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SMART CJS – Trust and Foundations Bid Writer

Role Overview

Are you committed to supporting people who are homeless or rough sleeping?

Are you proactive with a positive attitude?

Job Title: Trust and Foundations Bid Writer (with some responsibility for corporate fundraising)

Hours: 37 hours per week

Location: Working from our office in central Bedford, with some provision for remote working.

About SMART CJS

Founded in 1997, we are a charity that provides safe spaces for people who are facing or experiencing homelessness, are rough sleeping or have fallen on tough times. As times have changed, our services have adapted and grown, but we’ve always kept the people we support at the centre of all that we do. We believe that everyone needs a little help sometimes and, with trust, respect and honesty, people can make incredible changes. Our vision is to transform communities so that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential, participate in and contribute to all aspects of life. Our mission is to provide safe spaces to work with vulnerable people within our communities, empowering them to make positive changes and take control of their lives.

Why Join Us?

We believe in diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

Benefits include:

• 27 days Annual Leave (rising to 30 after 3 years) + Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Generous Pension scheme (after successfully completing a probation period)
• Excellent Development and Growth Opportunities
• Access to a Charity Worker Discount scheme
• Access to the company health and wellbeing service including support with mental health, legal advice and more
• Access to an online GP service

We require all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This job description will be supplemented by annual objectives which will be developed in conjunction with the post holder.

The Role

SMART CJS is looking to recruit a Trusts and Foundations Bid Writer. The successful candidate will also have some responsibility for corporate fundraising with businesses based in Bedford and beyond; this responsibility will be shared with our Community and Corporate Fundraiser.

The main responsibility, though, will be to generate income by writing bids to charitable trusts and foundations, and to statutory funders.

The role will include researching and identifying charity trusts and similar bodies which are able to make an award to SMART. It will also include keeping abreast of developments in fundraising in the charity sector as a whole, especially in the field of grant awarding and, to a lesser extent, of corporate giving.

There will be a probationary period for the role. As it generally takes six months for a grant to be awarded (though some arrive more quickly), the probationary period will need to be for a minimum of seven months, though its precise duration can be negotiated with the successful candidate.

Training will be given; the scope of the training will depend on the candidate’s previous experience.

This is an exciting opportunity to join SMART’s friendly and dedicated team. You’ll need to be able to manage your time effectively; the role is primarily self-directed. We envisage that you’ll be working primarily from our offices in Prebend Street, Bedford, though you'll be able to work from home for some of the time as well. Given the nature of our work, personal resilience is important; some of the stories we use when applying for funding can be emotionally challenging.

Our fundraising comes from regular gifts, donations from the community (individuals and groups), and corporate bodies (businesses). The majority of our fundraising income comes from grants. There will be a realistic target for the amount you need to raise; this will reflect the performance for grant applications in the charity sector as a whole and it will not be unrealistic. Fundraising is not an exact science; the assessment of performance against the targets will be fair and reasonable. The final responsibility for SMART’s fundraising rests with the trustees; they appreciate and understand the complexity of the issues involved.

Main Purpose of the Role

You will work closely with the CEO, the Chair of Trustees, the Head of Business and the fundraising team. The post involves gathering information, writing the bids, tracking the progress of submissions, and reporting back to grant awarders on how their money has been spent, if they require this.

There will also be a responsibility for corporate fundraising. This will involve building relationships with businesses in and beyond the Bedford area. The responsibility for this will be shared with our Community and Corporate Fundraiser.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising and Bid Writing

• Research and identify suitable grant and funding opportunities from charitable trusts, foundations, and statutory bodies.
• Write and submit high-quality funding applications and proposals in line with SMART’s strategic priorities.
• Work collaboratively with service leads and front line teams to gather accurate, up-to-date data and service information for applications.
• Tailor the applications to the funder’s criteria, using storytelling effectively.
• Manage a pipeline of applications and submissions, ensuring deadlines are met and income targets are tracked.
• Maintain and build relationships with key funders, providing timely reports and updates on grant-funded work.
• Work to realistic targets and be able to provide feedback on these.
• Organisational Development and Support
• Contribute to the strategic development of SMART’s income generation plans.
• Support development of strong internal bid and grant management systems.
• Monitor success rates and provide monthly reporting on funding performance to the Head of Business and to the Chair of Trustees.
• Represent SMART CJS at funding briefings, webinars, and networking opportunities where appropriate.

Other Responsibilities

• Participate in SMART’s performance management and appraisal process.
• Attend the monthly meetings of the Fundraising Committee (a sub‑committee of the Board of Trustees).
• Comply with health and safety policies and procedures.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role, as required by the CEO, the Head of Business or the Chair of Trustees.

Person Specification

Whether you’re already an experienced bid-writer, or whether you think this is something that you could learn to do effectively, we’d like to hear from you. You need to have excellent skills in written English and be able to write in prose that’s clear and readily understandable to the general reader. The criteria for each grant awarder are different; you need to be able to match your bid to what they would like to fund (homelessness, mental health, relief of poverty, women’s issues and so on). You need, then, to tell SMART’s story in a way which appeals to each funder.

You need to have excellent inter-personal skills and be able to work as part of a team. While there is a strong element of self-direction in the role, you need to be able to work closely with senior management and also with the trustees; the trustees have the final responsibility for fundraising in the charity.

You will need, too, to have a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to have a genuine interest in homelessness and the work of the charity, and a commitment to improving our clients’ lives and wellbeing.