Senior philanthropy manager jobs in Brighton, east sussex

Senior Philanthropy and Partnerships Executive

Location: Remote

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent, Fill Time

Are you a confident relationship-builder with a passion for purpose-driven work? Do you know how to turn conversations into long-term support and meaningful partnerships?

We’re looking for a Senior Philanthropy & Partnerships Executive to join our passionate fundraising team in a remote, full-time role working 35 hours per week. This is an exciting opportunity for a confident relationship-builder to help grow income from high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners and trusts, supporting life-changing services across the UK.

At The Forward Trust, we help people break cycles of addiction, homelessness and offending to build positive futures. With around 40% of our workforce in active recovery and/or with lived experience of the criminal justice system, our team is proof that change is possible.

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining an ambitious and supportive fundraising team responsible for generating £2.3 million annually to power our vital Recovery and Belonging services. Strong foundations are already in place, now we need someone exceptional to help take us further.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Identify and engage new high-net-worth donors and corporate partners
• Support delivery of major giving, company support and legacy strategies
• Build tailored stewardship journeys that inspire long-term support
• Manage a portfolio of existing supporters and promising prospects
• Create compelling proposals, impact reports and donor communications
• Support applications to corporate foundations and funding opportunities
• Help shape donor-facing materials that showcase our mission and impact
• Coordinate events, visits and cultivation opportunities
• Represent The Forward Trust externally with confidence and passion
• Maintain accurate CRM records and donor data
• Collaborate across the wider fundraising team to maximise results

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in fundraising, partnerships or relationship management
• Strong communication and influencing skills
• A proactive, target-driven mindset with excellent attention to detail
• Confidence managing multiple priorities and stakeholders
• Passion for social impact and changing lives

If you’re motivated by meaningful work and excited by the chance to grow transformational partnerships, we’d love to hear from you.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits - 

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays 
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter 
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary) 
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. 

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.

Salary: £41,884 – £46,538 per annum
Contract: Permanent, full time
Location: Home based (with regular travel to London and across the UK)
Closing date: Rolling 
Benefits: 27 days annual leave bank holidays with the option to buy another week & additional December closure day, enhanced parental leave, Cycling UK membership, Medicash Healthcare plan

We’re very excited to be recruiting a Philanthropy Manager to join the team at Cycling UK and play a pivotal role in shaping and growing the organisation’s major donor and legacy fundraising programme.

This is a senior and influential role, offering the opportunity to build and embed philanthropy at the heart of Cycling UK. Working closely with the Head of Fundraising and colleagues across the organisation, you will help transform a developing programme into a mature, relationship-led income stream that delivers sustainable long-term growth.

You will lead the development and delivery of the philanthropy strategy, managing major donor and legacy pipelines, designing compelling stewardship and engagement opportunities, and securing high-value, multi-year gifts. The role combines strategic leadership with hands?on delivery and will suit someone motivated by building meaningful donor relationships, creating inspiring propositions and demonstrating impact.

To be successful as the Philanthropy Manager, you will need:

• Proven experience in major donor and relationship-led fundraising, with a strong track record of securing high-value gifts
• Understanding of legacy and trust & foundation fundraising, including pipeline management and stewardship
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders and supporters

If you would like to discuss this role with us, please email your CV to [email protected] or contact us quoting reference 2945JP

Ashby Jenkins Recruitment are a specialist charity recruitment agency. We use our extensive sector knowledge and experience to match candidates to the most suitable charity jobs and are passionate about improving equality across the sector — you can read more about our commitment to diversity on our website.
We take a relationship-led approach to recruitment in the charity sector and partner with you as the leading charity recruitment agency.

If enough applications are received, the charity reserves the right to close the application period early.
 

We are almost two years into our ambitious organisational strategy, and this is an exciting moment to join Cycling UK as our Senior Philanthropy Officer. Cycling UK’s public fundraising programme is entering a new phase of growth, with increased ambition for philanthropy as a sustainable income stream.
 
The Senior Philanthropy Officer plays a pivotal role in delivering this ambition, taking ownership of a portfolio of mid to high-value donors and prospects and driving their progression through the Major Gifts and Legacy pipeline. Working closely with the Philanthropy Manager, the postholder will lead the development and delivery of tailored cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for their portfolio, securing significant gifts and building long-term supporter relationships.
 
You don’t need to be a cyclist to work at Cycling UK, but you do need to have a strong commitment to our work. This is a senior delivery role requiring strong judgement, excellent relationship management skills and the confidence to operate with a high degree of autonomy, while contributing insight and expertise to shape the wider Major Gift, Legacy and In-memory programmes.
 
We are an inclusive organisation and would particularly welcome applications from candidates from a broad range of backgrounds. We strongly believe that diversity strengthens our work. If you are already passionate about cycling, that’s great, many of us are too! But if you are simply really excellent at what you do, no matter what your background, that is what matters most to us.
 
Explore the attached job description for full details on this exciting opportunity. Complete the application form expressing why you are the right candidate for this opening. Focus on gearing your supporting statement to exemplify how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role, directly referring to the person specification. This enables the selection panel to assess your relative strengths against the specified criteria.
 
The role is home based in the UK, with regular meetings in London and travel across the UK as required. 
 
 Applications close at 9:00am on the closing date shown.
 
REF-228 979

About the role

The Trusts & Statutory Fundraising Manager will play a key role in delivering Sands’ ambitious income growth plans and strengthening long-term philanthropic partnerships that support Sands’ work to save babies’ lives and support bereaved families. 

Reporting to the Senior Philanthropy Manager and sitting within the Partnerships & Philanthropy Team, the role will lead the development and growth of a strategic portfolio of trusts, foundations and statutory funders, securing significant multi-year income and building long-term relationships with supporters and partners. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and relationship-driven fundraiser to help shape and grow a high-potential area of fundraising at Sands. The postholder will work closely with senior colleagues across research, training, bereavement support and engagement teams to develop compelling funding propositions aligned to Sands’ strategic priorities. 

The role combines strategic planning, relationship management and high-quality bid writing, alongside leadership of the trusts pipeline, stewardship activity, cross-team collaboration and line management of a Trusts Fundraiser. 

The successful candidate will be a strong communicator and strategic thinker with experience securing five and six-figure grants, developing funder relationships and translating complex programmes into compelling, impact-led cases for support. 

Includes line management of one Trusts Fundraiser. 

Main Responsibilities

The overall aims of this role are to: 

• lead and grow Sands’ trusts, foundations and statutory fundraising programme, securing significant multi-year income in support of Sands’ strategic priorities

• build and manage a sustainable pipeline of trust, foundation and statutory prospects, developing long-term relationships and identifying opportunities for growth

• lead the development of Sands' corporate grant and corporate foundation fundraising programme, bringing experience of securing corporate grant funding to establish an expanded area of income growth

• develop compelling, evidence-led funding propositions that translate Sands’ work into clear, engaging and donor-focused cases for support

• collaborate closely with colleagues across Research, Bereavement Support, Training, Communications and Engagement teams to shape strategic funding opportunities

• strengthen organisational understanding of trusts and statutory fundraising, bringing insight, innovation and strategic thinking to funding approaches

• provide supportive line management and development to the Trusts Fundraiser, fostering strong performance and collaboration

• ensure excellent stewardship, compliance, reporting and grant management across all trusts and statutory activity

• contribute to a culture of ambitious, relationship-led and insight-driven fundraising across Partnerships & Philanthropy

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Management & Income Growth 

• Develop and deliver Sands’ trusts and statutory fundraising strategy, aligned to organisational priorities and long-term income growth ambitions.

• Manage and grow a strategic portfolio of charitable trusts, foundations, lottery and statutory funders, securing five- and six-figure grants and multi-year partnerships.

• Lead trust-funded matched giving appeals (including Big Give), coordinating cross-organisational campaign activity across Philanthropy & Partnerships and Individual Giving teams, while collaborating with Engagement & Communications to develop compelling campaign assets and drive income growth. 

• Lead pipeline development and prospecting activity, identifying new funding opportunities and prioritising prospects with the highest strategic potential.

• Work collaboratively across the organisation to shape compelling propositions and articulate clear, evidence-led cases for support.

• Develop thematic and strategic funding propositions aligned to Sands’ work across research, training, bereavement support, inequalities and systems-change activity.

• Contribute insight and sector knowledge to strengthen organisational understanding of trusts and statutory fundraising opportunities and trends.

• Support the diversification of income through innovative approaches to partnership development, restricted and unrestricted funding, and strategic engagement opportunities.

Trusts, Foundations & Statutory Fundraising 

• Lead the development of high-quality funding applications, proposals, bids and reports for charitable trusts, foundations and statutory bodies.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective funders, ensuring excellent stewardship and long-term engagement.

• Develop tailored cultivation and stewardship plans that strengthen funder relationships and maximise opportunities for renewal and multi-year support, including leading and contributing to cross-charity stewardship initiatives and engagement campaigns involving trust funders, such as donor thankathons, impact events and bespoke recognition activities. 

• Work with internal stakeholders to identify fundable projects and package work into compelling donor-focused narratives and propositions 

• Manage the trusts and statutory funding pipeline, ensuring accurate forecasting, reporting and tracking of opportunities and deadlines.

• Maintain oversight of trust or statutory restricted funding, ensuring compliance with grant conditions and timely reporting on impact and outcomes.

• Represent Sands confidently in meetings, presentations and funder discussions, acting as an ambassador for the organisation and its work. 

Team Management 

• Line manage the Trusts Fundraiser, providing coaching, support, professional development and clear strategic direction.

• Foster a collaborative, supportive and high-performing team culture.

• Conduct regular line management responsibilities including 121s, supervision and performance check-ins, and contribute to annual appraisal and development processes.

• Support knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the Partnerships & Philanthropy team.

Governance, Insight & Performance 

• Lead forecasting, budgeting and KPI management for trusts and statutory income streams.

• Use CRM systems, fundraising data and prospect research to support strategic decision-making, pipeline management and stewardship planning.

• Ensure compliance with fundraising regulation, GDPR, grant conditions and ethical fundraising standards.

• Develop and maintain robust systems and processes to support efficient grant management, reporting and donor stewardship.

• Monitor sector trends, funding opportunities and emerging areas of interest relevant to Sands’ strategic priorities.

General 

• To undertake other duties as required by the Senior Philanthropy Manager and Head of Partnerships & Philanthropy

• To work flexibly and proactively with other members of the team.

• To maintain confidentiality over personal information relating to staff.

• Abide by all Sands Policies and Procedures.

• Undertake all mandatory training as required.

• Participate in annual appraisal and personal development review.

• The post holder must familiarise themselves with matters relating to Health & Safety Management, as affecting themselves, their department and the organisation as a whole.

• Promote the Sands vision and values at all times. 

Personal Specification: Skills & Experience

Fundraising Expertise 

• Proven track record of securing five- and six-figure grants from charitable trusts, foundations and statutory funders.

• Strong experience developing and managing sustainable fundraising pipelines and securing multi-year funding partnerships.

• Experience identifying corporate foundation prospects and securing funding from corporate foundations. 

• Experience developing compelling, evidence-led and donor-focused cases for support.

• Experience of developing funding applications involving multiple stakeholders and complex programme areas.

• Strong understanding of trusts and statutory fundraising landscapes, trends and opportunities.

Strategic & Relationship Skills 

• Excellent relationship-builder, confident engaging with funders, senior stakeholders, clinicians, researchers and external partners.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into compelling and accessible narratives.

• Strategic thinker with strong judgement, able to identify opportunities and balance long-term relationship building with day-to-day delivery.

• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and influence stakeholders to support fundraising priorities and opportunities.

Management & Operational Capability 

• Experience managing, mentoring or supporting colleagues to achieve strong performance and professional development.

• Strong planning, forecasting, organisational and project management skills.

• Experience using CRM systems and fundraising data to support pipeline management and decision-making.

• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and perform effectively within a fast-paced environment.

Personal Specification: Core Competencies 

• Builds collaborative and credible relationships internally and externally, acting with professionalism and integrity.

• Communicates clearly and persuasively, adapting style for different audiences and translating complex information into compelling narratives.

• Demonstrates strategic thinking and sound judgement, balancing ambition with practicality and delivery.

• Uses insight, evidence and data to inform planning, prioritisation and fundraising approaches.

• Demonstrates resilience, adaptability and a solutions-focused mindset when managing competing priorities or challenges.

• Works collaboratively across teams to strengthen organisational impact and supporter experience.

• Demonstrates a commitment to inclusive and equitable fundraising practices aligned to Sands’ values and strategic priorities. 

 

 

About GSG Impact 

GSG Impact is a global network of National Partners working to build impact economies that mobilise capital for measurable social and environmental impact. Through its network spanning more than 48 countries, GSG Impact works with governments, investors, regulators, development finance institutions, and ecosystem actors to strengthen the enabling conditions for impact-oriented economies, where capital flows to create positive social and environmental outcomes. 

Position Summary 

The Head of Fundraising will lead GSG Impact’s fundraising function at a critical stage of organisational growth and income diversification. The role is responsible for delivering GSG Impact's fundraising strategy, supporting the achievement of annual income targets of approximately £3 million per year, converting strategic priorities into fundable propositions, and building the systems, processes, relationships, and team capabilities required to secure sustainable long-term funding.

Working closely with the Chief of Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, senior leadership, fundraising team, Trustees, and National Partners, the Head of Fundraising will oversee the development of a diversified funding portfolio and will be responsible for building and managing a robust fundraising pipeline, strengthening donor stewardship, improving cost recovery, and ensuring fundraising activity is aligned with organisational priorities and financial sustainability goals.

This role requires a proactive fundraiser who can originate opportunities, open senior relationships, develop compelling narratives, lead complex proposal processes, and create a culture of shared fundraising responsibility across the organization.

Key Responsibilities 

Business development, Prospecting and Pipeline Conversion

Build and maintain a prioritized list of top institutional, philanthropic, bilateral, multilateral, DFI, corporate, and family-office, and high-net-worth prospects aligned with GSG Impact's strategic priorities.

Proactively identify, research, qualify, and cultivate new prospects, with a particular focus on funders aligned with impact economies, domestic capital mobilisation, climate adaptation and resilience, impact transparency, policy reform, investment vehicles, and emerging markets.

Develop and manage a rolling pipeline of high-quality funding opportunities, moving prospects from initial identification through cultivation, concept development, proposal submission, negotiation, and grant close in collaboration with programme staff and National Partners.

Translate GSG Impact’s strategy into compelling fundable propositions, including unrestricted/core support, restricted programme grants, regional funding, National Partner support, and special initiatives.

Personally lead the development and conversion of the highest-value opportunities, especially prospects requiring senior-level cultivation.

Identify and develop new revenue opportunities, strategic partnerships, and funding models that support GSG Impact's long-term sustainability and income diversification

Proposal Development and Grant Acquisition

Lead the development of high-quality funding proposals, concept notes, and donor engagement materials.

Ensure strategic alignment of all proposals with organisational priorities and donor interests.

Ensure all proposal budgets meet or exceed GSG Impact's cost-recovery targets

Set and ensure implementation of standards for proposal quality, narrative framing, and budget methodology across the fundraising team

Donor Management and Stewardship

Support the Chief of Engagement and Partnerships with relationship management of GSG Impact's most significant donors and strategic prospects

Lead the annual stewardship strategy, ensuring renewal and growth of key funding relationships

Oversee narrative and financial reporting, ensuring high quality, consistency, and timeliness

Functional Leadership

Manage the fundraising team, providing coaching, oversight, performance management, and professional development

Ensure compliance with Fundraising Regulator, GDPR, and relevant UK legislation

In collaboration with colleagues across the organisation monitor and update the information in CRM for fundraising contacts and other relevant information.

Implement strong financial tracking, reporting, and forecasting processes

Foster a culture of fundraising responsibility across GSG Impact teams

Innovation & Growth

Identify new funding opportunities and diversify income streams

Explore digital fundraising and emerging trends

Drive continuous improvement in fundraising performance, effectiveness and operational excellence.

External Representation

The Head of Fundraising plays a key role in relationship management with GSG Impact's most significant funders and prospects. They represent the organization at key sector events and convenings as delegated by the Chief of Engagement and Partnerships.

Qualifications

Demonstrable track record of originating new donor relationships and converting them into six- or seven-figure grants.

Experience in building prospect pipelines from a limited starting base.

Strong understanding of institutional philanthropy, bilateral and multilateral funding, DFIs, and/or impact investing funders.

Proven ability to develop fundable propositions from complex, technical, organisational strategies, including on policy, systems-change, market-building, or ecosystem-development initiatives

Experience working directly with CEOs, Boards, Trustees, or senior principals on donor cultivation.

Strong commercial discipline: pipeline management, probability weighting, forecasting, and cost recovery.

Ability to write or lead the development of high-quality proposals under tight timelines.

Competencies

Alignment with GSG Impact mission and values

Proven fundraising track record in international development, impact investment, philanthropy  or social sector

Strategic thinking and fundraising planning

Senior donor relationship management

Team leadership and coaching

Strong written communication and proposal development

Budget and cost-recovery literacy

Collaborative working style

How to apply

Please send your CV and a covering letter of no more than two pages outlining how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria for this role.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on 22 June 2026.

We are committed to equality and diversity of opportunity and positively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. All applicants will also be asked to complete a short equality and diversity monitoring form, which is held separately from your application and plays no part in shortlisting decisions.

Location: Fully remote with flexible working arrangements 

Salary: £51,500 FTE

Contract: This role is part time for 3 days a week (0.6FTE). 

Closing date for applications: 5th July

Due to high numbers of applications, prior to interview we plan to carry out initial screening calls with prospective candidates before selection for interview. We will be asking about your reasons for applying and how you think your skills and experiences align to the role.

Screening calls: 16th/17th July

Panel interviews: 22nd July 

Start Date: ASAP

About the Warm Welcome Campaign

Founded in 2022, the Warm Welcome Campaign wants everyone in the UK to find a place of belonging and reconnection at a Warm Welcome Space near their home. We have a bold ambition to enable a more deeply connected society where we all have free access to welcoming community spaces. 

We resource, connect and champion a network of over 6,300 Warm Welcome Spaces and bring together a growing coalition of local, regional, and national partners representing the worlds of charity, faith, business, government, and philanthropy. By working together, we can unlock the power of community spaces made by and for everyone, creating a thriving network of hope and reconnection fueled by human warmth. 

We’re working hard to reach everyone with the message that a Warm Welcome is waiting for them just around the corner, all through the year. 

Throughout all our work and within our team we live out our values of being inclusive, collaborative and courageous and our personality that is friendly, adventurous and uplifting.

It’s an important moment for us – we are now in our second year of our five year strategy which shows a clear picture of the path we have set ourselves ahead to continue to deliver and deepen our impact. We now have approximately 3.5 million visitors to Warm Welcome Spaces each year. In January we delivered a hugely successful second ever Warm Welcome Week in collaboration with a wide variety of partners. 

The Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity for a purposeful and proactive individual to work within a small (but growing), friendly and dynamic team in a varied role. If you are brilliant at leading and developing complex multi-stakeholder processes and systems, and passionate for your input to shape work that makes a genuine difference to people’s lives, this could be the role for you.

To support ongoing growth and development of the Warm Welcome Campaign, we are looking for a Head of Operations to be responsible for supporting the Senior Leadership Team in the effective and efficient running of the Campaign and the coordination and development of our ambitious 5-year strategy. The role will sit within Warm Welcome’s Senior Leadership Team, which also includes the Campaign Director, Director of Communications, Director of Programmes and Development, and will report directly to the Good Faith Partnership Operations Director. 

The purpose of the Warm Welcome Senior Leadership Team is to:

• Own and develop the Warm Welcome strategy, ensuring sustainability and delivery

• Lead, direct, engage and inspire the Warm Welcome team, setting the tone and culture

• Be accountable for significant decisions, challenges and risks.

The Head of Operations role will help to support and co-ordinate the work of the Senior Leadership team to be as effective as possible in achieving this purpose.

We’re looking for someone who thrives on fast-paced and varied work, organisational growth and development and has demonstrable experience of making things happen. The ideal candidate will be highly organised and solutions-oriented, while also bringing a creative, innovative and forward-thinking approach. 

At Warm Welcome, we value diversity and we recognise the enormous benefits and the social imperative of bringing together diverse groups of people. We therefore warmly welcome applications from a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Responsibilities

The role will be responsible for:

• Supporting and coordinating the Warm Welcome Senior Leadership Team to function as effectively as possible

• Supporting the Warm Welcome team to ensure that our 5-year strategy is delivered on time and to budget, including coordinating our annual workplan of activities against our strategy

• Developing our internal set up, processes and systems during a period of growth

• Overseeing the Warm Welcome financial, compliance and risk management

• Coordinating the Warm Welcome team growth, culture and performance

• Overseeing long term financial planning and forecasting for Warm Welcome

• Supporting the delivery of other Warm Welcome efforts, as appropriate

Person specification 

Strategy Oversight and Development

• Experience in coordinating workplans linked to a strategy to ensure that progress is being made and any areas of concern are identified and acted on quickly

Developing internal processes and systems

• Ability to create and develop high functioning, accessible systems for the whole team’s use

• Highly organised with accurate record keeping and ability to prioritise work to ensure deadlines are met and opportunities are maximised

• All candidates will need to be competent with CRM Systems, Google Suite and Microsoft Office

Financial, Risk and Compliance management 

• Experience of financial management, including budget setting, owning and developing budgets, and reporting processes

• Experience of overseeing risk management and mitigation within a team

• Experience of overseeing compliance i.e. reporting to the Charity Commission, reporting related to GDPR, developing and reviewing policies etc.

Team growth and performance

• Experience of line management, leading and developing high-performing teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and empowerment.

• A strong team player who is flexible, positive and responds with strong influencing and negotiation skills and a commitment to the organisation and team working

• Experience of leading organisational growth, set up and design

Working Arrangements 

• Current members of the team are based across the UK, with some in London, Reading, Bristol, Manchester, York and Northern Ireland. Applicants must be able to travel to Bristol once a month for a Tuesday full team meeting. Given the nature of this role we would also expect the applicant to carry out a reasonable amount of travel to both Warm Welcome Spaces and partners across the UK. 

• This role is fully remote, with flexible working arrangements. 

• All employees, volunteers, partners, suppliers and consultants working with GFP are expected to adhere to our Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies. GFP’s commitment to safeguarding means we seek to ensure that no harm comes to people as a result of contact with the organisation’s programmes, operations or people.

• You will need to have the right to work in the UK.

Please refer to the attached job description for full details. 

The National Lottery Community Fund – Climate Action Fund Decision Panel Appointments

Climate Action Fund- Food Systems - Expert Panel Member Role Specification

Term of Appointment: Three Years

Time Commitment - 9 Days per year

 

The National Lottery Community Fund (The Fund) wishes to recruit an external member for the Climate Action Fund Decision Panel. The Chair of the UK Funding Committee (UKFC) accordingly invites applications for the position of external member of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund Decision Panel.

Background

The Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK. It launched the Climate Action Fund in 2019 as a long-term commitment to support communities across the UK to act on climate change and involve more people in positive environmental action. Since its launch the Climate Action Fund has awarded over £182m to communities across the UK. This includes over 175 larger projects, predominantly delivered through partnership approaches and over 440 small grants that were delivered through Together for Our Planet, a funding programme in support of COP26. The programme has always had a test and learn ethos and each strand of funding has built on learning to date.

In January 2026 the Climate Action Fund launched a new strand of funding - Food Systems, focusing on strengthening food systems across the UK, while reducing food insecurity for people and communities, without harming the planet. It will achieve this through supporting partnerships that can deliver long term solutions and transformational systems change. Funding will enable large and long term interventions with the capacity and time to deliver progress against their intended aims and ambitions. We will support agroecological approaches which work with nature to create resilient, sustainable and equitable food systems. Projects can apply for a minimum of £2.5 million over three years, and we expect to fund up to ten projects in the first year. More information about funding aims and criteria can be found in Annex A (attached).

Through the Climate Action Fund we support projects based in all four countries of the UK and a combination of place based, cross country, regional, national and UK wide.

Role Specification

The Climate Action Fund is seeking a subject matter expert in food systems, who will complement our existing panel and support our work across the UK. They will have an understanding of the holistic aims we seek to address in supporting long term solutions that will have benefits for both climate, environment and nature, and to people and communities.

The Climate Action Fund Decision Panel has delegated authority from the UK Funding Committee (UKFC) to make funding decisions on Climate Action Fund Programmes.

The purpose of the Climate Action Fund Decision Panel is to make funding decisions, review the performance of the Climate Action Fund portfolio, and make recommendations where appropriate to UKFC. Funding decisions shall be taken in the context of the UKFC Delegation and shall undertake its duties within the framework of overall National Lottery Community Fund policy and procedures.

 Person Specification

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the food system across the UK, with a particular focus on agroecology and long term, systemic ways to strengthen our food system and reduce food insecurity for people and communities.
• The ability and skill to contribute effectively to the development of this strand of funding and wider work of The Fund in relation to food systems, with a strong track record of achievement in this area. 
• Ability to work on a Panel with excellent interpersonal, team working, communication and representational skills.
• The ability to engage and influence in relationships with stakeholders to ensure the Fund is well represented and externally impactful.
• Personal and operational integrity, the ability to work with people from different backgrounds, and a commitment to improving equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Clear understanding and commitment to building strong and connected communities, that reflect the whole of the UK.
• Ability to deliver operational transformation and culture improvement in a large organisation.
• A strong commitment to engaging communities across the UK, and factoring UK-wide perspectives into all decision making. 

Interview details:

• Date: Interviews will take place in early July with appointments confirmed by the end of July.
• Format: Online

How to apply:

Upload your CV in word format and write a supporting statement with a maximum of 1000 words. Your supporting statement should explain how your skills and experience meet the essential and desirable criteria below.

Essential Criteria 

• An advocate and ambassador for The Fund and a demonstrable commitment to its mission and purpose. 
• Understanding and experience at a senior level of community organisations and track record in creating an environment where communities are connected and supported. 
• Experience of systems change work and how that translates to community centred funding.
• Experience and understanding of food systems, particularly in alignment with our funding aims and the conditions required to influence and shape long term solutions that start with communities.
• Experience of influencing or shaping food systems policy from a community perspective. 
• A demonstrable commitment to and experience in equity and equitable practices.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 

Desirable Criteria  

• An understanding of funding, philanthropy or public sector systems. 

If you are excited about the opportunity to help communities drive lasting change, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)