Bid support manager jobs

About Spear Islington

Spear is working in partnership with Hope Church Islington to deliver the Spear Programme in Islington!

The church’s vision is to bring hope, light, and life to the community of Islington, including in, bringing healing and wholeness to the people of their parish, supporting the vulnerable, oppressed and voiceless in their midst, and providing safe and inclusive spaces for the diverse community that they are a part of.

Spear is a dynamic, growing youth employment charity that coaches young people to overcome barriers and thrive in work and life.

Key Information:

• Salary: from £34,000
• Full-time - Monday to Friday
• 28 days annual leave (including Christmas gift days) plus bank holidays
• Closing date: Wednesday 15th April (we interview on a rolling basis and may close the role early if we find the right candidate)

For more information please read through our Job Specification and Work with us pack.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Person Specification

• You are an active Christian, passionate about your work being a lived expression of your faith 
• You want to help others reach their full potential, and enable young people to overcome significant barriers to employment 
• You have demonstrable experience in coaching, teaching or training and development, as well as being keen to develop these skills further
• You are an experienced and mature leader/line manager, or have great leadership potential, and are eager to bring out the best in your team
• You are confident building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, with effective written and verbal communication skills 
• You are looking for a varied, hands-on role, where you won't be tied to a desk 

Play a leading role in ending food poverty across the South Cotswolds by growing essential fundraising and community partnerships. This is a chance to shape meaningful change through storytelling, relationship‑building and strategic income generation.

About our Charity

South Cotswolds Foodbank supports people across more than 210 square miles, providing emergency food and compassion while working towards long‑term solutions to the root causes of poverty. We are now seeking a Fundraising & Community Relations Manager to help us build the resources, relationships and community awareness we need to meet rising demand and to drive our mission forward.

Location

This role is based at our Cirencester office, with opportunities for some home working. The post will involve some local travel across the South Cotswolds to meet supporters, partners, and community groups. 

Role and Responsibilities

As a key member of our small, friendly staff team, you will lead the development of fundraising from individuals, businesses, trusts and foundations, and community groups. You will identify new funding opportunities, craft compelling bids, and nurture long‑term partnerships that help sustain our annual running costs and strengthen our future resilience.

You will also take a leading role in shaping how we share our story. Working closely with the Head of Foodbank and colleagues, you will create marketing materials, digital and print content, fundraising campaigns, and communications that bring our mission and our clients’ experiences to life. This includes producing newsletters, fundraising appeals, social media content, and materials for events and outreach activities.

A central part of this role is inspiring and stewarding supporters, whether that’s someone making a one‑off donation, a local business exploring a partnership, or a trust considering a grant application. You’ll design ways to keep supporters engaged, informed and appreciated, ensuring communications reflect our values and priorities and are consistent with our brand and tone.

You will represent the Foodbank at community events across the region, building relationships with schools, churches, associations, local groups and businesses. This outward‑facing work helps raise awareness of the causes of food poverty, increases support, and strengthens our reach into communities who want to take action. You’ll also coordinate volunteers who contribute to these events.

Working closely with colleagues, you’ll help capture stories and case studies from people with lived experience of food poverty (with sensitivity and respect) to illustrate the realities facing local families and to strengthen our fundraising, communications, and advocacy work. You will maintain our CRM system, ensuring accurate donor and engagement data, and produce regular reports for monitoring and oversight.

Person Specification

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is proactive, organised and able to work independently. You will need excellent communication skills, creativity, strong relationship‑building ability, and a proven track record in fundraising or partnership‑driven roles. You’ll work with purpose and empathy, always championing those affected by hardship.

Working at South Cotswolds Foodbank

We offer a supportive and collaborative environment. Our staff benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, pro rata
• Employee Assistance Programme (BHSF) available to you 
• Four weeks full pay + four weeks half pay sickness provision (after probation)
• Pension scheme with 3% employer contribution (auto‑enrolment conditions apply) 

You’ll join a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who are committed to ensuring no one in our community goes hungry, and who believe that alongside emergency support, we must work on root‑cause solutions that make long‑term change possible.

If you want a role that blends strategic fundraising, community connection, and creative communication, and you want your work to make a tangible difference every day, this could be the perfect next step.

At OCD Action we have a big vision and we have decided to invest in our fundraising team to help us secure the income our organisation needs to drive our work forward.

OCD Action exists because it takes 7 years on average for people affected by OCD to get the treatment that they need. OCD is debilitating, isolating and destroys lives, but it is treatable. Sadly the wait for treatment, for too many is too long. We are working, with the OCD Community, for a time, when OCD is well understood and everyone gets the treatment and support they need when they need it. Until that day arrives, we are committed to ensuring everyone affected by OCD has access to high quality support, information and guidance.

As Senior Trust and Foundations Officer you will support the delivery of our vision by growing our portfolio of Trusts and Foundations, crafting exceptionally high quality and persuasive applications for three, four and five figure bids and managing all successful and existing grants.  

We are a small but highly effective team at OCD Action, if you join us you will work closely with our service delivery team and have the opportunity to see the impact of your work. We are looking for someone who is passionate about improving outcomes for people affected by OCD and can channel this into ambitious, creative and persuasive grant applications. This role requires someone who enjoys working with people and is adept at building networks and maintaining effective relationships. This role may be particularly suited to someone who has supported with the development of Trust applications in a larger organisation and is looking to develop their skills or to work with increased flexibility.

We aim to make working for OCD Action, work for you. We have a range of benefits including: 25 days annual leave plus 8 statutory bank holidays (pro rata for part-time roles) ensuring fair entitlement for all working patterns. Flexible working and blended home / office working is welcome, you can agree your hours, office/home pattern with your manager as long as all commitments, responsibilities and meetings are covered. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, we are actively building a team that fully reflects and best supports the OCD community. 

If you think this is the opportunity for you, please complete the application form attached. We look forward to hearing from you.

Women’s Work is a National Award Winning Charity founded in 2003. We aim to deliver a holistic, person centred support service to vulnerable and disadvantaged women with complex health and social needs. We do this by ensuring they can access support, education and information to raise self-esteem and confidence, empowering them to make positive life choices resulting in improved health and wellbeing.

We are seeking a talented, motivated and highly organised Business Development Manager to join our Senior Management Team and play a key role in supporting the organisation’s growth, sustainability and financial resilience.

The Role

This is predominantly an office-based role working closely with the Finance Manager and under the guidance of the CEO, with a strong focus on:

• Bid writing, tender submissions, commissioning applications and grant funding
• Identifying, securing and managing new funding opportunities
• Supporting financial planning, allocation to funded projects
• Fundraising and promoting the charity in the local community

You will lead on the development and continuation of the project-specific funding, ensuring bids and applications align with Women’s Work’s strategic objectives and future expansion plans.

Working collaboratively with the Finance Manager, you will review funding streams, develop robust applications and contribute to the effective financial management of funded activities. You will liaise with businesses, statutory bodies, organisations, community groups and charities to identify and secure new income opportunities, partnerships and sponsorships.

Key Responsibilities

• Research, identify and secure new funding opportunities, grants and tenders
• Lead and co-ordinate high-quality bid writing, commissioning and tender submissions
• Support the Finance Manager with funding reviews, budgets and financial monitoring
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with funders, partners and stakeholders
• Contribute to organisational planning, sustainability and income diversification
• Ensure funding requirements, reporting and compliance are met
• Event planning/identify and co-ordinate fundraising opportunities

About You

The successful applicant will be self-motivated, detail-focused and high organized, with strong project management and communication skills. You will be able to work collaboratively while also managing competing priorities independently.

You will also be able to demonstrate:

• Proven experience in bid writing, tenders and/or commissioning
• A track record of pro-active business development, ideally within the charity or voluntary sector
• Strong relationship-building skills across multiple sectors
• Empathy and a clear commitment to Women’s Work values, aims and objectives

Additional Information
An Enhanced DBS check will be required.
Ref: BDM

Trusts and Foundations Manager
Permanent | Full time
Hybrid – 2 days a week in either in Coventry or Middlesbrough
£38,000 - £45.000 per annum

Are you an experienced trusts & foundations fundraiser looking to join a much loved charity which supports babies and young children who have life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

Aquilas is delighted to be supporting Zoe’s Place in the appointment of a new Trusts and Foundations Manager, a key role at an exciting time of growth for the charity.

About the charity

Zoe’s Place is the only baby specific hospice charity in the UK, providing specialist palliative, respite and end of life care for children aged 0 to 5 with life limiting and life-threatening conditions. They offer a safe, nurturing and joyful environment where families can feel completely supported. With their dedicated nurses delivering 24-hour care, they work together to make every moment of childhood count.

About the role:

Supporting the delivery of Zoe’s Place overall income generation strategy, by researching, record keeping, applying and reporting to a portfolio of trusts and foundations to deliver long term sustainable income growth for the Trust. Overall accountability for capital projects across the Trust

Key Responsibilities:

Account manage the trust and foundations fundraising function   

• Contribute to the maintenance of a comprehensive database for both hospice sites of all relevant grant making trusts and keep up to date with changes in the sector.
• Develop and write applications and bids to a wide range of funders as required.
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Fundraising and fundraising colleagues to ensure all funding opportunities are maximised
• Manage and develop relationships with new and existing funding partners.
• Work collaboratively with Director of Clinical Services, clinical teams and finance to prepare bids and reports.
• Ensure funding partners receive timely and appropriate information about the progress and outcomes of projects including written reports and evaluation in accordance with requirement.
• Responsible for delivery of income targets.
• Ensure excellent relationships are maintained with current, past and prospective funders so the Zoes Place Trust name is associated with honesty and high standards of service delivery.
• Organise visits and tours for trustees of charitable foundations if requested to both Middlesbrough and Coventry sites.

 Administration and pipeline

• Use our fundraising CRM and in line with GDPR to ensure accurate and timely record keeping allowing for good stewardship.
• Carry out detailed research on prospective foundations, identify and maintain a calendar for submitting applications.
• Working with an income pipeline / tracker to ensure accurate and timely financial forecasting, identifying risk to income and mitigating accordingly.
• Ensure activities comply with current law, guidance and best practice of the Fundraising Regulator

Person Specication:

• strong track record in Trusts and Foundations fundraising
• Experience of working in the charity Sector
• Excellent and persuasive writing skills and a sharp eye for details
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills

To Apply:

To receive a candidate pack or arrange a confidential conversation, please contact:

Kieran McGorrian, Head of Not for Profit Appointments, Aquilas (contact details in candidate pack)

Applications close 5pm Monday 20th April

Aquilas are wholly committed to equality of opportunity and diversity and we warmly welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates.  We are truly invested in our candidates and being supportive and informative throughout the application journey

About Us

Bringing Unity Back into the Community (BUBIC) rebuilds lives through peer support, practical action and unwavering community presence. A peer‑led charity supporting people facing substance misuse, homelessness, exploitation and multiple disadvantage in Haringey.

Job Purpose

As Operations Manager (OM), you’ll lead safe, high‑quality services, guide a committed frontline team, ensure compliance, strengthen partnerships, and drive performance across all operations; keeping our work moving from outreach and hotspot engagement to groups, community stalls, and the everyday moments where trust is built. As part of BUBIC’s commitment to meeting people where they are, the post holder will also share night‑outreach duties with the Team Leader, working one evening per week (5pm-midnight, typically Wednesday or Friday) to reach those most visible and vulnerable at night, enabling early intervention, safer engagement, and stronger pathways into support. If you want your skills to fuel transformation and strengthen a community from within, this role gives you the platform to do exactly that.

Please see attached the full job description.

The Stuart Low Trust (SLT) is a well-respected and award-winning charity based in Islington supporting people who experience mental health issues and socially isolated.SLT was created to be radically different from other mental health charities – uniquely accessible, inclusive and community-embedded. You will be joining a small friendly team, where we care about staff wellbeing.We believe in trusting the expertise of our staff and giving them the freedom to thrive with regular help on hand when needed. 

We support over 500 adults per year through social groups -creative arts, nature-based activities, wellbeing workshops and peer support.90% of participants report improved mental health and wellbeing. 

Why Join Us?  
This is an opportunity to play an important role in a small but impactful charity.  Your work will directly enable adults experiencing isolation to access safe, creative and life-affirming activities. Perfect for someone who thrives in a small charity where you can see the impact of your work every week. 

Who we are seeking 
We are seeking a Fundraising Manager, who enjoys writing grant applications and building strong relationships with supporters. Working closely with the Chief Executive, you will have a primary focus working on our trusts and foundations pipeline, while generating around 10% of total income from other sources. We are realistic what is possible in 21 hours per week! 

We are seeking a fundraiser who combines: 

• A strong track record securing trust and foundation income 
• Excellent bid-writing skills 
• Experience generating income beyond trusts (corporate, community or individual) 
• Comfortable working autonomously in a small team 
• Experience in a mental health organisation or small charity is desirable but not essential.

Summary role description 

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will: 

Lead Trusts and Foundations Income 

• Develop a pipeline of grant funders to apply to. 
• Write compelling, high-quality applications.. 
• Deepen funder relationships to secure repeat grants. 

Raise income from other sources 

Work with the Chief Executive to generate income from other sources with a realistic and achievable target of 10% total income via:

• Corporate partnerships in Islington, King’s Cross tech, creative industries and the City. 
• Community and individual giving, especially among affluent local residents. 

Build sustainable systems to support fundraising 

• ​Strengthen stewardship journeys including donor tracking systems and explore use of AI tools. 
• Contribute to fundraising communications and our profile-building. 

Why this Role is Different 
You will be stepping into an organisation in a strong position to build on: 

• Multi-year funding security (63% of next year’s income already secured through multi-year grants, 4 months’ free reserves, annual income circa £250k). 
• Trusted funders include City Bridge Foundation, Garfield Weston, Sport England and leading City Livery Companies. 
• Strategic Plan 2024–28 with clear goals. 
• Excellent impact measurement systems. 
• A highly experienced Chief Executive with 30 years in the charity sector. 
• A collaborative and supportive team, who understand fundraising is everyone’s responsibility. 

What You’ll Gain 

• Real autonomy and ownership 
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Occupational pension scheme 
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• Access to training and development opportunities 
• Supportive management culture 
• A genuinely collaborative, values-led culture 

Location
Based at Jean Stokes Community Centre, Islington (5 minutes by bus from King’s Cross) 

Application instructions
Please note, while we appreciate the value of AI tools, we strongly prefer that applicants prepare their supporting statements for this purpose with minimal use of AI.This helps us to better understand your authentic voice, skills and motivation for this role.Thank you. 

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check and two satisfactory references. 

We are embrace diversity, equality of opportunity and inclusion. We are committed to building a team that represents are variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills.The more inclusive we are, the more we can achieve. 

Deadline for applications: Sunday, 5th April 2026 at 12midnight
Interviews: Monday, 20th April 2026 
Estimated Start:June/July 2026 

Job Title: Fundraising Manager

Reporting: to Chief Executive

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Part-time role, 32 hours a week

Benefits: 29 days annual leave (incl. bank holidays) pro rata, pension scheme contributions, 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

Location: Mostly home-working with regular visits to The Avenues, London W10.

Job purpose

· Forward-plan funding streams to ensure a smooth and regular flow of income that meets The Avenues’ budget (currently £1.2m p.a., much of which has been secured for the next 18 months).

· Develop existing and new relationships with funders to maximise immediate and long-term income for the organisation and its various projects.

· Write compelling proposals and applications that secure significant income from trusts and foundations, coordinating input from across The Avenues team.

· Research and identify new prospects from a diversity of sources with a view to securing medium and large grants for The Avenues.

Accountabilities and responsibilities

·  Identify and develop opportunities from a range of trusts, foundations and grant-making bodies.

· Draft, submit and manage the progress of all funding applications for The Avenues’ priority projects (approximately 30-40 applications per year).

· Develop fundraising proposal budgets in collaboration with Programme and Finance colleagues, ensuring needs are accurately costed and aligned with donor requirements.

· Work with colleagues to develop new project ideas that fit within The Avenues’ organisational goals and within budgets that meet funders’ criteria.

·  Handle the post-grant paperwork, notifying the team and updating our records.

· Develop and manage positive relationships with funders, including necessary communications with grants officers, potential major donors, corporate donors and community supporters.

· Manage the pipeline of applications and fundraising database; providing financial reporting and other management information to colleagues on a timely basis.

· Work with the Chief Executive, trustees and community volunteers to help organise our fundraising events (dinner-auction, party, quiz night, marathon). Assisting with the smooth-running of these events, including writing and producing communication materials.

·  Write the quarterly email newsletter for our supporter mailing list.

· Manage and optimise the charity’s CRM system (Beacon), ensuring fundraising contact data is accurate, well maintained, and used effectively.

· Perform other duties as required by the Chief Executive to the overall direction and running of the charity and develop productive relationships with external stakeholders.

Experience and skills

·  Excellent writing skills with the ability to write concise and creative bids.

· 3+ years’ proven track record in a fundraising position, with a focus on trusts/foundations and public sector income streams.  (Or, you may equally have experience in sales and marketing in a commercial environment.)

·  Skilled at budgeting and presenting financial information in easy-to-understand formats.

·  Relationship builder and collaborative worker.

·  A creative and proactive approach to problem-solving

·  High standard of software literacy (Office software, Mailchimp and internet).

·  Highly effective verbal communicator, able to build rapport quickly and engage a wide range of stakeholders with confidence and credibility.

·  Degree or equivalent relevant qualification

Personal attributes and attitudes

·  Self-motivated and hard-working.

·  Committed to improving youth services and the lives of disadvantaged children.

·  Excellent influencing and negotiation skills.

·  Able to tackle challenges constructively and creatively find ways forward.

·  Tactful and amiable, with the ability to communicate at all levels with a variety of donors.

·  Proactive and eager to learn, with a hands-on approach and willingness to take initiative and get stuck in where needed

END

About Spear

We launched the award-winning Spear Programme over 20 years ago, and there are now 18 Spear Centres across the country, equipping unemployed 16–24-year-olds facing barriers to employment with the skills and mindset they need to secure work and thrive in the workplace.

Spear operates a joint venture model with churches across the UK to run our Spear Centres. Some Centres operate in collaboration with independent charitable trusts, while others are run directly with the local church (both referred to below as ‘Spear Church Partners’ or ‘Church Partners’).

About the role

We’re looking for a new Church Partnerships Manager to join us for this northern based role, with travel across the region.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in driving national growth by developing and nurturing partnerships with churches across the North of England. You will be at the forefront of developing new relationships with potential early-stage partners, inspiring churches to engage with our mission, and supporting them through the pipeline, and helping to establish a diverse and thriving network of church partnerships.

We are looking for a confident relationship-builder who can engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders, particularly church leaders, and who is comfortable working in a dynamic and evolving environment.

Key information:

• Salary: £37,000
• Location: Regional travel in the North, Hybrid
• Full-time, 12-14month Fixed Term Contract, with the possibility of extension
• Closing date: Friday 10th April, 09.00am (we interview on a rolling basis and will close the role early if we find the right candidate)

For more information please read through our Job Specification and Work with Us Pack.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Person Specification

• A practising Christian, passionate about personally representing the values and beliefs of Spear, and our mission to equip and support young people facing barriers to employment
• Strong leadership ability with the confidence to make effective decisions
• Outstanding people skills and emotional intelligence, capable of quickly winning trust and confidence, as well as network, influence and negotiate with church leaders and a range of audiences, internally and externally
• An understanding of the needs and workings of churches and their leaders, and the ability to innovate, build our growth strategy and generate new partnerships
• An excellent communicator (both written and verbal)
• Excellent initiative and a self-starter, with the ability to operate flexibly in a changing and dynamic environment and in response to the support needs of each partner
• Strong organisational skills including the ability to establish appropriate processes and structures and to manage multiple priorities to meet targets and deadlines
• Strong quantitative skills including ability to work with and interpret impact data, fundraising pipelines and basic financial information
• Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint competent and experience of/ability to use databases

You will join a team managing Galop’s specialist advocacy services, providing support to LGBT victims and survivors of abuse and violence in the UK, with a specialist focus on hate crime and hate-motivated abuse. You will work within the advocacy management team to deliver advice, support, and advocacy to thousands of LGBT victims and survivors of interpersonal abuse and violence each year.

You will manage a team of specialist advocates and triage workers providing needs-led support, information and advocacy to LGBT survivors of a range of violence and abuse. You will work with the Head of Advocacy and other advocacy managers to ensure that survivors have access to needs-led, timely support that is right for them, maintaining high quality, consistent support across our advocacy and one-to-one support, whether that is in-person or remote. 

You will have an in depth understanding of the spectrum of violence and abuse that LGBT people are subjected to, including the causes, impact and barriers to accessing services. You will use your expertise to represent Galop with key stakeholders, advocating for the needs of the community. 

You will also have management and oversight of the CATCH Partnership, a pan-London consortium of by-and-for hate crime support services, that cover all protected strands of hate crime across race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation and transgender status. You will need to have excellent partner management skills and be able to lead and support a diverse range of organisations with an understanding of their specific needs and challenges. 

You will be responsible for ensuring that data collected about the service is collected consistently and use this to report to funders. You will develop and maintain relationships with funders and ensuring that the service is effectively demonstrating the different that it makes. You will work with the Head of Advocacy and Director of Services to develop bids for new or continued funding for frontline services. 

For more information on this role please download the attached job description. 

Location
Galop’s offices are located in London. This role will have the option of hybrid working with at least 2 days per week worked in the office.

Hours
Full Time (35 hours per week) 

Contract
Fixed Term (1 year with possible extension)

Line manages
Advocates and Triage Workers

Reports to
Head of Advocacy and Support 

Salary
You will start on scale point C1, £41,534.79 per year (including £ 4,212.01 London Weighting)

Closing Date 
Applications should be submitted by 10am on 12th April 2026.
First round interviews will be held w/c 20th April 2026.  

Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the role further prior to application, please contact us directly. 

REF-227 542

Age UK Hammersmith and Fulham works to improve the quality of life and enhance the status and influence of older people. From now on, we intend to diversify our income, particularly from unrestricted sources, to sustain and develop our work. The role works closely with the CEO to develop the fundraising strategy and reporting to the Fundraising Subcommittee.

An experienced and talented Fundraising Manager who can develop and execute an effective fundraising strategy to deliver growth across a wide range of existing and new income streams.

You will have the proven ability to research and develop winning fundraising applications, negotiate sponsorship deals and develop and maintain positive relationships with donors. A natural multi-tasker, you will have the flexibility to manage a varied workload, juggling responsibility for meeting bid deadlines, ensuring delivery of fundraising events, reporting to funders and managing key corporate accounts. With attention to detail and excellent written and verbal presentation, you will also have the negotiation and project management skills to co-ordinate the production of complex bids and budgets.

Fundraising Leadership Structure
Overall leadership, accountability, and ownership of fundraising strategy and outcomes sit with the Chief Executive. The Fundraising Manager provides strategic, operational, and relationship‑driven support within this CEO‑led framework, ensuring delivery of high‑quality fundraising activity, insight, and stewardship.

Help secure the future of a 120-year-old youth charity At The Shewsy, we support over 100 children and young people every day in one of the most deprived communities in the UK. Founded in 1903, we provide meals, mentoring, and a safe space, but more importantly, we build relationships that change lives. Our motto is “People Matter More Than Things".

We are now looking for a brilliant Fundraising & Engagement Manager to help us take the next step in building a stronger, more sustainable funding base so we can reach even more young people.

Salary: £40,000 per annum 

Hours: 37 hours per week (flexible working available and could offer 0.8) 

Contract type: Permanent

Benefits:  

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• NEST Pension 

• Benefits & Discount Portal 

• 22 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays 

• Professional Training & Development

The Role (and why it matters) This isn’t just about writing bids behind a desk. It’s about being a visible, energetic advocate for The Shewsy. You will champion our work face-to-face, engaging our local Everton community while nurturing our historic, vital ties with Shrewsbury School and the Old Salopian network. You will balance persuasive in-person communication with high-quality grant writing to unlock new opportunities and bring ideas to life.

What you’ll be doing

Building Relationships & Community Engagement

• Actively network and build face-to-face relationships with local businesses, community members, and potential corporate partners.

• Nurture and expand our vital relationship with the Shrewsbury School community and Old Salopians to encourage legacy giving, regular donations, and matched-giving support.

• Champion and support community fundraising events and campaigns, including our highly successful Big Give Christmas Challenge.

Securing Grant Funding

• Build and manage a £200,000+ annual funding pipeline by researching and applying for grants from trusts and foundations.

• Write high-quality, compelling, and tailored funding applications.

• Maintain a live pipeline of funders, tracking applications, success rates, and deadlines.

Telling Our Story Powerfully

• Turn powerful frontline youth work into compelling narratives for both written bids and in-person presentations.

• Work with staff to capture impact, stories, and data to strengthen how we evidence our outcomes.

What success looks like (Year 1)

• Strong, active relationships established with the Shrewsbury School community, Old Salopians, and local Everton stakeholders.

• A £200k+ funding pipeline established and actively managed.

• Consistent monthly/quarterly bid submissions balancing quick wins with strategic applications.

• Increased repeat funding, multi-year grants, and diversified community income.

Who we’re looking for You might already be a community fundraiser, a bid writer looking to step out from behind the screen, or someone ready to step up.

Essential

• Exceptional in-person communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences from local residents to major donors.

• Experience writing successful grant applications in the charity sector.

• A track record of securing funding from trusts, foundations, or major donors.

• Highly organised, able to balance desk-based bid writing with out-and-about relationship building.

• Ability to work independently and make things happen.

Desirable

• Experience in youth, community, or social impact organisations.

• Knowledge of the Liverpool funding landscape.

• Experience with community campaigns or matched-funding appeals (e.g., the Big Give).

The kind of person who thrives here

• You care deeply about young people and social impact.

• You are proactive, outgoing, and don’t wait to be told what to do.

• You spot opportunities others miss and can turn a conversation into a compelling bid or a new partnership.

• You want your work to actually make a difference.

About this role:

We are seeking a motivated and experienced professional to lead our fundraising and partnership development activities, supporting the diversification and growth of income across both established and emerging streams. While the role will place significant emphasis on corporate fundraising, it will also involve the strategic development of grants and trusts. You will develop strong relationships with funders, identify new opportunities, and support our members to build their own grassroots fundraising capabilities.

Working closely with both colleagues and members, you'll help shape our funding strategy, develop high quality proposals, and ensure we have the systems and insight needed for sustainable growth. Your contributions will enable us to expand our work to engage and empower communities across Britain. 

In addition, you will help shape the guidance we provide to members of the community rail movement, strengthening their grassroots fundraising capabilities and approaches.

Main responsibilities

• Manage and grow corporate relationships for the benefit of Community Rail Network and its members, nurturing effective, lasting relationships that help community rail to deliver on its aims around community development, sustainable travel, and inclusion.
• Conduct prospect research to identify new corporate supporters and relevant grant opportunities, taking a proactive approach to cultivating new leads, building networks and flagging upcoming opportunities well in advance to ensure sufficient preparation time.
• Engage, listen and pitch to funders, understanding shared priorities, articulating the value of partnering with us, and securing continued or increased support. 
• Work cross-team to create strong proposals, using member and partner insights to identify funding needs and opportunities, and develop compelling cases for support and budgets.
• Develop joint grant applications by collaborating with colleagues, members and external partners to create bids aligned with our strategic aims and which recognise our current strengths, resources and prioritie
• Support strategic funding development, working closely with the senior leadership team to shape our approach and deliver against funding objectives and ensure it is understood by colleagues.
• Champion a positive fundraising culture and ethos, providing expertise and contributing member support, training, and events across the community rail movement.
• Contribute to wider organisational activity, including using major events and campaigns, such as the Community Rail Awards, to advance fundraising efforts.
• Develop and maintain effective fundraising systems, including funder reporting, review processes, and tracking KPIs to monitor progress and impact.

Skills, competencies and experience

1. Proven skills and experience in third sector fundraising, including corporate fundraising, grant management and funder reporting, with a broad understanding of the full fundraising mix and ability to spot new opportunities.
2. A demonstrable proactive approach to relationship building, with experience engaging and stewarding funders to create long-term mutually beneficial partnerships.
3. Strong proposal/grant application and report writing skills, able to tailor communication for different audiences and stakeholders to maximise clarity, relevance and impact.
4. Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to gather insight and inspire engagement both internally and externally.
5. Strong organisational and time management skills, able to balance multiple and competing  priorities and meet deadlines effectively. 
6. Experience of, or demonstrable understanding of, membership organisations, including the ability to balance member needs with our organisational objectives.
7. Appreciation of and commitment to community development, empowerment and sustainability, and the value of community engagement in relation to transport.
8. Solid understanding of KPIs, targets, budgeting, and risk management, with the ability to plan, track and evaluate performance effectively.
9. A proactive, positive and self-motivated mindset, able to work independently, collaborate well, and inspire confidence in others.
10. IT literate, with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, TEAMs, the internet and social media.

Other information

This post is home-based, but with travel (including occasional overnight stays) for team meetings, events, member engagement, and external meetings. This is a permanent position and includes a probationary period of three months from the date of appointment. Successful applicants will need to provide proof that they have the right to work in the UK and provide two references.

Benefits: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (rising up to 30 days, plus Bank Holidays, in line with long service); pension with employer contribution of 3%; flexi-time working (core hours 10am-3pm); access to Employee Assistance Programme. 

We are committed to being a flexible, supportive and understanding employer.

Community Rail Network is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and Black, Asian and other minoritised groups, who meet with the skills and competencies for this role. We will provide reasonable adjustments for interviews as required.

At Rethink Mental Illness, we believe everyone should be able to live a fulfilling life, regardless of how severely mental illness affects them. Our services are growing — and so is our ambition. That’s why we’re looking for a passionate and skilled Business Development Manager to help us shape the future of our charity and the support we provide.

About the role

As our Business Development Manager, you’ll play a key role in sustaining and expanding the services that make a real difference to people severely affected by mental illness. You’ll bring teams together, write with clarity and purpose, and lead the end‑to‑end bid development process — ensuring we continue to deliver high‑quality, impactful support where it’s needed most.

You’ll champion collaboration, draw on the expertise of colleagues across the charity, and craft compelling, evidence‑based proposals that reflect who we are and what we stand for. From early development to final submission, you’ll help us win and retain contracts that directly improve lives.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading the end‑to‑end development of bids, retenders, and proposals in line with internal quality standards.
• Working collaboratively with teams across Rethink Mental Illness, building strong relationships and creating connected ways of working.
• Supporting and managing Bid Development Officers.
• Contributing to regional business development plans and helping shape sustainable, innovative service models.
• Writing high‑quality, insightful submissions that articulate our strengths, capabilities, and lived‑experience approach.
• Developing early-stage budget models and working with Finance and HR to finalise financials ahead of submission.
• Generating insight through data, evidence, and internal expertise to create winning proposals.
• Researching competitors and identifying what makes Rethink Mental Illness stand out.
• Supporting successful bids through structured handovers and mobilisation.
• Contributing to continuous improvement through feedback, learning, and maintaining our Bid Library.

What you’ll bring

Essential

• A strong track record of writing successful competitive bids or proposals.
• Excellent writing, critical thinking, and communication skills.
• The ability to interpret complex tender documents and understand commissioner expectations.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to unite diverse teams.
• Knowledge of commissioning, current legislation, and best practice in mental health and social care.
• Experience constructing budgets and modelling service assumptions.
• Strong organisational and project‑management abilities, with flexibility to meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and excellent general IT skills.
• A values‑driven approach consistent with Rethink Mental Illness’ ethos.

Desirable

• Experience working within mental health, health, or social care sectors.
• Lived or professional experience related to mental health and wellbeing.

Why Rethink Mental Illness?

When you join us, you’re not just taking on a role — you’re becoming part of a movement.
A movement committed to improving the lives of people severely affected by mental illness through high‑quality services, innovation, and compassionate support.

You’ll be part of a collaborative, supportive team where your growth and wellbeing matter, and where your work has a clear, direct impact.