Grassroots development officer jobs

Philanthropy Manager

We are seeking an exceptional Philanthropy Manager to grow impactful giving and strengthen life changing community support across Milton Keynes.

Salary: £38000-£42000 per annum 
Location: Milton Keynes (hybrid working 3 days a week in the office ) Free Parking
Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week
Closing date:  28th February 2026

About the Role

As Philanthropy Manager, you will play a pivotal role in developing and nurturing high value relationships that help drive positive change across Milton Keynes. Working as part of a collaborative and mission focused team, you will connect donors, businesses, fundholders and community partners with the causes that matter most.

You will lead a portfolio of donor relationships, ensuring exceptional stewardship and delivering tailored engagement that inspires long term support. Using your strategic insight, you will develop giving opportunities aligned with community needs, informed by the Foundation’s data and research.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing and growing a portfolio of high value donors, fundholders and corporate partners.
• Developing and delivering stewardship plans that demonstrate impact and inspire renewed investment.
• Creating compelling cases for support, proposals and reports tailored to donor motivations.
• Leading and supporting donor events, briefings, visits and engagement activities.
• Working closely with colleagues in Programmes, Finance and Communications to ensure funds are allocated effectively and transparently.
• Identifying new prospects and building philanthropic networks across Milton Keynes.
• Representing the organisation professionally at meetings, events and community forums.
• Upholding best practice in compliance, data management and ethical fundraising.

About You

You will be an ambitious and relationship driven fundraising professional with a passion for making a difference. You’ll bring confidence working with senior stakeholders, excellent communication skills and the ability to translate community impact into meaningful philanthropic opportunities.

You will have:

• Experience in major donor fundraising, high value partnerships, or relationship based income generation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to craft engaging proposals and impact reports.
• The ability to manage a diverse portfolio and prioritise effectively.
• A proactive, collaborative approach and a commitment to outstanding donor care.
• Sound judgement, professionalism and the ability to manage confidential information appropriately.

A genuine commitment to fairness, inclusion and community empowerment is essential.

About the Organisation

This Foundation is a long established, place based funder dedicated to strengthening the local voluntary sector and supporting the most pressing needs across the city. Through strategic grant making, donor partnerships and community insight, the Foundation ensures resources are directed where they can make the biggest difference. The organisation manages a diverse range of funds, supports grassroots to large charities, and plays a vital role in shaping a fairer, more resilient Milton Keynes. Joining the team means becoming part of a collaborative, values driven organisation with a deep understanding of the people and places it serves.

Other roles you may have experience of could include:
Major Donor Manager, Partnerships Manager, Philanthropy Officer, Development Manager, Trusts & Foundations Manager, Relationship Manager, Fundraising Manager, Donor Engagement Manager, Grants & Impact Manager.

We need the very best people to help us in our role to alleviate poverty in the East End.  We are inspired by our work and we will be looking for this in you too.

With support from the Chief Executive and an external Communication professional acting as your mentor, the Communications and Events Lead will lead on planning and delivering communications to our various audiences, including potential and existing donors (corporates, HNWIs, other charitable foundations and statutory agencies) and grant seekers as a means of raising our profile as the go-to organisation for charitable giving and philanthropy advice in the East End.

You will play a crucial role in telling the story of the Foundation and the difference our funding is making to those experiencing hardship in East London.  Your work will inspire potential supporters to help us tackle inequality locally. 

Being the sole member of the comms team in our fast paced charity, you will need to be an organised, pro-active team player able to respond willingly, flexibly and positively to unexpected changes or demands.

Specifically, you will identify, write, edit, co-ordinate and publish content across various channels, including EECF’s website, social media, newsletters and print.  In consultation with the senior management team, you will plan and implement communications to raise the organisation’s profile while progressively improving our understanding of what works for our different audiences.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Communications

Support the Chief Executive with the delivery of EECF’s communications strategy, to include:

· Developing, implementing and monitoring EECF’s communications strategy

· Being responsible for copy-writing all communications including social media, web content, annual reviews, press releases, newsletters etc

· Preparing and posting quality and engaging social media content

· Growing engagement with our channels and evaluating social media and web activities as well as Google analytics to ensure we our content remains relevant

· Ensuring EECF’s website is up to date had has engaging content

· Developing relevant video content for various platforms

· Drafting case studies on both donors and grant recipients

· Producing engaging content for EECF’s Supporter and Life Chances newsletters

· Maintaining a folder of master templates and resources and ensuring branding resources are reviewed and used correctly by the wider team

· Building our storytelling resources including quality images, case studies, video etc to enable us to demonstrate the impact of our work

· Leading on reviewing our comms platforms and providers, making suggested changes, additions and/or removals where relevant

· Attending EECF programmes to capture content in liaison with the programme lead

Events

· Work in co-ordination with our Grants Administrator in planning, co-ordinating and delivering EECF events including our annual elder Tea Dance and Winter Appeal

· Support the delivery of donor volunteering sessions where appropriate, including overseeing corporate volunteers on the day

· Supporting events relating to any in-house projects or initiatives

· Assisting at donor and community events as required

Administration

· Providing ad-hoc administrative support to the team including support with donor engagement, research and solutions that improve productivity

· Contributing to the work of the EECF and play a full and active part as a member of the larger staff team

Our offer

Salary £34,000 - £35,000 based on 35hr week

Holiday Entitlement          23 days plus bank holidays

Pension 7% (5.5% EECF contribution and 1.5% employee contribution)

Working Hybrid working arrangements based on 3 days in the office

Development                   Mentoring from an external Communications professional

Person Specification 

We are looking for a pro-active individual experienced in the field of communications, some of which will have been gained in the charity sector.  Demonstrable expertise in developing communications strategies across a range of channels, including traditional and social media is essential.

 You will also have experience of producing creative communications content for a range of audiences including business, wealthy individuals and the voluntary sector. 

Being the sole member of the comms team in our fast paced charity, you will need to be an organised, pro-active team player able to respond willingly, flexibly and positively to unexpected changes or demands.

Essential Experience

Developing and implementing communication strategies

Creating and managing social media accounts

Excellent communicator, both verbal and written 

Desirable Experience

An understanding of inequality in East London

Working for a charity

From or resident within EECF area of benefit

Personal Qualities 

A strategic and creative thinker 

Flexibility and a practical ‘can do’ approach 

Able to multi-task and manage competing priorities 

Highly motivated and commercially astute 

Positive, resilient and supportive 

Application process:CV and Covering letter to be submitted via Charity Jobs 

Luton Town FC Community Trust is seeking to recruit a Community Operations Manager to play a key role in the coordination, delivery and development of its community programmes. This is a senior operational role, working closely with the Head of Community Trust to ensure programmes are well managed, aligned to organisational priorities and delivered to a high standard.

The role will combine operational leadership with a proportion of direct programme delivery, enabling the postholder to remain connected to communities, delivery teams and participant needs. The Community Operations Manager will also contribute to the development of new programmes and associated funding opportunities, support partnership working and act as a key decision maker for day-to-day operational matters.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced community or sport for development professional who is motivated to make meaningful impact, strengthen organisational capacity and help reduce health inequalities across Luton and Bedfordshire. 

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Head of Community Trust, the Community Operations Manager will provide operational leadership across the organisation, while maintaining a proportion of direct programme delivery to remain connected to communities, delivery teams and participant needs.

The role will coordinate and strengthen programme delivery; line manage designated staff and support the development of new programmes and associated funding opportunities aligned to organisational priorities.

The postholder will embed organisational strategy into effective day to day operations, acting as a key decision maker for operational matters and supporting senior leadership capacity. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Community Engagement & Relationship Building

• Build strong relationships with funders, local authorities, key stakeholders, local schools, charities, grassroots clubs and other community organisations.
• Act as a liaison between the football club and the local community.
• Promote inclusion and diversity through outreach to underrepresented groups.

2. Programme Development & Delivery

• Contribute to and support funding applications, programme design, delivery and evaluation across community programmes within each department including, but not limited to:
  • Education
  • Health
  • Inclusion
  • Football Development 

3. Staff and Volunteer Management

• Recruit, train and manage staff employees and volunteers who represent the Trust.
• Provide leadership and mentoring for delivery coaches, project workers, media team and match day staff.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Track the impact of community programmes using required and appropriate metrics and key performance indicators.
• Prepare reports for stakeholders, funders (e.g. EFL in the Community, Premier League Foundation, local authorities), and Luton Town Community Trust Board of Trustees.
• Ensure compliance and governance with safeguarding, health and safety and data protection policies.

5. Marketing & Promotion

• Raise awareness of the Trust’s work through managing the organisations media output across various platforms e.g. web site, newsletters, social media and local media outlets.
• Represent the Trust at community events, matchdays, and public forums.

6. Fundraising & Grant Management

• Collaborate with the Head of Trust and Programme Managers to identify and apply for grants and funding opportunities.
• Build partnerships with sponsors, local businesses and charitable foundations.

7. Club Integration

• Work cosely with all football club departments, including first team players and staff, media and marketing, facilities and catering, and Academy to ensure alignment between Community Trust and Club.
• Manage the efficient coordination of player appearances and community involvement on behalf of the Club

MAIN JOB REQUIREMENTS AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education/Qualifications/Training:

Essentials

• Strong experience in community development, sport development and youth engagement.
• Strong project and operational management skills, with the ability to plan, deliver and evaluate initiatives – prioritising and managing multiple priorities
• Experience with grant funding processes
• Experience of developing organisational strategy within the sporting or charity sector
• Experience in partnership working with schools, councils, charities
• Leadership and staff supervision experience – managing coaches, volunteers or delivery staff
• Monitoring & evaluation skills – ability to track KPIs and write impact reports
• Budget management experience
• Confident IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office and database software
• Valid First Aid and Safeguarding qualifications (or willingness to obtain)
• Experience delivering health, inclusion, educational or behaviour-change programmesAbility to work to deadlines and meet project targets
• Understanding of health inequalities and barriers faced by children and families
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion within community delivery
• A strong working knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and best practice within education and community settings.
• Strong commitment to high-quality, values led delivery
• A full valid driving licence and access to car to travel between sites throughout Bedfordshire.
• Willingness to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends
• Enhanced DBS clearance
• Degree or equivalent qualification, or demonstrable relevant professional experience.

Desirables

• Experience working in a football foundation or Trust
• Knowledge of EFL Trust or Premier League Foundation community programmes including Capability Code of Practice
• Valid First Aid and Safeguarding qualifications (or willingness to obtain)
• Event planning or matchday coordination experience
• Recognised sports coaching qualifications
• Youth Mental Health First Aid
• Leadership skills within a community or education setting

Abilities/Skills/Knowledge:

• Committed, enthusiastic and passionate about Luton Town Football Club.
• Must be pro-active, motivated, organised, responsible and able to work independently as well as in a team.
• Highly developed problem-solving skills, resilience, and the ability to perform well under pressure.
• Demonstrate good listening skills and have the ability to resolve issues where appropriate.
• Ability to multi-task whilst maintaining priority efficiencies.
• Focused on achieving Club, departmental and individual success.
• Willing to follow and promote the philosophy of the football club.
• Be an ambassador for the Club presenting the Club in a positive image at all times.

SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

The Club is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The Club has systems in place to ensure that the welfare of vulnerable groups is dealt with appropriately and sensitively. Everyone working at the Club has a duty of care to safeguard the welfare of children and young people by creating an environment that protects them from harm. Our standards of practice ensure all staff are fully aware and understand their responsibilities under safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.

The Club ensures that all staff that have a direct responsibility for children, young people or vulnerable adults, have been subject to the most stringent of recruitment practices which include Criminal Record Checks and reference checks. These staff are alert to signs of abuse or maltreatment and will refer concerns to the relevant Designated Safeguarding Officers using the agreed safeguarding procedures.

EQUALITY STATEMENT

The individual must at all times, carry out their duties with due regard to the Clubs policies and procedures and in particular the Club’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

The individual must ensure a positive commitment towards equality and diversity by treating others fairly and not committing any form of direct or indirect discrimination, victimisation, or harassment of any description and to promote positive working relationships between all internal and external stakeholders. The individual must contribute to encouraging equality and respecting diversity by embedding such values in the workplace and challenging inappropriate behaviour and processes.

The Director of Programmes & Learning (DPL) provides strategic, technical, and operational leadership for Amna’s programmes across all geographies, partners, and ecosystem levels. The DPL champions a culture of learning, quality, and continuous improvement, ensuring that all programme strategies and initiatives are designed to advance Amna’s global mission.

Please note that compensation will be benchmarked and weighted according to the cost of living and market standards in the country where the candidate currently resides

About Us 

The Good Ancestor Movement is a UK-based advisory and consultancy firm supporting individuals and organisations to redistribute wealth in ways that are reparative, regenerative and aligned with their deepest values. We work with wealth holders to challenge traditional models of accumulation and tax avoidance, and instead imagine futures where wealth actively contributes to social equity, economic justice, and ecological resilience.

We support clients to shift from extractive to regenerative practices, helping them translate their values into meaningful action through redistribution, reparations, and investment aligned with justice. 

Our programmes, like Reimagining Wealth, invite individuals to understand the wider impacts of their capital and take intentional steps toward responsible stewardship.

Good Ancestor Movement’s consultancy work includes strategy design, values-aligned redistribution planning, and building tools and systems that support collective accountability and transformative impact. We are committed to building a regenerative economy where wealth is mobilised in service of repair and liberation. 

Resource Mobilisation Team 

The Resource Mobilisation team at the Good Ancestor Movement helps liberate and steward financial flows in service of justice, reparation, and systemic change. The team works with wealth holders, funders, and movement partners to design values-aligned redistribution strategies, manage pooled funding vehicles, and co-create tools and practices that shift the culture of wealth. Our work includes grant and investment operations, grantee relationship support, community learning, and strategic resourcing design rooted in equity and care.

About Your Role

As a Resource Mobilisation Lead you will join our Resource Mobilisation team at Good Ancestor Movement in an exciting time for our organisation’s growth. You will be working closely with Kiki Mager, Director of Resource Mobilisation, although you will be working alongside our entire team and contribute to the organisation’s bold aims and ambitions within your role. 

After having run 5 cohorts of our political education journey Reimagining Wealth, we launched a trial community of practice for wealth holders collectivising them around a pledge to redistribute. This community of practice is called Catalytic Collective and includes a pooled resourcing vehicle, the Roots Fund, to which members commit funds which are then being redistributed through a participatory governance model, the Accountability Circle, led by movement leaders. We have just completed our first pilot year of this resourcing vehicle including the release of our first round of 3-year funding commitments. To ensure the ongoing feasibility of this vehicle we are looking for a passionate new team member to tend to the ongoing development and scaling of this work.

The Catalytic Collective, Accountability Circle and Roots Fund formed in response to findings of a research and report that we commissioned with Decolonising Economics into Resourcing the Solidarity Economy. This report is the bedrock for our emergent resourcing vehicle and wider organising of wealth holders around wealth redistribution and stewardship practices centred in collective liberation. It also informs our educational programmes, our consultancy offerings and Transformative Investment Practice development.

As our Resource Mobilisation Lead, you will primarily support the management and ongoing development of our resourcing vehicle with Catalytic Collective (CC), the Accountability Circle (AC), the Solidarity Partners (SP) receiving funds and our wider wealthholder community. Your roles here will include: 

• Liaison with our fiscal host Social Change Nest and ensuring processes and grantees (‘Solidarity Partners’) experiences are in alignment with our mission and intentions. 

• Relationship management and primary contact for Solidarity Partners 

• Leading the development and/or fine tuning of a grant management system (GMS) to improve oversight and streamline processes together with one of our movement partners and manage the GMS once implemented, particularly as the number of grants mobilised will increase.

• Supporting the AC with admin related tasks like the scheduling of meetings, direction on discussion points and the refinement of their own governance. 

• Administering CC agreements and resourcing commitments including confirming & signing funding agreements with CC members, sending out reminders about funding cycle renewal and exploring approaches to open up the resourcing pool for wider funders to contribute as a one-off without being a CC member.

• Notice, reflect on and feed into ongoing learning and development around the processes and systems in place and what might we need to consider to further improve these in alignment with our vision and mission. 

• Manage the process of mobilising resources from our wider wealth holder community and others to commit boldly.

• Support with story telling proposition and narrative pieces to support building momentum around the resourcing vehicle 

Alongside this workstream, you will also: 

• Steward our Capital Campaigns process to support ad hoc relational and strategic resource mobilisation opportunities meeting needs of aligned organisations in the new and regenerative economy space. 

• Contribute to ideation and creation of tools and practices that further activate and guide wealth holders and wealth advisors in their journeys towards just transition aligned redistribution and stewardship practices. 

About You

• You will care deeply about justice and the transition to a fairer economic system.

• Through your lived, academic and/or work experience you will deeply connect with the problems of the current system;

• You feel excited about contributing towards building life-affirming infrastructure for a young but growing social purpose organisation;

• You have the capacity to engage in self-reflection and a commitment to doing the work of embodying anti-oppressive practice;

• You can see yourself being comfortable communicating in a thoughtful and empathetic manner with a range of stakeholders across our community including: Movements, community groups and grassroots organisations; New Economy movement partners, wealth holders and wealth advisors; 

• You will not be tied to how things have always been done and will be excited to explore new and emerging concepts with a curious and open growth mindset.

• You have experience of (or are excited about) collaborating with or working in small emerging teams with ambitious goals and much experimentation;

• You are able to work independently to tight deadlines while working closely with colleagues, proactively communicating your needs and any changes to agreed timelines;

• You have experience of (developing and) administering funding or resourcing processes, are committed to critically reflecting on existing practices and you bring creativity and courage to implement change;

• You ideally have experience of managing CRM tools, digital community platforms such as Notion, Basecamp or Teachable, and developing and executing communications strategies;

We understand that the issues we work on disproportionately impact on low-income, marginalised and minoritised communities. We are an organisation led by a Black female founder and CEO and as an inclusive employer that values both lived experience and professional experience, we hope to be able to attract applicants from a range of backgrounds for this important role. You do not need to have a university degree for this role, nor is it essential for you to have experience in the new economy ecosystem: we care about your character, your experience and your ability to demonstrate leadership and practice personal growth. 

The Community Engagement & Participation Coordinator will support SLRA’s participation work to ensure that the migrant individuals and communities we work with influence the decisions that affect their lives. SLRA’s work to influence local and national policy and practice is well established, and the post holder will coordinate our Community Leaders group which meets monthly to discuss issues affecting the lives of migrant individuals and communities and to build power and organise. The Coordinator will ensure that well established partnerships continue to develop and build power, as well as ensure that policy and participation work reflects and responds to any new changes in immigration policy that affects the lives of the SLRA community. 

e would love to hear from you if you have:

• A deep understanding of how to create accessible opportunities for participation, and the external context SLRA is operating in.
• Experience of community organising work and facilitating inclusive sessions in a diverse group setting. 

SLRA is a well-established local migrant support organisation working with and for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants who are at risk or in crisis as a result of immigration issues. We provide specialist immigration advice, as well as a broad range of practical, social and therapeutic support services. SLRA also campaigns for a fairer immigration system, local people with lived experience in influencing local and national policy and practice.   

Benefits include: 

• 25 days holiday per year (with 3 additional days when the office is closed at Christmas) plus bank holidays.
• Additional long service annual leave days up to a maximum of an additional 5 days per year.
• Flexible and family friendly working arrangements including compressed hours and school term time working.
• Pension scheme with 5% employer contribution.
• Commitment to staff learning and development.
• Cyclescheme and travelcard loans.

For all roles, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from individuals of the global majority, and those who are migrants or refugees, and those with lived experience of the hostile immigration system. 

First Give

First Give is a national charity that partners with secondary schools to inspire and equip young people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to drive change. Through our structured programmes, students explore social issues, connect with charities, and take tangible steps to improve their community.

Empowering and equipping young people to meaningfully contribute to their community is a first step to addressing many of the challenges we face at this time of social disconnection and division. Our vision is of a more generous society where everyone is willing and able to give their time, money and skills to the causes they care about.

The Route to a Million Campaign

This is an exciting time for First Give, as we seek to expand and diversify our fundraising streams into Corporate and HNWI. To support this, we are launching the Route to A Million campaign in March, aiming to raise an additional £1.5 million over the next 3 years on top of our forecast income. The campaign is supported by a newly recruited campaign board, and the new Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships will spearhead the work required to achieve this target.

Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships

We are seeking a dynamic, strategic and entrepreneurial Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships to supercharge First Give’s next phase of income growth. This is a pivotal role at the heart of our mission, offering the opportunity to shape and deliver a multi‑year fundraising strategy that fuels real, measurable impact for young people and society as a whole. First Give is a small charity, with a growing fundraising team and big ambitions. You will therefore be someone who thrives in a start-up environment, brings new ideas to the table and is comfortable leading a brand-new team.

As the senior leader for all income streams, you will own and drive our major donor programme; unlock new philanthropic partnerships; and build a talented team across other income streams to achieve ambitious goals. Working closely with the Director and our emerging Campaign Board, you will play critical role in growing our £1m+ annual income, deepening donor engagement and building the culture, systems and relationships that will propel First Give into its next phase of expansion.

This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional fundraiser who thrives in a values‑driven, high‑ambition environment and wants to make a lasting contribution to a fast‑growing education charity.

Contract: Full time (35 hours per week), Permanent

Salary: £60K (+£2K London weighting if applicable)

Location: This is a hybrid contract. The successful candidate will be expected to work from our London office or attend in-person meetings and host donors at school Final events as required. The remainder of the week can typically be worked remotely, with flexibility as required.

The students we work with come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and so do we.  We want to foster a diverse and inclusive culture, to empower our teams to achieve our vision drawing on the broadest possible range of experiences. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates from minoritised groups currently underrepresented on our executive team, particularly black and minority ethnic and disabled candidates.

Please download the candidate pack for more details, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like a chat about the role or any reasonable adjustments we can make before applying: contact details provided in the candidate pack.

First Give

First Give is a national charity that partners with secondary schools to inspire and equip young people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to drive change. Through our structured programmes, students explore social issues, connect with charities, and take tangible steps to improve their community.

Empowering and equipping young people to meaningfully contribute to their community is a first step to addressing many of the challenges we face at this time of social disconnection and division. Our vision is of a more generous society where everyone is willing and able to give their time, money and skills to the causes they care about.

Corporate Parnterships Manager

We are seeking a self-motivated and driven Corporate Partnerships Manager to lead on growing and stewarding First Give’s portfolio of high-value funders. This role will focus on developing corporate partnerships and will also support our Campaign Board and major donor activity.

First Give is a small charity, with a growing fundraising team and big ambitions. You will therefore be someone who thrives in a start-up environment, brings new ideas to the table and is comfortable setting up new systems and processes. You will play a pivotal role in shaping First Give’s income growth, working closely with our Head of Philanthropy and the Director. This role will also support key engagement activities, including hosting donors at student-led Final events and facilitating employee volunteering at schools.

This is an exciting opportunity for a confident fundraiser and communicator looking for the next step in their career. Someone who thrives on strategy, storytelling, and social impact.

Contract: Full-time, 35 hours per week. Permanent.

Salary: £40K (+£2K London weighting if applicable)

Location: The successful candidate will be expected to work from our London office or attend in-person meetings and host donors at school Final events for two days per week on average. The remainder of the week can typically be worked remotely, with flexibility as required.

Reporting to: Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships

The students we work with come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and so do we.  We want to foster a diverse and inclusive culture, to empower our teams to achieve our vision drawing on the broadest possible range of experiences. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates from minoritised groups currently underrepresented on our executive team, particularly black and minority ethnic and disabled candidates.

Please download the candidate pack for more details, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like a chat about the role or any reasonable adjustments we can make before applying: contact details provided in the candidate pack.