Development Manager
Happier Lives Institute
📍Remote (Global) 🕔 Part Time 💼 Contract
💰~£40,000 pro-rata pa ⏳ 25/07/2025
We’re looking for a proactive, friendly and organised Development Manager to help us capitalise on the possibilities. You’ll help us to scale our impact by stewarding donors, generating new funding leads, and supporting grant applications. This role is remote-first: you can be based anywhere, though our registered office is in Bristol, England, where our Director and COO live and work.
The Role
Your role will be to grow support for the charities HLI recommends and for itself. This means you’ll be helping resources go to organisations where they can make the biggest difference. You will play a key role in enacting our 2025–2027 Fundraising Strategy, which sets out clear goals to build a stable foundation of unrestricted funding, secure targeted grants for research and advocacy, and help develop the systems and relationships needed to sustain our work long-term. In this role, you’ll focus on building and stewarding a robust pipeline of funders and major donors, refining our fundraising messaging, and supporting the creation of processes and tools – from CRM implementation to donor stewardship frameworks. Over time, you’ll also help lay the groundwork for growing support to our recommended charities.
Key Responsibilities
Implement Fundraising Strategy
Lead on implementing and innovating HLI’s 2025-2027 Fundraising Strategy, designed by a consultant we brought in for this purpose.
Donor Stewardship
Cultivate and maintain lasting relationships with existing donors, including individuals, major donors, and institutional funders, in collaboration with the Director.
Develop and implement stewardship plans to ensure supporters feel connected, appreciated and inspired by the impact of their generosity.
Draft and send personal acknowledgments, donor updates, and tailored communications.
Lead Generation and Pipeline Management
In collaboration with the team, identify new funding opportunities through outreach to prospective donors, foundations, philanthropic networks.
Develop and maintain our prospect pipeline, tracking engagement and follow-ups systematically.
Qualify leads and coordinate outreach strategies to engage potential supporters.
Grant Applications
Collaborate with our Research team to craft thoughtful proposals and supporting materials that show how we will make a measurable difference.
Track grant deadlines, reporting requirements, and submission schedules.
Help compile data and impact metrics needed for proposals and reports.
Campaign and Appeal Support
Collaborate with the Marketing team on fundraising campaigns, recurring giving initiatives, and special appeals.
Provide insights into donor preferences to inform messaging, segmentation, and engagement strategies.
Data and Insights
Maintain accurate records of donor interactions and contributions in our CRM and donation platform (currently Donorbox).
Monitor development KPIs (such as online acquisition and retention rates, increase recurring donations and average gift amounts online) and report on progress against goals.
Gather and analyse giving trends and insights to identify donor motivations, preferences and work with the Marketing team to explore new opportunities for growth.
Collaboration
Work closely with the Marketing team, COO, and Director to align development activities with HLI’s strategic objectives.
Collaborate with our recommended charities to understand their funding needs and potentially develop joint fundraising materials, proposals, and updates for donors.
Liaise with external partners (including HLI’s recommended charities) , effective giving platforms, and the broader philanthropic community.
Key Requirements
Experience
3+ years of experience in development, fundraising, donor relations, or a related field, ideally in the nonprofit or effective giving/altruism sectors.
Demonstrated success stewarding donor relationships and supporting grant applications.
Experience managing a donor or funder pipeline, including prospect research and cultivation.
Familiarity working independently in a global, remote team.
Skills
Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
Strong written communication skills for donor correspondence and proposals.
Competence using CRM systems and tracking fundraising metrics.
Familiarity with online fundraising platforms (e.g., Donorbox) and digital fundraising best practices.
Strong organisational skills to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
Proficiency with productivity tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Slack).
Attributes
A strong interest in HLI’s mission to improve global wellbeing and in using research to determine the priorities.
Self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable working autonomously.
Collaborative team player with clear, respectful communication.
Benefits
While this is a contractor role, we are committed to supporting your wellbeing and work-leisure balance. Benefits include:
Pro-rated paid annual leave entitlement.
Access to mental health support resources.
A co-working space allowance to help you work at your best.
Why Join Us?
🌍 Mission That Matters: You’ll help people live happier lives, and see the real impact of your work as you help grow the funding of HLI and our recommended charities.
🌱 Room to Grow: Be part of a small, ambitious team in an exciting growth phase – your ideas will shape our future.
🎯 Flexible & Remote: Design your work week around what helps you thrive.
💡 Meaningful Impact: Your energy and skills won’t just sustain HLI, you’ll will help unlock funding for the high-impact charities we recommend, multiplying the good your work creates.
How to Apply
To apply, please complete this Google Form and attach your CV before 25 July. We’re looking for a September start. We expect to interview at the beginning of August and have a contract in place in September.
Happier Lives Institute is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.
