Fundraising Lead

Since 2013, FarmAbility has been supporting learning disabled and autistic adults in Oxfordshire, running an outdoor day service for co-farmers (our participants), across multiple sessions each week throughout the calendar year on various farm and garden sites. Currently we work with over 65 people each week. When our co-farmers come to us they get involved in a wide range of purposeful, real-life farm and nature-based tasks. Co farmers also have the opportunity to socialise with others and form friendships. There are always new people to meet and lots of opportunities to interact with others from all sorts of backgrounds at a FarmAbility day.

Role description:

This role will support FarmAbility in developing our fundraising capacity. Currently, the majority of this work is carried out by the CEO and we are looking for an experienced fundraiser to support with the creation and delivery of a fundraising strategy, and with the practical work of submitting grant applications and stewarding current and potential new donors. Together with the CEO the Fundraising Officer will develop a comprehensive Fundraising Strategy for the charity incorporating major donors, trust & foundations, corporate support and community fundraising. The postholder will be engaged with our mission and eloquent in their expression of our work and its impact to external audiences. They will work closely with our Impact team to present our outcome messaging to funders and will also work closely with our Communications & Events Officer (C&EO) to plan and deliver community-based fundraising activities for our supporters to engage in, helping to deliver online and social media focused campaigns and community events.

We are open to this role operating largely remotely with a hybrid workplace for the right candidate, with the expectation of a regular in person presence on site to understand our work, connect with the team and meet our wider community of participants and supporters at events and celebrations. This is a multi-faceted role, with opportunity to grow and develop. You’ll work with colleagues across the organisation. FarmAbility is a warm and friendly place to work and we put a lot of store on creating strong team relationships and a flexible, accommodating work environment. All staff share our goal of a more inclusive society and a determination to enable co-farmers to achieve positive outcomes and experiences within our service.

Role responsibilities:

Trusts and Foundations:

• Work with the CEO to prepare, write, and submit high-quality grant applications, ensuring they meet the requirements and deadlines of funders.

• Maintain and develop relationships with existing trust and foundation supporters by providing regular updates, face to face meetings and site visits as appropriate.

• Work closely with the CEO and Impact team to gather relevant data for funding applications and ensure accurate reporting on project outcomes.

Individual Donors:

• Work with the CEO and C&EO to develop a regular giving scheme, enabling people to offer a regular gift to FarmAbility and establishing a reliable donation stream.

• Ensure prompt communication with ad hoc donors, including thank you letters, progress updates, and invitations to events as appropriate.

• Maintain accurate records of donor interactions, gift history, and personal preferences using the organisation’s CRM system. Events and Community

• Support the Communications and Events Officer (C&EO) to organise and execute fundraising events (e.g., sponsored challenges, ticketed events) to engage community donors and generate income.

• Collaborate with the C&EO to promote fundraising events through social media, newsletters, and other marketing channels.

• Collaborate with the C&EO to develop engaging fundraising materials, such as newsletters, social media posts, and donor case studies.

Financial and Administrative:

• Work with the finance team to manage budgets for events and initiatives, ensuring targets are met and expenses are controlled.

• Support the Finance Lead, CEO and Treasurer to monitor and report on income received from trusts, foundations, and individual donors- including Gift Aid, ensuring that all income is correctly allocated.

• Prepare regular progress reports for the CEO, board of trustees, and funders as required.

Collaborative Working:

• Attend networking events, conferences, and meetings with funders and donors to represent the organisation and develop new opportunities.

• Work collaboratively and communicate effectively with all colleagues in the team to ensure the successful delivery of our programmes. Respond promptly and appropriately to daily, weekly, monthly team communications.

• Take on additional responsibilities appropriate to the post as required (for example when new projects are implemented within FarmAbility).

• Take part in FarmAbility community events and carry out roles to plan, deliver and review these activities as required in collaboration with the whole team.