Funding development manager jobs in Belfast

Role   Project Co-ordinator – AAFDA All

Organisation: AAFDA – Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse

Project: AAFDA All

Role title: Project Co-ordinator

Salary: £35,000 pro rata to £28,000

Hours: 4 days per week Location: Home-based, with travel across England as required

Reports to: Operations Manager

Contract: Fixed term subject to funding (4-year grant)

AAFDA All is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund

About AAFDA

AAFDA is a national charity providing specialist, trauma-informed advocacy, emotional support and peer support to families bereaved by fatal domestic abuse, including domestic homicide, suicide where domestic abuse was a known factor, and unexplained deaths linked to abuse. We work to raise the status of bereaved families, strengthen professional and systemic responses, and influence policy and practice so that lessons are learned and future deaths are prevented.

About AAFDA All

AAFDA All is a four-year project developed in partnership with Imkaan to create, pilot and evaluate a culturally responsive advocacy and peer support service for bereaved family members from Black and minoritised communities who have lost a loved one to fatal domestic abuse. The project aims to reduce barriers to support, build trust with communities and specialist organisations, strengthen peer connection, and ensure that lived experience shapes service development, practice and wider systems change.

Role Purpose

The Project Co-ordinator will lead the development, co-ordination and day-to-day delivery of AAFDA All, ensuring that the service is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, safe, accessible and shaped by the voices of bereaved family members from Black and minoritised communities. The postholder will work closely with AAFDA colleagues, Imkaan, the Specialist Advocate, volunteers, community partners, statutory agencies and the Service User Advisory Group to develop referral pathways, support co production, co-ordinate peer support activity, monitor outcomes and embed learning across the programme.

In return for joining us, we will offer you:

· 25 days annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays (Pro rata)

· Excellent development and training opportunities

· Pension Scheme

· Healthcare Scheme

· Employee Assist Scheme

Application Instructions 

To apply for this role, please submit a supporting statement along with your CV. by Closing date: 13th September 2026

Interviews will be held on 

21st, 23rd and 25th September 2026 

As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we particularly welcome applications from candidates from Black and minoritised ethnic backgrounds who possess the necessary trauma-informed community insights and reach, understanding and skills to build trust and deliver the project aims safely and effectively.

Applicants will be shortlisted according to how well they meet the criteria in the person specification.

Please highlight and explain how you meet these in your supporting statement. If you have been shortlisted for interview, you will be informed by email. Regrettably, we are normally unable to acknowledge unsuccessful applicants.

Please note that we will not progress applications where the supporting statement does not address the criteria for the role being applied for.

Social entrepreneurs scaling their ventures face a specific set of challenges including income generation, hiring, governance, hard calls about growth and risk, all alongside scaling their social impact. We’re recruiting learning and enterprise development managers who’ve lived that journey themselves, to bring first-hand credibility and challenge directly to the entrepreneurs on our scale-up and scale-up-plus programmes.

You’ll hold ownership of SSE’s scale-up approach, shaping our learning content on strategy, profitability and the systems that hold a growing venture together – grounded in what actually works, not just what’s written down. Facilitation sits at the heart of this role. You’ll design and deliver learning programmes and group sessions for cohorts of entrepreneurs as well as leading 1-2-1 coaching and diagnostics, and delivering Action Learning Sets, SSE’s long-standing peer-coaching method (training provided).

We’re looking for people who’ve founded or led a VCSE with an annual turnover of £100,000 or more and held financial accountability such as statutory reporting to the Charity Commission and, where relevant, Companies House, reporting to a board or funders, and making hard calls about growth, income and risk.

You’ll succeed in this role if you believe in what social entrepreneurship can achieve and want to turn your experience into supporting social ventures to scale and create more impact in their communities and beyond

We can’t fix issues like poverty, inequality, health and climate change alone. We are fully conscious of the scale of the challenge that faces the country and the urgent need to respond. That’s why the School for Social Entrepreneurs exists, to empower and equip people with entrepreneurial ideas and solutions to grow the social economy. The social economy is a movement of organisations and enterprises that prioritise people and planet. Together, we are committed to tackling the greatest social and environmental challenges of our time.This is a new and exciting role at a significant time of growth for the School for Social Entrepreneurs. In the coming year. we are developing new programmes, working with leaders who are developing small community led social and environmental projects as well as leading larger charities and social businesses developing social investment and housing solutions.

We’re not a traditional funder. Our grants tend to be small, but they punch above their weight, helping social and environmental entrepreneurs take the next step to grow their organisations. Our grants run alongside learning programmes, challenging and supporting leaders. We’re innovative in how we do this, through both traditional and enterprise grants. We lead on Match Trading™, a grant that challenges leaders to grow their trading income, and we are working on further grants innovations.

You will work with our Grants Team, Project Co-ordinators and Assessment Lead to develop and support grant management across a range of programmes. Your role will be to lead on specific programmes, including supporting assessment, onboarding and grant management. You will ensure that grantees are fully supported to manage their grants and ensure that grant management is compliant, auditable, efficient, and timely. You will support the development of grant policies and processes, writing grant paperwork and documentation, overseeing payments, and reporting to the wider Programmes Team and others about our work.

You don’t need to have managed grants before, but you do need to have a good understanding of a wide range enterprises and charities, gained through experience of training, business consultancy or development support. You will have a good understanding of business models, legal structures and financial systems that social and environmental organisations and community run and owned businesses may use. You will need to understand social enterprise finances, be able to read accounts, budgets, cashflows and have a good knowledge of social enterprise income streams.

We need someone who understands how hard it is to start up and grow social and environmental enterprises and can support people from diverse backgrounds in managing their grant, finances and growing their business.

Are you up for the challenge?

Interviews: Friday 18th and Friday 25th September (online)

Title: Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager

Duty Station: Home-based
 
Duration: 3 months with possible extension

Reporting to: Director of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships

Start Date: September 2026

About HelpAge

HelpAge International works with a diverse global network of around 200 organisations across 99 countries to promote the rights of older people to lead dignified, healthy and secure lives. 

Through partnership and collaborations, we work to ensure the inclusion of older people across society and strive to deliver a just and fair world for everyone as they get older. Our work is driven by our desire to achieve real impact for older people, to be inclusive, to work in partnership and to learn from our shared experience. 

Background

HelpAge International is seeking to diversify and grow philanthropic income from trusts and foundations from the US philanthropic markets.

An initial prospect mapping exercise is currently being undertaken by an external consultant, identifying a broad range of potential trusts, foundations, and philanthropic opportunities. HelpAge aims to build on this work through a short-term assignment that combines prospect qualification with active donor outreach and engagement to assess the level of market interest and develop a robust pipeline for future cultivation.

The assignment will also support the organisation in assessing the value of different funding intelligence platforms through the use of free trial subscriptions.

Purpose of the assignment

• Build on the initial prospect research undertaken.
• Qualify and prioritise prospective trusts and foundations.
• Actively engage with prospective donors to test interest and build relationships.
• Identify funding opportunities aligned with HelpAge International's priorities.
• Develop a realistic cultivation pipeline and recommended engagement strategy.
• Assess the value of fundraising databases to support future investment decisions.

Scope of work

Prospect qualification and research

• Review and refine the existing prospect list.
• Undertake further research to assess:
  • strategic fit
  • thematic priorities
  • geographic focus
  • average grant size
  • openness to unsolicited approaches
  • existing grantees and partnership opportunities.

Prospects should be categorised according to priority and likelihood of success.

Active donor outreach and engagement

Proactively engage with selected prospects to assess donor interest and identify potential opportunities.

This includes:

• drafting and sending introductory emails
• seeking warm introductions through existing contacts and networks
• arranging exploratory meetings
• preparing briefing notes and meeting materials
• following up with prospects following meetings or discussions
• identifying opportunities for further cultivation and relationship development

Records will be maintained of:

• contacts established
• meetings held
• donor feedback
• potential next steps
• indications of interest

Pipeline development

Develop and maintain a prospect pipeline comprising:

· Tier 1 – High Priority Prospects

o Strong strategic alignment and realistic funding potential.

· Tier 2 – Medium Priority Prospects

o Promising opportunities requiring further cultivation.

· Tier 3 – Long-Term Prospects

o Strategic opportunities requiring longer-term relationship building.

For each prospect, provide:

• rationale for prioritisation
• indicative grant size
• likely programme interests
• recommended engagement strategy
• suggested next steps

Opportunity identification

Identify and circulate relevant funding opportunities including:

• trusts and foundations
• challenge funds
• philanthropic collaboratives
• donor-advised funds and intermediary mechanisms
• companies

Funding database assessment

Undertake monthly free trials of fundraising databases and assess their suitability for HelpAge International.

• Instrumentl
• Fundraisio
• Cause IQ
• FundsforNGOs Premium

For each platform assess:

• quality of information
• international coverage
• coverage of US foundations
• ease of use
• value for money
• overall suitability for HelpAge's fundraising strategy

Deliverables

By the end of the assignment:

· Prioritised prospect pipeline

Including:

• high-priority prospects
• medium-priority prospects
• longer-term opportunities

Including recommended engagement strategies and indicative funding potential.

· Donor engagement tracker

Recording:

• outreach undertaken
• meetings secured
• contacts established
• feedback received
• recommended next steps

· Opportunity tracker

Including:

• open calls
• deadlines
• funding priorities
• recommended actions

· Database assessment paper

Comparing the fundraising databases and recommending whether HelpAge should invest in any of them.

· Final Report

Providing:

· key findings

· priority prospects

· donor intelligence and feedback

· recommended cultivation approaches

· suggested next steps for the fundraising team

· recommendations for future investment in trusts and foundations fundraising

Profile and requirements

Essential

• Proven experience securing funding from trusts and foundations
• Experience of cultivating and managing donor relationships
• Knowledge of US and international philanthropy
• Strong prospect research and pipeline management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desirable

• Experience within international development or humanitarian organisations
• Existing networks within US and international philanthropy
• Knowledge of ageing, health systems, social protection or humanitarian sectors

Safeguarding, Ethics and Compliance 

HelpAge International is committed to safeguarding the communities with which we work, our partners, staff, and any others who come into contact with our work. 

The Consultant is required to: 

· Prevent harm and abuse arising from their work, conduct, or engagement with HelpAge activities;

· Report any safeguarding concerns, incidents, or suspicions promptly through HelpAge’s reporting mechanisms;

· Comply with HelpAge’s Safeguarding Policy and associated frameworks, including the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA);

· Complete any mandatory safeguarding training or briefings as required for the assignment.

In addition, the Consultant is required to adhere to HelpAge International’s key policies and standards, including but not limited to: 

· Code of Conduct

· Safeguarding Policy

· Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Policy

· Anti-Fraud and Bribery Policy

· Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy

· Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy

· Raising a Concern (Whistleblowing) Policy

· Social Media Policy

The Consultant is expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with these policies at all times while engaged with HelpAge.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in termination of the  contract and, where appropriate, further action. 

At Bipolar UK, we believe that no one should face bipolar alone. Every day, we work to ensure that people affected by bipolar can access the understanding, support and information they need to live well. As the UK's only national charity dedicated to bipolar, we reach around 10,000 people each month through our peer support services, online community, information resources, research partnerships and campaigns to improve diagnosis and access to care. 

We're entering an exciting period of growth and are looking for a passionate Senior Partnership Officer to help us build the partnerships and funding needed to expand our impact. Could you help us create a future where everyone affected by bipolar has access to timely support and specialist services? 

As Senior Partnership Officer, you'll play a pivotal role in developing and managing high-value relationships with corporate partners, major donors and strategic supporters. You'll identify and secure new partnership opportunities, create compelling funding propositions and steward supporters to deepen their engagement with Bipolar UK. Your work will directly help us reach more people affected by bipolar and deliver life-changing support across the UK. 

Key Details

Location: Flexible, home-based with occasional travel to events and team meetings. 

Hours: 35 hours per week. 

Salary: £35,000 depending on experience. 

Annual Leave: 25 days plus Bank Holidays (with an additional day accrued per each year of service)

Reporting to: Strategic Partnerships Manager. 

What You'll Be Working On

• Building and securing new corporate fundraising and strategic partnership opportunities. 
• Developing tailored partnership proposals and delivering engaging pitches to prospective supporters. 
• Managing and growing relationships with corporate partners, major donors and strategic allies. 
• Working with colleagues across services, fundraising and communications to develop innovative partnership opportunities. 
• Providing excellent stewardship through meetings, events, impact reporting and regular supporter engagement.
• Recording and tracking partnership activity through Salesforce and supporting effective monitoring and evaluation.

This Job Is For You If...

• You're a confident relationship builder who enjoys connecting with supporters and stakeholders. 
• You have experience securing income through partnerships, fundraising or business development. 
• You can create compelling written proposals and communicate persuasively with a range of audiences. 
• You're highly organised and able to manage multiple opportunities and projects simultaneously. 
• You're motivated by making a meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by bipolar. 

At Bipolar UK, we value diversity and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. If you're excited about the role but don't meet every requirement, we'd still love to hear from you. Together, we can ensure that more people affected by bipolar receive the support they need.

The School for Social Entrepreneurs backs people with purpose — entrepreneurs building organisations that change their communities. We're looking for a National Partnerships Lead to work directly with our CEO, driving high-priority national funding partnerships, diversifying our income, and building the relationships that fund our impact. 

You'll identify major funding opportunities, negotiate with trusts, corporates and government partners, and lead complex proposals from first conversation through to a signed agreement — including the budgets, risk assessments and value propositions behind them. You'll also act as a sounding board for the CEO, pressure-testing ideas and sharpening how we tell our story to funders. 

We're looking for sustained experience supporting a CEO or senior leader, a track record of leading multi-million pound funding initiatives end-to-end, and the versatile writing skills to move between board papers and detailed funder tenders without losing accuracy under pressure. Sharp budgeting and numeracy matter for this role, alongside real comfort building trust with senior external stakeholders. 

This position is for someone who thrives on ambiguity, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants their work to directly fund entrepreneurs changing their communities. 

The purpose of this role is to lead the design and delivery of learning programmes that help social entrepreneurs create lasting impact. You’ll take direct responsibility for facilitating cohorts as well as leading 1-2-1 coaching and diagnostics, and delivering Action Learning Sets, SSE’s long-standing peer-coaching method (training provided). You’ll hold accountability for the quality of programmes allocated to you. You’ll work alongside our learning facilitators and our learning and enterprise development managers to ensure every programme stays true to our action learning approach.

As SSE deepens its focus on commercial acumen and scale-up support, you’ll help make sure that direction reaches every cohort you work with — keeping your programmes as sharp, practical and impactful as everything else we do. You’ll bring your own commercial awareness to how you facilitate, and build relationships with contributors, speakers and specialists who can bring real-world commercial expertise into the room for your cohorts.

You’ll succeed in this role if you believe in what social entrepreneurship can achieve and want to support social ventures to grow and create more impact in their communities and beyond.

Service Development Manager

We are looking for an experienced and resourceful Service Development Manager to work closely with the CEO to establish and deliver a strong presence across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.

This is an opportunity to join a supportive and purpose-driven team where your work will make a direct difference to families across Gloucestershire.

Position: Service Development Manager

Location: Remote/Gloucestershire, with regular travel across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury and occasional attendance at the Stroud office

Hours: Part-time, 30 hours per week

Salary: £38,000 pro rata (£30,811 actual salary for 30 hours per week)

Contract: 24-month fixed-term contract

Closing Date: 20th September 2026. This job opportunity may close early if we find an appropriate candidate before the closing date.

The Role

This is a hands-on role combining direct family support, project management, service development and partnership building. You will hold an appropriate caseload, develop new activity, build strong local referral pathways and help turn the countywide plans into practical support for families.

We need someone who is confident working independently, takes ownership, builds relationships quickly and can find practical solutions when there is no obvious route forward. The initial focus will be Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, but the role is designed to evolve as our countywide work develops.

Key accountabilities include:

• Service development and delivery
• Direct family support
• Project management
• Partnerships and referral pathways
• Funding, monitoring and sustainability
• Safeguarding and quality

The first year will focus on developing and delivering Home-Start services across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. As the countywide work develops, the focus of the role may evolve to support wider service development across Gloucestershire.

For the first six weeks, the post will be predominantly based at the Stroud office for induction and orientation.

After this, the role will be mainly home and community based, with regular travel across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury and occasional attendance at the Stroud office.

About You

We are looking for someone who is practical, resourceful and motivated by making things happen.

You will be comfortable supporting a family one day and developing a new partnership or service the next and have enough frontline experience to understand what works for families and enough project-management discipline to turn ideas into effective delivery. You will not be joining a finished project with every detail already decided. We need someone who can understand the objective, identify what needs to happen next and move the work forward.

You will have experience of:

• Direct service delivery, ideally with families, children or communities
• Holding a caseload or providing ongoing one-to-one support
• Project management
• Developing or implementing new projects or services
• Building effective relationships with external organisations and professionals
• Working independently and taking responsibility for delivery
• Safeguarding and professional boundaries.

Practical requirements

You must:

• be able to drive;
• be willing and able to travel independently across Gloucestershire;
• be able to work predominantly from the Stroud office during the initial six-week induction period;
• subsequently be comfortable working from home and community locations;
• be confident using standard IT and case-recording systems.

If this sounds like you, then apply today!

About the Organisation

Join a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child under five years of age. Trained home-visiting volunteers offer regular friendship, emotional, and practical support to help families experiencing a challenging time in their lives. The service is unique and also offers free support peer groups, antenatal, postnatal, and perinatal mental health services.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, faith groups, and socioeconomic circumstances, as well as from people who are disabled, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, or from different age groups. We also value applications from those with caring responsibilities or non-traditional career paths.

You may also have experience in areas such as Service Development Manager, Service Development Manager Lead, Service Development Manager Deputy, Service Development Officer, Service Development Manager, Service Delivery Manager, Service Delivery Manager Lead, Service Delivery Manager Deputy, Service Development Officer, Service Delivery Manager, Service Manager.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, Not For Profit People. #INDNFP

For nearly 20 years, Lively Minds has been proving that parents are the sleeping giants of early childhood development. With strong evidence and a national scale proof point in Ghana, we have shown that parent powered approaches delivered through government systems can transform children's lives at scale.

We are now at a pivotal moment. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum, and we need the funding, profile and influence to match our ambition. This is a rare opportunity to lead income generation and external voice for an award winning NGO entering an exciting new phase of growth. You will lead our fundraising strategy and direct engagement with Funders ensuring that we maximise all funding opportunities as we continue our strategic evolution. You will also shape a compelling external narrative that will help position Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments strengthening their early childhood development systems.

If you are an exceptional fundraiser and communicator who is equally comfortable in a strategic conversation and writing a winning proposal, we would love to hear from you.

Read the full advert and apply below. Closing date: 3rd September 2026.

About Lively Minds

Lively Minds is an award-winning NGO with nearly 20 years of experience designing, testing and scaling early childhood development (ECD) solutions across the Global South. Our core idea is simple but radical: parents are the sleeping giants of ECD. Governments and donors have long overlooked parents, assuming that poverty and low literacy make them unable or unwilling to support their childrenʼs development. We have spent two decades proving otherwise. With RCT-backed evidence and a national-scale proof point in Ghana, we have demonstrated that parent-powered approaches, delivered through government systems, can achieve meaningful child development outcomes at scale.

Our 2026–2028 strategy marks a pivotal shift. Having demonstrated what is possible, we are now helping pioneer an innovative model of country-led sustainable scale. Rather than delivering programmes ourselves, we provide lean, time-limited technical advisory support to governments to help them integrate parent-powered ECD into their own systems, budgets and institutions. We are currently working with the governments of Ghana, Uganda, Oromia state (Ethiopia) and The Gambia in 2026, growing to six or more country engagements by 2028. Our ambition is to catalyse a sector-wide shift, positioning Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments seeking to strengthen their ECD systems.

Our scale strategy rests on three interdependent pillars: fixed-term Technical Advisory partnerships with governments; the development of a modular radio model simple and affordable enough for governments to adopt and fund independently; and an advocacy and sector influence agenda designed to make parent-powered ECD the norm globally.

Purpose of the Role

Lively Minds is at a critical inflection point. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum. We now need the funding, profile and sector influence to match our ambition. The Director of Fundraising and Communications is a priority hire, created to provide the dedicated, experienced leadership that this moment demands.

The Director will own and drive Lively Mindsʼ income generation, building new funder relationships, managing and deepening existing ones, and ensuring the organisation has the pipeline, discipline and quality of engagement to meet and exceed its fundraising targets. Working in close partnership with the Founding CEO, who retains ownership of a small number of long-standing strategic relationships, the Director will take primary responsibility for securing the funding that makes the 2026–2028 strategy deliverable, and that opens the door to greater scale beyond it. We need to raise approximately £3.4m over the next 3 years to deliver our strategy. But our ambition is to exceed that target so we can support additional governments.

Alongside fundraising, the Director will provide strategic leadership to Lively Mindsʼ communications and advocacy work, ensuring that the organisationʼs external voice is compelling and that we are building credibility in the spaces where funding decisions are made. The Director will lead and provide strategic coherence to a small but outward-facing team, including Head of Partnerships and Advocacy Lead who are active on the international stage. Lively Minds is committed to thought-leadership and active external engagement, but equally committed to ensuring that communications resource is deployed with discipline and rigour. The Director will set a clear strategic filter for where the organisation shows up, what it publishes and who it engages: prioritising focus and quality over volume, and always asking whether external activity is building the relationships and reputation that ultimately drive income and/or systems change.

Lively Minds is a dispersed, remote organisation. The Directorʼs team the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer - are internationally distributed. The ability to lead, develop and maintain high standards across a dispersed team is essential. The role requires regular travel to international conferences and events.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Income Generation

• Own and deliver the multi-year fundraising strategy with clear priorities, targets, income streams and a disciplined pipeline to support the 2026–2028 strategy and future scale
• Steward existing funder relationships, turning strong partnerships into long-term supporters, advocates and connectors to new funding opportunities.
• Lead the shift towards Big Bet and catalytic funding, personally cultivating and negotiating high-value, multi-year partnerships and positioning Lively Minds for system-level scale
• Maintain a high standard of fundraising quality, pipeline management and forecasting, while coaching the team to produce compelling, sophisticated fundraising materials
•  Build and continuously strengthen a diverse funding pipeline, identifying emerging opportunities, new funding markets and strategic partnerships that reduce concentration risk and support long-term financial sustainability

Communications, Brand & Advocacy

• Own and deliver Lively Mindsʼ communications and marketing strategy, balancing visibility and sector influence with the need to strengthen fundraising and systems-change objectives
• Partner closely with the CEO to shape and steward a coherent external narrative, brand and messaging framework across all audiences and channels
• Oversee high-quality core communications and fundraising materials, including cases for support, pitch decks, website content, proposals and donor reports
• Provide strategic communications expertise to Advocacy, Partnerships and MEL, ensuring evidence and learning are translated into compelling narratives and consistent external messaging
• Lead efforts to strengthen Lively Mindsʼ profile and thought leadership in the ECD sector, identifying opportunities for strategic media, events, publications and external platforms that reinforce its positioning and influence

Organizational Leadership&TeamDevelopment

• Contribute actively to SMT and organisational strategy, bringing funder intelligence, external perspective and communications expertise to strategic decision-making.
• Work closely with Finance and MEL to align fundraising targets, forecasting, budgets and evidence, ensuring proposals are credible, accurately costed and evidence-led
• Act as the organisationʼs communications subject matter expert, providing guidance and challenge to ensure high-quality, consistent external communications
• Lead and develop the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer, fostering a team culture of quality, accountability, strategic clarity and continuous improvement
• Build strong cross-organisational collaboration, ensuring teams understand how fundraising, communications, advocacy and evidence work together to advance Lively Mindsʼ strategic priorities

Person Specification

Essential Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of significant senior-level fundraising experience within international development, education, philanthropy or a comparable sector
• Proven track record of securing major grants from foundations, institutional donors and high-net-worth individuals, alongside demonstrated experience securing or meaningfully progressing large-scale, catalytic funding from Big Bet philanthropy programmes such as the Audacious Project, Skoll Foundation or comparable funders. A strong understanding of what these funders look for and how to position an organisation compellingly within their processes is essential
• Exceptional fundraising writing skills, with the ability to personally develop compelling cases for support, funding proposals, award applications and pitch decks tailored to sophisticated impact funders. This is a hands-on role requiring both strong writing capability and the ability to coach others to consistently produce high-quality fundraising content
• Experienced in developing and owning a marketing and communications strategy, with a strong understanding of how to balance organisational visibility, thought leadership and sector influence with coherence, strategic focus and income generation
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with a Founding CEO to shape and steward the organisationʼs external narrative and brand. Comfortable working in a founder-led environment, providing expertise and constructive challenge while ensuring the organisation maintains a clear, consistent and coherent external voice

Desirable Experience

• Experienced fundraising for a technical advisory, systems change or government-facing organisation
• Knowledge of the ECD, education or early childhood sector and its funding landscape
• Familiarity with the Big Bang Philanthropy network or equivalent impact-focused funder communities
• Experience working alongside advocacy and partnerships teams, providing communications expertise and strategic coherence to their external activity
• Familiarity with the funding landscape for organisations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience working remotely across multiple countries and effectively collaborating with cross-cultural teams

Behaviours & Ways of Working

• A doer, equally comfortable in strategic conversations and writing a funding proposal
• Sets a high bar for quality and clarity in all external communications and holds it consistently
• Builds a strong, trust-based partnership with the Founding CEO, provides honest challenge and operates effectively within a founder-led dynamic without losing their own voice or judgement
• Collaborative and cross-organisational. Invests in strong relationships with programme, MEL and finance colleagues, understanding that the best fundraising is grounded in organisational reality
• Calm and focused under pressure - able to manage competing priorities and maintain quality when the stakes are high

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• 25 days annual leave
• Health insurance
• Pension contribution
• Generous learning and development budget
• Flexible, remote working

Application Instruction

Interested candidates are encouraged to read the Job Description carefully before applying to ensure they understand the role and meet the required criteria.

To apply, please complete the pre-screening questions and submit your updated CV

PLEASE NOTE - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Timeline

Closing Date: 3rd September 2026

Our Stance

Lively Minds operates a strict Safeguarding Policy and is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable people. As part of our recruitment process, the suitability of successful candidates will be verified through appropriate background checks including professional references and police checks.

Lively Minds is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and to providing equal opportunities throughout our recruitment process. We want this commitment to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, experiences and perspectives.

We are committed to ensuring that recruitment decisions are based on merit, skills, experience and suitability for the role, and that all candidates are treated fairly and with respect throughout the recruitment process.

About us

Community rail is a unique and growing grassroots movement made up of community rail partnerships, station volunteer groups and other community-led initiatives across Britain.

Together, these organisations and volunteers deliver a wide range of initiatives, from engaging young people and building confidence in rail travel, to improving accessibility, enhancing stations, supporting biodiversity projects and creating community spaces that bring people together.

Community Rail Network is the national membership and umbrella body for the community rail movement across England, Scotland and Wales. We empower, support and champion community-led partnerships and groups, helping them create social, environmental and economic value through their work.

Our team of 22 colleagues is based across Britain, working mainly from home while coming together regularly online and in person. We are a collaborative, values-led organisation, passionate about making a difference through community rail.

We believe in nurturing talent, supporting professional development and creating an environment where everyone can reach their potential while maintaining a healthy work–life balance.

About this role and your main responsibilities

We are looking for a compassionate, collaborative and creative leader to head up our work with members. Everyone on the team is here for our members, but you will lead the way in ensuring everything we do is driven by what members need, now and in the future, to help them develop, grow and thrive. You’ll also help ensure our members have a great experience whenever they are accessing our support and services.

As a member of the senior leadership team, you’ll actively contribute towards its collective work in driving organisational performance and success, including growing investment in our work so we can make an even bigger difference for our members and the communities they serve.

Please see the attached introduction from our Chief Executive and role profile for further information about the position, including its principal responsibilities and the experience, skills and attributes we are looking for.

Other information

The role will involve regular travel across England, Scotland and Wales to raise the organisation’s profile and engage with members, partners and key stakeholders.

There is flexibility on your location given the requirement to travel and that your office will be home-based. You will need to travel to in-person quarterly team meetings (usually in London or the north of England) and to Board meetings which alternate between online and London.

It is expected that travel will be by public transport and easy access to the rail network is therefore required to ensure journeys can be made sustainably. 

This is a full-time position, 37 hours per week. We use a flexi-time system with core hours 10am-3pm, and are committed to being a flexible, supportive and understanding employer. This is a permanent position with a probationary period of three months. 

Successful applicants will need to provide proof that they have the right to work in the UK and provide two references.

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.

Job description

 Overall purpose of role

As WeProtect Global Alliance Fundraising and Grants Manager,you will:

• Lead the day-to-day management of a multi-donor grant portfolio (restricted and unrestricted) to ensure donor obligations are met in full and on time.
• Optimise and maintain grants management systems (calendars, trackers, templates, CRM, workflows) proportionate to a small organisation operating at global scale.
• Produce and co-ordinate high-quality donor reporting and contribute to renewal and proposal development, working closely with the Head of Development and collaborating with the Deputy Head of Operations and Finance, as well as colleagues in the Strategy and Members teams.
• Ensure and strengthen donor compliance, due diligence, and data assurance across the grant lifecycle in line with donor requirements, relevant regulations (including UK and EU), and best practice standards (including GDPR).
• Support the Head of Development and Deputy Head of Operations and Finance with grant budgets, forecasts and pipeline, supporting decision-making by the Executive Team and Board.

Key responsibilities

Portfolio ownership & planning

• Maintain a live grants calendar covering deliverables, reports, payments, audits and evaluations; ensure all internal and donor deadlines are met.
• Act as primary point of contact for assigned donors on contractual, reporting, and routine relationship matters, escalating strategically as needed.

 Reporting & stewardship

• Coordinate the production of timely, accurate and outcome-focused narrative and financial reports, synthesising inputs from programme, policy, finance and leadership colleagues.
• Support contract amendments/variations, no-cost extensions, and budget realignments in collaboration with the Head of Development and Deputy Head of Operations and Finance.

Compliance, risk & due diligence

• Interpret, operationalise, and ensure adherence to donor terms and conditions, including eligibility rules, procurement, safeguarding, DEI, anti-fraud, and data protection requirements.
• Contribute to risk registers linked to grants and grant files (audit-ready) with clear decision trails.
• Support alignment with UK and EU regulatory frameworks and internal policies.

Budgeting, finance & cost recovery

• Support the Head of Development and Deputy Head of Operations and Finance to maintain budgets, forecasts, and cashflows to delivery plans.
• Support cost recovery and overhead allocation approaches and ensure compliant coding and reporting for restricted awards (i.e. timesheets and expense coding).
• Track income recognition and receivables against milestones; prepare payment requests/invoices as required.

Proposals, renewals & pipeline support

• Work with and report to the Head of Development to identify and develop new funding opportunities.
• Support the preparation of compelling proposals, concept notes, and donor presentations tailored to institutional, foundation, and private sector partners.
• Conduct donor research and maintain a live fundraising tracker and CRM system to support proactive pipeline management.
• Contribute to the cultivation and stewardship of funders, preparing impact reports, case studies, and donor communications.
• Coordinate cross-team inputs for donor meetings, funding campaigns, or events that support income generation.

Systems, data & process improvement

• Utilise available grants management tools (e.g., trackers, templates, checklists, shared drives/SharePoint, CRM).

· Promote disciplined data management, ensuring GDPR-compliant document storage and access controls.

• Provide training and guidance to colleagues on grant requirements and internal workflows.

Governance & internal collaboration

• Prepare or contribute to concise briefings, dashboards, and summaries for the Head of Development, Executive Team, and Global Policy Board.
• Contribute to annual planning, KPI setting, and impact measurement related to fundraising and grant delivery.
• Support continuous improvement in monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

Expectations

Cross-functional operational collaboration

• Contribute to the WeProtect Global Alliance operational compliance, financial and grant management processes and systems.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to deliver cross-functional projects that will strengthen the reach and impact of the WeProtect Global Alliance Secretariat.

Building an inclusive culture

• Play a proactive role in ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is embedded in everything we do.
• Embrace diversity and recognise different perspectives within collaborative working to create a more impactful and effective organisation. 
• Commit to ensuring all employees are treated fairly and equitably at work, feel like they belong, and promote equality in physical and mental health for all.

Other

• To attend and contribute to meetings, training, and other events as required.
• To actively participate in our supervision and appraisal process.
• To ensure that all responsibilities and activities within this post are delivered in accordance with WeProtect Global Alliance core values and relevant corporate, organisational, financial, and compliance policies.
• To travel to meetings, which may require the need to work unsociable hours, e.g. attending evening or weekend meetings.
• To adhere to relevant legal and statutory requirements including the Data Protection Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act.
• To use WeProtect Global Alliance resources responsibly.

As a global, multi-sector alliance, ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is embedded in everything we do is a critical priority. We embrace diversity and understand that being an inclusive organisation, recognising different perspectives, will enable us to be impactful and effective. We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equality in physical and mental health for all.

Person Specification

Essential criteria

Experience

1. Substantial hands-on experience managing multi-donor grants across the full lifecycle, from start-up to close-out with a diverse donor community (governments/multilaterals, trusts and foundations, and private donors), including restricted awards.

2. Proven track record coordinating high-quality donor reports and ensuring contractual compliance across multiple awards and deadlines.

3. Demonstrable experience collaborating internally and leading applications, funding reports, financial reporting (budgets, forecasts, cost recovery, and expenditure monitoring).

4. Experience of preparing concept notes, proposals, and application forms for funding opportunities.

5. Experience with grant databases/CRM.

6. Stakeholder management skills, with experience liaising with donors and supporting senior leaders with briefings and stewardship.

7. Experience in due diligence, risk management and audit-readiness for grants (e.g., procurement, safeguarding, sanctions/PEP checks, data protection).

8. Proven experience working autonomously in a fast-paced environment to deliver a broad range of donor activities.

Skills

1. Outstanding organisation and time management, with the ability to manage competing deadlines and maintain meticulous records.

2. Excellent written communication, able to synthesise complex information into clear, outcome-focused reports and proposals.

3. Financial literacy: confident reviewing budgets, variances and forecasts; advanced Excel skills and comfort with shared-working tools (MS Office, Teams, SharePoint).

4. Analytical judgement and problem-solving, with a pragmatic, solutions-focused mindset.

5. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote, international team, exercising discretion and sound judgement.

6. Commitment to safeguarding, child protection, EDI, and ethical fundraising practice.

Knowledge

1. Practical understanding of donor compliance for public/institutional and philanthropic funders, including awareness of different types of donor reporting requirements.

2. Knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and learning principles and how to evidence impact and learning in grant reports.

3. Familiarity with data protection (GDPR) and information governance in grants contexts.

4. Understanding of WeProtect Global Alliance’s mission, vision, values, and global operating context.

Other

1. A willingness to travel and work unsocial hours (time in lieu can be claimed)

2. Commitment to your own continuing professional and personal development

3. To uphold high standards of work, standards, and conduct in line with WeProtect Global Alliance values.

Desirable Criteria

1. Experience setting up or improving grants management systems (trackers, calendars, templates, workflows) proportionate to a small organisation.

2. Experience of using online funding and grant management portals.

3. Awareness of global child protection policies and procedures within the digital arena and a genuine passion for child protection

Diversity, inclusion, and equity

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those of different ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities, and lived experiences. We particularly encourage applications from individuals who are part of communities that are under-represented in our sector, including Black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Safeguarding and values

As a child-focused organisation, we have a strong commitment to child safeguarding and rigorous procedures. The successful candidate will be required to provide two referees and to undergo a criminal record check. 

All staff are expected to act at all times in a manner consistent with our values and in compliance with our policies and procedures, including our Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

Our values are:

· Empowerment – collaboration, innovation, challenge

· Accountability – responsibility, delivery, safeguarding

· Respect – honesty, feedback, inclusion.

Join a small global team where you'll organise and oversee our UK-based coaching and leadership programmes for education and non-profit leaders. From responding to new enquiries, launching programmes and setting up online learning journeys, to building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, you'll need to be hands-on and able to prioritise across multiple workstreams. In return, you'll get genuine variety and ownership of your work, a friendly and supportive team, and opportunities to work with new digital tools and platforms and help us pioneer AI-powered ways of working from the ground up. 

About BTS Spark

BTS Spark is the social impact and education practice of BTS, a global professional services firm which specialises in supporting organisations to develop their leaders and build the people capabilities to deliver effectively on their strategies. Our mission at BTS Spark is bring that expertise to help education and non-profit leaders do their best work, building stronger organisations and a better world.

We provide expert 1:1 leadership coaching, powerful group experiences and bespoke team and organisational development programmes, all designed to enable profound and highly impactful learning. To date we have worked primarily with schools, colleges and multi-academy trusts, but we are now actively seeking to grow our work within higher education and the non-profit sector.  Whilst most of the work delivered by our UK hub is with UK-based organisations, we also deliver programmes elsewhere in Europe and manage several international programmes.

Our UK core team is small — just our Director and our Programme Manager — supported by wider BTS colleagues, our global BTS Spark team and a network of 30+ UK-based coaches and facilitators.

Job Description 

Working closely with our UK Director, but with a significant degree of independence, you'll support almost every part of our UK operations:

• Plan and enable smooth programme delivery — allocating coaches and facilitators, scheduling group sessions, and managing logistics for face-to-face events
• Set up and launch coaching and leadership programmes on our digital platforms, and use Claude and other AI tools to speed up routine tasks like data entry, reporting and client updates
• Act as a trusted first point of contact for clients, managing relationships, delivering briefings and platform demos, and preparing data-led impact reports
• Handle new enquiries, follow through with quotations and information, and support business development and proposal writing with the Director
• Help grow our profile — co-ordinating social media content (particularly LinkedIn), updating our website, building landing pages, and supporting our alumni and marketing campaigns
• Forecast income, keep our financial systems up to date, and manage letters of engagement, purchase orders and invoicing requests.
• Provide occasional live support for virtual workshops, and executive assistant support to the Director

The balance of your week will shift through the year, with programme launches taking priority at times and more space for development work during school holidays. A key priority is to make full use of our AI capability (especially Claude) to speed up our processes and free up more time for the relationship-building and engagement work that matters most. This is something we’ll support you to build into your working practice from day one.

We're looking for candidates with the following attributes:

Essential:

• A strong, sustained track record in programme planning and project/operations management
• Confidence managing relationships with senior education and non-profit leaders, with excellent, professional customer service skills
• Excellent written communication and proof-reading skills, with sharp attention to detail
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise across multiple workstreams
• A proactive, can-do attitude and comfort working independently
• Strong financial literacy and experience with CRM/database systems (e.g. Salesforce, Hubspot)
• Enthusiasm for digital tools and AI assistants, and intermediate Microsoft Office skills
• Flexibility for occasional calls outside business hours with North America and Australia-based colleagues

Desirable:

• Experience working in or closely with the education sector
• University graduate-level education

Benefits

• 25 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays and a Christmas–New Year office closure
• 5% matched pension and life insurance
• Private medical insurance
• Free access to a wellness coach and healthcare app (video GP appointments, mental health and nutritional consultations)
• Cycle to work scheme

See attached job description for further details.

Application Process

Please apply with an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement (max. 2 sides) showing how you meet the knowledge, skills and experience above. Applications without a supporting statement will not be considered.

We review applications on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as you can. The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 1st September.

Initial interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held on a rolling basis until 4th September.

Final interviews will be held in London at the BTS Offices on 10th and 11th September.

Senior Bid & Proposal Manager

Location: London

Salary: £52,000 - £56,000 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent, Full Time (37 hours per week)

Catch22 exists to help build a society where everyone has a good place to live, good people around them, and a fulfilling purpose. We call these our '3Ps'. We achieve this in two ways. First we improve lives on the frontline through delivery of public services. Secondly, we use our knowledge to change 'the system', to fix the complex web that can trap and disempower those it was set up to help. With the heart of a charity and the mindset of a business, we are uniquely placed to deliver on this challenging agenda.

Job Description

As Senior Bids and Proposals Manager, you will lead a high-performing team responsible for securing public sector contracts and grant funding that enable Catch22 to deliver life-changing services. Your leadership will help retain vital services, win new opportunities, and drive sustainable growth and social impact.

As part of the Business Development leadership team, you will inspire excellence across our bidding function, building capability, driving continuous improvement, and supporting your team to develop winning bids and proposals that deliver Catch22's mission.

Your responsibilities will include: 

· Overseeing Catch22's bidding function, securing public sector contracts and grant funding that sustain and grow our services.

· Leading and developing Bid & Proposal Managers, driving excellence, accountability and continuous improvement.

· Managing bid resourcing, ensuring the right opportunities receive the right support at the right time.

· Embedding robust quality, compliance and governance across all bids and proposals.

· Providing commercial oversight of bids, ensuring competitive pricing, sound financial models and effective risk management.

· Acting as Bid Director on key strategic opportunities, shaping winning approaches and securing successful outcomes.

· Driving team performance against quality and growth targets, using insight and learning to continuously improve results.

· Owning and improve bid processes, tools and use of technology to increase efficiency, consistency and effectiveness.

· Building strong internal relationships and support development of external partnerships that strengthen our bids and market position.

Qualifications

We are looking for an experienced team leader who combines high expectations with a supportive, inclusive culture where people can thrive. You will bring:

· Recent experience managing a team within a business development or income generation environment.

· At least three years' end-to-end bid management experience, with a track record securing large-scale (>£1-million) public sector contracts and grant funding.

· Strong understanding of public sector procurement, commissioning processes and the grant funding landscape.

· Strong commercial acumen, with experience in service design, financial and volumes modelling, and translating operational expertise into competitive, deliverable solutions.

· Strong project management skills, supported by a degree or project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2), or equivalent professional experience.

· Strong bid governance and quality assurance experience, with the ability to develop, review and improve high-scoring responses against specifications and evaluation criteria.

· Experience managing complex stakeholder environments, including securing internal senior buy-in and developing external partnerships that strengthen bid outcomes.

· Knowledge of one or more of Catch22's core service areas.

· Willingness to travel UK-wide, as required.

Additional Information

Flexibility: Fully remote role (UK based), or with access to our central London office
Application Deadline:  Wednesday 26th August 2026
Interviews: Thursday 10th and Friday 11th September

Unless otherwise stated, interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

We aim to review applications as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume of interest we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful this time.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Catch22, please do not hesitate to apply. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced relationship fundraiser to join Kids and play a key role in growing our philanthropic income. If you are passionate about building meaningful donor relationships and creating lasting impact for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), we'd love to hear from you.

Philanthropy and Relationships Manager

Location: Home-based with regular travel for face-to-face meetings
Hours: 36 hours per week (flexible working arrangements can be discussed at interview)
Salary: £35,000 per annum

About the Role

We're looking for an ambitious and motivated Philanthropy and Relationships Manager to lead the development of our major donor programme. Building on recent strategic recommendations, you will develop and deliver a sustainable fundraising programme that grows support from mid-level and major donors.

Working closely with the Head of Fundraising and colleagues across the organisation, you will identify, cultivate and steward high-value supporters, creating compelling opportunities for them to invest in Kids' mission. You will play a vital role in securing significant gifts and developing long-term partnerships that help children and young people with SEND achieve their full potential.

This role offers the opportunity to shape and grow a portfolio of supporters while helping to create a culture of philanthropy across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Planning

• Develop and implement a measurable strategy for philanthropic growth.
• Work closely with the Head of Fundraising to strengthen and embed a culture of philanthropy across Kids.
• Collaborate with colleagues to identify, cultivate and solicit major donor prospects.
• Provide guidance and support to colleagues on donor engagement and relationship management.

Relationship Management

• Build, manage and strengthen relationships with existing supporters.
• Understand donor motivations and create tailored engagement plans that inspire long-term support.
• Represent Kids at networking and cultivation events, building visibility and awareness of our work.
• Work collaboratively with service delivery teams to demonstrate the impact of donor support.

Prospect Development

• Manage and grow a mid-level giving programme.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective donors through research, identification and outreach.
• Build and manage a portfolio of mid-level and major donor prospects.
• Work with the Events Manager to deliver engaging donor cultivation events.

Income Generation and CRM Management

• Take ownership of individual income targets and contribute to wider fundraising goals.
• Manage donor pipelines, forecasting and reporting through Donorfy CRM.
• Monitor performance and identify opportunities to maximise income growth.

Donor Communications

• Develop compelling cases for support and impact reports.
• Create personalised communications and proposals that align with donors' interests and motivations.
• Deliver a high-quality donor experience that encourages long-term engagement and investment.

About You

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Proven success in networking and relationship building that has resulted in financial support.
• Experience securing new gifts and developing new donor relationships.
• A strong track record of building and managing fundraising pipelines and supporter portfolios.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage high-value supporters.
• Experience using CRM systems and data to manage donor relationships, forecasting and reporting.
• Strong budgeting and financial forecasting skills.
• Experience researching and identifying prospective donors.
• Confidence engaging and influencing senior stakeholders, including CEOs, trustees and decision-makers.
• The initiative and resilience to build new relationships from the ground up.
• A genuine passion for improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families.
• An understanding of the policy and influencing landscape affecting children and young people with SEND.

Why Join Kids?

At Kids, you'll be part of a dedicated team committed to creating brighter futures for disabled children, young people and their families. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a growing philanthropy programme, develop meaningful supporter relationships and secure transformational gifts that make a lasting difference.

Apply today and help us create life-changing opportunities for children and young people with SEND.

For further details about the role, responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the full Job Description attached.

We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close this vacancy ahead of the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of suitable applications