Fundraising Manager

We are looking for an experienced, creative fundraiser to lead the next stage of WeSwim's fundraising growth.

Working closely with our CEO and Volunteering Manager you'll develop and deliver a fundraising strategy focused on growing unrestricted income through community fundraising, individual giving and corporate partnerships.

This is a role with ownership and scope to experiment. You'll develop the strategy, spot opportunities and build new income streams, and as part of a small and collaborative team, you'll also be happy getting stuck into delivery.

We are starting from a good place. We already have an engaged community of swimmers and volunteers, successful community fundraising and some fantastic corporate supporters. We now want to build on those foundations: creating more ways for people to fundraise for WeSwim, developing individual and regular giving, building longer-term corporate partnerships and growing a wider community of supporters around our work.

Trusts and foundations fundraising sits outside this role and is supported by another team member.

Key Responsibilities:

Grow our Community Fundraising

• Develop an annual community fundraising strategy and calendar, creating challenges, campaigns and other opportunities that inspire people to fundraise.

• Work with our Volunteering Manager to engage and support swimmers, volunteers and other fundraisers, providing the ideas, resources, encouragement and incentives.

• Monitor performance, learn from what works, and get hands on with fundraising delivery when needed. 

Build our Supporter Community and Individual Giving

• Grow the community around WeSwim, helping volunteers, swimmers, alumni, friends, families and other supporters feel valued, celebrated and connected, and creating opportunities for them to contribute to WeSwim.

• Develop and grow individual and regular giving, creating supporter journeys, appeals and stewardship that make it easy and rewarding for people to support WeSwim in different ways.

• Shape the fundraising elements of WeSwim's communications, celebrating the joy, community and value of being involved with WeSwim as well as the impact of our work, and using this to deepen engagement, participation and support.

Grow corporate partnerships

• Work with the CEO to develop WeSwim's corporate partnership offer, map our existing networks and build a strong pipeline of prospective partners and warm leads. 

• Develop relationships that move towards longer-term partnerships, including sponsorship, Charity of the Year, employee fundraising and other forms of corporate support. 

• Create relationships with businesses and brands, including opportunities for partners to connect and provide prizes, incentives, expertise or gifts in kind to support our community.

Develop new income opportunities

• Proactively identify, assess and test new opportunities to generate sustainable unrestricted income for WeSwim. 

• Develop creative fundraising partnerships and collaborations, including opportunities to work alongside other disability, sport and community organisations. 

• Use insight, data and learning to evaluate new ideas, invest in those with potential and stop or adapt activities that aren't delivering.

About you

• You can see both the big picture and the next practical step, and are comfortable moving between strategy and hands-on delivery.

• You’re curious and creative, with an appetite for developing and testing new ideas to see what works.

• You’re flexible and adaptable, and comfortable changing direction when something isn’t working.

• You’re a natural relationship-builder who enjoys bringing people with you and building strong communities and partnerships.

• You’re commercially minded and motivated by results, including the challenge of growing income.

• You enjoy working as part of a small, collaborative team, where roles can be flexible and everyone gets stuck in.

• You’re excited by the opportunity to build something and shape what fundraising and supporter engagement at WeSwim could become.

We are a small flexible team. Join us in making a difference to increase opportunities for disabled people to swim in London. Download the job pack for more details.