Trusts and Foundations Manager

Based at Head Office, in Saunderton near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, with flexible hybrid working

35 hours per week – Full-time/part-time could be considered

About Us

National charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, trains dogs to transform the lives of deaf people and provides hearing loss services – because nobody with hearing loss should feel alone.

About The Role           

Overview:

• Working as part of the Trusts and Foundations department, you will help to deliver the objectives and income targets through your work with Trusts and Foundations.
• Reporting to the Head of Trusts and Foundations, you will work as part of a high-achieving, small but busy department.
• You will be able to develop relationships with colleagues in the wider teams, senior staff, Hearing Dogs trustees, external trusts and foundation managers and administrators.
• To be able to make bids and write applications to maximise financial support from charitable trusts and foundations, philanthropists and major donors.
• A good knowledge of Trusts and Foundation fundraising and experience of delivering excellent stewardship with external stakeholders.
• The Trusts and Foundations team has a target of £1.3m in 2026-27, growing to £2.1m by 2029-30.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Support the Head of Trusts and Foundations to achieve annual targets, including meeting a personal income target each year.
2. Create and deliver high-quality applications for grant funding for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Hearing Link Services, creating a synergy of combined applications to maximise income for both areas of our work.
3. Investigate new projects that may be funded by applying for new restricted grants.
4. Develop relationships with colleagues in fundraising, dog operation team, senior staff, Hearing Dogs Trustees, external Trusts and Foundation managers and administrators.
5. Research the market and develop market knowledge. Establish new partnerships with Trusts, using all relevant and appropriate research techniques to understand their grant-giving criteria.
6. Write and produce compelling trust applications and update reports; to ensure all trusts funding applications are relevant, timely and produced to the highest standard.
7. Record all information on CRM, maintain records and keep records up to date, ensuring future actions are also recorded.
8. Excellent knowledge of database processes and ability to support the team with statistical information.
9. Create reports for income and ensure all templates are up to date.
10. Provide comprehensive funding information to Head of Trusts and Foundations and Director of Income Generation, and regular reporting and recommendations on future funding opportunities.
11. Account manage Trust and Foundation relationships, ensuring the trust receives updates and reports on time.
12. Work collaboratively with colleagues in the Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy departments to identify opportunities to secure new donors, for example where a major donor may have their own family foundation or where Trusts can attend major donor events.
13. Work closely with the Prospect Research Manager to build a personal pipeline of new Trusts and Foundations.
14. Work closely with the Case for Support and Impact Manager to develop tailored cases and proposals and high-quality reporting with a focus on outcomes and impact. 

About You       

The following attributes are considered essential for the job:

• Minimum 3 years' experience in Trusts and foundations fundraising
• Experience of working in the charity Sector
• Excellent and persuasive writing skills and a sharp eye for details
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills
• Experience of large-scale bid writing for specific projects over multiple years

The following attributes are considered desirable for the job:

• Formal training or a qualification in fundraising

Please note: This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 due to its duties involving the protection of children and/or adults at risk. Applicants are therefore required to disclose all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, and reprimands, as well as any relevant non-conviction information. The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in accordance with the Police Act 1997 (Part V).

Please apply by providing your CV and Cover Letter by 3rd April 2026.