Major Donor Jobs

This new role will lead in the development of the financial resilience and overall vision of the organisation to achieve a strong, effective and ethical finance function.

Working closely with the core staff team, Treasurer and the Finance team, it will develop and maintain financial policies, systems and procedures to enable smooth financial management and transparency.

This role will lead on financial reporting and financial oversight, working with the Management Group and the Treasurer/Trustee team to enable financial compliance and sustainability for Platform. 

As part of building more resilient financial systems, this role will lead and develop our fundraising function, including reviewing and building the systems, processes and policies that enable an effective long-term fundraising strategy.

Details:

Hours: 4 days: 32 hours per week based on a 40 hour week, flexible hours possible.

Contract: Permanent, subject to 6 months probation.

Salary: Baseline salary as of March 2024 is £42,248 pro rata  (£33,791 at 4 days a week) and is subject to Platform’s Socially Just Waging System.

Location: Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, London, E2 6HG, but remote working is possible. Most Platform staff are supported to work from home most of the time, but all permanent members of staff are expected to attend in-person monthly meetings, and other in-person meetings when required. 

Responsible to: Management Group, Trustees (in conjunction with the Treasurer)

Duties and responsibilities:

Work with the Finance Team, People and Process Manager, relevant trustees and the wider staff team including project budget holders to deliver:

• Financial management 

  • Strategic Development 

    • Design and implement systems to enable sustainable financial strategy, integrating finance and fundraising, including budgeting, income projections

    • Jointly lead a review of the Socially Just Waging System

  • Planning  & Delivery

    • Finance software implementation, maintenance and development.

    • Implementation and oversight of organisational finance policies, processes and procedures

    • Support programme managers to produce programme budgets

    • Provide insight on financial risks and opportunities to the staff team to support collective decision making

  • System Maintenance

    • Oversight of pass through grants and financial partnerships 

    • Managing financial service providers (payroll, auditors, book-keepers, software systems development)

  • Financial Compliance and Governance.

    • Coordinating annual audits 

    • Reporting to Companies House, and Charity Commission in conjunction with HR staff

    • Delivering quarterly management accounts to the staff team and Trustees.

    • Support external audits in conjunction with project staff. 

• Fundraising management and coordination

  • Strategic Development

    • Lead and facilitate the collective delivery, monitoring and development of a sustainable fundraising strategy to build financial resilience, in line with Platform’s values to meet the organisation's agreed financial objectives. 

    • Update and ensure active practice of ethical fundraising policy

  • Planning & Delivery

    • Work with staff team to implement short, medium and long-term fundraising plans

    • Develop and manage the fundraising pipeline, including, researching, scoping and supporting bid writing in collaboration with programme managers.

  • System Maintenance

    • Support grant management and reporting using appropriate software.

• Collective organisational management

  • Pro-actively participate in sociocratic, consensus decision making in our team meetings, contributing to the general strategic development of Platform.

  • Participate in line management processes, including line management of colleagues after probationary period

  • Active participation and collaboration in Platform’s restructure process, including development of roles, circles and teams.

Any other reasonable requests made by the Platform staff team and/or Trustees.

Person Specification

Outlined below is our understanding of the skills, experience and knowledge that would be beneficial in the role of Finance and Fundraising Manager. We define this as skills, knowledge and experiences, whether in paid work for charities, SME’s, grassroots campaigning, volunteering or through your lived experience. 

We welcome people to apply even if they do not meet all of the criteria: we are very aware that people, in particular those who are racialised and/or otherwise minoritised may not have had formal opportunities to demonstrate their skills and competence. 

Please do get in touch if you have any questions or want more information about the role.

Essential 

• Commitment to Platform’s vision, values and principles - in particular anti-oppression

• Experience of developing integrated financial and fundraising systems.

• Experience (2 years or more) of managing organisational finances, specifically:

  • Using finance software 

  • Managing payroll and pensions

  • Managing financial service providers

  • Financial compliance and governance

• Experience of developing long-term fundraising strategies focussed on trusts and grants.

• Experience of supporting staff to manage budgets and/or fundraise 

• Experience of collectively running a group, and/or working and/or organising within a collective management structure and/or a flat or non-hierarchical structure

• Excellent collaboration and team working skills, including clear and timely communication, openness to feedback and willingness to engage with conflict when necessary and with care

• Ability to work independently and autonomously within a collective, with a good ability to adapt to changing need and circumstance

Desirable 

• Track record of generating income for an organisation through fundraising, including managing and reporting on grants.

• Knowledge of and interest in anti-oppressive fundraising and financial practices including; 

  • Ethical fundraising policies and practices

  • Equitable budgeting 

  • Socially just pay practices

  • Developments and debate in the philanthropic community

• Experience of developing and maintaining financial policies for an organisation

• Good networks across the social and environmental justice  fundraising/philanthropy sector

• Strong communication skills: able to write and speak in effective, persuasive and inspiring ways, tailored to different audiences.

Location: Full-time arrangement involves minimum 2 days per week in-person at a private members club in Covent Garden, the heart of London. Part-time arrangement of 4 days per week also possible.

Benefits: 25 days’ holiday allowance, flexible working, occasional 1-2 days extra holiday for Christmas period. Access to world-class climate/finance experts.

Reports to: Chief Project Officer at the Global Returns Project

Timetable: Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis

Preferred start date: 1 May 2024

What we are looking for

We seek an exceptional and detail-oriented communicator to plan our fundraising events and nurture our vital relationships with donors, journalists and foundations.

The ideal Events and Stewardship Manager will enjoy the intricacies of coordinating the various events that build and sustain our relationships with supporters and potential supporters

They will find joy in thanking our donors and ensuring they understand the full impact of their support. They will see a donor of any size as an opportunity to broaden GRP’s community and secure even more significant donations in future.

The ideal candidate will approach C-suite executives and other industry leaders with confidence. They will think creatively about how to secure press coverage for our campaign and relish the challenge of communicating effectively with trusts and foundations.

Successful applicants will excel in multitasking and meeting ambitious deadlines in a fast-paced start-up work environment.

Professional experience required

Minimum 1 year of professional experience, ideally within the charity sector in a relevant field (stewardship, philanthropy, development, etc).

Skills required

1. Event planning experience
2. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
3. Very high attention to detail
4. Time-management and self-organisation
5. Ability to take initiative, identify problems, and solve them creatively
6. Understanding of, and passion to address, climate change and biodiversity loss

Skills preferred but not required

1. Journalism or PR experience
2. Grant-writing
3. Understanding of UK trusts and foundations sector
4. Understanding of the financial services industry
5. Customer Relations Management (CRM) experience (Salesforce, etc)

Main duties and responsibilities

Event planning (30% of work)

• Lead coordination of GRP fundraising events for various target audiences, including large panel discussions, small/medium-sized networking events
• Coordination of venue hire, panellist outreach, invitation design/distribution/follow-ups, guestlist tracking, name badge production, preparation on the day and oversight, etc
• Assistance with broader strategy for event themes, formats, locations and timeline

Donor stewardship (30% of work)

• Relationship-building with individual and corporate donors to:
• GRP’s portfolio of climate charities (portfolio funding)
• GRP’s operating costs (core funding)
• Assistance with impact report production; coordination of report distribution
• Coordination of donor thank-you notes, newsletters, webinars, feedback solicitation, etc.
• Develop comprehensive donor stewardship journey to ensure donors fully understand their impact and develop a deeper connection to GRP

Public relations (20% of work)

• Maintenance and growth of GRP’s database of journalist contacts
• Drumbeat communications with journalists, including press releases and e-alerts
• Identification of podcast, interview, and article-writing opportunities for GRP team
• Other creative engagement with media, including press events/conferences

Trust and foundations coordination (20% of work)

• Identifying, researching and engaging with potential trust and foundation core funders (for GRP’s operating costs)
• Writing and submitting persuasive grant applications and evaluation reports to GRP’s existing/potential core funders

Philanthropy Manager
Reference: MAR20240875
Location: Flexible in UK
Salary: £32,022.00 - £34,377.00 Per Annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 Hours per week
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave

Are you a successful major gifts fundraiser who is looking for a new challenge and is keen to work at Europe’s largest conservation organisation?

Our high-achieving Philanthropy Team is looking to recruit a Philanthropy Manager to help grow our donor portfolio and further increase philanthropic income for the RSPB. We are looking for an experienced major gifts fundraiser to join our friendly and hard-working team who will help us achieve our ambitious goals.

You will be responsible for cultivating a portfolio of prospects and donors through a range of engagement, to gain their financial support for programmes, projects and the wider RSPB. Working with colleagues in relevant departments, countries and regions, you will manage donor relationships and solicitation strategies to achieve the best outcome for the RSPB

What's the role about?

As a team player with a positive and diligent approach, you will:

• Look after your own portfolio of donors as well as reaching out to prospects and new donors. You will be responsible for fundraising information to advance plans and ensure prospect and donor records are accurate, incorporating any changes, new activities, updated plans, and new information as well as adding new relationships in keeping with data protection and team procedures.
• Work closely with your team and wider organisation colleagues to implement solicitation strategies, to secure financial support either by direct solicitation, preparing a written proposal, or working with senior management to make a solicitation.
• Be involved in the development of funding proposals for approved priority projects that will inspire potential donors to secure gifts.
• Contribute to the planning of and participate actively in events (face to face and online) to build relationships with donors and prospects for future income and to demonstrate the impact of gifts already received.
• Arrange meetings with individual donors at a variety of venues, including at our reserves, working closely with area and reserve colleagues to deliver an excellent experience for our supporters
• Be jointly responsible for the planning, writing, production and mailing of Philanthropy Matters, our publication aimed at philanthropic supporters.
• Build effective relationships both within the RSPB and external to it that will enhance its reputation and ultimately secure funding. This includes understanding donors’ wishes and aspirations and identifying links with approved priority projects with the aim of securing substantial gifts.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Intermediate levels of fundraising as demonstrated by work successes and recognised fundraising courses
• Experience in how to research and cultivate a prospect. And understanding of how to write a cultivation strategy
• Ability to write funding proposals and prepare briefing documents in advance of meetings and events
• Competent in the use of a CRM system (Salesforce), the Microsoft suite, other databases, research tools and methods
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels
• Ability to work collaboratively with team members, and people and teams outside of our department
• Good judgement when working with donors and ability to recognise potentially sensitive areas between prospects and the RSPB to ensure reputational values are maintained
• Experience of having successfully managed and developed donor relationships leading to substantial support.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Experience or interest in the environmental sector

Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 28th April 2024
Please note that we are actively recruiting for this position, will be interviewing on an ongoing basis, and reserve the right to close this vacancy once sufficient applications have been received - so don't hesitate to apply!

Interested?

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

No agencies please.