High value relationships prospect research officer jobs

About Access to Sports Project

Access to Sports Project is at a pivotal moment in its growth.

Over the past year, we have secured significant new investment from major funders including National Lottery, BBC Children in Need, Sport England and Garfield Weston Foundation. Demand for our work continues to grow across North London and we are now ready to invest in our first-ever full-time Fundraising Manager.

This is a rare opportunity to shape and lead fundraising within a respected, community-rooted sports charity. This is your opportunity to play a central role in our ambition to become a £1m+ organisation within the next three years.

The Opportunity

The Fundraising Manager will play a central role in managing and growing partnerships with key funders to ensure they are well stewarded, renewed and, where possible, developed into larger, multi-year relationships.

Alongside this, you will be responsible for securing new income, with a particular focus on trusts, foundations and statutory funding, while also supporting the development of additional income streams over time.

While the role spans multiple income streams, the primary focus (especially in year one) will be on trusts, foundations and statutory funding, with other areas (corporate, community, events) developed over time.

You will also help build the foundations for long-term fundraising success by:

• Supporting the development and delivery of a fundraising strategy
• Helping implement a CRM system to manage relationships and pipeline
• Strengthening monitoring and evaluation approaches to evidence impact and support funding

This role does not initially involve line management, but you will lead the fundraising function and play a key role in shaping its future growth.

Key Responsibilities

Trusts, Foundations & Statutory Funding

• Write high-quality funding applications, cases for support and grant reports
• Manage and steward a portfolio of existing funders, maximising renewal and uplift opportunities
• Research, develop and submit new funding applications
• Work with delivery staff to gather impact data, outcomes and case studies

Systems, Data & Insight

• Develop and implement a clear monitoring and evaluation approach to support fundraising, reporting and impact measurement
• Research, recommend and help implement a CRM system for fundraising and relationship management
• Track income, prospects, deadlines and reporting requirements
• Produce clear fundraising reports and insights for the CEO and trustees

Relationship Management & New Business

• Build strong, long-term relationships with funders, partners and supporters
• Represent The Access to Sports Project at meetings, events, funder visits and site visits
• Work with the CEO and trustees to unlock networks and cultivate new opportunities

Fundraising Strategy & Delivery

• Co-develop a 3-year fundraising strategy with the Chief Executive and external fundraising consultant
• Translate strategy into clear annual plans, pipelines and targets
• Take ownership of day-to-day delivery and implementation

Collaboration & Culture

• Work closely with delivery teams, coaches and managers to understand programmes and impact
• Be an active, visible part of a small, close-knit and supportive team
• Spend time on programmes and community activity to stay connected to the young people and communities we serve

You’ll be embedded within our sports environment at Sobell Leisure Centre. You’ll regularly be close to delivery, impact and the energy of community sport.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is ambitious, proactive, relationship-led and values-driven.

Essential

• Proven experience securing income from trusts, foundations and/or statutory bodies (including 5-figure or significant grants).
• Strong bid writing and grant reporting skills
• Excellent relationship management and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple funding deadlines and priorities
• Strong organisational and project management skills
• Confidence working independently while collaborating closely with senior stakeholders

Desirable

• Experience across corporate fundraising, community fundraising, events or individual giving
• Experience implementing or working with a CRM
• Experience in a small or growing charity environment

Personal Qualities

• Entrepreneurial mindset. Excited by building systems, testing ideas and shaping strategy
• Comfortable being hands-on and “mucking in” as part of a small team
• Curious, adaptable and motivated by impact as much as income
• A genuine passion for sport and belief in its power to change lives (a big plus)

Safeguarding & Values

• Access to Sports Project is committed to safeguarding children and young people.
  
• The successful candidate will be expected to share this commitment and will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.
• We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Why Join Us?

• A rare opportunity to build and lead fundraising in a growing, respected sports charity
• Real influence, autonomy and trust from day one
• A passionate, supportive team rooted in community sport
• Hybrid working with a vibrant base at Sobell Leisure Centre
• The chance to help shape the future of grassroots sport in London

About The Connection at St Martin’s

We believe that no one should have to sleep rough on London’s streets, and that everyone should get the support they need to find a place to call home. We get to know every person we work with, understanding what they need to recover, helping them build on their strengths, and supporting them to find their own way home. Help us make London a city where no one sleeps rough on our streets.

London’s diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London’s diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience of homelessness who we believe are an essential asset in our sector.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and welcome the opportunity to consider flexible working arrangements.

About the Role

The Corporate Partnerships Manager sits within an ambitious and forward-thinking Fundraising & Communications team at an exciting point of growth, as we develop. This is a pivotal role for someone who is motivated not only by stewarding and deepening existing partnerships, but by actively driving new business and unlocking fresh opportunities for impact.

Based in Westminster, at the heart of power and industry, we are uniquely positioned to connect with businesses and organisations whose employees encounter the reality of homelessness every day—on their commute, on their lunch break, and on the streets around them. This role offers a powerful opportunity to inspire those organisations to take action, providing meaningful ways for them to respond to an issue that is visible on all our doorsteps.

We are looking for a dynamic and strategic relationship-builder who can both nurture a strong portfolio of current corporate supporters and proactively identify, secure, and grow new partnerships aligned with our mission. The successful candidate will play a central role in shaping and expanding our Corporate Partnerships function, with significant scope to influence direction, test new ideas, and deliver meaningful income growth.

This role will suit someone ambitious, creative, and results-driven—someone who thrives on developing compelling propositions, spotting opportunities, and turning them into long-term, high-value partnerships. You will bring a strong track record in corporate fundraising or partnerships, alongside a solutions-focused mindset and the confidence to translate sector best practice into tangible results. And you’ll be passionate about creating partnerships that deliver real social impact.

Salary: £44,181 - £50,461 (Scale Points 29-35)
Closing Date: Sunday 17th May
Interview Date: Tuesday 26th May

Our Benefits

· 30 days holiday plus bank holidays

· Generous training budget, plus an annual personal training budget

· Enhanced Sick Pay Policy

· Enhanced family friendly policies

· Day off for moving house

· Hybrid working (depending on role requirements)

· Pension – 5% Employer, 3% Employee

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Season Ticket Loan

· Employee Assistance Programme

· Reward Gateway (access to discount vouchers and cashback at the UK’s favourite retailers)

We are a London Living Wage employer

Job Title:  Development Manager

Location:  London

Reports to:  Chief Executive Officer

Job Summary

The Development Manager will be a dynamic and experienced fundraiser with strong technical skills in grant and funding solicitation, management and stewardship across Crisis Action’s current donor targets including major foundations, governments, and High Net Wealth Individuals (HNWI). They will serve as the anchor of a newly configured fundraising team designed to support Crisis Action to nurture its existing donors and secure the next generation of support for its ground-breaking work.

This role is pivotal in ensuring excellence in our outreach, proposals, reporting and communication to drive resource mobilisation that is essential for the organisation’s financial sustainability at a time when our distinct model and way of working is needed more than ever.

Principal responsibilities

Donor engagement and communications 

• Oversee and coordinate day-to-day engagement with current and prospective foundation, government and individual donors by members of the Crisis Action team
• Represent the organisation vis-à-vis donor representatives 
• Support HNWI donor benefits structure and cultivation plans
• Prepare compelling and timely donor reports, donor updates, letters of receipt and other outreach materials in collaboration with finance and campaign teams.

Grant management and oversight 

• Ensuring timely and skilled drafting, consultation and sign off of high-quality grant proposals 
• Timely acknowledgement of all contributions and compliance with donor requirements
• Preparation of high-quality proposal budgets and financial reports for donors in compliance with grant specifications and deadlines, in close cooperation with the Finance Team
• Review all grant agreements and monitor/ensure the organization's adherence to its contractual commitments. 

Strategic vision and guidance: 

• Provide strategic support to the Chief Executive Officer on short- and long-term fundraising strategies and broader resource mobilisation initiatives to ensure our fundraising strategy and its implementation helps achieve organisational goals
• Set fundraising targets and produce periodic funding forecasts in consultation with members of the team.

Research and intelligence: 

• Carry out donor research and provide strategic insights and donor related updates and background information to relevant colleagues.
• Monitor and ensure a solid pipeline of donor prospects

Team coordination and collaboration 

• Ensure that there is a clear workplan that anticipates what has to happen when to guide team resource allocation and workload management
• Ensure effective and efficient processes of gathering and sharing information across the team to support timely donor engagement and stewardship with clear protocols on the cadence of team calls and written updates 
• Support colleagues to adhere to agreed fundraising roles and responsibilities 

Communications 

• Ensuring effective and timely communications to donors, Crisis Action’s board and team 
• In collaboration with the CEO, ensure timely and regular flow of information to the team on fundraising progress
• Timely production of high-quality fundraising updates for our Board 

Data and Systems Management 

• Sustain, manage and where possible further develop the relevant administrative infrastructure, including grant tracking and reporting systems, Salesforce contact database, events calendars, contact lists, donor profiles, website and annual report donor acknowledgement lists and meeting minutes 

Job Specifications 

Essential Skills & Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in fundraising, donor relations, or development within the non-profit or international advocacy sector
• A proven track record of engaging with foundations and government officials to secure and manage grants
• Demonstrated ability to forge new donor partnerships, and a track record of bringing in new revenue
• Strong understanding of government and foundation funding landscapes with at least some familiarity with differences between them and the stewardship of major gifts from individual giving 
• Experience in drafting compelling fundraising proposals, reports and donor updates for a variety of donors – foundations, governments and individuals 
• Strong all-round communication and storytelling skills
• Experience producing a range of communications materials for different audiences
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate organisational goals into actionable fundraising plans
• Proficiency in CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and grant management tools
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and cultures with colleagues dispersed across the world
• Financial literacy and a proven ability to understand and construct budgets
• Collaborative and empathetic approach to team and donor engagement 
• Enthusiasm, initiative and willingness to learn
• Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines 
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills, including a systematic approach to maintaining donor tracking systems
• Fluency in oral and written English 
• Proficiency in Salesforce and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Ability/willingness to travel to staff retreats and for donor visits. 
• Legal right to work in the UK

Desirable skills and experience

• Proficiency in additional languages
• Established donor networks
• Experience managing major gifts and cultivating individual donor relations
• Knowledge of conflict, human rights, or social justice issues

Key Relationships

• Senior Management Team, Development Team, Finance Team, Campaign Leads, Office Directors

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Salary & Benefits 

Salary: We have set bands for the salary range for all positions at Crisis Action. The baseline of our salary range for this position is £40K per annum. 

Benefits: 25 annual leave days (30 days after 3 years). Up to 6% contribution to pension. 3-month long service leave after 6 years and one-month sabbatical leave in year 10. CA additionally offers an annual inflationary increase, and 2% salary increase in year 2, 4 and 8 subject to availability of funds. 

DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Statement

Crisis Action values and nurtures an inclusive culture that sees the diversity of its board, staff, partners, and all we work with as a strength and source of innovation and creativity. We welcome applications from anyone no matter your background, gender identity and expression, nationality, language, ethnicity, colour, caste, race, sexual orientation, ability, religion or belief, age, marriage, civil partnership, or parental status. Equality among all is a driving force in our work and a feature of our recruitment. We strive to ensure that all employment decisions are made entirely on merit. 

Scottish Opera is Scotland’s national opera company and the country’s largest performing arts organisation. Founded in 1962 to make opera accessible to all, the company presents productions of international acclaim, from early works to world premieres. Performances are designed to be inclusive, with supertitles, audio-described and dementia-friendly shows, free and discounted tickets for under-26s, refugees, asylum seekers and schools, and touring productions reaching communities across Scotland.

The charity has developed their fundraising strategy and identified corporate partnerships as clear area of growth and potential. As a result they are bringing in this brand-new role to provide dedicated capacity and focus. The post holder will proactively develop the corporate pipeline, securing new partners and provide excellent account management to existing, valued partners.

It is an exciting time to join Scottish Opera. They have invested in the fundraising team, there is organisation-wide support for fundraising, and many opportunities to engage potential partners across their annual programme.

This role might be for you if have broader fundraising experience, and are looking to specialise in corporate fundraising, are an experienced corporate fundraiser looking to step up to a manager level role.

Working within an arts and culture charity would be helpful for the candidate to have but isn't essential.

Application notes 

Please download the Candidate Info Pack provided for further information about the role, timelines and next steps.

To progress your application, please contact THINK Recruitmen to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot shortlist candidates who have not had a screening call so please allow enough time to have a call before the closing date.

Closing date for applications: Midnight Tuesday 19th May 

Interviews are planned for 27th and 28th May (Stage 1) and 2nd and 3rd June (Stage 2)