Apply to become our Head of Fundraising and Partnerships
May 17, 2023
Download the full job specification as a PDF.
Salary: £70,000–£80,000 p.a.
Start date: Autumn 2023
Are you a connector and a partnership creator?
Are you an entrepreneurial thinker who loves building relationships and closing deals?
Do you have the drive and energy we need to help us transform lives and society?
The Fore is recruiting for a Head of Fundraising and Partnerships. This exciting new role will lead the business development for a ground-breaking funder that is disrupting the charity sector and turbo-charging exceptional small charities that are transforming lives and society.
About The Fore
The UK faces immense and complex challenges – inequality, poor mental and physical health, injustice, climate change – that top-down interventions are not able to address alone. The answers to many of these problems are already out there – thousands of innovative local charities have scalable solutions that could create the change we need. But barriers to funding and skills stop the best small charities from making the impact society needs.
The Fore’s mission is to turbo-charge exceptional small charities that are transforming lives and society. We select the highest potential small charities and social enterprises, breaking down traditional barriers that have held back many of the best in the past. We source the funding and skills these small charities need and we provide them with a wraparound package of support. Since 2017 we have distributed £8.3 million in funding and 12,500 hours of skilled support to over 500 of the UK’s best small charities. Data shows that what we do works – on average our charities double their income in three years. But we need to do more. We currently only have the resources to support 35–45 charities each year and there are thousands of brilliant charities that need our help.
We’re now recruiting a Head of Fundraising and Partnerships to design, shape and execute our ambitious fundraising plans. Following a successful first five years, we have a strong, engaged board, inspiring leadership, industry-leading track record, multiple satisfied partners and a model that we proved we could scale fast during covid.
We have all the assets in place for us to grow and we are very ambitious. In the next 5–7 years we want to help up to 1000 exceptional small charities with grant funding and skills support. We have raised over £12m in our first five years and are looking to raise £50m in the next five. We are looking for ideas, energy, and willingness to roll up your sleeves.
Funding so far has come from a range of sources, from corporates, trusts and foundations and high-net-worth individuals. The right candidate will maximise on existing funding channels, test the new ones we’ve identified, build relationships and partnerships, close deals and set priorities for the coming years. To begin with this will be very hands on – from meeting donors to writing proposals and case studies – but we intend to build the team quickly as we develop new partnerships
Purpose of this role
The new Head of Fundraising and Partnerships will lead an ambitious fundraising strategy. Working closely with the Chief Executive and an engaged and well-connected board of trustees you will drive up income across our core income streams of trusts and foundations, companies and high-net-worth individuals.
Heading up, initially, a small team, you will manage a prospect pipeline to deliver significant year-on-year income growth while delivering first class stewardship of our existing funding partners
Key responsibilites
- Fundraising
- Driving up income
- Creating strong multi-year partnerships with new individual and organisational funders
- Delivering first-class stewardship of existing funders and maximising ‘repeat business’
- Exploring new income sources and devising new products to open up new funding sectors
- Working with the Fundraising and Communications Group to actively engage the board in our fundraising activities
- Team management
- Managing and developing the existing team of one (Partnerships Officer)
- Building the Fundraising and Partnerships team as the organisation grows
- Building brand awareness
- Working closely with the CEO and Head of Communications to ensure our communications and brand activity supports our income generation ambitions
- Executive leadership team and board relations
- Playing a proactive role in the management of the organisation
- Attending relevant board and trustee group meetings to report and give advice on fundraising and partnership matters
- Financial management
- Producing cost-effective income and expenditure budgets
- Developing and maintaining income and expenditure tracking and monitoring KPIs
Person specification
Skills and experience:
- Extensive demonstrable experience in building partnerships, and raising significant levels of income (at least six figures) in the charity, social enterprise or commercial sector
- Ability to swiftly assess and understand individual motivations and tailor your style and communication
- Experience of working with senior volunteers to raise funds and build partnerships
- Experience of writing compelling pitches, bids or applications for funding, partnerships or sales
- Experience of winning substantial corporate partnerships
- Experience of using a CRM system to manage and report on activities and prospects
- Experience of delivering the highest levels of stewardship
- Experience building and managing small teams
- Exceptional, adaptable and concise written and verbal communication styles
- An understanding of the way the charity sector is funded, including the social enterprise market
- We are a lean and nimble organisation, and this is an exciting role in a growing start-up.
Responsibilities are therefore likely to change and develop as the organisation moves forward.
Required characteristics
- People person, friendly and enthusiastic
- Positive and solutions-oriented attitude, with a drive for excellence
- Entrepreneurial, adaptable, creative, emotionally intelligent
- Demonstrable self-starter with excellent follow-through; ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure
- Commitment to fairness, ethical behaviour, and listening to and valuing others’ opinions
- Awareness of and sensitivity to cultural differences; values diversity and its importance to an organisation’s performance
- A sense of humour and humility
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, and candidates with disabilities.
Terms and conditions
This role will be full time (for the right candidate there could be flexibility in working hours). This is a permanent contract with a six-month probationary period. This role reports to the Chief Executive.
The role is based in central London. Staff are currently working from the office three days per week.
Holiday: 32 days including bank holidays.
How to apply
Please submit a covering letter or statement (maximum one page) addressed to Mary Rose Gunn, Chief Executive of The Fore, explaining why you are the right person for the role.
Please send your CV and covering letter to [email protected] and complete the anonymous Equal Opportunities form.
Shortlisted candidates will be required to record and submit answers to a couple of introductory questions via a short video.
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 14 June 2023, 10am.