Summary

WePlanet is entering a phase of organisational growth that requires a step-change in philanthropic income. We are seeking a Head of Philanthropy & Foundations to build and lead our major foundations and HNWI fundraising programme from the ground up. 

This is a newly created senior role designed to unlock WePlanet's next phase of growth by building a transformational pipeline of philanthropic income from major foundations and high-net-worth donors. The post-holder will take direct responsibility for cultivating and converting the foundations, family offices and HNWI prospects that can step-change the organisation's income, including, over time, seven-figure foundation commitments. 

The role is fully remote and sits within a small, fast-moving international team. The post-holder is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, a builder's mindset and the confidence to lead on substantial asks. 

WePlanet is not a typical NGO. We are a small, fast-moving organisation with outsized ambitions, and we are now at the point where philanthropic income needs to scale dramatically to match them. 
 

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About the role 

We are hiring a Head of Philanthropy and Foundations to build this function from the ground up. The post-holder will design and own our entire major foundations and HNWI fundraising strategy, working directly with senior leadership to pursue seven-figure commitments from foundations, family offices and major individual donors. 
 
This is the kind of role that suits someone who has spent time working within established fundraising programmes and is now ready to build their own. You will need the confidence to make substantial asks, the persistence to manage long cultivation cycles, and the judgement to prioritise a pipeline where the opportunities are large but the timescales are real. 

WePlanet is fully remote and internationally distributed. The post-holder will be expected to operate with significant autonomy. There is no large team behind this role yet. Building that team, over time, is part of the job. 

If your ambition is to manage and grow an existing programme, there are better roles out there for you right now. If you want to build something significant, with the freedom and seniority to do it properly, this is worth your attention. 
 

This is a full-time, 2-year fixed term position, fully remote, and open to candidates based in the UK or EU, with the expectation that you can work hours that overlap significantly with the European working day (CET/GMT). 
 

Applications will remain open until the position is filled, but priority will be given to candidates who apply promptly and are available to start at the earliest opportunity.

 

What you'll do as part of our team 

The Head of Philanthropy & Foundations personally leads WePlanet's major foundations and HNWI pipeline, from prospect identification through cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. The post-holder works closely with the Director of Impact & Partnerships, the Grants Officer, Head of Global Development and the Senior Digital Fundraising Lead.

Key responsibilities include:

 Major foundations pipeline  

• Build and own a diversified portfolio of major foundation prospects spanning six- and seven-figure funding opportunities. This is an income-generating role. Pipeline development is a means, not the measure of success. 

• Personally lead the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of top-tier foundation relationships, taking direct ownership of outcomes rather than process. 

• Write or lead the writing of WePlanet’s most strategic and high-value proposals, working with the Grants Officer on research, drafts and supporting materials. 

• Work with programme leads across alternative proteins, nuclear energy, nature and climate to shape propositions  that are compelling to funders, not just internally coherant. 

• Consult and collaborate with the WePlanet network and Head of Global Development to develop fundable propositions that expand our movement’s global reach and capacity.  
   

Major donors and high-net-worth individuals 

• Design and run WePlanet's major donor programme from prospect identification through cultivation, solicitation and long-term stewardship. 

• Create bespoke cultivation moments — events, site visits, briefings — that deepen relationships with HNWI prospects and donors. 

• Partner with the Senior Digital Fundraising Lead on an agreed handover process for HNW prospects identified through the supporter base. 

• Support the Director of Impact & Partnerships on the most senior donor relationships, ensuring continuity of contact and high-quality follow-up. 

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Pipeline management and team 

• Own the major-donor and major-foundation stewardship calendar, ensuring every substantive relationship is actively maintained. 

• Convene and choreograph pitch teams for major opportunities, ensuring the right combination of voices is in the room for each substantive ask. 

• Work closely with the Grants Officer on major proposals. Take on formal line management of the Grants Officer at the three-month point of the role. 

• Monitor pipeline conversion rates, flag risks early and course-correct with the Director of Impact & Partnerships. 

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About you 

We are looking for a builder rather than a maintainer: someone with the track record, judgement and energy to construct a major philanthropy function inside a small, ambitious organisation. We value track record over credentials and welcome applications from candidates with diverse professional and personal backgrounds. 

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Essential  

• Substantial experience, typically five or more years, in major gift, foundation or institutional fundraising at a mission-driven organisation. 

• A demonstrable personal track record of leading fundraising work that has secured significant six- or seven-figure commitments from major foundations and/or HNWI donors. We will ask you to evidence this specifically. 

• Experience of building a foundation or major donor pipeline, not only inheriting and maintaining one. 

• Outstanding written and spoken English, with the ability to operate comfortably with the idioms and expectations of top-tier philanthropic institutions. 

• Strong proposal writing and strategic storytelling skills, translating complex, science-based campaigns into compelling cases for support. 

• Strong visual presentation skills, with the ability to conceptualise and produce quality decks for major funders, working effectively with designers, AI tools, or both. 

• Confident public speaker, comfortable holding the room in small pitch meetings, on funder panels and from the stage at events. 

• Ability to operate with autonomy and judgement, navigate ambiguity and work at pace in a lean, fully remote team. 

• Alignment with WePlanet's ecomodernist values, including comfort advocating for evidence-backed technologies such as nuclear power, GMOs and alternative proteins as part of the response to the climate and nature crisis. 

• Willingness to travel internationally for cultivation meetings, conferences and stewardship events. 

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Desirable  

• Experience at a small to mid-sized, entrepreneurial NGO, as opposed to a very large institution where fundraising is highly specialised and relationships are often inherited. 

• Existing relationships or relevant network access within the climate, environmental, effective altruism or science-based philanthropy communities. 

• Experience of cross-border fundraising across the UK, continental Europe and/or the US. 

• Experience working with or alongside programmatic teams on policy, campaigns or advocacy.