Head of Donor Engagement and Fundraising
Background and Context
Children's Health Foundation (CHF) is focused on raising funds to fulfil our mission of providing world class medical facilities, research and compassionate loving care for every sick child in Ireland cared for in Children's Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals and urgent care centres.
The Foundation supports Crumlin and Temple Street Children's Hospitals, National Children's Hospital Tallaght and Connolly Urgent Care Centre. The creation of Children's Health Foundation in 2019 brought together the existing Temple Street Foundation and The Children's Medical and Research Foundation Crumlin to continue to support Ireland's sickest children in their treatment journey today, tomorrow and into the future
Role Purpose / Summary
The Individual Giving Manager is a key role within the Children's Health Foundation, responsible for developing and delivering a comprehensive individual giving programme that maximises income from individual supporters across multiple channels. This role requires a creative, results-driven fundraiser with strong copywriting skills and experience managing direct marketing campaigns and third-party fundraising suppliers. The successful candidate will lead on direct mail, digital communications, donor newsletters, face-to-face fundraising, and door-to-door campaigns, ensuring an integrated approach that drives acquisition, retention, and supporter engagement.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Direct Marketing and Communications
In collaboration with the Head of Fundraising, develop and deliver an annual direct mail programme, including acquisition, appeals, and stewardship mailings to grow and retain individual donors
Write compelling, emotive copy for direct mail appeals, newsletters, email campaigns, and supporter communications that effectively convey CHF's impact and drive supporter response
Produce and distribute engaging donor newsletters on a regular basis, ensuring supporters are informed, inspired, and feel valued for their contribution
Develop segmented communication strategies that recognise different donor types, preferences, and giving levels to maximise engagement and retention
Work closely with the Brand, Marketing and Communications team to ensure consistent messaging and branding across all individual giving materials
Implement testing strategies across copy, creative, channels, and offers to continuously improve campaign performance
Third-Party Supplier Management
Manage relationships with third-party suppliers for door-to-door and face-to-face fundraising campaigns, ensuring delivery against agreed targets and quality standards
Work with the Head of Fundraising to negotiate contracts, set KPIs, and monitor supplier performance to ensure value for money and strong return on investment
Conduct regular review meetings with suppliers to assess performance, address issues, and identify opportunities for improvement and growth
Oversee campaign planning, scheduling, and deployment for door-to-door and face-to-face activity, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations and CHF policies
Quality assure all materials, scripts, and training used by third-party teams to ensure brand consistency and effective representation of CHF
Monitor and respond to supporter feedback and complaints related to third-party fundraising activity, maintaining high standards of donor care
Strategy and Planning
In collaboration with the Head of Fundraising develop and deliver an integrated individual giving strategy that drives income growth through acquisition, conversion, retention, and upgrading of individual supporters
Set ambitious but achievable income targets for all individual giving channels and campaigns, and deliver against these targets
Create annual campaign calendars that integrate direct mail, digital, door-to-door, and face-to-face activity for maximum impact
Identify new opportunities and innovative approaches to grow the individual giving programme and reach new audiences
Review propositions and giving mechanisms that make it easy and appealing for supporters to give regularly and increase their support over time
Data Analysis and Reporting
Monitor and analyse campaign performance across all channels, using data and insight to inform decision-making and optimise future activity
Track key metrics including acquisition rates, retention rates, average gift values, lifetime value, and return on investment for all campaigns
Produce regular and timely performance reports for Head of Fundraising, highlighting successes, challenges, and recommendations for improvement
Utilise CRM data to segment supporters, identify trends, and develop targeted communication and fundraising strategies
Conduct regular analysis of donor behaviour and attrition to develop effective retention and reactivation strategies
Budget Management and Compliance
Developing the individual giving fundraising budget with Head of Fundraising.
Manage the individual giving budget on a day-to-day, ensuring cost-effective delivery and strong return on investment across all channels
Ensure all individual giving activity complies with fundraising regulations, data protection legislation, and CHF policies and procedures
Maintain accurate records in the CRM system of all supporter interactions, preferences, and giving history
Stay informed of best practice, regulatory changes, and sector trends in individual giving and direct marketing
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Fundraising team to ensure an integrated approach to supporter engagement
Work closely with Brand, Marketing and Communications to source compelling stories, case studies, and impact data for use in campaigns and communications
Qualifications and Experience
Minimum 3 years' experience in individual giving or direct marketing within the charity sector
Proven track record of delivering successful direct mail campaigns and achieving income targets
Excellent copywriting skills with the ability to create compelling, emotive fundraising appeals and supporter communications
Experience managing third-party suppliers for door-to-door and/or face-to-face fundraising campaigns
Strong understanding of donor acquisition, retention, and development strategies
Excellent analytical skills with experience using data to inform strategy and improve campaign performance
Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple campaigns and deadlines simultaneously
Budget management experience with demonstrated ability to deliver value for money and strong ROI
Knowledge of fundraising regulations, data protection legislation, and best practice in individual giving
Strong functional competency across the Microsoft suite, particularly Excel for data analysis
Experience using CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce) to manage supporter relationships and track campaign performance
Creative thinking and innovative approach to problem-solving and campaign development
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and as part of a team
Passion for children's health and alignment with CHF's mission and values
Relevant professional qualification (e.g. Institute of Fundraising, Chartered Institute of Marketing) desirable
Understand CHF's external environment, at home and abroad
Ethics Management – including the application of financial controls and compliance with fundraising regulations
Understands and promotes CHF's Organisational Values, History and Culture
Accountability – Evaluation of fundraising activities to ensure value for money and impact
Benefits
Flexible hybrid work policy
PRSA: up to 6% contributory subject to eligibility criteria.
Death in Service scheme subject to eligibility criteria.
Employee Assistance Programme
Training and Education allowance
Paid Sick leave – subject to eligibility criteria.
21 days annual leave and five privilege days per annum
The Children’s Health Foundation is an equal opportunities employer
We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants and employees with physical or mental disabilities. If you believe you need a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application or hiring process, please send an email to jobs@childrenshealth.ie This information will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of determining an appropriate accommodation for the interview process.
Applying
Deadline for applications is 13th March 2026.
CV and Cover Letter should be emailed to jobs@childrenshealth.ie
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