Major donor fundraiser jobs in bristol

Community Fundraiser - Home Counties

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Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research? ​

Brain Tumour Research is seeking an experienced and motivated fundraiser to join our team. As a key part of our fundraising efforts in our high-performing East region, you will have the opportunity to drive income generation through a variety of initiatives, including challenge events, fundraising groups, and corporate partnerships such as charity of the year. You will also be responsible for driving initiatives to increase our profile and supporter base within Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Essex. 

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Key Responsibilities: ​

• ​Generate income across a range of community fundraising initiatives and events, with the opportunity to lead on key projects 
• Steward supporters to help drive the charity’s fundraising activities and growth 
• ​Work with the fundraising team to develop and maintain strong relationships with fundraisers, donors, partners, and key stakeholders ​
• Contribute towards the growth and success of fundraising efforts, ensuring a sustainable income stream for the vital ongoing funding of brain tumour research ​

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Requirements: ​​

• At least one year of fundraising experience, with a proven track record in income generation 
• Strong experience in supporter stewardship  
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire supporters and partners alike ​
• Passion for Brain Tumour Research and its mission to fund research and ultimately find a cure 

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If you are looking for a fulfilling and impactful role and have the level of experience and skill we are looking for, we welcome your application.

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​We will give preference to those candidates living in the Bucks, Beds and Northants areas of this region.​​​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.​

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

Closing Date: 26th September 2025

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We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

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You will be joining us at a time that holds the greatest potential for fundraising in our history, following the launch of the UK Government’s Delivery Plan for ME and initial findings of the DecodeME genetics study (co-led by Action for ME) in Summer 2025. 

Building on our charity’s already established level of support from major donors, you will provide exceptional relationship management to existing donors alongside growing our network of high value supporters.

Working closely with the CEO, alongside managing a portfolio of donors and prospects ensuring excellent stewardship, you will support our Breakthrough-ME Group (a group of high net worth and highly networked individuals). There is an established level of support from major donors at Action for ME so this is a role that will require exceptional relationship management to retain our current valued supporters while growing this crucial area of fundraising. 

This would be an ideal role for an experienced philanthropy professional seeking to work for a small but ambitious charity, helping us to achieve our mission to improve the lives of all people affected by ME – better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow.

Key duties

Major Donor Fundraising

• Successfully develop and implement the philanthropy strategy to secure and maximise funds from high value individuals for Action for ME achieving annual income of £250k+

• Set plans and budgets which will deliver income through major gift fundraising and philanthropic giving through family trusts and foundations, including quarterly forecasting.

• Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors at the £5k to £100k level, to develop and maintain strong and long-standing partnerships

• Work closely with the Director of Fundraising and Development and other colleagues to ensure that plans and activities for fundraising from high value individuals are integrated into the overall fundraising strategy and plan for significant growth.

• Be responsible for our Breakthrough-ME Group with high quality proposition development.  Contribution to Group fundraising activities with a specific focus on ensuring their networks support pipeline growth for future fundraising.

• Lead the delivery of our biennial fundraising gala dinner, maximising income and new opportunities from attendees.

• Develop engaging and inspiring opportunities to steward and cultivate support creating a calendar of activities including events, presentations, approaches, networking and meetings.

• Utilise the CRM database (Raisers Edge) to provide the data required to strategise your approach to philanthropy, monitor progress and provide a high-quality donor experience.

• Ensure utilisation of insight & data, producing management information data to inform planning and strategy development.

• With the Director of Fundraising & Development, create inspiring cases for support and resulting propositions with clear budgets and outcomes.

• Create adequate systems and processes to support the major donor programme.

• Undertake and manage research into prospects and major donors, preparing for approaches and presentations and briefing senior leadership and trustees for donor meetings and events.

• Develop and maintain relationships with donors, a wide range of staff and volunteers from trustee level down.

• Provide regular feedback and internal reporting to line management.

• Work with other fundraisers to ensure that all fundraising opportunities and leads are followed up – particularly in corporate, community and trust fundraising.

• Work with Trustees, the Chief Executive and members of the Leadership Team to develop relationships with major donors.

• Self-administrate including managing your own diary and meetings, keeping accurate and up to date records of activity

• Occasional travel to London, Bristol & events

Other duties

• To positively promote the work and activities of Action for M.E. at all times.

• To contribute to the team’s overall, ongoing and annual planning and budgeting.

• To undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post as requested by the Director of Fundraising and Development, Chief Executive or any other senior Action for ME management.

• Act as an advocate for the Charity and its work.

• To work in accordance with Action for ME’s values of collaboration, equity and empathy.

1. Do you want a role where you can directly see the difference you’re making in changing the lives of young people living through and beyond cancer?
    
2. Are you a highly skilled relationship manager who wants to use your influence and experience to impact the strategic development and growth of Major Gift fundraising?
    
3. Do you have a passion for inspiring and supporting colleagues in their professional development?
    
4. Are you a confident writer who is adept at creating impact through language?
    
5. Would you be proud to work for one of the country’s leading young person’s cancer support charities?
    

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is recruiting a Philanthropy Lead to join our passionate, dynamic team, inspiring young people aged 8-24, to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer.

This is an exciting chance to take on a newly created strategic role that will be pivotal to driving Major Gift income and supporting successful Trust and Foundations growth whilst ensuring these high-value income streams have a real focus and synergy with their messaging, stewardship and donor experience.

You will have significant experience in and understanding of philanthropic giving and high-level relationship management and be motivated by propelling the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust towards becoming a £2m/year income organisation.

The role includes line managing and supporting two Trusts and Foundations fundraisers, building on the successes of a growing income stream.

Help us be there for every young person after the devastation of cancer, through this important, exciting role.

Please download the Recruitment Pack for full details of the role.

We are looking for a warm, flexible and highly motivated fundraiser to work across all areas of our fundraising, from securing income from trusts and foundations and corporate partners to staying on top of our individual giving. 

You’ll benefit from regular mentoring sessions with an external fundraising consultant and be able to foster close relationships with our board of trustees and other key stakeholders. 

BYO has a very small core team, which you’ll be part of, and a large number of freelancers and external staff that join for programmes, events and performances. Our registered office is at the London Coliseum but day-to-day, when our big
programmes aren’t running, we work remotely. 

You’ll find yourself inputting across the organisation – for an inquisitive and proactive person there are plenty of opportunities to take on more responsibility as we grow. Here at BYO we actively support professional development and are very open to flexible working.

Are you a creative fundraiser who loves writing compelling proposals and building meaningful relationships with funders? Join Let Me Know’s small, ambitious team as a Trusts and Foundations Fundraiser and help us secure vital funds to educate thousands more young people about the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships, supporting them to live happy, healthy lives, free from abuse.

This role is perfect for you if:

• You love crafting engaging, persuasive funding proposals and reports that inspire support.

• You enjoy building and nurturing strong relationships with funders who share our vision.

• You value a mix of independent and collaborative working.

• You're looking for an organisation that embraces flexibility; this role’s 17.5 hours can be spread over the week to fit your home life.

• You enjoy being part of a small team, and an organisation where you feel close to the impact you’re making.

So, if you’re passionate about ending relationship abuse and domestic violence, and have a track record of success in Trusts & Foundations fundraising, we’d love to hear from you.

Role Summary

• 17.5 hours per week (ideally spread over 3-4 days)

• £35,400 pro-rata (£17,700 for 17.5 hours)

• Working from home with some travel to Central London, including one day per month for an in-person team meeting / work day. 

About Let Me Know (LMK)

Good relationships shape our health and happiness, yet we are taught so little about them. LMK (Let Me Know) is on a mission to change that. We are a young and thriving charity providing education about healthy and unhealthy behaviours so that young people have the knowledge and skills to avoid abuse and thrive in their relationships. We work in schools, community organisations and workplaces across London. 

LMK is growing at pace and we are ambitious in our plans for the future. We’ve already engaged 21,000 young people and professionals in our workshops in our first five years and we want to reach 18,000 young people over the next two years. We will achieve this by engaging new schools, community groups and workplaces in our offer, whilst also continuing to provide a high-quality service to those who have already experienced LMK workshops. 

Key to our success is raising the funds to support our work. Our fundraising is primarily from grants received from charitable trusts and foundations, but we have a focus on diversifying income to include major donors, individual giving, and corporate fundraising.

We have:

✔ A clear plan for our workshop delivery over the next three years, and a fundraising plan to support it

✔ An engaged leadership team and Board of Trustees

✔ Evidenced outcomes, rich data/statistics and compelling case studies

✔ Diversity and strong social purpose

✔ A new organisational strategy that sets our vision from 2024-2027

✔ A new CRM system that has been built to support our ambitions

Job Description

This is a new role, joining a small and growing fundraising team. The purpose of this Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager role is to grow LMK’s income generation from Charitable Trusts and Foundations, to support delivery of LMK’s mission. 

The role is a true combination of independent and collaborative working. Independent in the writing of bespoke funding applications and reports, maintaining accurate records on LMK’s CRM, and researching to continually build LMK’s pipeline of Trusts & Foundation prospects. 

And collaborative in the close working with LMK’s core team to monitor and report on restricted grants, and working together with the wider fundraising team on creative projects such as: maintaining an updated library of cases for support, implementation of fresh and creative stewardship strategies that bring LMK supporters closer to our work, and cultivation strategies that engage supporters to whom LMK is brand new. 

The role requires strong relationship building skills, which will be drawn upon in your direct working with Trust & Foundation supporters and internally with LMK colleagues. 

Key Responsibilities

• Writing bespoke funding applications: you will be responsible for maintaining a regular pipeline of applications, writing and submitting proposals to new and existing Trust & Foundation supporters, including six-figure and multi-year grants, working to targets for both income generated and outputs (e.g. number of proposals per month).

• Grant reporting: using LMK’s CRM system and working collaboratively with the core team to produce high quality, timely reports for both restricted and unrestricted grants.

• Providing excellent relationship management: to build trusted and lasting relationships with existing and new supporters, including delivery of stewardship and cultivation strategies.

• Case for support development: with support from the wider fundraising team, you will maintain a library of creative and compelling cases for support for use in Trusts & Foundations fundraising. 

• Researching Prospects: identifying suitable new Trusts & Foundations for LMK to approach, and developing and delivering approaches to cultivate early, new relationships. 

• Maintaining accurate, data-compliant records on LMK’s CRM: ensuring all grant records are stored securely, and delivery commitments are effectively communicated to relevant staff members in a timely manner.

Other responsibilities

• Comply with LMK’s policies and procedures, including those relating to safeguarding, bullying and harassment, health & safety, confidentiality, complaints and data protection

• Work in a way that celebrates diversity, upholds LMK values and respects everyone LMK interacts with (including freelancers, staff members, volunteers and workshop participants)

Reporting to LMK’s Head of Fundraising & Development, you will work collaboratively with LMK’s core team, including three fundraising colleagues: one part-time Fundraising Manager, one freelance Grants Fundraiser and one full-time Head of Fundraising & Development.

Person Specification 

• Proven experience of leading on Trust & Foundation applications generating  high 5-figure and multi-year grants.

• Experience of working with colleagues to provide financial information to funders e.g. developing budgets for grant requests and financial reporting at the end of a grant.

• At least 3 years’ experience in successfully delivering and/or supporting a grant fundraising programme, including demonstrable experience of working to targets and managing multiple deadlines, and understanding the trust & foundations fundraising landscape.

• Successfully managing a portfolio of at least 15 Trusts and Foundation relationships, with evidence of providing excellent relationship management and stewardship strategies resulting in renewed and/or increased levels of financial support from partners.

• Experience of using a CRM system to manage all aspects of grant fundraising, including maintaining a pipeline of grant prospects, managing live grants, and regular data input that helps to store a full picture of our funder relationships.

• Excellent written skills, with proven experience of developing a compelling case for support that connects prospective funders with the charity’s mission and is grounded in the charity’s strategic priorities and funding needs.

• Highly organised to manage a diverse workload with excellent time management and attention to detail. 

• Strong MS Office/Google knowledge, numerate, comfortable with data

Safeguarding

This role is subject to a Basic DBS check

In return for your dedication, we will offer you

✔ The opportunity to help prevent relationship abuse and domestic violence in young people

✔ A competitive salary

✔ Working from home

✔ A genuinely flexible working environment 

✔ Pension of 6%

✔ 32 Days of annual leave, (including bank holidays), prorated for part time roles

✔ Employee Assistance Programme

✔ Wellbeing perks

✔ A diverse, bold and collaborative culture with two social meet-ups annually in London

Reasons for applying for this post

We need you to give us specific information to support your application so that we can shortlist in a fair and unbiased way. We recommend that you use a covering letter to provide as much evidence as possible to show how your skills, abilities, knowledge and experience meet each of the selection criteria in the person specification for the role. Please provide examples which are relevant to the role you are applying for (if you prefer, you can provide us with a video of no longer than 3 mins - please email this to us once you have submitted your application)

Interviews will be held in person (London) on Wednesday, 1st October