The challenge
Maudsley Charity was entering a significant new phase of its organisational journey. With a bold strategy focused on moving from grant-making to changemaking, the charity needed to reshape how it generated income, shifting towards collaborative funding, co-investment and partnerships that could amplify impact locally and beyond south London.
This was a newly created senior role, requiring someone who could both design and lead a future-focused development function. The brief called for a strategic fundraiser with strong trusts and foundations experience, confidence operating in complex healthcare and academic systems, and the credibility to work closely with senior leaders, trustees and external partners. Finding the right balance of strategic thinking, entrepreneurial mindset and values alignment was critical.
Our approach
Charity People worked closely with Maudsley Charity’s senior leadership team to shape the role, sense-check expectations and ensure the opportunity was positioned clearly and attractively in a competitive market.
We designed an inclusive, values-led search that:
- Clearly articulated the organisation’s strategic shift towards collaborative funding and partnership working
- Positioned the role as one with genuine scope to shape strategy, systems and culture
- Highlighted Maudsley Charity’s strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
- Reached fundraisers working across health, research, and complex partnership environments
Alongside targeted outreach, we supported the charity to run an open Q&A webinar, enabling potential candidates to hear directly from the leadership team and better understand the opportunity, culture and ambitions of the organisation.
The outcome
The search generated a strong and diverse field of senior development professionals with experience across trusts and foundations, healthcare charities and complex stakeholder environments.
Maudsley Charity successfully appointed a Head of Development with the strategic insight, partnership-building expertise and leadership capability needed to drive income growth and support the charity’s long-term vision. The successful candidate brings a collaborative approach and a strong alignment with the charity’s mission to improve equity and outcomes in mental health care.
Impact
With the Head of Development in post, Maudsley Charity will be well positioned to:
- Build and sustain collaborative funding partnerships
- Diversify and grow income from trusts, foundations and community fundraising
- Strengthen internal fundraising capability and infrastructure
- Support the organisation’s transition from grant-making to systemic changemaking
This appointment has laid a strong foundation for the next stage of Maudsley Charity’s growth and influence.
Philippa Randle is an executive search and philanthropy fundraising recruitment specialist with over 15 years’ experience in fundraising and recruitment, building lasting relationships and connecting exceptional fundraisers and non-profit leaders with purpose-drive organisations.
As Principal Consultant with Charity People, she has led over 100 specialist, senior and board-level searches across the UK’s charity, arts and higher education sectors.
