About Sophia Housing:
Sophia Housing is national provider of housing and homeless services. Founded in 1997 by Sr. Jean Quinn D.W the organisation has always been acutely aware of the impact that homelessness has on individuals, couples and families.
Over the past three decades Sophia has been supporting people as they emerge from homelessness. Sophia provides trauma informed services that recognises the impact that homelessness, poverty and social exclusion has on those it supports. Sophia is unique among providers of homeless services in that it focuses exclusively on helping people to leave homelessness by having a home of their own as quickly as possible.
Job Purpose
As Major Donor Manager with Sophia, you will provide leadership and operational delivery of a high value fundraising strategy and build on Sophia’s success to date in raising significant funding and support from a range of sources.
You will lead the planning and management of major donor income streams as well as taking a proactive role in fundraising high value gifts from major donors, trusts and foundations and corporate partnerships.
Reports To: Head of Finance & Governance
Location: Cork St, Dublin 8 with hybrid working arrangements as agreed
Hours: 39 hours per week, Monday to Friday with flexibility to work irregular hours as required by the role
Contract Type: Permanent
Sophia offers the following additional benefits to employees:
- 25 Annual Leave Days
- Additional Long Service annual leave
- 5% Employer pension contribution
- Further education and training support
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Flexible working arrangements
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising Activities
• Major Gifts: Cultivate and maintain relationships with high-value donors, ensuring effective solicitation, stewardship, and follow-up to secure significant contributions (five/six-figure gifts). You will lead on prospecting, stewarding, maintaining, and uplifting a portfolio of major donors.
• Corporate Partnerships: Build a portfolio of corporate partners. You grow this income stream from prospecting, approaches, applications, pitches, stewardship and providing account management.
• Trusts and Foundations: Responsible for researching, approaching and developing compelling applications with a focus on ensuring diverse and sustainable income streams.
• Prospecting: Undertake research and make use of tools to identify potential high value partners.
• Content development: Write and design compelling cases for support that are tailored to high value prospects.
• Collaboration: Work closely with Senior Leadership team to share information and progress.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Produce regular reports on fundraising activity, analysing performance against targets, and identifying areas for improvement and growth.
• Stewardship: Lead on developing and delivering effective stewardship journeys ensuring they are tracked and implemented across high value giving.
• Stakeholder management: Represent Sophia where appropriate at events and meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
Leadership and Management
• Strategic Development: Lead the development of the fundraising strategy across major donors, trusts and foundations, and corporate partnerships. You will be responsible for setting clear, ambitious objectives and targets and ensuring these are understood, bought into, and met across the wider team.
• Budget Monitoring: Work with the Head of Finance and Governance to develop the annual budget, including leading on monthly performance reports and contributing to quarterly reforecasts.
• Reporting: Be responsible for collating and reporting data, including analysing Key Performance Indicators to Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Work closely with senior staff and Board to maximise high value fundraising opportunities.
• Capacity Building: Provide guidance and support to senior colleagues in building new funding relationships and enhancing overall donor engagement.
Person Specification
Requirements and Skills
- Committed to the ethos and mission of Sophia.
- A minimum of 3 years’ relevant experience in major donor fundraising.
- Strong relationship management skills with the ability to engage and influence high-net-worth individuals.
- Proven track record of securing major gifts and developing donor stewardship plans.
- Experience in event planning and donor cultivation activities.
- Experience of working within a results-oriented environment, with a record of achieving personal and team KPIs and targets.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong storytelling ability.
- Knowledge of the charity sector and fundraising regulations.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to interpret reports and understand budgets.
- Strong analytical and research skills to identify potential funding sources.
- Proficiency in using donor databases and CRM systems.
- Ability to work on multiple projects and maintain a systematic and methodical approach.
- Ability to understand complex projects and promote these to potential non-specialist supporters.
- Self-starter with initiative and drive and an ability to think creatively and identify opportunities.
- Positive and resilient in the face of setbacks.
- Good negotiating skills.
- Flexibility to travel as required.
- Ability to work irregular hours as needed for events.
Qualification
- A degree in Business, Finance or relevant field.
Additional
- Understanding of homelessness and social justice issues.
- Experience working with religious organisations and community groups.
- Previous experience in piloting or launching new fundraising initiatives.
Application Process:
Please apply with a Cover Letter and CV to recruitment@sophia.ie
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 30th May 2025 with early applications welcome