Head of fundraising jobs in Leeds, west yorkshire
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Salary: £48,748 - £54,164
Plus London Weighting Allowance of £3,366 for Inner London-based staff, where applicable
If you are an experienced mass participation fundraising leader who wants your work to make a lasting difference, this is an opportunity to lead high-profile fundraising activity that helps protect children and improve childhoods across the UK.
This senior role sits within a supporter-led fundraising function and is responsible for leading a mass participation portfolio spanning third party events, DIY fundraising and schools fundraising. You will provide leadership to the team, shape fundraising strategy, strengthen supporter journeys and drive sustainable income growth.
This maternity cover role needs someone who can provide calm and credible leadership, and support a team through an important period that includes a London Marathon over two days, The Great North Run and the Cardiff Half Marathon, and the continued development of fundraising products.
Why this role matters
You will join at a pivotal time, leading a function that plays an important part in fundraising strategy by bringing in new supporters, deepening relationships and increasing long-term value. You will help ensure that participants receive an excellent experience while maximising the income they generate.
What you’ll be doing
- Leading a mass participation fundraising portfolio across third party events, DIY fundraising and schools fundraising, with accountability for performance and growth
- Owning budget performance across core income streams, including monitoring, managing and reforecasting financial performance and putting contingency plans in place where needed
- Developing and delivering strategy for participant acquisition, stewardship and retention, ensuring supporters are onboarded well and encouraged to build a longer-term relationship
- Leading and developing a team through coaching, mentoring, performance management and regular engagement
- Working collaboratively across departments to build strong supporter journeys, compelling propositions and coordinated plans
- Managing key agency and supplier relationships that support income growth and supporter satisfaction
- Helping the team navigate a busy year, including a new two-day London Marathon, growth in schools fundraising products and improvements to the DIY fundraising offer
- Supporting team wellbeing, removing blockers for experienced managers and giving more hands-on guidance where needed
What we’re looking for
- Significant leadership experience in mass participation fundraising, including events, DIY fundraising or schools fundraising
- Strong strategic planning and development skills, with the ability to identify opportunities for growth
- Substantial experience of budget management and financial planning
- Good understanding of acquisition marketing strategies and integrated marketing planning
- Strong people leadership skills, including managing a diverse and geographically dispersed team and adapting your approach to different levels of experience
- The ability to influence senior stakeholders, build strong peer relationships and keep complex projects moving forward
- Experience of managing supplier and agency relationships, including performance and service delivery
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively
- A strong understanding of the financial drivers behind fundraising performance, including metrics such as average gift and remittance rates
- Willingness to work flexibly and travel to support a national events portfolio
Working pattern
The team largely works remotely, with quarterly in-person meetings in London and occasional travel to major events. Hybrid contracts are also available. The role will require attendance at key events and some travel as needed.
What’s on offer
- Salary of £48,748 - £54,164
- London Weighting Allowance of £3,366 for Inner London-based staff, where applicable
- The opportunity to lead an established fundraising area that plays an important role in generating support for children across the UK
Our commitment
A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk is essential for this role.
We are committed to fairness, equality and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
We’re looking for an enthusiastic and passionate Head of Fundraising to play a significant role in the growth of Bags of Taste.
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and proactive individual who is keen to make a tangible difference. The issues of health and well-being across the population and food insecurity are urgent and our work directly addresses these critical issues.
You’ll be responsible for fundraising and delivering a plan to raise funds from a variety of sources - including trusts and foundations, digital fundraising and individual giving. You’ll work with our corporate and community fundraiser to raise income through corporate partnerships and community fundraising. We expect that trusts and foundations funding will form a large part of this role and this includes securing larger and multi year grants.
Bags of Taste is a small and ambitious charity and you’ll be an integral part of our growth and be able to make this your own role. Working closely with our CEO and being part of the management team, you’ll be involved in organisation wide decision making and strategy.
We’re looking for someone with a track record in fundraising and income generation within the charity sector, who shares our commitment to empowering local people and creating happier and healthier communities for life.
Key responsibilities
Whilst we appreciate that many fundraising skills can be transferable, we’re looking specifically for someone with charity fundraising experience for this role.
Income generation
- Develop and implement a fundraising strategy to raise funds from a variety of sources(trusts and foundations,companies, individuals, digital fundraising, the community and events).
- Research funding opportunities and develop and approach a pipeline of prospects
- Implement systems across Bags of Taste to ensure all funding is maximised
- Achieve agreed income targets
- Prepare budgets and track income and forecasts
- Develop persuasive funding proposals,cases for support and reports
- Develop new funding or partnership opportunities through presentations, applications, pitches and proposals
- Create awareness of fundraising at Bags of Taste
- Attend networking events
Relationship Development and Stewardship
- Build and maintain relationships with funders, partners, donors, trustees and key stakeholders
- Ensure excellent stewardship for all funders and donors in order to build strong, long term relationships.
Management
- Manage the Corporate and Community Fundraiser
- Manage any other fundraising team members if the team grows
- Manage and support any volunteers and work with external agencies/partners.
General
- Maintain accurate records across all fundraising income streams including contact and relationship and financial data
- Ensure all activity complies with all fundraising regulations, GDPR and all relevant legal requirements
- Prepare reports and data for the Board of Trustees/management team
- Support finance staff with preparation of the annual accounts and financial recording
- Monitor and manage fundraising risks
- Attend and support networking events or other events or fundraising activity as required to represent Bags of Taste, including occasional working outside of normal office hours, including some evenings or weekend
Person specification
Essential
- A minimum of 3 years’ experience managing a number of fundraising streams in a charity
- Experience of successfully securing large/multi-year grants from trusts and foundations
- Track record of reaching income targets.
- Experience of developing fundraising strategies and plans
- Experience of managing staff
- Exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills
- Excellent written skills - you’ll need to be able to write compelling presentations, proposals, applications and reports
- Excellent relationship builder and ability to network, build, and nurture relationships with a wide variety of people
- Strong negotiation skills
- Excellent organisation and project management skills and ability to work to tight deadlines
- Proactive, self motivated and tenacious
- Self starter with the ability to set your own workload
- Strong attention to detail
- Strong IT skills including all word packages
- Good knowledge of all social media channels including relationship building on Linked in
- Good understanding of the relevant fundraising codes of practice and GDPR/data protection
- Passion for the work of Bags of Taste
- Flexible and able to attend networking events/events occasionally out of work hours as part of the role.
Desirable
- A relevant professional qualification eg Institute of Fundraising Certificate or Diploma in Fundraising
- Experience of charity communications
- Good understanding of CANVA and WordPress
- Good understanding and knowledge of food insecurity and health issues
We recommend you read the full job pack before applying.
Why join Bags of Taste?
● You’ll be part of a small, ambitious organisation with a big vision and a strong sense of purpose. The issues around health inequalities and poor diets and the need for solutions are critical. There are lots of opportunites to raise funds.
● This is a hugely flexible role in a supportive organisation.
About Bags of Taste
The work of Bags of Taste and the issues that we tackle are highly topical and relevant so there's lots of opportunities and scope to raise funds. Our vision that everyone should be able to access and cook good food has never been more important.
We address dietary related health inequalities and food insecurity - both these issues have been exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis and public health challenges. There is recognition now that food banks are not a sustainable solution and Bags of Taste works across a number of high need communities enabling people to be happier, healthier and more resilient.
Applications will only be accepted with a cover letter outlining how you meet all the essential details in the person specification.
Bags of Taste transforms the lives of people with multiple disadvantages by providing support so they can enjoy tasty, healthy and affordable food.


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.