Grant fundraiser volunteer roles in manchester

Intern Position Description

We're seeking twenty-five driven and resourceful Fundraising & Grant Writer Interns (Unpaid) to join and support our mission through strategic fundraising, grant applications, and investment.  This role is ideal for a self-starter who excels in a dynamic sales and marketing environment, striking a balance between independent work and collaboration.  You will play a key role in securing funding opportunities by supporting grant applications, refining pitch materials, and identifying potential funders and investors.

Our internships

Our internships are primarily designed for students and recent graduates seeking practical work experience to enhance their skills and career prospects.  If you are a foreign student, please check with your institution and seek legal advice to ensure compliance with the conditions of your student visa, as we don't give legal advice on student visas.

Duration:

Our internships can vary in length, ranging from six months to a year, with many lasting two years or more. Time commitment is 10-20 hours per week (flexible based on project needs).

Paid vs. Unpaid:

We only offer Unpaid internships due to financial constraints.  If you come from a low-income background or are a care leaver, please get in touch with us to discuss whether we can cover your expenses.

Intern Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Interns work under supervision and don't have full responsibilities.  You will combine studies and work to gain practical experience.

1. Grant & Funding Applications – Assist in searching, writing, editing, and submitting funding and grant proposals to secure funding.
2. Investment Opportunities – Identify and support AHO for investment programmes and funding opportunities.
3. Pitch Deck & Business Plan Enhancement – Edit and refine pitch decks, business plans, and executive summaries to make them funder and investor-ready.
4. Developing and executing marketing strategies involves researching target funders, donors, and investors; analysing market trends; and creating plans to reach potential customers. 
5. Managing marketing campaigns involves overseeing the creation of marketing materials, coordinating promotional activities, and managing budgets. 
6. Creating content involves writing website copy, blog posts, social media updates, and other marketing materials. 
7. Managing social media involves creating and scheduling posts, engaging with followers, and monitoring social media performance. 
8. Investment & Funding Sourcing – Research and identify potential investment funds and donor opportunities for AHO projects and programmes.
9. Content & Proposal Development – Tailor responses for funding applications and update existing materials to align with specific opportunities.
10. Analysing results: This involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns

Training and Personal Development

We will enrol you on the following courses during your time with us:

1. Level 1: Award in Volunteering (Ofqual, Gateway Qualifications accredited)
2. Certificate in Grant Writing for Non-Profits (Training Express, CPD)
3. Graduate Certificate in Grant Writing (London School of International Business)
4. Professional Certificate in Healthcare Grant Writing, London School of Business and Administration
5. Workshops, webinars, and boot camps in fundraising and grant writing as part of your continuous professional development.

Qualifications and Experience

No prior experience in fundraising and grant writing is required, but you must possess the following to be accepted:

1. Qualification: Studying or a recent graduate in any subject at an accredited UK university or college
2. Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential for interacting with funders, potential donors, and investors, as well as for creating marketing materials and communicating effectively with stakeholders. 
3. Persuasion and Negotiation: The ability to influence funders, potential donors, and investors and secure deals is crucial. 
4. Creativity: Developing innovative marketing campaigns and content requires a creative approach. 
5. Interpersonal Skills: Building rapport and establishing strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders is vital. 
6. Sales and Marketing Techniques: Understanding and applying various sales and marketing techniques to achieve targets. 
7. Product Knowledge: Having a thorough understanding of the products or services being sold. 
8. Analytical skills: The ability to analyse data and track campaign performance is crucial. 
9. Adaptability: Being able to adjust to changing market conditions and customer needs
10. Organisational skills: Managing multiple tasks and campaigns requires strong organisational skills. 
11. Pitch deck: Crafting compelling business plans and pitch decks
12. Accelerator and Investment: Completing startups for accelerators or investments
13. Copywriting: Strong copywriting and business writing skills with exceptional attention to detail
14. Time Management: Effectively managing their time and workload to meet deadlines. 

This is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about fundraising, social impact, and business development.  If you're eager to apply your skills to drive meaningful change, we'd love to hear from you!

Dive into lasting impact: Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community gardens

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

If you would like to help us develop our digital fundraising and our online offer, would you like to join our fundraising and communications teams in creating and implementing a strategy? We would love to hear from anyone with experience of fundraising online or with enthusiasm and a desire to test things out and learn as you go along. Recently we raised over half a million pounds through our Crowdfunder. Now we are looking to create a sustainable medium term income stream online.

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

If you have experience in writing grants and funding applications, corporate fundraising, philanthropy, or any other aspect of fundraising, it would be great to hear from you. 

We are keen fundraisers but we are lacking professional in digital fundraising expertise and experience and we would love your help and input. We would welcome one-off advice on the phone or in person, as well as longer term volunteers. 

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

La Suzy

We provide reusable period bed mats and menstrual education empowering girls while reducing waste.

La Suzy addresses period poverty, lack of menstrual health education, and gender inequality by providing reusable period bed mats and educational programs. Environmentally, it reduces reliance on disposable products, cutting plastic waste and resource-intensive consumption. Through partnerships with schools, shelters, and CSR initiatives, La Suzy empowers girls and women while promoting sustainable menstrual care.

La Suzy provides reusable, eco-friendly period bed mats designed for comfort, reliability, and sustainability. Unlike traditional solutions, these mats prevent messy stains on beds/mattresses and giving girls and women peace of mind during their periods. They are easy to clean and quick to dry, reducing the time, effort, and water used compared with constant washing of sheets or reliance on towels/ multiple disposable products. it is also travel-friendly. Millions of sheets and mattresses are also disposed of due to period stains, all preventable with our bed mat.

Paired with educational webinars and resources, La Suzy empowers girls with knowledge about menstrual health and hygiene. By distributing mats through schools, shelters, and CSR partnerships, La Suzy ensures girls stay in school, build confidence, and adopt sustainable menstrual care practices—all while minimizing environmental impact and waste from single-use products.

Funding & Grants Research Volunteer

La Suzy is a social impact start-up tackling period poverty and promoting sustainable period care. Our hero product — a Reusable Period Bed Mat is a travel-friendly solution that protects beddings/mattresses from period leaks/overflows and helps girls and women manage their periods with dignity and comfort. We’re building a movement around being #PeriodProud and are on a mission to reach 100,000 girls across the UK with free period webinars and access to our La Suzy Mat.

We’re seeking a detail-oriented Funding & Grants Research Volunteer to help identify and access funding, grant, and pitch competition and opportunities that align with our mission.

Responsibilities:

• Research and compile relevant grant and funding opportunities (UK + global).
• Identify pitching competitions and accelerator programs that fit La Suzy’s stage and social mission.
• Track application deadlines and key criteria in a shared database.
• Support preparation of applications and pitches (in collaboration with the founder).
• Suggest creative funding ideas — from CSR partnerships to impact investment opportunities.

Ideal For:
Someone proactive and organized with a strong interest in social entrepreneurship, fundraising, or impact investment. Perfect for someone who enjoys research and wants to help a women-led social venture grow its reach and impact.

Role can last longer than 3-5 months if suits all parties:-).

Minimum Hours per Week:

4-6 hours per week

Duration:

3-5 months

Make a difference in Kent by joining our team of trustees!

Kent Community Foundation (KCF) is looking for individuals to join our Board of Trustees who have a real passion for our county and want to make a demonstrable difference to the lives of people in our communities.

KCF is a professional grant-maker and local philanthropy advisor for Kent and Medway. We have been established for 24 years; distributing more than £60 million in grants to voluntary sector organisations across the county; supporting small charities to be sustainable and successful, and helping major donors maximise the impact of their donations.

Trustees are the volunteers who lead charities and decide how they are run; setting strategic plans, monitoring the performance, impact and sustainability of the charity and overseeing its governance. People of any age and background can be a trustee, and we're looking for people with specific experience to help us support communities in Kent. We are particularly interested in applications from people who are typically under-represented on trustee boards.

We have a comprehensive trustee induction programme, so if you have never been a trustee or on a board before, we will ensure you have all the knowledge and support you need.

Trustee: Desirable skills

We are looking for applicants to have one or more of the following:

· Lived experience of the communities we work with and the issues which arise in our county

· Experience of grant making; either as a philanthropist, grant maker or grant applicant

· Experience in working with or within social enterprises

· Experience in communications and PR

· A background in socio/economics, or connections with education in that field

· Knowledge of, and experience in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion

· Professional experience or active interest in technology, digital communications and AI

· Long term connections and networks with any of our stakeholder groups in Kent; such as philanthropists, businesses  owners, key voluntary sector influencers

We hope to recruit up to three new trustees with different experience to offer, who can give some of their time and expertise to help KCF continue to grow and develop. We have four in-person Board meetings a year, and trustees also sit on at least one of our sub-committees, which meet two to four times a year (often remotely). There are also occasional events trustees are invited to attend to promote and engage with our work.

Can you help us to bring in the funds we need to make the food bank a success? 

We are looking for a volunteer Fundraising Lead to play a significant role in shaping a fundraising strategy, help raise awareness of Bounds Green Food Bank (BGFB) and generate income through events, projects and fundraising activities.

We currently raise money through grants, individual donations and community projects. We would like to broaden our fundraising initiatives and are looking for someone to raise funds, meet fundraising targets, raise our profile with key funding partners, and inspire relevant groups to support us.

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 1,500 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items and helping alleviate household food insecurity. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people and families in crisis situations and needing assistance.

The role: 

• Work with the Board of Trustees to agree a fundraising strategy, including setting annual fundraising targets

• Help to develop a fundraising team

• Identify income-generating opportunities and develop projects

• Build, develop and maintain relationships to secure funding

• Provide guidance to other teams that support fundraising initiatives e.g. the Grants Writing Team, Events Team and the Communication Team

Person specification: 

• Passionate about food insecurity and reducing social isolation

• Experience working in a fundraising role, including grants, trusts and foundations

• Ability and willingness  to work to financial targets 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and attention to detail

• Able to work flexibly and under pressure

• Ability to be creative and entrepreneurial in order to find new ways to raise funds

Benefits:

• Gain access to free workshops for volunteers and upskill on a range of topics (conflict resolution, mental health first aid, arts and crafts, and more)

• Join free social events for volunteers (such as picnics, walks, creative workshops and celebration events)

• Give back to the community - one of the NHS’ 5 Ways to Wellbeing!

• Gain a sense of community and meet the huge team of volunteers

The Fundraising Lead is key in helping ADHDadultUK diversify and 
grow its income to support core operations, projects, and campaigns. Working closely 
with the Chair and other trustees, the Fundraising Lead leads on fundraising planning, 
supports volunteer fundraisers, ensures compliance with fundraising regulations, and 
builds relationships with donors and supporters.

Skills and experience:
• Experience in fundraising, income generation, or marketing, ideally in a charity or
non-profit context (not essential).
• Ability to think strategically and identify new income opportunities.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills; confident in speaking to donors 
and partners.
• Comfortable working with digital platforms (email, online forms, fundraising 
portals, spreadsheets).

Key Responsibilities:

1. Fundraising Strategy:
• Lead the development and implementation of our fundraising strategy aligned 
with the charity’s mission and values.
• Identify suitable funding streams including individual giving, community 
fundraising, corporate sponsorship, grants, and events.

2. Income Generation and Campaigns:
• Oversee and support individual and community fundraising activities (e.g., 
sponsored runs, birthday fundraisers, merchandise).
• Work with trustees, volunteers, and supporters to coordinate campaigns and
appeals.

3. Governance and Compliance:
• Ensure fundraising activities comply with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of
Practice, data protection laws and the charity’s Ethical Fundraising Policy.
• Maintain appropriate records of donations, donor communications, and income
sources.
• Report to the Board on income generation progress and risks.

4. Support and Collaboration:
• Support the wider team in developing grant applications and fundraising 
content.
• Act as a point of contact for supporters who want to fundraise for ADHDadultUK.
• Provide guidance to trustees and volunteers on how they can support fundraising
efforts.

5. Risk Management:
• Monitor fundraising risks and report any reputational or financial concerns to the
Board.

Fundraising advisors wanted to support East London Waterworks Park in developing and implementing our fundraising strategy.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

If you are a professional fundraiser and would like to help but are short on time, we would love to hear from you even if you are unable to get deeply involved. We would appreciate one-off or ongoing advice on the phone, online or in person. We would welcome feedback on our fundraising strategy and past applications, any advice about trust and grant fundraising, and any other advice you can give. 

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

If you have experience in funding strategy, writing grants for funding applications, corporate fundraising, philanthropy, or any other aspect of fundraising, it would be great to hear from you. 

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

Organisation: Make a Smile
Location: Remote - Uk-based (with occasional in-person opportunities depending on events)
Commitment: Flexible, approx. 4–6 hours per week

About Make a Smile

At Make a Smile, we believe every child deserves joy and support. We work with local communities and volunteers to bring smiles to children through events, activities, and fundraising initiatives. As a volunteer-led charity, we rely on passionate individuals to help us raise vital funds and continue making a difference.

The Role

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and organised Fundraising Manager to lead and coordinate fundraising efforts across the charity. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys building relationships, being creative with fundraising ideas, and supporting others to reach their potential.

The Fundraising Manager will:

• Lead central fundraising initiatives – from online raffles, charity dinners, and quizzes to innovative campaigns like our Make a Smile Lottery.

• Support Fundraising Officers in local chapters by providing guidance, resources, and ensuring fundraising activities are legally compliant.

• Manage online fundraising platforms (EasyFundraising and People’s Fundraising), ensuring they’re up to date and well-utilised across the charity.

• Collaborate with our Media Team to promote fundraising activities through engaging social media campaigns (e.g., “Fundraising Friday”).

• Oversee the Gaming Subcommittee, helping volunteers plan gaming socials and fundraisers.

• Build partnerships with organisations, including community groups, supermarkets, and themed organisations like Star Wars Garrisons, to run events and access grant schemes.

• Track and monitor progress, ensuring that both central and chapter-level fundraising goals are met.

What We’re Looking For

• Passion for making a positive impact in children’s lives.

• Strong organisational and communication skills.

• Creativity in coming up with fundraising ideas and campaigns.

• Confidence working with volunteers and supporting a team.

• Comfortable using (or learning) fundraising platforms and social media.

• An understanding of fundraising law is helpful (training and guidance will be provided).

What You’ll Gain

• Valuable experience in charity fundraising, leadership, and project management.

• The chance to develop and implement your own creative fundraising ideas.

• The opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families.

• A supportive team of passionate volunteers to collaborate with.

Time Commitment

This role is flexible and can be carried out remotely. We ask for around 4–6 hours per week, though this may vary depending on events.

Dive into lasting impact: Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community gardens

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are creating a fundraising strategy for our next phase of work: an exciting programme of community projects. If you have experience of planning or running fundraising campaigns, we would love to hear from you. Our community-led strategic process, as well as all of our work, is open for everyone to participate in.

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

If you have experience in writing grants and funding applications, corporate fundraising, philanthropy, or any other aspect of fundraising, it would be great to hear from you. 

We are keen fundraisers but we are lacking professional expertise and experience and we would love your help and input. We would welcome one-off advice on the phone or in person, as well as longer term volunteers. 

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

Dive into lasting impact: Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community gardens

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

If you are a good writer and seller of ideas, would you like to join our mini-team of funding bid writers? We would especially love to hear from you if you have experience of writing funding applications, and we are happy to share the skills we have developed with you if you would like to learn.

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

If you have experience in writing grants and funding applications, corporate fundraising, philanthropy, or any other aspect of fundraising, it would be great to hear from you. 

We are keen fundraisers but we are lacking professional expertise and experience and we would love your help and input. We would welcome one-off advice on the phone or in person, as well as longer term volunteers. 

We would also love to hear from potential volunteers without experience but with transferable skills.

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.