Grants Officer

“Changing Tunes has been a bright light at the end of a very long tunnel. It’s made me realise I am still me inside.”

Participant

About Changing Tunes

Changing Tunes is a registered charity (no. 1144789) that uses music to unlock human potential and reduce reoffending, working in prison and post-release, as well as pupil referral units and children’s secure homes in the community.

We started in 1987 when our founder took his guitar into HMP Bristol. He was inspired by his Christian values, wanting to reach out to those who had found themselves in prison. Changing Tunes now works in 18 locations across the England and Wales, from Stoke on Trent, through the Midlands and into the Southwest right down to the Isle of Wight, as well as having its own off shoot record label, Red Tangent Records. We offer a model of music and mentoring, which we continue to provide post-release. This work is delivered throughout the year by our musicians-in-residence.

The effectiveness of our approach is evidenced in our reoffending rates, which significantly below the national average.

JOB TITLE 

GRANTS OFFICER

Reports to: Head of Fundraising and Communications

Location: Bristol/Hybrid (as agreed)

Hours: 14 hours per week (0.4 FTE / 2 days per week)

Salary:  £16,918(equivalent to £35,213 FTE)

JOB PURPOSE

To secure income from charitable trusts, foundations and grant making bodies through prospect research, proposal writing, relationship management and reporting.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Prospect Research and Pipeline Development

• Research and identify trust, foundation and statutory funding opportunities.

• Maintain a healthy funding pipeline.

• Assess opportunities against organisational priorities.

Applications and Bid Writing

• Prepare compelling funding applications and proposals.

• Coordinate information gathering across the organisation.

• Ensure applications are submitted accurately and on time.

Funder Stewardship

• Build and maintain positive relationships with funders.

• Support stewardship and repeat funding opportunities.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Coordinate grant reporting requirements.

• Gather outcomes, impact information and financial data.

• Produce high-quality grant reports.

CRM and Data Management

• Maintain accurate fundraising records.

• Produce pipeline and performance reports.

Digital and AI-Assisted Prospect Development

• Use AI-enabled tools to support prospect research, application planning and grant reporting.

• Support efficient fundraising processes and workflows.

• Review AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and quality.

Team Working

• Work closely with fundraising, communications colleagues.

• Contribute to planning and continuous improvement.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Experience

• Experience of writing successful grant applications.

• Experience of funding research.

• Experience of managing multiple deadlines.

Essential Knowledge

• Trust and foundation fundraising.

• Grant reporting requirements.

• Charity fundraising practice.

Essential Skills

• Excellent written communication skills.

• Strong attention to detail.

• Excellent organisational skills.

• CRM and Microsoft 365 proficiency.

• Confidence using AI-enabled tools.

Personal Qualities

• Self-motivated and proactive.

• Analytical and organised.

• Collaborative and open to innovation.

• Commitment to the organisation's mission and values.