Appointment brief
Director of Philanthropy
May 2025
An introduction from our Chief Executive
Thank you for your interest in the post of Director of Philanthropy of Cumberland Lodge.
Cumberland Lodge is a unique institution with a fascinating history, a beautiful location, and a critical mission, to develop the next generation of youth leaders equipped to shape more inclusive and fairer societies.
As well as being an educational charity with an international reputation, we are a social enterprise running a thriving commercial residential conference business in a former royal residence in the magnificent setting of Windsor Great Park.
The Director of Philanthropy is a new position that will play a key role in the future impact of the Lodge. Working closely with the CEO you will be a proactive self-starter who thrives on creating and delivering a strategy to secure fundraising partnerships with Ultra High Net Worth Individuals and Corporates. The combination of the urgency of our mission and the unique offering of Cumberland Lodge alongside an ambitious Executive Team ensures that this role is intellectually stimulating, external facing and deeply rewarding.
This is an exciting time for the organisation as we focus on growing our impact at a time of growing global populism and polarisation as we approach our 80th anniversary. If you have the energy, skills, and experience to drive us forward in delivering our mission we would be delighted to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Fergus Drake OBE
Cumberland Lodge | Director of Philanthropy
About Cumberland Lodge
Cumberland Lodge is a beautiful Grade II listed house in Windsor Great Park that has been the home of an educational charity for almost 80 years. The foundation was the vision of Amy Buller, whose pioneering work in trying to understand the rise of National Socialism in Germany during the 1930s and its impact on society – especially young people – was presented in her 1943 book Darkness over Germany, which came to the attention of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother).
With the help of an influential network of friends, Buller’s vision came to fruition when the Royal Family granted the use of Cumberland Lodge for her educational ‘experiment’, to create a safe environment where young people could gather to discuss pressing issues facing society and meet with diverse people of all ages and perspectives to exchange views. Darkness over Germany has recently been republished in the UK, USA, and Germany.
We operate under a Royal Warrant, granted initially by King George VI Our Patron from 1947 until 2002 was the Queen Mother, who was succeeded by Queen Elizabeth II, and as of April 2024 we are delighted that His Majesty King Charles III now holds the position. As a result, we have a close relationship with both the Royal Household and the Crown Estate, which manages the Great Park.
Inspired by our founding, we are a charity that brings diverse people togetherfor open dialogue and debate on pressing issues facing society. Weprovidefutureleadersthetoolsforcriticalthinking, the reflective environment, real world case studies, an active network and lifelong mentoring to achieve positivechange
Our current work is focused on Youth and Democracy, Rule of Law, Freedom of Religion and Belief, and intergenerational dialogue, with recent themes including Gen Z and the City, young people’s response to the climate crisis, and youth perspectives on political engagement.
This work is delivered by ourProgramme Team and overseen by ourChiefExecutive, and all this is made possible by the income we receive from the thousands ofindividuals and visiting groups who hire ourfacilities for their own conferences, meetings, and events throughout the year, and the hard work of our renowned hospitality teams and operational staff.
We now want to supplement this income from our social enterprise with a targeted fundraising strategy that will appeal to UHNWI’s and Corporates who want to join us in developing 5,000 future leaders that the Lodge as a “change in action hub” that will create ripples of positive change across generations and continents
Cumberland Lodge | Director of Philanthropy
The role
As the Director of Philanthropy, you will play a pivotal role in driving Cumberland Lodge’s ambitious fundraising goals by creating and delivering a strategy that secures innovative partnerships with Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWIs), high-profile corporates, and other key stakeholders.
Reporting to the Chief Executive and working closely with the Programmes Director your aim will be to leverage the Lodge’s distinctive heritage, stunning surroundings, and track record in facilitating dialogue to build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to our charitable impact and long-term sustainability of our work.
At this time of growing populism and polarisation we are energised by our mission to develop the next generation of youth leaders equipped to shape more inclusive and fairer societies.
This is a dynamic and strategic leadership role that offers an exceptional opportunity to combine fundraising expertise with creativity in partnership cultivation, affording the chance to work closely with influential figures and organisations in advancing Cumberland Lodge’s vision.
This is a full-time permanent position that is part of the Executive and Senior Management teams.
Key duties:
• Fundraising Partnerships: Develop and deliver a strategy to secure major philanthropic contributions from UHNWIs, involving tailored approaches to align their values and interests with Cumberland Lodge’s mission. Identify opportunities for innovative partnerships with corporate sponsors, aligning their CSR priorities with our societal impact objectives. Our aim is to deliver a £5m partnership programme over the next 3 years.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain a growth pipeline driven by sophisticated relationships with UHNWIs, corporate executives, Foundation Directors and influential stakeholders. Harness the Lodge’s reputation and unique assets as compelling incentives for collaboration.
• Strategy Development: Create and implement a long-term partnership and fundraising strategy aligned with Cumberland Lodge’s vision and yearly goals, ensuring accountability, adaptability, and success.
• Communication & Promotion: Serve as a dynamic spokesperson for Cumberland Lodge’s impact and fundraising initiatives to prospective donors and corporate audiences, inspiring engagement with our mission.
• Event Development: Line manage the Memberships and Outreach Officer and collaboration closely with the Programme team to craft bespoke events, storytelling opportunities, and immersive site experiences for potential partners. Use the location and history of Cumberland Lodge to build emotional connections with prospective supporters.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the Chief Executive, Programmes Director, Board of Trustees, and the wider team to create compelling partnership packages, maximising engagement and funding potential.
• Perform such other duties as will from time to time be reasonably required by the Chief Executive or the Trustees.
Person specification
The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following key skills and attributes:
Skills & Experience:
• Proven success in being a self-starter who can create and deliver a strategy that builds relationships with UHNWIs and major corporate donors in a fundraising, business development, or high-value sales context.
• Experience of building a growth pipeline of effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong programming background with a demonstrated ability to inspire and communicate the mission and accomplishments of an organisation to influential audiences in a persuasive and credible manner.
• Strategic mindset with strong negotiation, networking, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience of working towards and achieving ambitious financial targets and deadlines, or other non-financial targets and KPIs
• Experience of organising fundraising, volunteering and engagement events, or equivalent events
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to plan, prioritise and meet deadlines
Knowledge:
• Deep understanding of fundraising best practices, corporate partnerships, and philanthropy.
• Awareness of how heritage organisations and charitable foundations attract prominent support.
• Experience of working in a hospitality venue or heritage building, or an educational establishment would be beneficial.
Personal Attributes:
• Visionary thinker who can identify and create new opportunities for partnership
Cumberland Lodge | Director of Philanthropy
• Charismatic and confident communicator with exceptional interpersonal skills.
• A positive and proactive self-starter who thrives on building long term relationships
• Creativity and energy in delivering events for partners
• A genuine commitment and empathy to Cumberland Lodge’s mission of developing the next generation of youth leaders equipped to shape more inclusive and fairer societies.
• Ability to work flexibly, including evening and weekend work, where required.
Cumberland Lodge | Director of Philanthropy
Termsofappointment
Due to the residential and 24/7 nature of the organisation, this role may require some evening and weekend working, and some overnight residency.
Hours: 37.5 per week.
Salary: circa £70,000, bench marked across similar scale mission-based organisations
Location: A combination of onsite at Cumberland Lodge and hybrid working minimum 3 days per week. You will need access to a vehicle, as Cumberland Lodge is located remotely in Windsor Great Park without easy access by public transport.
Pension: Standard Life contributory pension (up to, and currently, 10% organisational contributions to support 5% personal contributions, with the option to increase personal contributions above 5%).
Additional benefits: 25 days annual leave plus 8 days standard UK bank holidays. Individual health insurance. Annualised hours working pattern. Lunch provided on-site. Death in service benefit 4 x salary after probation period. Employee support benefits, includes access to a virtual GP service and mental health support.
Howtoapply
We seek to embody our vision of more peaceful, open, and inclusive societies as an employer, and we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.
To apply for the role of Director of Philanthropy, please send a CV and a cover letter to our recruitment partner Prospectus, and consultant Rhiannon Mehta, Associate Director, Fundraising at: rhiannon.mehta@prospect-us.co.uk The closing date forapplications is noon on
Pleasenote thatfirst roundinterviews willlikelybe held in
