Fundraising intern jobs

The Literacy Pirates is an educational charity working across the UK to develop the literacy, confidence and perseverance of children who are falling behind in school and have fewer opportunities in their personal lives. We offer in-person and online literacy programmes that support children to meet age-related expectations in reading and writing, succeed in school, and thrive beyond the classroom. 

Literacy Pirates is at an incredibly exciting point in its 15-year journey, as we embark on a period of national expansion with a target to quadruple the number of young people we support over the next four years. The Communications Manager role is critical to achieving our national expansion ambitions. We are excited to be able to recruit for this specialist role to develop our brand and lead the investment in our communications and marketing capacity. 

Objectives

To develop and implement a communications strategy that supports the organisational expansion strategy as well as growth in the three key areas of school recruitment, volunteer recruitment and fundraising performance. 

Developing high-quality communications content and stewarding key external relationships in support of organisational comms work.  

Key Responsibilities

• Develop audience specific communications strategies and work with departmental managers to deliver targeted campaigns to recruit volunteers, school partners and new funders. 
• Produce high-quality written, visual and digital content translating our impactful work to be accessible, engaging and audience/channel specific. 
• Develop close and supportive relationships with external ambassadors and other allies, in support of organisational communications work.
• Track engagement across media channels and email marketing, and produce monthly reports for leadership team showing activity 
• Continue the development of our new website, including monitoring analytics. 
• Support freelancers, interns and internal colleagues to design high quality video, social media, print and digital material 
• Drive storytelling initiatives by sourcing and sharing case studies and impact stories that inspire donors and the wider public. 
• Proactively identify communication opportunities as well as new relationships with external individuals and organisations.
• Manage an engaging newsletters distribution system to a range of key audiences. 
• Continue to develop the quality of all external communications ensuring all materials are aligned with our brand guidelines, key messages, and core organisational strategy. 
• Recruit and then manage a Communication and Marketing Associate in year two, resource permitting. 
• Work with the Senior Leader Team to develop and implement our PR & media strategy. 
• Work across the charity to upskill and develop the team in effective, user-centred communications. 
• Work to ensure safeguarding and dignity of children and families are central to all organisational communications.  
   

Person Specification

• 3 years’ experience within a digital communication role 
• Excellent copywriting skills with an ability to craft clear, engaging content for different audiences to tight deadlines 
• Experience with digital advertising and promoted social media posts, analysing trends, reviewing efficacy, and adjusting campaigns in real time 
• Good knowledge of the digital and social media landscape and emerging trends. 
• The ability to simplify complex concepts into plain, compelling English. 
• Proven experience working in an editorial capacity, developing compelling copy for online audiences, with a varied portfolio of written work 
• Experience of digital content creation, commissioning and management 
• Proficiency newsletter creation, working to tight deadlines, collaborating with other departments, and using mail clients 
• Experience of managing suppliers, partners and contributors 
• Familiarity with design software for creating digital assets, such as Canva 

Personal attributes 

• Self-starter, able to work proactively and intuitively 
• Able to work to varying timelines and prioritise own workload accordingly 
• Ability to communicate with a range of people of different levels, disciplines and backgrounds 
• Passionate about addressing poverty and inequality, and commitment to equality and diversity 

Salary: £40,000 – 42,000 (incl. London Weighting)

Contract: Full time, Permanent
Location: London based, two days in the office, with the option to work remotely three days

How to apply

To apply for the position, complete our online application form and upload a CV by midday on Friday 1st May 2026.

About Us
IIED is an international policy and research organisation working to build a fairer, more sustainable world, in partnership with others across the globe.

• We stand up: challenging the systems and structures that perpetuate economic, social and environmental injustice – acknowledging our own role in this.
• We speak out: calling out the big blockers that prevent progress for communities and working to amplify voices, redistribute power and strengthen rights.
• We innovate: developing, co-producing and supporting evidence-based ideas to drive progress towards a thriving world for all.
• We collaborate: building connections at local, national and international levels, to support diverse partners to tackle the climate, nature and inequality crises so that people and the planet can thrive. Come and be part of this exciting journey with us.

We are now looking for an English and Spanish speaking Researcher to join us on a full-time basis, working 35 hours per week, for a 12 month fixed-term contract.

The Benefits

• Salary of £44,892 - £55,773 per annum
• 25 days' annual leave per year, plus bank holidays and additional leave over Christmas
• 7.5% employer pension contributions
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Employee protection scheme (life, critical illness, income protection)

This is an unmissable opportunity for a high-calibre, English and Spanish speaking research professional with experience in forest and farm development work in Latin America to join our international organisation.

You’ll have the chance to design and deliver vital work that helps to shape understanding in an area that matters deeply to communities, livelihoods and the environment.

What’s more, you’ll join a globally connected organisation that values collaboration, innovation and learning, and offers access to hybrid working, as well as a strong benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and long-term development.

The Role

As a Researcher, you will deliver research and analysis on forest and farm finance across the Global South, with a special emphasis on Latin America, working to strengthen sustainable finance models that support people, nature and climate goals.

A significant focus of the role will be designing and delivering action research projects, generating qualitative and quantitative evidence and applying appropriate research frameworks to deepen understanding of forest and farm finance.

Working with forest and farm producer organisations, you will analyse findings, develop new knowledge and produce research outputs that support the development of green value chains, improved access to finance and stronger self-generated finance models.

You will also co-ordinate collaborative projects with international partners, contribute to funding proposals and support communication and engagement activities that share research insights with wider audiences.

Additionally, you will:

- Support project planning, reporting and budget management
- Write and edit research outputs for publication and dissemination
- Build and maintain partnerships with stakeholders, funders and research networks

About You

To be considered as a Researcher, you will need:

• A solid research background with skills and experience evidenced by a track record of growing publications in your own field (e.g. research reports, policy briefs, tools or toolkits)
• Field research and in-country experience in forest and farm development work in Latin America
• Experience in research or in technical capacity development in relevant areas such as forestry or agroforestry, forest enterprise development, climate or development finance
• Experience of research team coordination, including from a distance
• Fluency in both English and Spanish
• Knowledge of institutions, actors, and current debates and research agendas in the field of forestry, agriculture and development
• An understanding of how to work effectively with partners in developing countries
• A relevant postgraduate degree in an area such as forestry, land use, economics, sustainable development or similar, or equivalent experience
•  Professional training and/or a certification in economics or access to finance for vulnerable communities
• The willingness to travel to developing countries

This role requires a Basic DBS check.

IIED is a hybrid working organisation, and you are likely to be working from home most of the time. As such, you will need a suitable place to work and a reliable, fast internet connection.

The closing date for this role is 12th April 2026.

IIED is a Global organisation that serves the Global Majority. We are committed to equity of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in IIED’s workforce, including members of minority groups and those with lived experience of the work we do. Even if you don't satisfy all the criteria, we still encourage you to apply, as we will offer training and development to upskill the right candidate for the role.