Individual Giving Specialist

Permanent - Full Time

We are Chester Zoo; a global conservation and education charity with a mission of preventing extinction, and an amazing, award-winning visitor attraction.

We’re also a team of passionate, talented, enthusiastic and expert people, doing everything we can to keep the zoo going, from feeding the animals to discovering new conservation ideas, and giving our 2 million visitors an inspirational day out.

We work hard because we love animals, are devoted to our mission and because we want to be the best zoo in the world!  If you think you can help us to achieve that, then we’d love to hear from you.

We’re looking for a talented and ambitious Individual Giving Specialist to join our Fundraising team at Chester Zoo.  The successful candidate will be responsible for looking after the zoo’s incredible donor base; maximising and managing all aspects of individual fundraising including on site, digital, in-memory, legacies and community.

The Role:

• Devise, develop and deliver an innovative plan for Chester Zoo’s individual giving opportunities
• Review existing individual giving streams in order to maximise and enhance their effectiveness, plus identify gaps for development
• Embrace fundraising trends and keep the zoo ahead of the curve when it comes to innovative and creative giving
• Work closely with the fundraising team to dovetail with other income streams
• Proactively raise funds against set annual financial and stewardship targets
• Be a professional, welcoming and friendly face of Chester Zoo and the Fundraising Department
• Work within the guidelines set by the Fundraising Regulator, Institute of Fundraising and Charity Commission; working within current legislation and best practice
• Keep excellent records and embrace strong database management, in line with current GDPR regulations
• Administrative activities including reconciliation of financial data, detailed reporting for management and trustees, updates for donors and general communications

The successful candidate will:

• Have specialist experience of individual giving; including working on annual campaigns, in-memory gifts, digital giving, cash appeals, Gift Aid and some Major Donor work
• Have experience in the cultural and/or charity sector; preferably in a major visitor attraction with multifaceted fundraising streams
• Be mature and confident, with strong initiative but balance this with natural empathy and sensitivity to donor needs
• Have exemplary donor care skills and experience of account managing a portfolio of varied donors
• Possess the ability to influence decision makers and donors
• Be able to inspire and enthuse wider colleagues and recognise the needs of differing stakeholders
• Be adept at cultivating prospects and moving them effectively through the fundraising journey
• Experienced in using a fundraising CRM database to manage and track donor relationships
• Have the flexibility to work outside of normal working hours and on some weekends when needed
• Be highly organised and will never miss those little details that make a donor’s relationship with Chester Zoo second to none

Salary and benefits:

The salary for the role is £26,516.71 for a 40 hour week.  In addition we offer a range of amazing benefits; for permanent staff this includes:

• A defined contribution pension scheme
• Employee assistance programme
• Excellent sick pay arrangements after 12 months service
• 33 days paid holidays (inclusive of bank holidays), which increases with length of service
• Free admittance tickets
• Staff pass
• Staff family pass (upon successful completion of probationary period)
• Medicash healthcare
• Free X1 bus travel to and from work, from Chester and Ellesmere Port train stations
• Perkz online discount scheme
• Discounted gym membership with Brio Leisure
• Celebration of service award
• Cyclescheme

Closing date for applications is Wednesday 25th March 2020.