Development Manager

Development Manager

Salary: Highly competitive, dependent on experience and skills (up to £40,000) + Benefits

Hours: Full-time, permanent

Based at Ampleforth Abbey YO62 Onsite with occasional remote working to be approved by line manager.

Closing date: 23rd February 2026

Benefits

• Up to 8% employer-matched pension
• Life assurance
• Free lunch during working hours
• Free on-site parking
• 20% discount at the Abbey Shop
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Christmas Closure

About Ampleforth Abbey

Ampleforth Abbey is home to the UK s largest Benedictine monastic community, rooted in the Rule of St Benedict. Our mission is to seek God through prayer and service, and to invite others to experience faith in action.

Located in the Howardian Hills near York, the Abbey sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and welcomes thousands of visitors each year to its Retreat Centre, Visitor Centre, Shop and Tea Room.

Ampleforth Abbey Trust, a registered charity, works alongside the monastic community to support this mission. With around 60 lay staff, the Trust delivers on a five-year strategy, choosing a Future Together, to ensure a sustainable, faith-led future for the Abbey and its valley home.

We are seeking an experienced Development Manager with excellent relationship management skills to help develop and sustainably grow the impact of Ampleforth Abbey. You will develop and use stewardship tools to guide supporters through their giving journey, including cultivation plans, proposals and reports, managing donor communications and nurturing our community of support.

Main Responsibilities but not limited to:-

• Develop a Fundraising Strategy in collaboration with the Head of Marketing, Communications and Development, to include individual giving, regular giving, legacies, major gifts, partnerships, grants, trusts and foundations.
• Develop and manage an Individual Giving Programme, using multiple forms of donor acquisition, ensuring high quality donor care and the achievement of agreed targets.
• Work with the Head of Marketing, Communications and Development to develop a Legacy Programme, managing the delivery of multichannel activities aiming to recruit, develop and maintain relationships with the public and our supporters for Legacy prospecting and outcomes.
• Support the development of a major donor portfolio, ensuring successful engagement of high-level individual donors with a view to securing major gifts.
• Manage the development and implementation of our corporate fundraising programme, building on current partnerships and securing new relationships with a range of partners.
• Work with the team and other colleagues to build Ampleforth Abbey s profile and ensure that we have developed a strong and compelling case for support, including the measurement of impact.
• Develop fundraising content and materials for a wide range of audiences and fundraising initiatives, ensuring that individual giving messaging is embedded across all touchpoints.
• Plan and manage the delivery of major fundraising appeals and campaigns, including the management and delivery of fundraising events where appropriate.
• Support the implementation and management of a fundraising database, ensuring high quality of data input and reporting.
• Manage the fundraising budget in line with objectives and KPIs, reporting monthly to the Head of Marketing, Communications and Development.
• Oversee donor communications and ensure excellent donor stewardship, including regular updates and responding to individual donor enquiries in a timely manner.
• Develop, implement and manage patron schemes for individuals and corporates, including recruitment, stewardship and the delivery of patron events.
• Pro-actively discover, identify and evaluate funding opportunities that align with the Marketing, Communications and Development Strategy and AAT s long-term vision.
• Co-ordinate and craft persuasive and high-quality fundraising bids and applications for various funding sources, ranging from largest Trusts and Foundations to smaller grant opportunities.
• Manage successful and existing grants, including grant reporting and liaison with grant funders both during and after the application process.
• Work alongside the Head of Marketing, Communications & Development to build and nurture relationships with both prospective and existing partners and donors to drive sustainable growth and maintain high levels of engagement.
• Occasional joint working with colleagues at the St Lawrence Educational Trust on collaborative fundraising campaigns and initiatives.
• Represent AAT at relevant networking events and conferences alongside the Head of Marketing, Communications and Development, to expand networks, gather market insights, and increase the organisation s community of support.
• Ensure staff and volunteers have the information they need to deliver on their roles and support the overall fundraising and development strategy
• Ensure all fundraising opportunities and applications align with, and are sensitive to, the Abbey s mission, values and monastic identity.
• Ensure all fundraising activities are fully compliant, including data protection, Gift Aid, fundraising law and other relevance compliance issues.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties required in line with capabilities, the needs of the company, and the wider group.

Experience

You will have:

• Experienced fundraiser with 5+ years experience
• Experience of fundraising in a charity context
• Experience of managing individual giving campaigns, including regular giving and legacies
• Experience of developing and managing fundraising events and campaigns
• Skilled bid writer with a proven track record of securing successful funding through grant opportunities, Trusts and Foundations
• Proven experience of excellent donor stewardship and managing supporter communications at all levels
• Proven experience of working within the charity, and/or faith-based organisations
• Effective planning, organisation, and time management
• Member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (desirable)

Skills and Attributes

You will bring:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire people at all levels
• The ability to build, develop and maintain relationships with individuals, partners and major stakeholders to achieve and exceed targets
• Strong influencing, negotiation and communication skills
• Effective organisational skills and an ability to manage and meet priorities with varying deadlines
• Financially literate with budget-management experience and the ability to track and report on fundraising income
• Ability and confidence to present to internal and external audiences
• Ability to write engaging, compelling copy for a range of audiences
• Experience of using CRM databases for segmentation and reporting to achieve fundraising goals
• Excellent Office 365 and IT skills
• Strong project management skills, with a track record of delivering multiple projects simultaneously
• A strong understanding of fundraising compliance and relevant legislation
• Results-driven and goal-oriented mindset
• Understands and is able to communicate the values of Ampleforth Abbey Trust
• An empathy towards the work of the Monastic Community
• Personal resilience and ability to respond positively to pressure
• An agile, flexible and positive mindset
• Creativity, innovation and the ability to think outside the box
• Problem-solving abilities and clear thinking, with sound judgement; able to make effective decisions under pressure
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple projects and competing demands simultaneously.
• Adaptability and flexibility in a fast-paced environment
• Effective planning, organisation and time management
• Integrity and diplomacy
• Proactive style and work ethic
• High professional standards, methodical and diligent, with a high attention to detail

Ampleforth Abbey Trust is committed to the highest standards of safeguarding. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

Interested? If you feel that you possess the relevant skills and experience, then please send your cv

INDLS

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