responsibility of the Treasurer to report the financial position at the board meetings. While we encourage and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, we are keen to hear from candidates that have experience of charity financial management or are chartered in a suitable accountancy field.
All Trustees are required to attend monthly board meetings, ideally in person in Edinburgh but occasional attendance by video call is ok. In addition, we ask Trustees to attend our organisational strategy day and our AGM. Please note that this is a voluntary role. The trustees of our organisation do not receive any remuneration.
Senior Facilitator
- Full time
- £30,000 – £35,000
- On site: Staffin, Isle of Skye
- Closing 4th September 2026
Do you want to be part of something lifechanging?
At Columba 1400, we enable young people, especially those from tough realities, and the key adults in their lives to lead lives of purpose, meaning and contribution. We believe everyone already holds greatness within them, and your role would be to help them discover it.
If you are someone who comes alive when bringing groups together, facilitating meaningful conversations and creating warm, brave spaces where young people and adults feel seen, listened to, valued, and able to explore who they are and who they might yet become, then you may be exactly who we are looking for.
Making a difference in and from Skye
Our Senior Facilitator is based at our purpose-built Community and International Leadership Centre in Staffin on the Isle of Skye, where you will be part of the hands-on delivery of residential leadership experiences with young people and adults.
You will help young people and key adults step back from everyday pressures, reflect on who they are, what matters to them, and the contribution they want to make in their lives, schools, families and communities.
Our Community and International Leadership Centre is also a community asset: a place where local people, partners and visitors come together through learning, connection, belonging and leadership.
What makes this role special?
You will contribute to changing lives, schools and communities by facilitating transformational, values-based leadership experiences for young people and the key adults in their lives, including preparation, residential delivery and follow-up.
Your ideas, insight and creativity will help us continually enhance the Columban experience - from the way people are welcomed and supported, to how we listen, learn and strengthen our approach.
You will be part of a warm and supportive team, united by purpose and committed to each other’s growth. You will also play an important part in helping participants, partners and colleagues feel safe, welcomed and able to take part fully.
About you
You will be a highly experienced facilitator who brings energy, presence and curiosity into every session. You communicate with warmth and clarity and enjoy building positive relationships with partners so each experience is well prepared and meaningful.
Notes:A full driving licence and own car are essential. This role requires PVG scheme membership and a commitment to safeguarding young people and adults.
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