Save the Children International (STCI) is the world’s leading independent organisation for children, operating in over 120 countries to create a better future for the next generation.

With a mission to save lives, fight for children’s rights, and help them reach their full potential, STCI inspires breakthroughs in how the world treats children—driving immediate and lasting change. From health, nutrition, and education to protection and child rights, STCI tackles the most pressing challenges children face, including in times of humanitarian crises.

With over two million supporters worldwide and $1.6 billion raised last year, STCI reached more children than ever before. Headquartered in London, the global team works with partners and national organisations to deliver impactful programs and maximize our reach for every child in need.

The purpose of the Global Donor Development Lead is to drive our ambitious plans in supporter retention and development across the Save the Children movement to increase long-term unrestricted income. The Global Donor Development Lead will:

• Lead on developing a strong network across Members to drive significant growth in sustainable unrestricted income through improvements and optimisation in donor retention & development programs across all channels, with a particular focus on regular giving and increasing conversion and second gifts from new Small Giving (SG) donors.
• Be responsible for identifying critical insights and using them to influence/collaborate with Members to maximise opportunities to increase Donor Lifetime Value (LTV).
• Create collaborative ways of working and initiatives with the General Fund and High Net Worth (GFH) and Members to ensure that effective retention and development strategies are developed, embedded and integrated across audiences and channels.
• Play a critical role in our humanitarian fundraising work, specifically contributing to the Individual Giving and Humanitarian cluster working groups to develop conversion and second gift strategies for this donor cohort.
• Develop a global mid-value strategy and work closely with members to ensure they are implementing these programs to drive donor revenue and value.

 Principal Accountabilities

• Direct member/market support: Support new and existing fundraising markets in line with the strategic priorities, work closely with senior staff in the GFH at STCI and in key Members. Provide strategic leadership and hands-on support to priority members, ensuring effective implementation of retention and development strategies across different channels, audiences, and markets.
• Strategy and planning: Support developing and implementing holistic donor retention & development strategies to retain and maximise the value from supporters to STCI with a priority on driving unrestricted income. This includes identifying roadblocks/barriers and ways to overcome them to develop successful donor retention and development programs.
• Ensure focus on the rigorous implementation of the “brilliant basics” while allowing time for innovative future-proofing initiatives.
• Skill sharing: Accountable for creating effective links and greater dialogue between retention and development fundraising stakeholders, promote best practice fundraising among all STCI members and lead e retention and development skill-sharing initiatives across the Fundraising Directors group and wider global fundraising community.
• Knowledge management: Provide a central point for knowledge management and sharing to improve the expertise and quality of retention and development fundraising across Save the Children.
• Work with the Market Intelligence Team to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of retention & development activities and to highlight progress, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. External focus: Ensure that STCI is staying abreast of retention and development initiatives.

Experience, skills and knowledge

• Experience in leading on the development of strategies for effective donor retention & development and value maximization in complex international organisations with multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent skills across mail, telephone / telemarketing and digital essential, including supplier and account management, execution and analysis.
• Experience of representing an international team and organisation to senior staff at national/international levels to influence their fundraising programmes and priorities.
• Substantial proven experience influencing supporter retention and development activities with a demonstrable record of success in reducing attrition and growing value. Experience in doing this in multiple markets is an advantage.
• Ability to analyse complex sets of data for multiple channels and markets to identify actionable insights.
• Demonstrable understanding or experience of working within a team with knowledge management and skill sharing responsibilities equivalent in scale and focus to this role in multiple countries including more mature as well as start-ups in emerging markets.
• Capacity to build and maintain excellent relations and to work effectively in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment respecting diversity.
• Strong personal organisational and self-management skills with an ability to lead and work in teams and motivate others.
• Ability to articulate the work of STCI with passion.
• Excellent communications skills in English, both written and verbal. Additional language skills in one or more of the working languages of our members would be an asset.

Key Relationships

Internal (excluding direct team and manager):

Collaborates with key stakeholders, including the Head of Market Development, Senior Lead for Humanitarian Private Fundraising, Head of Market Intelligence, Individual Giving Specialists, Digital Team (Fundraising and beyond), Head of Brand & Content, GGCU, Global Integrated Planning & Campaigns, as well as Fundraising Directors and Heads of Individual Giving and Digital at member organisations.

External:

Engages with agencies, consultants, freelancers, and peers from other NGOs.

Travel Requirements

The role requires international travel, which may account for approximately 20%.

Safeguarding

Save the Children International (STCI) needs to keep children and adults safe so the selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects STCI’s commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse.

A basic criminal record background (DBS) check is required/equivalent police record check.

Qualifications

• Education: University degree and relevant professional qualification or experience in Fundraising, Marketing, Non-Profit Management, or equivalent.
• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Institute of Fundraising (IoF) or Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) qualifications or overseas equivalent would be an advantage.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is core to STCI’s vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support in their vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation. 

STCI is committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs and religion. STCI is committed to diversifying their staff to better represent the communities they serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.  

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV/resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in the role and how you fulfil the requirements set out in the job announcement by clicking on the link below. 

Please contact Jane Kingara at Jane@darylupsall.com for any queries you may have.

The deadline for application is Sunday 5^th January 2025

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Daryl Upsall International actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. In recruiting candidates, we seek candidates with the proven skills required; irrespective of race, gender, religion or belief, age, disability or sexual orientation.