Fundraising Manager, Grants

As a key member of the Gallery’s Development team, the Fundraising Manager, Grants will work closely with the Senior Fundraising Manager, Grants and Legacy Giving to support the delivery of an ambitious trust fundraising strategy to ensure that the Gallery raises maximum income through grant-giving bodies, including Trusts and Foundations, statutory funders, and corporate foundations.

The postholder will seek to secure critical support for budget-relieving activity taking place across the Gallery, including learning and engagement and exhibitions, as well as support for acquisitions, special projects, and capital works. They will make a contribution to ensuring exemplary relationships with grant-makers and their representatives, actively cultivating prospects to increase support for the Gallery.

Key Accountabilities:

• Working with the Senior Fundraising Manager, Grant and Legacy Giving to develop and deliver an overall strategy for grants fundraising, ensuring that the Gallery raises its income targets and ensuring that fundraising supports the Gallery’s Development Departmental Plan and 10 Year Plan,
• Ensuring that a sufficient number of high quality funding applications are made each year in order to support key Gallery projects from existing supporters as well as increasing the current level of Trust and Foundation support.
• Researching, developing and preparing high quality applications for funding, liaising closely with relevant colleagues across the Gallery.
• Ensuring that accurate and engaging funder reports are written and provided to the funder on time.
• Undertaking stewardship of key funders, both past and present, to ensure funder expectations are met and exceeded, to maximise repeat funding.
• Working with the Prospect Researcher and the gallery’s process for ethical review to identify new prospects and ensure that due diligence processes are followed.
• Working with the Senior Fundraising Manager, Grants and Legacy Giving and other colleagues, to help deliver the grants and legacy giving strategy.

Strategy and planning:

• Working within the overall strategy for Grants and Legacy Giving and with the Senior Fundraising Manager, Grants and Legacy Giving, agreeing on a work plan for each financial year, working closely with them to adjust plans when necessary (for example due to unexpected campaigns or application delays).
• Working with the Senior Fundraising Manager, Grants and Legacy Giving, planning an on-going strategy for cultivating relationships with prospective and lapsed Trusts and Foundations and their representatives.
• Pro-actively identifying new funding prospects for the Gallery, working with the Prospect Researcher, undertaking research as required, using available tools and systematic processes for prospect identification.
• Creating Trusts and Foundations prospect lists, and ensuring that meetings and communications with priority prospects take place.
• Devising and delivering small-scale cultivation events for Trust and Foundations (funders and/or prospects).
• Working closely with Gallery colleagues from different departments (e.g. Curators, Learning and Engagement) to identify the strongest new funding opportunities with potential to support budget-relieving work.
• Support legacy giving initiatives when appropriate, as part of the Grants and Legacy Giving team.

Research, Applications and reporting:

• Pro-actively working to initiate and develop relationships with prospective and past funders, to understand their interests, criteria and propensity to support the Gallery. 
• Writing robust and persuasive funding applications to grant-makers, aligning with their interests and giving priorities. 
• Working with colleagues to ensure projects are monitored and evaluated, ensuring that grant terms and requirements are met, and that high quality reports are submitted according to reporting schedules. 
• Contributing to regular and accurate records and reporting on income from Trusts and Foundations for Finance, Team Meetings, Senior Management and the Trustees.  

Stewardship:

• Ensuring opportunities throughout the year for funder representatives to come into contact with the Gallery’s work or events, as appropriate to the funder.
• Briefing the Director/Director of Development and other colleagues about funders prior to funder meetings. Attending funder meetings where appropriate.
• Ensuring reporting expectations are met (as above), working with the Campaign Manager where relevant to collate information and report documents.
• Liaising with relevant Gallery colleagues to ensure funder acknowledgements when appropriate on project materials, press, marketing and publications.
• Developing active and positive relationships with relevant Trusts and Foundations representatives and key people within grant-giving bodies.
• Maintaining ongoing contact with current Trust and Foundation supporters, and stewarding individuals within family foundations who have indicated that they will be considering a legacy gift

Information Management:

• Monitoring incoming grant payments and budget expenditure with the Finance Department and relevant teams within the Gallery.
• Recording all communications with funders and prospects on the CRM database ‘Tessitura’, maintaining accurate records of grant makers and grant fundraising activity - including logging insight, next steps, current actions, prospect and gift details on the CRM database, Tessitura.
• Gathering information about funded projects for the purpose of report writing.
• Keeping informed about trends, innovation and news in philanthropy, particularly in Trusts and Foundations.

Key Experience, Skills and Criteria:

Essential:

• Proven track record of soliciting donations from Trusts and Foundations, and statutory funders.  
• Experience of engaging a wide range of stakeholders and excellent relationship management skills.
• High level of proficiency working with standard business software including MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Working knowledge of CRM databases such as Tessitura.

Desirable:

• Experience of working within an arts/heritage environment.
• Experience of working on/knowledge of an acquisition campaign and/or National Lottery Heritage Fund application.

Skills:

• Excellent written skills, with the capacity to produce clear and accurate documentation.
• Ability to craft compelling cases for support and to communicate effectively through face-to face meetings and written proposals
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to quickly establish credibility and good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Attention to accuracy and detail in all aspects of work.
• An ability to plan and manage own workload, adapting to changing conditions when necessary. 
• An interest in and commitment to the long-term success and development of the Gallery.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with colleagues.
• Demonstrates passion and approaches work in a positive, enthusiastic way.

We offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• Generous pension scheme
• 27 days annual leave allowance, in addition to bank holidays
• Interest free season ticket and bicycle loans
• Rental deposit scheme
• Membership of the Civil Service Sports & Leisure club
• Access to independent, low cost healthcare schemes
• Employee assistance programme
• Free entry to many UK museums, galleries and exhibitions
• Staff discounts on purchases in online shop
• Professional & personal development opportunities

Closing date for returned applications is 9:00am on the 7th of October, 2024.

First round interviews will take place the week commencing the 14th of October, 2024.