The Search Brief

Charity People were exclusively retained by the Florence Nightingale Foundation to lead the search for their first-ever Head of Fundraising, a newly created strategic leadership role. This appointment marked a pivotal moment in the Foundation’s journey, as they sought to build sustainable income streams, forge new partnerships, and raise the profile of their work across the health and care sectors.

The brief was to identify a candidate who could shape and deliver a bold fundraising strategy, with the autonomy to innovate and the credibility to influence senior stakeholders. The ideal candidate would bring a strong track record in income generation, strategic thinking, and relationship-building, alongside a deep passion for the Foundation’s mission.

The Charity

The Florence Nightingale Foundation is a leading voice for the nursing and midwifery profession in the UK and internationally. Inspired by Florence Nightingale’s legacy, the Foundation empowers nurses and midwives to develop their leadership, extend their skills, and shape the future of health and care.

Their work focuses on improving clinical outcomes and patient experience by building leadership capacity, convening professionals to influence policy, and ensuring nursing and midwifery perspectives are central to health system transformation.

The Role

The Head of Fundraising role was designed to lead the Foundation’s income generation strategy, build on existing relationships, and explore new avenues for growth. The role offered a unique opportunity to shape the future of fundraising at the Foundation.

Key responsibilities included:

– Developing strategic funding partnerships across multiple income streams

– Creating compelling cases for support and innovative appeals

– Leading and managing fundraising activity with attention to detail and impact

– Communicating a clear vision for income generation aligned with the Foundation’s mission

Our Exclusive Search Process

Charity People delivered a bespoke and highly targeted search campaign, combining:

– Headhunting: Proactive outreach to senior fundraising professionals with relevant experience and values alignment, using insight-led messaging and tailored engagement.

– Key Connections: Leveraging our extensive network in the charity sector to identify hidden talent and warm referrals.

– LinkedIn Recruiter: A focused LinkedIn campaign using advanced search filters and personalised engagement to reach candidates with the right strategic and leadership profile.

– Charity People Database: Our proprietary database of fundraising professionals enabled us to quickly identify and engage candidates with proven success in income generation and partnership development.

This multi-channel approach ensured we reached both active and passive candidates, with a strong emphasis on values fit, leadership potential, and strategic capability.

Search Outcomes

– 47 candidates responded to the search

– 22 screening calls were conducted via Teams

– A longlist of 13 candidates was submitted to the client

– 6 candidates were invited to interview

In addition to candidate sourcing and screening, Charity People provided comprehensive support throughout the recruitment process, including:

– Development of the application pack

– Designing interview questions aligned with the role’s strategic priorities

– Creating a bespoke interview task to assess candidates’ fundraising vision and approach

The Outcome

The search resulted in a highly competitive shortlist of candidates, each bringing a unique blend of experience, creativity, and passion for the Foundation’s mission. The appointed candidate impressed with their strategic vision, relationship-building skills, and commitment to empowering nurses and midwives through impactful fundraising.

This appointment marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Florence Nightingale Foundation, with fundraising now positioned as a central driver of growth, innovation, and long-term impact.