Community development jobs

Location: Shaw House, 27 West Way, Oxford, OX2 0QH
Department: Fundraising
Salary: £34,000 (depending on experience)
Hours: 35
Contract Type: Permanent

RABI is the farmers charity.

RABI supports farming people across England, Wales and NI with expert, one-to-one practical, financial and emotional help, all year round. From confidential advice and mental health support to direct financial assistance, their tailored services respond to the unique challenges of farming life.

At the heart of RABI’s mission is a commitment to strengthening resilience; helping farming people feel valued, supported and better equipped to navigate uncertainty and change. RABI is working to close the farming wellbeing gap and build a future where farming people can thrive.

Over the past 25 years alone, RABI has delivered almost £250 Million in direct financial support to the farming community, whilst the charity’s professional counselling service has provided 11,500 free sessions to farming people since 2022. RABI’s wrap-around support services continue to evolve, reaching more people year on year.

RABI is on a journey to help shape a future farmers deserve.

Summary and key purpose

This new role will be primarily responsible for developing, marketing and managing our individual giving together with working across other fundraising disciplines. You will be a key member of our fundraising team, producing compelling fundraising communications, stewarding individual donors, including regular donors and gifts in memory. You will ensure that our donors receive excellent care.

Our Individual Giving programme will incorporate one-off donations, regular giving, digital fundraising, appeals and in-memory giving. You will do this, with the support of our recently appointed fundraising agency, who you will manage our relationship with week by week.

A critical element of the role will be how we market ourselves to potential new donors, taking them on an emotional engagement journey in order to solicit regular gifts.

Your expertise and skills:

To excel in this role, you will need prior experience of working in a fundraising setting, with an understanding of good stewardship practices. You should be a self-starter who thrives in a dynamic environment, working across teams and meeting multiple deadlines. Your excellent relationship management skills will enable you to effectively communicate with a diverse range of stakeholders and gather information on new projects. You must have a thorough understanding of individual giving, developing donor journeys and experience of work with agencies.

Key responsibilities:

• Day-to-day management of the regular giving programme, project managing appeals and overseeing the thanking process for individual donors.
• Create, plan, deliver and evaluate multi-channel, compliant, insight-led, supporter-centric campaigns to engage and drive action from new and existing supporters.
• Manage our newly appointed fundraising agency, and in doing so, help deliver an ambitious appeal programme and income target.
• Review and develop operational plans for individual giving (including regular giving, in memory, digital fundraising and appeals) working to achieve agreed targets.
• Communicate and document key performance indicators across individual giving appeals. Ensuring you provide commentary to accompany results reporting, drawing on insights and the wider picture to add context and make recommendations from your learnings.
• Work with the fundraising agency and RABI communications team to produce and edit appropriate collateral.
• Devise and deliver supporter communications, including stewardship activity, welcome journey content and appeal communications.
• Help ensure that we comply with legal and compliance requirements including industry best practice, GDPR/PECR regulations and the CIOF code of Fundraising Practice.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships and liaison with other members of RABI staff.
• Take part and contribute to team meetings.
• Cooperate with RABI on health and safety matters, taking reasonable care of own and other people’s health and safety within the workplace. Follow and H&S training received and alert RABI to any serious risks.
• Actively participate in the staff appraisal scheme and be committed to training and development in line with RABI’s aims and objectives.
• Liaise with volunteers, clients, contractors and other stakeholders as necessary.
• Promote the Charity’s work, assisting with demonstrations and in fundraising and awareness events as appropriate.
• Perform any other reasonable task as required by the Charity.

Person Specification:

Essential

• Marketing or direct marketing or marketing qualification.
• Experience of using direct marketing methods to recruit, retain and develop supporters (e.g. telemarketing).
• Previous direct marketing or transferrable experience. This should include project managing or assisting a project manager to plan and deliver activity and evaluate results
• Planning, delivering and managing individual giving programmes.
• Delivering donor recruitment and retention projects from initiation to completion.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding targets from unrestricted donations.
• Presenting confidently to a variety of audiences.
• Building relationships and maximising engagement with donors and supporters
• Able to create and tailor engaging and emotive copy for a range of different channels.
• Empathy with the goals and objectives of RABI.
• A positive and creative approach to work, with the ability to multitask.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including good telephone manner and empathy towards in-memory donors.
• Ability to record accurate data and work with a CRM system
• Self-motivated and confident in working, both independently and in teams
• Good communicator, including face-to-face, phone, in writing and via remote communications.
• Good written and numeracy skills.
• Ability to manage time effectively, prioritise workload and plan-ahead.
• Good IT skills (MS Office including Excel and Word).
• Understanding of Data Protection and fundraising regulations, compliance and best practice.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Knowledge of targeting, segmentation and response analysis.
• Knowledge of testing, validation and taking campaign learnings forward.
• Knowledge of print and online production processes.
• Understanding of the Gift Aid process.
• Voluntary sector experience.
• A full UK driving license.
• Experience of database use
• Experience of fundraising platforms such as Just Giving.

This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the post holder according to future developments at RABI.

Early applications are encouraged for this position as shortlisting and interviews will take place on a rolling basis. We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a suitable application prior to the deadline.

BENEFITS

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (based on full time working).
• Enrolment to Nest on commencement of employment and then opportunity to join RABI’s group pension scheme with Standard Life where RABI make contributions equivalent to 10% of your basic salary, provided you make a personal contribution of 5%.
• Life assurance from day one.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site parking.

RABI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and aims to ensure that all employment practices secure equality of opportunity and that no prospective or current employee receives less than favourable treatment at RABI as a result of their sex, sexual orientation, age, race, religion, belief, ethnic origin, disability, marital, or for any other reason which cannot be shown to be justifiable. Our recruitment process strives to ensure that individuals are selected only based on their relevant skills, experience, quali?cations and abilities.

REF-225 388