Global Head of Philanthropy
About us
Turquoise Mountain supports artisans and communities to protect and revitalise their heritage. Our work is rooted in the belief that cultural heritage has the power to transform lives. Founded in 2006 by His Majesty King Charles III, we work with artisan communities in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and the Levant. To date, we have supported over 11,500 artisans across 86 craft traditions, restored more than 170 historic buildings, and provided primary healthcare and education for artisans’ families.
As a charity, Turquoise Mountain funds its work through grants as well as gifts from foundations and individuals. We are seeking a highly experienced Head of Philanthropy to drive fundraising and lead the Development Team.
About the role
The Development Team is responsible for generating income to support Turquoise Mountain’s work. We raise income from philanthropists, corporates, trusts and foundations, individuals and community fundraisers, building strategic partnerships that deliver long-term, sustainable funding and deepen engagement with our work.
Positioning
The Head of Philanthropy will report to the COO and work closely with the President to develop and deliver Turquoise Mountain’s philanthropy strategy.
The role combines donor stewardship and support for the President and COO with practical management of fundraising activities, as well as the Development Team, and strategic considerations.
Purpose
The Head of Philanthropy will deliver the philanthropy strategy, hold and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, and personally secure gifts through direct relationship management.
This is a hands-on role: the Head of Philanthropy will lead - and support TM’s President - on donor identification, cultivation and stewardship, while also setting direction, prioritising effort, and building capability within the team to maximise long-term philanthropic income.
The Head of Philanthropy will work closely with the President and COO on key relationships and strategic opportunities, supporting the growth of philanthropy across North America (the US specifically will be the major focus for this role) and UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Strategically, this will involve prioritising specific geographies within the US and around the world, and deploying the President, COO, and other ambassadors in the target geographies effectively.
Key responsibilities
Strategy and income delivery
- Lead the development and delivery of a multi-year philanthropy strategy, with a clear focus on generating major donor income in the US as a priority, but also stewarding donor relationships in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and emerging geographies. Strategically, this will mostly involve maximising giving from existing relationships, and less identifying or pursuing new potential donors.
- Be accountable for achieving philanthropy income targets through leadership and support for the President and other Turquoise Mountain key relationship holders, as well as personally secured gifts.
- Be the point of contact across the organisation for all private fundraising-related matters, maintaining a live pipeline, and advising on priorities.
- Work with the President and COO, and other senior leaders, to support major donor relationships and help them by preparing appropriate materials including pitches, proposals, and direct solicitations.
- Personally manage Turquoise Mountain’s strong existing portfolio of donors and prospects, typically at major gift level (4 to 7 figure donations). Personally secure major gifts through one-to-one relationship building, tailored proposals, and direct asks.
- Mobilize and steward members of the Turquoise Mountain Boards (especially the US 501c3 Board) to leverage their networks and access for fundraising purposes.
Relationship Management, President, & COO Support
- Take primary responsibility for supporting the President and COO in high-stake relationship management and help preparation for meetings, events, and high-value asks.
- Coordinate key stakeholder relationships (across private and institutional) and support senior relationship holders to engage effectively.
- Coordinate engagement with Turquoise Mountain’s Royal Founding Patron in support of the President.
Team Leadership and Development
- Line manage and develop the Development team (2 x development officers, 1 x events coordinator).
- Establish strong, clear, and efficient ways of working including delegation of responsibilities, prioritisation, pipeline management, CRM discipline, and concise, consistent information dissemination.
- Set clear objectives and KPIs for the team.
- Ensure accountability for the quality of the team’s outputs (briefs, proposals, pitches, etc.)
- Ensure the team has the required input from country teams to prepare high-quality donor reports, pitches, and more.
- Build capacity with the team to support pipeline and income growth as well as donor stewardship.
- Build a group of ambassadors and coordinate and support their involvement in building high-value relationships and giving.
Pipeline, CRM, Reporting and Best Practice
- Ensure high-quality donor reporting is submitted on-time and meets all donor requirements and expectations.
- Own and maintain a live major donor pipeline.
- Ensure robust cashflow forecasting and internal reporting, working with the Finance Team as required.
- Support with the set-up of a robust CRM system.
- Oversee the maintenance of high-quality CRM data and reporting (Salesforce), and leverage this to optimise decision-making.
- Stay on top of new developments, trends, and innovations in fundraising to ensure efficient working and Turquoise Mountain’s ability to lean into new opportunities.
- Work with the Operations Team on fundraising policies and due diligence when required.
- Ensure excellent coordination internally across Development, Creative, Commercial, and Country leadership and teams.
Events and Engagement
- Identify events prospects and manage fundraising events, coordinating with other teams as required.
- Represent Turquoise Mountain at events, and support senior Turquoise Mountain ambassadors at events. Identify new potential leads, ensure swift follow-up, and gather and disseminate data.
- Support Senior Management participation in external events that have a key donor relationship component or philanthropy aspect.
- Integrate fundraising into events that are led by other Turquoise Mountain teams (e.g. Commercial, Creative, major country events).
- Work closely with the Communications Team to produce engaging content for philanthropy (e.g. newsletters, updates) and to provide strategic inputs into outward communications (from website to social media).
This list is not exhaustive, and other duties may be required as determined by the needs of the organisation.
Person Specification
Professional approach
We are looking for a highly competent and collaborative Head of Philanthropy.
Personal attributes
- A highly structured, organised, and hands-on self-starter who enjoys working both autonomously and in collaboration with colleagues and external partners.
- A supportive and committed colleague.
- A team worker.
- A great communicator.
- Somone who thrives in a high-paced environment.
- A great manager and team leader who is able to communicate openly, set expectations, and is comfortable with accountability.
- Someone who is very detailed-oriented and sets a high standard for themselves and their team.
- Someone who is punctual and meets deadlines.
- An excellent relationship builder and trustworthy.
- Willing to learn.
Qualifications
We are open to candidates qualified by experience.
Willingness to learn and ability to learn quickly are considered more important than formal qualifications.
Specific job skills and experience
- Fluent spoken and written English.
- Significant experience in US Philanthropy, ideally in cultural heritage or a related field.
- Evidence of ability to manage donor portfolios and drive income-generation.
- Evidence of strong team management skills and experience.
- Evidence of experience in donor reporting and compliance requirements.
- Comfortable working from home for most of the time.
- Knowledge of CRM systems.
- Event management experience.
- Willingness and ability to be in London frequently, and to travel to the US frequently.
Whilst there is a strong preference for the post holder to be UK-based, we are open to applicants from the United States or the Netherlands. This role is based full-time working from home, therefore you must have access to an appropriate workspace and full right to work in your country of residece, we are unable to sponsor work visas. Salary will be in the region of £55,000 to £65,000 per year, depending on experience.
To apply, please submit a current CV alongside a covering letter outlining how you fit the person profile, including your relevant experience in Philanthropy. Please combine your cover letter and CV as one pdf document. Candidates should submit a covering letter and C.V. to: vacancy@turquoisemountain.org. In the subject line of the e-mail, please mention – ‘Head of Philanthropy’ and your last name.
Please submit your application as soon as possible, but by no later than 21st August 2026. We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward in case of a large volume of applications