Head of Membership & Development

A thorough Membership Review was undertaken during 2024 to address several key Linnean Society objectives in the new strategy: (1) to grow, diversify and support our members to expand their capacity in support of our mission; (2) to develop income streams including philanthropy and legacies to ensure financial sustainability and expand our programmes; and (3) to mobilise our membership to be ambassadors and advocates for nature. The appointment of this new post is one of the recommendations in the Review. The postholder will develop and implement a new membership and fundraising strategy that delivers the above Linnean Society strategic objectives, in consultation with the CEO. The Review will provide useful data and insights towards the delivery of these strategic objectives. The post-holder will be responsible for membership development (acquisition, retention and advancement) of our community of members, comprising Fellows and Associates, and play a vital role in helping to build a vibrant, active and engaged community. They will also be responsible for developing a donor journey, including a clear and compelling case for support, and a legacy giving programme. As this is a new role for the Linnean Society, the postholder will have the opportunity to have a real impact, helping to grow and protect the Society. They will report to the CEO and are expected to be a collaborative and active member of the Senior Management Team. Main Duties Strategic

• Working with the CEO and colleagues across the Society, the postholder will be responsible for developing and implementing a new Membership and Fundraising Strategy, with associated plans and budgets.
• Set, manage and monitor annual membership and fundraising plans and budgets - including activities, targets and return on investment - and provide quarterly reports.
• Develop the Linnean Society's donor journey and 'ladder of giving', promoting giving from one-off donations through to higher level gifts and legacies.
• Develop a compelling case for support.
• Act as Secretary to the Fellowship Committee, engaging new Fellows in the mission of the Society and identifying those who can support in a significant way.
Operational
• Chair the new Membership Working Group comprising staff from across the Society to deliver the recommendations in the Membership Review.
• Responsibility for the entire membership journey, managing all services for acquisition, engagement and retention, including member communications.
• Act as first point of contact for all members' queries in relation to their membership and be the membership champion within the Society
• Work closely with the Events & Communications Manager to devise an annual events schedule that appeals to existing and potential future members.
• Maintain accurate membership, donor and legacy data and records using the Society's CRM system.
• Conduct regular membership surveys to understand what our members value about their engagement with the Society.
• Seek out and develop philanthropic relationships with individuals, grant-giving trusts and foundations whose interests align with the Linnean Society.
• Enable the donor journey with dedicated stewardship.
• Create a legacy 'circle' programme with ongoing communications and activities to engage and retain legacy 'intends'.
• Create and maintain relevant web pages.
• Work with SMT colleagues to create compelling applications to grant-giving trusts and foundations to support the Society's work.
• Perform data interrogation to discover prospects, trends or customer level insight, practicing and nurturing a culture of horizon scanning and innovation.
• Maintain effective processes to ensure good communication, transparency and efficiency.
• Lead on budget management for Membership and Development, including setting targets and forecasting fundraising income, working closely with the Head of Finance and SMT colleagues.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on annual plans against agreed targets.
• Provide timely information and reports to the CEO, SMT, Council meetings and sub-committees, as required.
• Other duties from time to time as directed by the CEO., Please note we're not responsible for the content of job ads, as they're posted by the recruiter. We'll aim to resolve the reported issue and we'll use your feedback to improve the quality of our ads.
  
  Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• Successful track record of managing and developing a membership programme including the delivery of membership or fundraising events.
• Experience of writing inspiring and compelling appeal literature and membership communications.
• Experience of creating a compelling case for support and/or donor journey with a demonstrable understanding of the hierarchy of access.
• Ability to develop and implement fundraising plans and strategies to meet income targets and deadlines.
• Experience of solicitation of HNW and grant-giving trust and foundation prospects and donors.
• Experience of proposal writing for philanthropic support from individuals and/or grant-giving trusts and foundations.
• Ability to carry out research and benchmarking on prospective membership and fundraising initiatives.
• Knowledge of legacy fundraising and administration.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (written and verbal).
• Goal-driven with ambition to succeed and meet targets.
• Excellent level of IT literacy, including use of a CRM system and the interrogation of customer-level data to create 360° views of supporters.
• Good knowledge of data protection and Fundraising Regulations.
• Experience of managing income and expenditure budgets.
• Analytical and methodical, with a high degree of accuracy.
• Organised with ability to prioritise workload, meet tight deadlines, set work programmes, and use own initiative.
• Pragmatic, innovative and able to motivate others.
• Ability to be an advocate for the Linnean Society and its mission.
• Alignment with the Linnean Society's values.
• Willing to work some weekends and evenings in line with Linnean Society events schedule.
Desirable
• Ability to communicate complex information (e.g. scientific information) succinctly and in plain English to a range of funders.
• Experience of legacy fundraising and administration.
• Proven track-record of raising significant income, meeting fundraising targets and developing successfully funded projects.
• Interest in natural history or natural sciences.
  
  The Society is often described as a 'hidden gem', with a small but highly valued audience. However, given the dangers facing the natural world today, our community of nature enthusiasts has never been more needed. We have aspirations to grow and diversify our membership, open up our building to new audiences, expand our education and public programmes, invest in research grants, and so much more. Having recently secured our historic home in Burlington House for the next 999 years, launched a new strategy and revamped our governing documents, we have a strong and stable foundation upon which to build an ambitious programme of activity.