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Job Title: Independent Living Capital Appeal Manager
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £47,377
Location: The Rowe, London
Closing Date: 21st April 2026
Interviews: w/c 27th April 2026
About Centrepoint
Centrepoint works with young people aged 16–25 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We provide accommodation, health support, and life skills to help young people move into education, training, and employment so they can build independent, sustainable futures. Together with our partners, we support over 15,000 young people each year and aim to end youth homelessness by 2037.
About the Independent Living Programme
Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme (ILP) is delivering 300 genuinely affordable homes across London and Greater Manchester for young people moving on from homelessness. With 50 homes already built and £23m secured, the Independent Living Capital Appeal is raising a further £27m to complete the programme.
The Role
The Independent Living Capital Appeal Manager will play a key role in delivering this ambitious programme. You will be responsible for helping to deliver the £27m appeal target by managing and growing a portfolio of high-value donors and grant-makers, securing five and six figure gifts, and developing a strong pipeline of new prospects.
Working closely with the Head of Independent Living Appeal, you will lead the cultivation and solicitation of high-value supporters while delivering an outstanding donor experience. You will also work closely with development and programme colleagues to align fundraising with live housing developments and future pipeline opportunities.
You will:
This is an opportunity to play a central role in one of the UK’s most ambitious youth homelessness initiatives, helping unlock hundreds of new homes for young people leaving homelessness.
About You
We are looking for a motivated, relationship-focused fundraiser with a strong track record of securing significant philanthropic gifts. You will bring:
Desirable:
Benefits
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Centrepoint is committed to fairness, equality, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including those with lived experience of homelessness or youth services.
Apply now to play a key role in delivering Centrepoint’s Independent Living Capital Appeal and creating hundreds of new homes for young people moving on from homelessness
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are sector leading with our heritage, connections, and relationships. Our friends are superbly connected and ready to use their networks to help us. With a talented, hard-working team, we deliver amazing, creative and innovative fundraising events that have a huge capacity to inspire people.
We are looking for a strategic and relationship-driven Senior Philanthropy Manager (Events) to join our growing Philanthropy team. This role is pivotal in cultivating and deepening relationships with War Child’s philanthropic supporters, through the power of our high-value events.
Working in a fast-paced environment, you’ll bring deep expertise in the strategic role high-value events have for a philanthropic audience. With exceptional interpersonal skills, and a strong understanding of major donor fundraising you'll provide strategic input into the planning and donor experience of our high-value philanthropic events, ensuring these moments strengthen relationships and inspire giving.
This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and experienced events fundraiser who has previous experience of working in a high-value team, with a passion for international development. You’ll join a high-performing, values-driven team at a time of exciting growth. You will shape the future of our high-value events programme and work closely with inspiring supporters, this role offers both influence and impact.
If you share our values and believe that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war, we want to hear from you.
Your role
As Senior Philanthropy Manager (Events), you will lead War Child’s high-value events programme, engaging high-net-worth supporters and Global Ambassadors to maximise income from major donors. You will focus on shaping and delivering the donor engagement strategy for high-value events, working collaboratively with colleagues to maximise fundraising impact. You will partner closely with the Ambassador & Advocate Manager, who is responsible for operational planning and delivery of events across War Child.
This role requires a strategic thinker who is comfortable building trusted relationships with high-net-worth individuals, C-Suite level executives, philanthropists and senior event volunteers and advisors, managing multiple priorities, and operating confidently in a high-profile environment.
Your responsibilities
These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the role.
You are
No child should be a part of war. Ever.
Are you keen to contribute to sharing God’s kingdom and alleviating suffering? Are you passionate about building strong relationships and inspiring supporters? Do you thrive when you work as part of a team towards ambitious targets? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!
BMS World Mission is a Christian mission organisation founded in 1792. Today we are working in around 30 countries over four continents. We are passionate about making Jesus known across the world and transforming the lives of those we serve.
We’re looking for an Individual Giving Manager (9-month maternity cover) to achieve BMS’ fundraising strategy and goals by stimulating new and repeat donations from individual givers and leading creative innovative fundraising campaigns. You will also lead a small team of two Individual Giving Officers (one full-time and one part-time).
The successful candidate will be a fundraiser with a track record of meeting ambitious fundraising targets. You will develop and deliver an individual giving strategy and employ a range of retention and acquisition techniques. You will manage and oversee BMS’ appeals, regular giving, major donor and community fundraising programmes.
You will quickly build excellent relationships within BMS and with supporters and have a strong commitment to outstanding supporter care. This is an important role, at a critical time in the life of the organisation, and we are looking for a strategic, professional and knowledgeable fundraiser to deliver on our strategy.
This role is a 9 month maternity contract starting early June 2026 to early March 2027. This role can be hybrid with flexibility but would need to attend the Didcot office in agreement with your line manager.
The successful applicant will be a committed Christian. The nature of this role means that this is a specific occupational requirement.
BMS World Mission mobilises people, resources and skills across the Global Church to share the good news of Jesus and practical hope they’re need
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Role description:
We are excited to be seeking a talented and motivated individual to join Southampton Hospitals Charity as a Community & Events Fundraising Officer, to help develop and grow this key area by engaging supporters, building strong relationships within the community, and maximising income through creative and impactful fundraising activities.
This opportunity comes at an exciting time within the Charity as we look to grow our team and reach. The post holder will require a good knowledge of fundraising and considerable energy and enthusiasm that will inspire patients, visitors, hospital staff and the local community to choose Southampton Hospitals Charity as their preferred charity.
We are looking for an individual who is as passionate about fundraising as the work we do as a Charity to join our team. This role will be key, as we look to embed our ambitious new strategy to grow our income, reach and impact.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Community & Events
Knowledge and experience
Skills, abilities, and behaviours
We are a leading healthcare charity dedicated to enhancing patient care and experience at University Hospital Southampton
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
For over 30 years, we’ve pioneered the use of beekeeping as a sustainable development tool, helping communities across Africa escape poverty while protecting biodiversity. Now we’re ready to scale our impact significantly — growing from £900K to £1.4M income within three years and expanding to new locations using our proven model.
The Opportunity:
This is a rare chance to lead a mission-driven organisation with huge potential. You’ll work with influential patrons including The Queen, Monty Don, Martha Kearney, Kate Humble, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, all ready to actively support our ambitious goals. You’ll manage a talented team of seven and work alongside seven committed trustees.
What we’re looking for:
We need a leader who
Key Responsibilities:
What we offer:
Timeline:
Application deadline: 13th April 2026
Bees for Development is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace.
For over 30 years, we’ve pioneered the use of beekeeping as a sustainable development tool, helping communities across Africa escape poverty.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Brake is the national, acclaimed charity tackling the daily, horrific carnage of deaths, injuries, and air pollution on roads. Traffic is the biggest killer of young people worldwide, poisoning our lungs and contributing hugely to the climate emergency. Brake’s vision is that people get around in safe and healthy ways. Our values require us to be evidence-based, aim high, and work collaboratively. We have a 30+ year reputation for shouting out for positive change, advising government, encouraging action in communities, and delivering the UK’s National Road Victim Service for bereaved and injured families. We work with schools and families, communities and companies to champion the cause of road safety and raise awareness of key road safety issues.
We are looking for an experienced and ambitious fundraising manager and team leader, with a strong track record across all aspects of community fundraising. You excel in designing and delivering donor journeys that generate six‑figure income and strengthen our campaign voice through collaborative work with a wide range of stakeholders.
Reporting to the Chief operating officer, this role will take responsibility for leading the charity’s Fundraising function, which sits as part of our Income generation team. This role will include delivering toward your own individual targets as well as line management of two team members (Community relationship fundraiser and Events and fundraising officer) to cover all income linked to fundraising (such as community fundraising, company fundraising, Brake led fundraising events, and fundraising attached to Brake campaigns and projects such as Road Safety Week) and may include working with the Corporate partnerships team lead to support other income generating activity.
What we offer
· A generous 35 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and 3-day shutdown period between Christmas and New Year, pro-rata for part-time working patterns)
· Birthday day off (taken any time)
· Enhanced sick pay and compassionate leave
· Death in service benefit
· Pension
· Employee Assistance Programme
· Flexible working
· A rewarding role with purpose
· Be part of a skilled, friendly team with an engaged Board of Trustees
At Brake, we are committed to creating a truly inclusive workplace where all colleagues feel valued, respected, and supported. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and life experiences, and particularly encourage candidates from the global majority, LGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities to apply.
We believe that diverse perspectives strengthen our work and enable us to deliver the best possible support to individuals and families affected by road trauma. As a proud Disability Confident employer, we don’t want you to ‘fit’ our culture, we want you to enrich it.
If you are passionate about making a difference and share our vision for a world where no one is killed on our roads, we want to hear from you.
Please note: Due to the nature of our work we can't accept applications from traffic offenders with offences that are unspent. Candidates will be asked to disclose whether they have any unspent points on their licence at interview.
Take a look at our comprehensive job description for more details of this exciting role.
Join us today and be part of the solution!
If writing a cover letter isn't your thing, why not send us a short video telling us why you think this is the job for you?
We work to stop road deaths and injuries, support people affected by road crashes and campaign for safe and healthy mobility for all.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We’re looking for an experienced, proactive fundraiser who can think strategically and deliver hands-on. Someone confident writing bids, building partnerships and spotting opportunities for growth.
This is a key role at a pivotal moment for AudioActive, offering the chance to build on strong foundations and shape a diverse, sustainable income model and power a team that is dedicated to empowering young people through music.
What you’ll do
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Join our team and help deliver real-world change
We stand at a defining moment. Climate change, inequity, and health challenges demand action. This isn't the first time Manchester has risen to the moment, and now we are ready to do it again.
At the end of 2025 we launched our first ever fundraising and volunteering campaign, “ Challenge Accepted”. We're uniting alumni, donors, staff, students and civic, industry and community partners to tackle the world's toughest challenges and transform lives locally and globally.
We are building an exceptional team of people to champion bold thinking that is rooted in impact.
Will you accept the challenge?
Manchester individuals are recognised for embracing shared values such as integrity, courage, ambition, and collaboration. Our community is strengthened by a pioneering outlook and a collective determination to drive positive change. We welcome people of all backgrounds who demonstrate resilience, optimism, and a genuine commitment to fostering a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable world. If you share these qualities, we warmly encourage you to get in touch with us.
This is a fixed term position for 3 years.
Details of the Role
Reporting to the Head of Principal Gifts, the Philanthropy Manager (Principal Gifts) will operate at the higher end of donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship to secure significant support (six and seven figure gifts) in support of the University’s key priorities.
As an exceptional fundraiser, you will be responsible for managing a portfolio of relationships with alumni and significant philanthropists, to secure gifts for bold, impactful projects and programmes across the University. You will proactively build the pipeline, demonstrating a creative approach to reach potential new donors in the UK and globally.
We seek individuals with success in securing significant philanthropic gifts in the Higher Education, Voluntary or Cultural Sector or proven transferable skills. You will have experience of working within a team whilst working towards personal targets. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are results orientated, persuasive and have exceptional negotiation skills.
Fundraising at The University of Manchester
As a member of the University's fundraising team, you’ll have access to a robust support structure that enables you to do your very best work. This includes regular training and development opportunities; access to detailed reports, data, and management information to guide and inform your fundraising; an expert team of Operations and Prospect Research colleagues supporting your work; and the full engagement of senior University leadership. As part of an experienced and supportive network of fundraisers, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to collaborate and share best practice. You’ll also have access to a whole host of learning and development opportunities to help you develop core skills like personal effectiveness, leadership, and management.
Manchester Mindset
Our approach to fundraising is driven by our values of being collaborative, bold and ambitious – and approaching our work with integrity. These values underpin the Manchester Mindset: our framework for fundraising success, authored by and for our fundraising team.
As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons and all appointments will be made on merit. As we are committed to the principles of the Race Equality Charter Mark, we would particularly welcome applications from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community who are currently under-represented at this level in this area.
What you will get in return:
As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.
Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here
Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.
Please be aware that due to the number of applications we are unfortunately not able to provide individual feedback on your application.
Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.
Any CV’s submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.
This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Digital Fundraising Assistant will play a key role in delivering Sands’ virtual events programme. You’ll be at the heart of our supporter experience, providing frontline stewardship to a large community of virtual challenge fundraisers and ensuring every individual feels welcomed, motivated and valued.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys building relationships, communicates with warmth and clarity, and thrives in a fast-paced digital environment. You’ll work closely with the Digital Fundraising Team to support the delivery of a wide range of virtual fundraising activities, helping to grow income, strengthen our online presence, and maintain Sands’ position as a leader in virtual challenges.
We are here to support everyone touched by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. Always.


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Salary: £51,065
Contract: 6-month FTC
Location: London Hybrid
Closing date: ASAP
Benefits: Employee assistance programme, Life assurance, Health cash plan option
We have a great opportunity for a Head of Proposition Development, reporting to the Chief Fundraising & Marketing Officer, working for Sense, a charity that empowers people with complex disabilities, to live connected, fulfilled and independent lives.
This is an exciting chance to join a newly created directorate at a pivotal moment, as the organisation launches a bold new strategy. You will play a key role in shaping compelling, emotive and transformational propositions that inspire major supporters and enable fundraisers to secure significant income for life?changing work.
As part of this exciting role, you will work across a large and complex organisation to develop persuasive strategic narratives, build robust impact frameworks, and innovate new ways of showcasing programme delivery. You will collaborate with senior leaders, programme teams and fundraisers to create strong cases for support, embed proposition development processes, and lay solid foundations for long?term income growth.
To be successful as the Head of Proposition Development you will need:
If you would like to discuss this role with us please contact us and quote the reference 2914AJ.
Ashby Jenkins Recruitment are a specialist charity recruitment agency, we use our extensive sector knowledge and experience to match candidates to the most suitable charity jobs. We are passionate about improving equality across the sector, you can read more about our commitment to diversity here.
We take a relationship-led approach to recruitment in the charity sector and partner with you as the leading charity recruitment agency.
If enough applications are received the charity reserve the right to end the application period sooner.
Salary: £41,900 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing date: 26 April 2026 at 11pm
Interview date: w/c 4 May 2026
About CARE
CARE International is a global humanitarian organisation leading the fight to end poverty in the world’s most challenging situations. Women and girls are at the centre of our work, because we cannot overcome poverty and inequality until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We know that when a crisis erupts, women are often the first to pick up the pieces, so we work alongside women, so they have the power to make change where it’s needed most. Founded in 1945, CARE currently works in over 100 countries and last year alone reached 53.4 million people through nearly 1,500 projects.
Why work for CARE International UK?
It is an exciting time to join CARE, as we roll out our new Voluntary Income Fundraising Strategy. With extra investment over the coming years due to our recent successes, the Individual Giving team will be diversifying our fundraising activity to recruit and retain new supporters, especially regular givers, to help achieve CARE’s mission. Working within a passionate team of fundraisers, the Senior Individual Giving Executive will be vital to retaining, converting and upgrading regular givers, as well as generating income through vital cash appeals.
About you
We are looking for a passionate fundraiser with keen interest in the charity sector, particularly in humanitarian work. The ideal candidate will have a range of cross-channel experience, ideally in the charity sector and in an Individual Giving team, with a particular focus on retention and engagement activity. We are looking for someone with the passion to drive and improve our retention and engagement campaigns, to critically review campaigns and implement improvements, and to put their own stamp on the role.
About the role
The Senior Individual Giving Executive will play a key part in the delivery of the Individual Giving programme, producing sector-leading comms and campaigns to recruit and retain supporters. You will work closely with the rest of the IG team and the Fundraising and Communications Department to deliver high-quality, data-led campaigns across a range of marketing channels. The role will include campaign delivery, budgeting, strategy and planning, managing relationships with key suppliers and driving continuous campaign improvement.
This role will focus predominantly on retention and engagement activity, with a particular focus on mailings, emails and telemarketing, amongst other channels, though there is flexibility for this to change in the future.
Right to Work in the UK
All applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom at the time of appointment. Proof of right to work will be required as part of the recruitment process. For more information, please visit the UK Government's guidance on right to work.
Where you do not have current right to work in the UK, then this will be discussed with you as part of the recruitment process. Please note that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship and further information (should you require sponsorship to work in the UK) on eligibility can be found here.
Safeguarding
CARE International UK has a zero-tolerance approach to any abuse to, sexual harassment of or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives or partners. CARE International UK expects all staff to share this commitment through our Safeguarding Policy (link here) and our Code of Conduct (link here). They are responsible for ensuring they understand and work within the remit of these policies throughout their time at CARE International UK.
Safeguarding our beneficiaries is our top priority in everything we do, including recruitment. All offers of employment at CARE International UK are subject to:
· Satisfactory references. CARE International UK participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (link here). In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.
· Appropriate criminal record checks (including a Bridger check, link here).
By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Equality and Diversity
We are committed to Equality and value Diversity. We are a Disability Confident Employer and particularly welcome applications from disabled people. We guarantee interviews to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role (see person specification). If you require the candidate brief or need to submit your application in an alternative format, because of a disability, please do get in touch by sending an email to the HR Team.
We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from people of underrepresented backgrounds, including those from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities, and individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in shaping Sift's future at a pivotal moment in our journey.
We support people affected by self-harm with compassionate, non-judgemental services, and demand for our work is growing. As we look ahead to the next phase of development, we are investing in fundraising to help us reach more people who need support.
We are looking for an experienced, values-led fundraiser who is excited by the opportunity to build, influence, and make a tangible difference.
Working closely with the CEO, you will lead our fundraising efforts and help us move from a reactive to a more proactive, strategic approach to income generation.
What you’ll do
You will play a key role in developing our fundraising including:
Leading on fundraising for trusts and foundations fundraising
Building and managing a strong pipeline of funding opportunities
Supporting the development of a major donor pipeline
Overseeing delivery of targeted appeals and up to two campaigns per year
Strengthening funder relationships and long-term stewardship
Why this role matters
This role is central to our future.
Your work will directly increase access to safe, compassionate support for people affected by self-harm and enable us to widen our influence across systems and communities.
Why join us?
Real impact: Work that makes a tangible impact
Flexibility: A part-time role with flexibility
Autonomy: Scope to shape and develop our fundraising approach
Purpose-driven culture: A small, collaborative team that puts people first
A pivotal moment: Be part of an organisation evolving and growing its reach
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for someone who brings both experience and a strong alignment with our values:
Proven fundraising experience (particularly trusts and foundations)
Ability to work independently and prioritise effectively
Strong writing skills and the ability to tell compelling stories
Confidence in building and managing relationships
A thoughtful, proactive approach with a high level of self-direction
If you’re looking for a role where you can shape strategy, work with purpose, and see the real-world impact of your work, we’d love to hear from you. Download the full recruitment pack for more details. We look forward to your application.
We focus on improving support and knowledge, whilst working to sift out the causes, stigma and misinformation around self-harm.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
Action Medical Research is the leading UK-wide charity dedicated to funding vital research to help sick babies and children. We’re on a mission to save and change children’s lives through medical research, developing treatments, vaccinations and cures. A UK-wide charity, we’ve been funding medical breakthroughs for over 70 years, helping to beat polio, fight meningitis, prevent stillbirths and develop ultrasound scanning in pregnancy. Our work is now needed more than ever. To help achieve this, we are seeking to recruit an Individual Giving Officer (internally titled Direct Marketing Officer – Individual Giving) to join the Direct Marketing Team. In this exciting new role, you will support the delivery of our Individual Giving programme to help recruit and steward supporters through regular giving, lottery, payroll and cash giving programmes.
You’ll be responsible for creating compelling content that inspires people to support our work, while also working closely with suppliers and internal teams to ensure the smooth planning, delivery, and analysis of campaigns across multiple channels—including direct mail, face-to-face, and digital.
The ideal candidate will bring direct marketing experience, preferably within the charity sector, along with excellent creative and project management skills, and a genuine passion for helping to save and change children’s lives through medical research.
Action Medical Research funds a range of medical research, including genetic, stem cell and, in some cases, animal research. The use of animals is limited and only permitted where no alternative methods are available, and all research is conducted in accordance with strict UK regulations and welfare standards. The majority of the projects we fund do not involve animals. Full details can be found in our research policies on our website.
If you have not heard from us by 29 April 2026, then unfortunately, you have not been shortlisted for interview.
To apply, please submit your CV with a supporting statement showing how you meet the skills and experience outlined in the person specification.
If you have not heard from us by 29 April 2026, then unfortunately, you have not been shortlisted for interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
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:
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
Other Responsibilities
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.
Head of Principal Gifts
Employer: University of Manchester
Salary: £59,966 to £71,566, depending on experience with scope to go beyond for an exceptional candidate
Location: Hybrid working, Manchester
We are looking for our new Head of Principal Gifts to work with our highest level of donors, securing principal gifts in support of the University of Manchester's key priorities - gifts that are truly transformational and enable us to tackle some of the world's greatest challenges.
We're taking our big gift fundraising to the next level with the launch of a dedicated Principal Gifts programme, and we're looking for someone to play a key role in shaping that transformation, building deep, lasting relationships with top-level donors in the UK and internationally.
With our inspirational new strategy in place and our first-ever university-wide philanthropic campaign, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, launched in November 2025, this is a pivotal moment for Manchester and for your career.
Reporting to the Deputy Director, Principal Gifts, you'll be joining a brilliant, values-driven team with a fantastic pipeline of prospects, strong existing relationships, and academics who are fully engaged in what we're building together.
Great things happen at The University of Manchester every day - from finding new treatments for cancer and discovering wonder materials like Nobel Prize-winning graphene, to providing life-changing scholarships and influencing government policy to help the world's poorest people. This is the work your fundraising will make possible.
If you're a major gifts or big gift fundraiser ready to make your mark at a world-renowned institution and take that next career-defining step, we'd love to hear from you.
Closing date: Midnight on Monday 20 April 2026
Interested?
Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.
The University of Manchester is partnering with Constellate Global Talent on this search. No agencies please.
Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack. To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter no later than Midnight on Monday 20 April 2026