Experienced funding bid writer jobs

Every week, somewhere in England or Wales, a child experiences something they didn't think was possible. For almost 30 years Panathlon Foundation has created opportunities through inclusive sport for disabled and disadvantaged young people. Demand for our work continues to grow and we're looking for an outstanding Head of Fundraising to help us create opportunities for even more young people. This isn't simply about raising money, it's about creating opportunities.

Role Purpose

To lead Panathlon Foundation's fundraising strategy, securing sustainable income through trusts, foundations, corporate partnerships, individual giving, philanthropy, fundraising events and supporter engagement. 
Working closely with the Chief Executive, Trustees and Strategic Leads, the Head of Fundraising will develop the relationships, opportunities and fundraising culture that enable Panathlon to reach more disabled and disadvantaged young people through inclusive sport.

Why This Role Exists

Panathlon already benefits from committed funders, valued supporters and an experienced bid writer. This role has been created to take fundraising to the next stage of its development by providing strategic leadership, coordinating fundraising activity across the organisation and building sustainable income for the future.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver the fundraising strategy.
• Develop income from trusts and foundations.
• Build corporate fundraising relationships that generate sustainable income.
• Grow individual giving and philanthropy.
• Develop community fundraising and fundraising events.
• Lead supporter stewardship.
• Coordinate fundraising activity across the organisation.
• Manage the specialist bid writer and future fundraising resource.
• Report progress to the CEO and Trustees.

Organisation-wide Fundraising

Chief Executive – Strategic relationships, major donors and key introductions.
Head of Fundraising – Fundraising strategy, income generation, stewardship and coordination.
Strategic Leads – Programme partnerships and identifying funding opportunities.
Bid Writer – Funding applications and grant reporting.
Trustees – Advocacy, introductions and fundraising support.

Person Specification

Successful fundraising experience; strategic thinking; relationship building; communication; leadership; planning; collaborative, authentic, resilient and values-driven.

Three-Year Vision

A mature, coordinated fundraising function with diversified income, stronger supporter relationships and the financial resilience to enable Panathlon to reach significantly more disabled and disadvantaged young people.

Apply with your CV and a covering letter.

In your covering letter, please indicate:

Why you want to work for Panathlon Foundation.

Your most significant fundraising achievement.

How you would help grow Panathlon's fundraising over the next three years.

to https://bit.ly/PanathlonHoF

Remote work with occasional on site meetings also possible.

Do you have a passion for working in the heart of your local community and are driven by making a difference?  Then Citizens Advice Mid Mercia is the organisation for you.

Our free and independent advice helps people solve problems in a confidential and impartial manner. Whatever the problem, we won’t turn people away.  We make a difference. Our trusted brand and the quality of our research mean we make a real impact on behalf of the people who rely on us.

We are seeking an experienced Bid Writer to join our established funding team. The successful candidate will develop persuasive, compelling and compliant tender responses to support income generation for our charity. The role requires excellent writing skills, creativity, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate with colleagues across various departments.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has excellent communication skills
• Can manage own time effectively with a keen eye for detail
• 2-4 years of bid writing experience
• Experience of contributing to or supporting high-quality written submissions (e.g. bids, tenders, funding applications)
• Ability to understand complex information and present it clearly and concisely

Responsibilities / Key Tasks:

• Write, edit and improve tender responses and supporting documents
• Develop clear, concise, and persuasive content demonstrating impact and outcomes
• Create supporting materials such as case studies and summaries
• Work with colleagues across funding, operations, finance and partnerships to gather information
• Translate service delivery information into clear, structured written responses
• Support the coordination of tenders, timelines and requirements

What we offer in return:

• 28 days entitlement plus bank holidays pro-rata
• Opportunities for further training and continuous professional development
• Internal progression opportunities
• Supportive environment
• Remote/flexible working opportunities, subject to management approval
• Paid DBS application, where applicable
• 5% pension contributions
• 3 month’s full contractual pay for maternity, upon meeting qualifying criteria

The essentials

• Salary: £35,000 – 40,000 per annum
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week
• Location: Hybrid Working – mainly from home with occasional travel to one of our offices
• Contract: permanent

Please visit our website to find the full Job Description and Person Specifications for this role and a helpful Candidate Guide on our recruitment process

To apply: send your CV and cover letter, explaining why you would be suitable for this role 

Closing Date: 11 August 2026

Thank you for your interest in our vacancy.  The above role is advertised on a rolling recruitment basis.  We reserve the right to withdraw or close this vacancy at any time, without prior notice, before the advertised closing date. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you do not hear back from us within 10 working days after the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.  Please do not be discouraged from applying for other positions within our organisation. 

We are a Disability Confident Employer

Citizens Advice Mid Mercia are an accredited (Level 1) Disability Confident employer, and values diversity and promotes equality. We encourage and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all backgrounds. We follow the social model of disability which believes that it is the barriers created by society which disable people. We will use reasonable adjustments wherever possible to remove those barriers. 

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive fundraiser who enjoys both bid writing and relationship building.

Working closely with the Fundraising Manager, you will play a key role in securing income from trusts and foundations, supporting donor stewardship, and helping to grow community fundraising activity. You will contribute directly to the financial sustainability of the charity while helping more children gain access to books of their own.

The role is ideally suited to someone who is highly organised, a strong writer, and confident managing multiple fundraising activities simultaneously.

Part-funded by a generous donation from Backstage Trust, this is a new and pivotal role designed to transform Theatre Centre's fundraising capacity by strengthening systems, increasing income diversity, and building long-term financial resilience. The postholder will play a key role in helping the organisation capitalise on its artistic impact and case for support, while building momentum towards its 75th anniversary in 2028.

This role will keep us focused on our development strategy and will have support from across the whole company: the Board, Executive and the core TC team. We have been steadily building our foundations and have some good funding relationships in place, committed individual givers, a strong, evidenced case for support, some incredible stats and feedback and above all an inspiring and exciting programme of work to offer for young people, artists and teachers across the country.

Our Development Manager will help us to bring in resources so that we can continue share our high-quality, specialist work as far as we can. We see development as a collaborative effort and we understand the need for the whole team to support development, that effective fundraising needs to be resourced with realistic timelines and expectations.

About the Role

Contract type: Fixed term to March 2028

Hours: 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE) - we're happy to discuss flexible working patterns that work best for you.

Salary: £24,000 per year (based on £30,000 per year pro rata)

Location: This role can be hybrid or predominantly home based, with some time spent working with colleagues in the office. Theatre Centre is based near Three Bridges station at Unit 4 Crawley Business Centre, Stevenson Way, Crawley, RH10 1TN.

Job Requirements

• A strong affinity with Theatre Centre's mission and a passion for creating opportunities for young people through the arts.
• A values-driven approach, with commitment to equity, inclusion, social justice and environmental responsibility.
• Collaborative, open and transparent working style.
• Comfortable working in a changing environment.
• Proven experience of fundraising within an arts organisation.
• Strong strategic thinking skills.
• Good written communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling cases for support and reports.
• Good understanding of the financial context of this work.
• Experience of building and managing relationships with funders, donors and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, including data management.
• Experience of monitoring and reporting to demonstrate impact.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work flexibly under pressure, and meet deadlines.

Job Responsibilities

The Development Manager will lead delivery of a phased fundraising strategy:

Phase 1 - Foundation: Build on our strong systems and processes and give us consistency in fundraising delivery, including building a robust pipeline of Trusts & Foundations and developing place-based income in Crawley and the Gatwick area.

Phase 2 - Private Phase: Expand individual giving by deepening relationships, developing major donors, and securing multi-year funding partnerships.

Phase 3 - Public Bring together all strategic and fundraising priorities in our 75th year, amplifying them into a public campaign that advocates for our change-making work.

If you'd like more information you're welcome to visit our website and download the job pack.

Can Do is a start-up using digital technology to create social change. We work across addiction, mental health, homelessness, poverty and justice to help people access the support they need.

We are looking for a general manager to work as part of a small team. This is a practical, hands-on role that keeps the organisation running well day to day. It will suit someone who enjoys creating order, improving systems, and supporting meaningful work behind the scenes.

This is a varied role in a start-up environment. Things are still being built, processes are developing, and we need someone who brings steadiness, organisation, and a calm, reliable approach with a meticulous eye for detail.

We’re looking for someone who:

· Has experience of general management or similar role

· Has worked in a relevant sector, for example addiction, mental health, homelessness, poverty or justice

· Understands and enjoys the reality of a small, evolving start-up

· Is calm, steady and level-headed

· Has meticulous attention to detail and is a practical organiser who gets things done

· Can use digital and AI tools to simplify processes

· Is empathetic and purpose-driven to help people

This role may not be the right fit if:

· You prefer large, structured organisations with established systems

· You are mainly looking for roles centred on visibility, profile, or personal recognition

· You are seeking a heavily defined role rather than one that grows and adapts

If this feels like the kind of work you want to be part of, send your CV and a short note on why you’re interested.

Position: General Manager

Location: London/South East (with UK wide travel as required)

Contract type: Flexible (full or part-time, contractor/employed)

Salary: Up to £50,000 pro rata depending on experience

WHO WE ARE.

Can Do is a start-up using digital technology to create social change. We work across addiction, mental health, homelessness, poverty and justice to help people access and navigate support. We are small, practical, and focused on building something that works for people facing disadvantage.

THE ROLE

You will be the operational lead for the organisation, working in a small team with founder Mark Johnson to turn plans into delivery and ensure the day-to-day running remains smooth and reliable. The role is varied, practical, and suited to someone who enjoys building structure and supporting others to succeed.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

· Someone with experience in general management in a social enterprise, or small start-up

· A meticulous and practical organiser who enjoys making things work and getting things done

· Someone who wants to work with purpose, helping build a socially oriented organisation

· Efficient, empathetic, and comfortable juggling a wide range of tasks

· Tech-savvy and confident using AI/digital tools to make processes simple and efficient

· Flexible: this role could be full-time, part-time, or suit someone returning to work

WHAT YOU’LL DO

· Project management: Plan and manage projects from start to finish, making sure deadlines are met and everyone delivers on their part.

· Meetings and follow-up: Organise and run management meetings, keep notes, and make sure agreed actions happen.

· Governance: Oversee compliance and act as Company Secretary, keeping records accurate and up to date.

· Finance: Use Xero and work with accountants/bookkeepers to oversee budgets, accounts, and financial reports so the numbers are always clear.

· Fundraising and business development: Support funding applications, proposals, and relationships with partners to bring in new opportunities.

· Operations: Keep the day-to-day running smoothly – from diary management and HR basics to coordinating contractors.

· Communications: Maintain simple but effective comms, updating the website and keeping social media active.

SKILLS & QUALITIES

· Strong organisational and project management skills

· An excellent writer, whether contracts, bids or public facing materials

· Experience of operations, governance, and finance oversight in a small organisation

· Confidence managing budgets and financial reporting (not a finance role, but able to keep track)

· Able to communicate clearly and keep people focused

· Empathetic, socially minded, and committed to putting people first

· Steady, reliable, and happy working in the background to let others thrive

EQUALITY & DIVERSITY.

Can Do welcomes applications from people with lived experience of social challenges. We are committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion in our recruitment process and workplace culture.