Fundraising and Development Manager

Fundraising and Development Manager

Job description and person specification

Salary:                               £40,000 plus 5% pension

Location:                          Home-working with one day per week at our shared office in Horsham (negotiable for a candidate not based near the office)

Hours:                               Full-time 35 hours/5 days per week

Contract:                          Permanent

Responsible To:            Chief Executive

Works with                       Head of Programmes

                                               Programmes Officer

                                               Finance Manager

The Snowdon Trust is on a mission to break down barriers that unfairly hinder disabled students in further and higher education and when they transition into the workplace. Our goal is for truly inclusive systems of education and work that embrace, support and value everyone.

The work we do currently focuses in three areas:

• specific interventions that breakdown immediate financial barriers for disabled students
• support that upskills and empowers emerging disabled leaders who are driving change
• research, partnerships and campaigning which challenge structural barriers to disability inclusion

Demand for our support massively outstrips what we can currently deliver. And that’s where you come in. Over the next three years, we want to build income from the current baseline of around £300k p.a. to over £1m annually so we can help more disabled students. We have a new three-year strategy to deliver with meaningful outputs that will engage donors. We need your creativity, entrepreneurial flair and excellent communication skills to help build those transformational relationships.

We’re a small charity with limited resources so we pull together internally, and we collaborate strategically with partners to amplify our impact. Inclusion is our guiding principle, reflected in our diverse team of disabled and non-disabled individuals. We believe true inclusion thrives in a team that leverages the expertise and experiences of our entire community. 

Job description

The Fundraising and Development Manager will be a member of the senior team, implementing the fundraising strategy and working closely with the CEO to steward, support and strengthen our existing portfolio of Trust and Corporate donors with a particular focus on building new investment from corporate and high value donors.

We’re looking for someone with experience developing donor relations with confidence and a strategic approach. You’ll create meaningful and personalised partnerships with corporate funders who share our goals to create opportunities for disabled students and graduates and drive workplace inclusivity. You’ll also create a new programme of high value fundraising to develop relationships with philanthropic donors who believe in social justice. Alongside new business growth you’ll continue to support our trust and fundraising activity and lead our annual London Marathon runner programme with support from colleagues. Underpinning all new donor development will be your commitment to the highest standards of stewardship and impact reporting which supports and strengthens our long-term funding relationships.

The Snowdon Trust has influential partners, supporters and Trustees to help drive this activity and your CEO is an experienced fundraiser who sees income growth as a priority, is realistic about targets and timescales, and will work alongside you, providing both strategic and practical support. Getting fundraising right will require investment across the organisation and you will be in a key position to influence how we shape that from the start.

 About You

You are an excellent relationship builder at all levels. You’re creative, strategic and organised. You are a confident and effective communicator and a strong team player. Ideally you have a track record of driving new donor engagement and securing sustainable multi-year funding. You’ll have good experience in at least one of the areas of fundraising we’re prioritising and will demonstrate sound knowledge of other elements of the role where your direct experience might be more limited.

If you are seeking a dynamic and engaging fundraising position which offers you the chance to play a pivotal role within a small but ambitious organisation and you share our passion for this mission then we really want to meet you

Key responsibilities

• Shape and implement the fundraising strategy with a strong focus on new donor outreach, cultivation, and partnership development.
• Generate new business, securing multi-year and one-off grants by producing targeted and compelling proposals which meet donor objectives and guidelines.
• Research, identify and qualify prospect donors including Corporates, HNWIs, trusts and foundations with a strong affinity to the Snowdon Trust’s impact.
• Lead the writing and submission of proposals to Corporates, philanthropists, trusts and foundations.
• Create bespoke partnership proposals developed through relationship building with potential donors who share our values and overarching objectives.
• Lead fundraising income budgeting, forecasting and monitoring, ensuring you have robust reporting systems in place.
• Maintain and develop our excellent standards of stewardship, through the production of high-quality proposals and reports and regular communications and events/meetings which demonstrate to funders the value of their investment.
• Oversee the annual London Marathon programme, supporting around 10 annual runners to raise funds for us.
• Keep abreast of all strategic and programme activity to maintain clear insight into our work and communicate this effectively in proposal writing and impact reporting. 

Person specification

skills, knowledge and experience:

Essential:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in paid roles, ideally within registered UK charities and international not-for-profit organisations.
• Working knowledge of trusts, foundations, corporate and major donor fundraising in the UK and good experience in some if not all of these. Where no direct experience, you’ll be able to demonstrate previous collaboration with these and other income streams such as events and communications.
• Understanding of what makes a compelling case for support and the ability to share human stories in a way that promotes dignity and respect.
• Experience developing strategies to drive fundraising and relationship building including the creation of partnerships and multi-year funding relationships.
• A great communicator – excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent networking and relationship-building skills, able to listen effectively and build trust.
• Good understanding of impact reporting with experience collecting, interpreting and using data to make decisions.
• Good financial management skills across income budgeting, forecasting and reporting.

Desirable:

• Confidence in public speaking and representing the organisation independently.
• Existing knowledge of this sector and the challenges faced by disabled students in higher education.

Qualities:

• Enthusiastic, driven and resilient, with the ability to manage a varied workload.
• Creative and optimistic – able to think outside the box with a positive solution-focused approach.
• Willingness to get stuck in with the whole team and able to work well with others.
• Motivated by our cause & with a demonstrable passion to advocate on behalf of the organisation.
• Empathetic – you understand human behaviour and connect with others.
• High standards of integrity.

Please send us a covering letter along with your CV explaining why you're the right candidate for this role.