2 Fundraising director jobs in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
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This is a unique opportunity to lead fundraising for a charity at the cusp of substantial growth, with an exceptional track record of recent fundraising success, an engaged base of supporters and significant untapped potential across multiple channels.
Overview
As Director of Fundraising and Development for Plum Village UK, you will provide strategic leadership of the charity’s fundraising at this critical juncture. Building on the successful campaigns that brought our new Being Peace Practice Centre into being, you will lead the development of a sustainable, diversified fundraising operation across donor stewardship, trusts and foundations, regular giving, legacies, and partnerships, to deepen relationships of trust and gratitude with our supporters.
This role is ideal for a fundraising leader, whether from a career fundraising background or another field, who brings strategic capability alongside deep alignment with the Plum Village tradition, where fundraising itself becomes a form of engaged practice in service of mindfulness and community transformation.
Fundraising in the Plum Village tradition is fundamentally relational. It is not a matter of extracting income from a base of supporters, but of deepening the relationships of trust, gratitude and shared purpose with those who make our work possible, in ways that embody the values of the tradition. Done well, fundraising is itself a form of engaged practice. The Director will be expected to lead the function in this spirit.
The role comes with a high level of strategic ownership. An initial fundraising strategy has been developed and shared with trustees, providing a framework of priority channels, governance arrangements and resourcing for the next phase. The new Director will inherit this as a starting frame, and will then be empowered and expected to develop, refine and bring forward a fundraising strategy on their own authority, working closely with the Lead Trustee for Fundraising and presenting proposals to the board as appropriate. The role also carries operational ownership of the fundraising mechanics, including the choice and management of supporting systems, databases and tools.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic leadership of fundraising
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Lead PVUK's fundraising strategy, developing and refining the strategic direction, and presenting proposals to the Board for approval and resourcing.
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Set, monitor, and report on fundraising targets across all income channels, in agreement with the Lead Trustee for Fundraising and the Board.
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Provide regular substantive updates on fundraising at quarterly board meetings, working with the Lead Trustee on the preparation of board-level reporting.
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Bring forward analysis and proposals to support the Board in setting wider strategic priorities, including realistic income potential by channel and the investment required to secure it.
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Identify and manage risk in the fundraising portfolio, including channel concentration, donor over-reliance, and the sustainability of resourcing.
Donor stewardship and relationship development
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Lead the stewardship of PVUK’s existing donors, lenders, and supporters with the depth of care that this base deserves, recognising it as the most precious resource of the fundraising function.
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Cultivate and deepen relationships with major donors, including through personal contact, site visits, and tailored communication of impact.
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Work with the Chair of Trustees, the Centre Director, and other senior figures on key relationships that require their involvement.
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Steward the friendly lender base throughout the lifetime of their loans, maintaining trust and keeping them informed of the charity’s progress.
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Build and maintain a culture of gratitude and recognition that appropriately honours the contributions of all supporters.
Income channel development
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Lead delivery and growth across PVUK’s priority fundraising channels: donor stewardship, trust and foundation fundraising, regular giving, legacies and Gifts in Wills, and partnerships with values-aligned organisations and networks.
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Develop trust and foundation fundraising as a substantial new income stream, including scoping aligned funders, building peer-to-peer introductions, constructing tailored funding propositions, and overseeing high-quality application writing and reporting.
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Design and grow a regular giving programme that converts members, retreatants and supporters into ongoing monthly donors.
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Develop a structured legacy and Gifts in Wills programme that normalises legacy giving across PVUK’s communications and supports those who wish to leave a Gift in their Will.
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Develop partnerships with values-aligned organisations and networks where these support both income generation and the wider reach of PVUK’s work, in close consultation with monastics and trustees.
Operations, systems and budget ownership
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Own the operational mechanics of fundraising for PVUK, including the choice, configuration and ongoing management of databases, donor management systems, online giving platforms, and integration with communications tools.
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Manage the fundraising budget, including a discretionary supplementary budget for consultancy, training, materials creation, contracted support and light administrative resource, deployed at the Director’s judgement to develop the function effectively.
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Maintain accurate, GDPR-compliant supporter records and ensure sound data practices throughout the fundraising operation.
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Provide accurate financial reporting on fundraising performance, working with PVUK’s finance function and external accountants as required.
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Make the case for additional resourcing where evidence of need supports it, including the possible recruitment of a Fundraising Officer in due course.
Communications and storytelling
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Lead the development of compelling fundraising narratives that authentically convey the work of PVUK and the Being Peace Centre to multiple audiences, including major donors, institutional funders, individual supporters and the wider public.
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Work closely with the PVUK Communications team on the integration of fundraising communications with the wider communications strategy.
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Commission and oversee the production of fundraising materials, including written content, graphic design, video and digital assets, drawing on contracted specialists where appropriate.
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Ensure that all fundraising messaging about the Being Peace Practice Centre is agreed with the Centre Director before publication.
Working partnerships across PVUK
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Work in close partnership with the Centre Director on all matters relating to Being Peace, with agreed ways of working on messaging, external representation, and any programming commitments made to funders.
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Work with the Lead Trustee for Fundraising as primary day-to-day point of contact at board level, supporting the Lead Trustee to hold strategic oversight of fundraising on behalf of the Board.
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Work with colleagues across PVUK’s communications, dharma programming, sangha-building and partnership functions, with these working relationships developing naturally in the first months of the role.
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Draw on external advisors and specialists as needed for support and assurance, both in technical fundraising disciplines and in sector-specific knowledge.
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Engage volunteer capacity from within the community where this can valuably supplement the fundraising operation.
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This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
LCH Charity is one of the East Midlands' fastest-growing children's charities.
In just five years, we have grown from an annual income of £70,000 to a forecast £1.2 million by August 2027. We have expanded our reach across the East Midlands, built strong partnerships with schools, businesses and communities, and supported tens of thousands of children and families experiencing poverty.
Our growth has been driven by innovation, ambition and a relentless focus on meeting the needs of children and young people. Through close collaboration with our school partners, we deliver practical support where it is needed most, helping children to thrive regardless of their circumstances.
While our impact within schools continues to grow, we know there is still enormous potential ahead. Awareness of our work beyond the education sector remains relatively low, and the opportunity to engage businesses, philanthropists, individual supporters, trusts and foundations across the region is significant.
We are now seeking an exceptional Director of Fundraising and Communications to help unlock that potential and lead the next phase of our journey.
The Opportunity
This is not a role focused on maintaining the status quo.
This is an opportunity to build on a proven success story and help shape the future of a charity with ambitious plans for growth.
This is a genuinely exciting opportunity that offers the freedom to be creative and ambitious, with the autonomy to shape, lead and deliver your own strategy.
Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as a member of the growing Executive Leadership Team, you will lead the creation, development and delivery of an ambitious fundraising and communications strategy that diversifies income, elevates our profile and strengthens our reputation across the East Midlands.
You will inherit an organisation with strong foundations, a compelling story and a highly successful fundraising model. Our flagship School Colour Dash programme currently generates approximately 70% of our income and has become a powerful platform for both fundraising and engagement.
The challenge, and opportunity, is clear.
We are looking for a dynamic and entrepreneurial leader who can develop sustainable income streams capable of matching, and ultimately exceeding, the success of our flagship event.
This is a rare opportunity to help create the next £1 million of income growth.
About the Role
As Director of Fundraising and Communications, you will:
- Lead the creation, development and delivery of a bold and ambitious fundraising and communications strategy.
- Diversify income across corporate partnerships, major donors, trusts and foundations, community fundraising, individual giving and philanthropy.
- Develop compelling propositions that inspire investment in our mission.
- Increase awareness, visibility and understanding of LCH Charity across the East Midlands.
- Strengthen and protect the charity's brand and reputation.
- Build strategic relationships with senior business leaders, philanthropists, partners and stakeholders.
- Identify and develop innovative new income opportunities.
- Lead and inspire a talented, committed and growing fundraising and communications team.
- Use insight, data and market intelligence to drive decision-making and growth.
- Act as a passionate ambassador and advocate for children, young people and families.
- Use systems to increase engagement across all supporters.
- Contribute to organisational leadership and strategic development as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.
Who We Are Looking For
We are seeking an ambitious, strategic and inspirational leader with a proven ability to deliver significant growth.
You will be someone who combines vision with action, enjoys building relationships, and thrives in environments where there is genuine opportunity to innovate and make a lasting impact.
You will bring:
- A successful track record of securing substantial fundraising growth.
- Experience working across a range of income streams, including corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, philanthropy and individual giving.
- Strong commercial awareness and an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Exceptional communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
- Experience of developing successful communications, marketing or brand strategies.
- Strong leadership experience and the ability to motivate and develop teams.
- The confidence to identify new opportunities and convert them into sustainable income.
- A genuine passion for improving outcomes for children, young people and families.
Most importantly, you will be excited by the opportunity to take an already successful charity to the next level.
Why Join LCH Charity?
This is a unique opportunity to join a charity that has already demonstrated what can be achieved through ambition, innovation and determination.
Over the last four years, we have transformed our income from £70,000 to a forecast £1.2 million, expanded our reach across the East Midlands and built a model that is changing lives every day.
Yet we believe we are only at the beginning of our journey.
We are looking for a leader who shares our ambition, who sees opportunity rather than limitation, and who wants to play a defining role in shaping the future of a growing and impactful organisation.
What Success Will Look Like
In this role, you will:
- Build income streams capable of matching the success of our flagship School Colour Dash programme.
- Secure transformational corporate, philanthropic and strategic partnerships.
- Significantly increase awareness and recognition of LCH Charity.
- Strengthen our influence across the East Midlands.
- Position LCH Charity as a charity of choice for businesses, donors and supporters.
- Help drive the organisation through its next phase of transformational growth.
- Enable thousands more children and families to access the support they need.
Join Us
We have grown from £70,000 to a forecast £1.2 million in just five years.
Now we are looking for an exceptional fundraising and communications leader who can help us do it again.
If you are ambitious, entrepreneurial and motivated by the opportunity to create lasting change for children and families, we would love to hear from you.
Join us and help build the future of LCH Charity.
We are looking for ideas as well as experience.
Please submit your CV together with a supporting statement (maximum two pages) outlining:
- Why this opportunity interests you.
- Why this role is the right next step in your career.
- What excites you most about the growth opportunity at LCH Charity.
Informal and confidential conversations with our Chief Executive Officer are welcomed and encouraged.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.