Rsvp jobs

Special Events Coordinator (Fundraising)

Salary £31,000 - £33,000 per annum - subject to skills and experience 

Hours of work 37.5 hours a week over five days (due to the nature of this role,

                                    some anti-social hours working will be required)

Base Hybrid working for the foreseeable future, with attendance in the office two days a week, including                                          one day being a Thursday at our central office:

                                     · Pears Building, Pond Street, London, NW3 2PP

                                     Other office days may be worked from our other sites at:

                                    · Barnet Hospital, Wellhouse Lane, Barnet, EN5 3DJ

                                    · Chase Farm Hospital, 127 The Ridgeway, Enfield, EN2 8JL

The role

The special events coordinator will report to the special events manager.

We're seeking an experienced and enthusiastic special events coordinator to join the dynamic philanthropy team. You will play a pivotal role in planning, organising, and executing a diverse range of events, providing the best possible experience to some of the charity’s most committed donors through a mixture of bespoke events, engagement events, and as we steer towards starting to do income-generating events.

The special events coordinator will support the special events manager in creating and managing an exceptional events programme to underpin major donor fundraising, supporting portfolio managers to successfully engage prospects and donors. You will be a creative and innovative thinker, dynamic and experienced in organising events from concept to delivery. You will be confident and comfortable working in an ambitious and busy team that is driven to provide a high level of supporter care and excellent and exciting events.

Principal responsibilities

Event planning and coordination

· Develop event concepts and themes, create detailed event plans, and coordinate all logistical aspects of events of events falling within the remit of this role.

· Work closely with the philanthropy and campaigns team to design and implement special events that maximise fundraising potential.

Stewardship events

· Plan and manage events to acknowledge and appreciate donors, facilitating their continued support and engagement with the charity.

Engagement activities

· Organise and execute events that foster engagement and increase awareness of the charity's mission and goals.  

Supporting the new cancer campaign

· Prepare for campaign events in support of a £50m campaign for a ground-breaking cancer centre on the Royal Free Hospital site.

Vendor management

· Whether on-site at one of our hospitals or at an external venue, take responsibility for sourcing, negotiating, and managing relationships with vendors, including caterers, suppliers, and on-site partners.

Budget management

· Create and manage event budgets, ensuring cost-effective solutions while maintaining high-quality standards.  

Communications and promotion

· Collaborate with the communications team to develop promotional materials and strategies to maximise event attendance and engagement.  

RSVP management

· Managing the RSVP mailbox, ensuring timely and accurate responses to event invitations and queries.

Database management

· Maintain and update event-related databases, ensuring accurate records of participants, donors, and sponsors.  

Relationship management

· Act as the main point of contact for colleagues, donors, and contractors, ensuring their needs and expectations are met throughout the event planning and delivery process.

Portfolio manager support

· Assist portfolio managers in engaging with prospects and donors effectively, providing event-related insights and facilitating meaningful connections.  

On-site coordination

· Oversee event setup, execution, and breakdown, ensuring all elements are in place and events run smoothly.  

Post-event evaluation

· Conduct post-event evaluations to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement.  

Oversight and responsibility

· Manage risk assessment, risk management, and first aid training to ensure the safety and well-being of all event participants. 

This position would suit a candidate who:

- is highly organised, creative, and possesses strong communication skills

- has proven experience in event planning and coordination, ideally including fundraising events

- develops excellent client relations

- has the ability to oversee events from setup to breakdown

- can manage RSVPs and maintain event-related activity on a CRM.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

· No specific qualifications are required, but a good level of numeracy and literacy is essential.

Experience

Essential 

· Significant events delivery experience, ideally within the not-for-profit sector.

· Proven track record in developing and managing events on time and ensuring it is in line with budget (managed by the special events manager) achieving key performance indicators and receiving positive feedback from guests.

· Evidence of using outstanding planning skills to deliver complex projects.   

· Experience of setting, monitoring and managing targets, objectives, KPIs and activity plans.  

Desirable 

· Experience of leading on the creation and implementation of innovative events that are tailored towards a specific audience’s interests.

Skills and knowledge

· A keen interest in the fundraising sector, with a desire to learn and grow in the role.

· Excellent interpersonal skills and excellent ability to negotiate and achieve objectives.  

· Strong communication skills with an excellent eye for detail.   

· Highly numerate with the ability develop and monitor against budgets.   

· Detailed understanding of the events sector and appropriate techniques and approaches for a major donor audience.   

· Understanding of major donor fundraising and the role events can play in successful cultivation of relationships (ideally learned through direct experience).

· Ability to contribute to a collaborative and agile team, enabling others to learn and deliver and celebrating successes.   

· Excellent IT skills, including a thorough knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Fundraising databases (Raiser’s Edge preferred).

· Equal Opportunities awareness.   

· Ability to:   

 - empathise and support staff positively   

 - build supportive and trusting relationships

· To be able to deliver a high quality of customer service to agreed timescales. 

· Knowledge of fundraising regulations and best practice including Gift Aid and GDPR. 

The team

Our dynamic fundraising department generated £4.5m through donations in 2023/24, and we are now preparing for an ambitious multi-million-pound campaign in support of a ground-breaking cancer centre on the site of the Royal Free Hospital.

We pride ourselves on being a supporter focused and agile function, working at the heart of the charity to deliver impact for patients and staff across our hospitals.

Responsible for attracting and retaining donors, and delivering an outstanding supporter experience, the fundraising department comprises two teams which work closely together to achieve our shared objectives:

·Our philanthropy & campaigns team builds relationships with individual philanthropists, trusts, foundations, corporate organisations and intermediaries, giving or facilitating donations of £10,000 or more to the charity each year. They lead major appeal activity for the charity, currently focused on our forthcoming cancer campaign, the charity’s first patron programme, and special events to support these activities.

·Our public fundraising team harnesses the support and energy of individuals and groups, helping them to give back in the way that works for them. This includes committed giving, in memory support, gifts in wills, and fundraising events and challenges.

·Our database and supporter care colleagues underpin and support the entire department.

Organisation

The Royal Free Charity stands at the threshold of its most important period of development.

Our vision is for everyone served by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (RFL) to have access to world-leading healthcare, delivered by a thriving workforce, and driven by medical research that has a global impact. We support the 17,000 staff of the RFL and their two million patients across Barnet, Chase Farm, North Mid and Royal Free hospitals and more than 30 NHS services.

Through the services we provide, and the programmes and equipment we fund, we make a profound and immediate difference to patients’ experiences of care.

The recruitment process

To apply for this post, send your:

• CV (please include your last employer and dates of employment)
• Cover letter: 1-2 page letter detailing your interest in the role and how you meet the person specification

Please note, that applications submitted without a cover letter may not be considered for this role.

Closing date for application: 9 June 2025, 12 noon.

Interview date: week commencing 16 June 2025

Please kindly note that we may close the job advert before the closing date if we receive a large volume of applications.

• You must be eligible to work in the UK

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may require during the recruitment process. 

As an equal opportunities’ employer, the Royal Free Charity is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.

Benefits:

Core benefits

· 25 days of paid holiday, plus three-day office closure rest period between Christmas and New Year, and UK bank holidays. This increases to 30 days leave after five completed years of continuous employment (all leave is pro rata for part time employees).

· A contributory pension scheme, where we match your 4% contribution towards your pension. If you choose to increase your payments into your pension scheme, we’ll match your contribution up to 9%.

· A sick pay package that offers one month’s full pay and one month’s half pay in any 12-month period if you’ve been with us for less than two years. This rises to two months’ full pay and two months’ half pay in any 12-month period after two years of continuous employment.

· Occupational maternity pay and paternity pay packages that provide more generous support than statutory pay alone.

· A flexible working policy to support our employees’ work/life balance.

Support for your financial wellbeing

As a member of the Royal Free family, you’ll be entitled to benefit from:

· Expert financial advice from our financial partner, the London Credit Union

· Savings on purchases with the Blue Light Card

· Our Death in Service benefit

Support for your health and wellbeing

· Subsidised gym, pool and classes at our Rec Club in Hampstead

· Secure bicycle parking and shower facilities at our Hampstead site

· Fortnightly guided meditation

· Free massage therapy from our complementary therapy team

· Menopause peer support group

· Employee Assistance Programme offering 24-hour access to free confidential advice and support on work and personal issues.

Purpose of role: To support the Head of Partnerships in managing and retaining the charity’s existing donor base and in establishing new major donor partnerships to secure significant income for the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN): an impactful fundraising and grant-giving wildlife conservation NGO focused on supporting grassroots projects across the Global South.

Reports to: Head of Partnerships

Contract: Full-time, permanent contract, working 5 days p/w

Deadline to apply: Friday 23rd May (but please apply at your earliest convenience). Initial interviews will be targeted for end of May.

Whitley Fund for Nature

Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK charity supporting grassroots conservation leaders across the Global South. Through project funding (Awards), training, and media profile, we support local solutions to the planet’s most pressing conservation challenges. Our winners are courageous changemakers, working alongside communities to save species and protect ecosystems. Established in 1993, we have channeled £24 million to +220 conservation leaders in 80 countries, benefitting wildlife, landscapes, and people. WFN is governed by a committed trustee board. Our team is dynamic, passionate about our mission, and ambitious. The charity benefits from high profile support from Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, and Ambassador Sir David Attenborough. Our funding is raised each year, mainly from family trusts and foundations, as well as from individuals, corporates, and international NGOs, with a current annual income of around £2.6m/year. We raise funds based on winner need, and in the coming years are seeking to steadily grow what we provide in support to winners, actively pursuing new partnerships to support our mission.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a motivated and detail-oriented Partnerships Manager to join our small and dynamic team. This new role will support the Head of Partnerships and wider WFN team in delivering our fundraising strategy, stewarding high-value donor relationships, and unlocking new opportunities for income growth. 

The Partnerships Manager will work directly with some of WFN’s existing portfolio of 30 Major Donors made up primarily of Trusts, Family Foundations and High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI) supporters, with some Corporates. The Partnerships Manager will maintain close professional relationships with supporters that are bespoke and require excellent interpersonal skills, with most meetings taking place in-person, in central London. 

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a highly respected conservation organisation making a real difference on the ground.

PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER - PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

Essential

• A proven track record of fundraising, donor management, and/or building relationships with stakeholders in the non-profit or philanthropic sector.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, with experience drafting donor materials and reports.
• A proven track record in the development of grant applications, including drafting objectives, activities, timelines, indicators, and budgets, as well as coordinating narrative content and inputs from across the team.
• Past experience coordinating and delivering fundraising and engagement events.
• Experience coordinating volunteer committees.
• Exceptional interpersonal qualities, and comfortable liaising with high-profile individuals and senior stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Proactive, dependable, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• A flexible ‘can do’ approach with the ability to chase opportunities, while remaining resilient and positive
• An open and collaborative working style, with a willingness to share information, communicate clearly, and contribute to a supportive small team environment.
• A genuine interest in conservation and/or passion for social and environmental equity through a grassroots approach. 

Desirable

• Experience working with donor databases or Salesforce. 
• Familiarity with trusts and foundations, HNWI fundraising, or corporate partnerships.
• Previous work in a small, agile team or start-up-style organisation.

Additional details and benefits

• Attractive holiday package totaling 30 days p.a. plus bank holidays.
• Training and professional development opportunities provided.
• Hybrid working opportunities
• The charity operates a Pension Scheme and a Life Assurance Scheme.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship. Only applicants who have the right to work in the UK at the time of application will be considered for this role.

Regrettably, due to limited resources and the high number of applications we receive, we are only able to contact short-listed candidates. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.

Diversity and Inclusion

At WFN we are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse organisation, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. We celebrate and respect diversity in nature and among the people and partners with whom we work. We need more people and diversity across the environment sector, and to achieve our vision. We are therefore particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian or minority ethnic; disabled; LGBTQ+; or from lower socio-economic backgrounds. As a small organisation we are committed to progressing and continuing development across DE&I. Please contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application. Applications are considered solely on your demonstrated suitability