Senior trusts and grants fundraising officer jobs in edinburgh, scotland
JOB PROFILE
JOB TITLE: Lead Trusts & Grants Officer
RESPONSIBLE TO: Senior Trusts & Grants Manager
HOURS OF WORK: Full time 35 hours per week
LOCATION: Home working/ Hybrid
DURATION: Permanent
SALARY / GRADE: £32,330
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
• Senior Trusts & Grants Manager
• Trusts & Grants Officer
• Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications
• Chief Operating Officer
• Senior Leadership & Service Managers
• Grant making trusts and foundations
• Major Donors
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The Lead Trusts & Grants Officer is responsible for developing and delivering income from mid-value grant making funders, notably trusts and foundations. The role involves managing a dedicated pipeline of opportunities, writing and submitting compelling applications, and stewarding funder relationships. This position works closely with service teams to understand project needs and create accurate budgets and impactful funding proposals. This role will also provide direct line management to the Trusts & Grants Officer, supporting their professional development and ensuring the team's overall success in meeting fundraising targets.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Fundraising and Grants Management
• Pipeline Management: Lead on prospecting, developing and managing the mid-value trusts and grants pipeline, focusing on bids around £20,000 - £70,000, including multiyear grants, ensuring a consistent flow of opportunities to meet team income targets. Developing the skills and ability to manage higher value and more complex strategic bids.
• Application Writing: Develop and submit compelling, high-quality grant applications and proposals for mid-value funders, working closely with service teams, ensuring accurate budgets and income against Adoption UK’s strategic priorities.
• Stewardship: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with a portfolio of new and existing mid-value funders, providing timely and impactful reports to secure renewed funding, and developing relationships with key external contacts through excellent communication.
• Reporting: Oversee the accurate tracking of all applications, reports, and communications using team tracking methods, and the CRM database, providing regular progress updates to the Senior Trusts & Grants Manager.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the Senior Trusts & Grants Manager, the Trusts & Grants Officer, and service teams, to align fundraising activities with the organisation’s strategic priorities and annual income targets.
• Undertake other duties and projects as directed by the Senior Trusts & Grants Manager and Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications.
Team Management and Development
• Line Management: Provide line management and support to the Trusts & Grants Officer, including regular one-to-ones, appraisals, and professional development.
• Training and Mentoring: Guide the Trusts & Grants Officer on best practices for researching, writing, budgets, and stewarding of small-value grants.
Personal specification
Knowledge and experience
• Track record of successfully securing individual grant awards typically ranging between £10,000 and £50,000. (E)
• Knowledge of fundraising sector with specialist knowledge of grant making trusts and foundations, or similar grant/bid-writing experience (E)
• Experience in writing persuasive proposal documents and bids (E)
• Experience in developing and implementing fundraising policies and process to deliver strategic goals (E)
• Experience in supporting service teams to deliver complex projects on time and to budget (E)
• Experience in successfully stewarding multiple stakeholders including grant managers and major donors (D)
Qualifications and Education
• Graduate level or equivalent significant professional experience in fundraising/bid
Skills and abilities
• Ability to make decisions within area of responsibility, based on defined frameworks, policies, and procedures and/or based on knowledge of regulations and best practice (E)
• Shows good professional judgement (E)
• Can successfully operate matrix management of complex projects at a national level (E)
• Delivers high quality work with minimal supervision and direction (E)
• Able to communicate clearly and engage with stakeholders at all levels (E)
• Is successful in securing positive external relationships with stakeholders and supporters (E)
• Demonstrates personal credibility (E)
• Demonstrates experience and ability in impact reporting (D)
• Ability to research the sector to identify the best prospects (D)
• Has the capacity to deal with complex issues and is good at problem solving (D)
• An exceptional administrator with excellent organisational and writing skills (E)
• Self-starter, used to working to deadlines and delivering against KPIs (D)
Accountability
• Shows previous experience of achievement of income targets (E)
• Shows previous experience of excellent funder or similar relationship stewardship (E)
• Able to contribute to the development of income growth strategy and strategic goals (D)
Behaviours
• Takes pride in Adoption UK and promotes its values and mission in all interactions with external stakeholders.
• Demonstrates commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of role at all times.
• Contributes to an open and honest culture
• Encourages challenge and creativity, transparency and consistency.
• Leads by example.
• Offers outstanding service to members.
• Promotes cross-functional team working, sharing skills and knowledge
• Communicates clearly, seeking clarity when unclear and valuing the opinion of others.
• Values the opinion of others. Treating colleagues and other stakeholders with respect.
• Takes pride in own development, committed to achieving high standards and agreed objectives.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
Adoption UK is the leading charity for adopted and care experienced people and adoptive families.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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About Dreams Come True
We deliver moments of magic with lasting impact to children living in poverty who have a serious illness, disability, or life-limiting condition. We are the only wish granting charity focused solely on children living in social deprivation in the UK.
About the Role
Dreams Come True is seeking an ambitious, strategic and highly skilled Head of Fundraising to lead and expand its income generation and manage and drive a high performing team. This senior role prioritises the development and delivery of an ambitious major donor and individual giving strategy - cultivating, stewarding, and upgrading supporters, including high-net-worth individuals and regular donors. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, you will diversify income streams, maximise philanthropic support, and ensure the charity's long-term sustainability whilst leading, managing, motivating and inspiring the team.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a growth-oriented fundraising strategy, with a strong focus on major donor fundraising and individual giving (regular giving, donor journeys, legacy giving).
- Build a robust pipeline of major donors, personally managing relationships with high-value supporters, cultivating new prospects, and maximising lifetime value through tailored stewardship.
- Oversee the design and execution of engaging campaigns and supporter journeys for individual and legacy donors.
- Direct and support building other fundraising streams (trusts & foundations, events, digital, community), setting ambitious yet achievable income targets.
- Monitor, analyse, and report on fundraising performance, using data-driven insights to identify opportunities and refine approaches.
- Inspire, manage, and develop the fundraising team, fostering a culture of collaboration, high performance, and innovation.
- Ensure policy, governance and compliance with all relevant fundraising legislation and sector regulation.
- Represent the charity in external meetings, building networks and leveraging senior volunteers and Trustees to extend philanthropic reach.
- Translate complex beneficiary needs into compelling cases for support, proposals, and stewardship reports that resonate with donors and partners.
Person Specification
Essential:
- Demonstrated success in major donor fundraising, including personally securing substantial gifts (five and six figures); proven ability to build from scratch, cultivate and maintain relationships with high-net-worth individuals.
- Proven expertise in individual giving, including donor journeys, donor retention and engagement, and developing bespoke campaigns.
- Strong leadership skills, with a track record of building, motivating, and developing high-performing fundraising teams.
- Up-to-date understanding of the fundraising compliance environment (Fundraising Regulator's Code, GDPR, PECR).
- Outstanding communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, both written and verbal.
- Analytical mindset and the ability to use data to inform strategy, track performance, and drive growth.
- Creative approach to stewardship, recognising, thanking, and meaningfully involving supporters at all levels.
- Passion, resilience, and integrity aligned with the charity’s mission.
- A recognised fundraising qualification (e.g. Certificate/Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising or equivalent).
- Inspiring and experienced team leader.
Desirable:
- Experience with innovative donor engagement, digital tools, and CRM/database systems.
- Background in a similar scale or mission-driven UK charity.
How to Apply
Apply by submitting a CV and covering letter via CharityJob.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
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Senior Grants Officer Location: Fully Remote Salary: £30,000 per annum Vacancy Type: Permanent Closing Date: 14 Nov 2025 About The Role An exciting opportunity has arisen to join The Forward Trust as a Senior Grants Officer, working fully remotely to grow and maximise income from trusts, foundations, and other grant-giving organisations. As a key member of our passionate and target-driven Fundraising Team, you’ll identify and engage new funders while strengthening relationships with existing supporters, securing vital income for our life-changing and life-saving services across prisons and communities throughout the UK. The Forward Trust empowers people to break the cycles of addiction, crime, and poor mental health. While much of our work is government-funded, our Fundraising Team raises around £2.5 million per year from charitable sources. Many of our staff have lived experience of recovery or the criminal justice system, bringing authenticity and impact to everything we do. Your Role
About You You’ll bring proven experience in grant fundraising, strong relationship-building skills, and the ability to write clear, persuasive proposals. You’ll be organised, collaborative, and motivated by making a tangible difference in people’s lives. With a new strategy, team structure, and CRM system in place, it’s an exciting time to join our mission-driven, supportive, and fun fundraising team. You will be required to travel to our Head Office in London once a month. Start date: 5th January 2026 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.
To Apply If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application. |
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Fundraising Manager
We are looking for an experienced and adaptable Fundraising Manager to join the team at Winning Scotland, helping to drive sustainable income growth at an exciting time for the charity.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a small, ambitious organisation that’s making a real difference to the lives of young people in Scotland.
Position: Fundraising Manager
Location: Home-based/Scotland with 5 days per month in the Edinburgh office
Salary: £45,000 per annum plus benefits including 35 days holiday (including bank holidays), life assurance, and loyalty-based rewards such as health insurance, pension top-ups, or extra leave.
Hours: Full time (we would consider a 0.8 role on a pro-rata basis)
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: Friday 7th November 2025 at 11.59pm
The Role
As Fundraising Manager, you’ll play a central role in helping Winning Scotland deliver sustainable growth by identifying and securing new income across trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, statutory and government funding, and public sector contracts.
Working closely with programme leads and the senior leadership team, you’ll research, prioritise, and secure funding opportunities to support the charity’s ambitious growth plans over the next 2–3 years. You’ll also develop strong relationships with funders, write compelling funding applications, and provide excellent stewardship and reporting.
You’ll focus on growing income from institutional and corporate sources, while senior leaders continue to manage high-value individual donor relationships, allowing you to concentrate on developing strong pipelines and managing effective bids.
About You
You’ll be a skilled and motivated fundraiser with a solid understanding of the Scottish and wider UK funding landscape.
You’ll have:
- A proven track record of securing income from trusts, foundations, corporates and/or statutory sources
- Strong bid-writing and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex programme work into persuasive proposals
- Excellent relationship management and stewardship abilities
- The capacity to work independently, manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
Ideally, you will also bring:
- Experience of strategic, high-value fundraising in a small or growing charity
- An understanding of issues affecting young people and youth-focused sectors
- Experience using design tools (e.g. Canva) to create professional proposals and reports
- Knowledge of international funding sources such as the US and Europe
Why Join Us?
Winning Scotland is a charity dedicated to helping young people in Scotland build confidence, resilience, and ambition by working with the adults and systems that shape their lives.
We’re currently delivering programmes that embed growth mindset, explore the potential of AI in learning, and drive cultural change through community engagement.
With a stable financial base and committed supporters, we’re ready to scale our work—and you’ll be at the heart of making that happen. You’ll join a supportive, values-driven team with the opportunity to make a tangible impact on young people’s lives across Scotland.
Benefits include:
- 35 days paid annual leave including the eight statutory bank holidays
- Life assurance
- Loyalty-based rewards including health insurance, pension top-ups, or extra leave
- Flexible working arrangements
- Supportive and collaborative culture
Other roles you may have experience within Fundraising Manager, Fundraiser, Trusts and Foundations, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Corporate Fundraising Manager, Fundraising Executive, Fundraising Officer, Senior Fundraiser, Partnerships Manager, Trust and Grants Manager, Senior Fundraising Manager, etc.
PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.
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We are looking for a Global Trusts consultant for a 6-12 month+ contract, to identify and develop a strong pipeline of applications to secure high value funds from diverse portfolio to support this innovative charity.
The ideal candidate would bring senior-level fundraising experience from a similar lead role at an NGO with an established network of executive relationships in major foundations.
This is a remote working role, looking for 16-24 hours a week.
The charity
A passionate, innovative international development charity, dedicated to to collaborating world wide to make a lasting social impact.
The Role
Work alongside a Senior Fundraiser to identify and build a strong pipleine of high value global trusts donors.
Relationship Management
Oversee the complete grant lifecycle, from initial lead to application to reporting and closeout.
Build and maintain relationships with current and prospective donors, program officers, and other key stakeholders.
Applications & Fundraising Development
Lead the development of high-quality grant proposals, ensuring proposals are compelling, well-written, and tailored to meet the requirements and priorities of each donor.
Events and Networking and Representation
Effectively convey the charity mission, vision, and programs to potential donors, organising fundraising events while overseeing teams of volunteers and probono partners.
The Candidate
Senior-level fundraising experience from a similar role at an NGO, organisation, or charity.
Extensive existing network of senior executives with major global foundations and organisations.
Proven track record of identifying and closing deals for 6 - 7 figure gifts.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Our aim is to respond to all successful applications within 5 days. If you havent been contacted within 5 days your application has been unsuccessful, but we positively encourage you to apply for any other positions that you may see in the future.
We apologise that we cannot contact everybody in person but thank you in advance for your interest.
Third Solutions encourages applications from individuals of all ages & backgrounds. Appointment will be made on merit alone but candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to work in the UK. Third Solutions acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment & an employment business for temporary recruitment as defined by the Conduct of Employment Agencies & Employment Business Regulations 2003.
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Job Title: Head of Trusts & Foundations
Reporting to: Director of Fundraising & Communication
Manages: Trusts and Foundations Manager, Trusts and Foundations Officer, Grants Officer, Team expected to grow in line with fundraised income increase
Location: Remote (Occasional travel to Leicester office & other UK locations as necessary)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time (36 hours per week)
Salary: £48,000 per annum
About Home-Start UK
Home-Start is a federated charity consisting of a central national office – Home-Start UK - and over 170 geographically dispersed local Home-Start organisations, all working together under the same identity.
We recognise that being a parent has never been easy. Every Home-Start volunteer is trained to work alongside parents to overcome the challenges they are facing. We work with parents to build on their strengths and give them the support that they tell us they need. We offer no judgement – just compassionate, confidential help and expert support. This peer-to-peer support is key to the difference Home-Start makes and often our volunteers have lived experience of the challenges their families are facing themselves.
About The Role
This role will lead the Trusts & Foundations team at Home-Start UK and drive the development and delivery of a fundraising strategy that builds on a recent period of significant growth. With projected income of £1.5 million in 2025/26, the successful candidate will focus on generating sustainable, high-return income through charitable trusts and foundations.
Key responsibilities include:
- Establishing a robust process for researching and identifying suitable funders.
- Submitting high-quality funding applications.
- Providing excellent stewardship to existing grant funders.
- Building a strong pipeline to secure long-term income from trusts and foundations.
In addition, the role will support the organisation in cultivating key philanthropic relationships - particularly with high-net-worth individuals who may give via their trusts or foundations—leveraging the skills, experience, and resources of the Trusts & Foundations team.
Ultimately, this work will enable Home-Start UK to support more families with young children through challenging times.
The people at Home-Start are its most important resource. Home-Start UK has been accredited with Investors in People since March 2005, which recognises the commitment we give to developing our staff.
Benefits of working for Home-Start
- Flexible working
- Family friendly policy
- PayCare health cash plan
- Enhanced employer contribution pension
- Learning and development
- DAS Employee Assistance
If it sounds like your type of challenge, we would be delighted to hear from you.
The closing date for applications is Friday 14th November 2025 at 4pm.
First interviews will take place virtually on week commencing 24th November 2025.
Second interviews will take place in-person at our Leicester office on week commencing 1st December 2025.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
Home-Start UK is committed to Equality of Opportunity and Diversity. We wish to encourage applications from all parts of the community irrespective of gender, race, colour, age, sexual orientation or disability.
No agencies please.
Thank you!
Reporting to: Co-Executive Director
Benefits:
25 days annual leave per annum, plus UK public and bank holidays (pro rata)
Office closure for a week in December and August
Annual leave allocation increases annually by one day (up to a maximum of five days)
10% employer pension contribution
Other standard Foxglove benefits
Application deadline: Monday 19 November 2025 at 9am
About us
Foxglove is a non-profit that exists to make the use of technology fair for all. When Big Tech companies abuse their power, their workers or the planet – and when governments use technology to oppress, exclude or discriminate – we litigate and campaign to fix it.
Big Tech companies have become so large – gobbling up a huge slice of the global marketplace and an unprecedented treasure hoard of user data – that they’re now more powerful than many states. The harmful effects of this concentration of power are everywhere – threats to our democracy, to our privacy, decimated workers’ rights and platforms rife with disinformation and hate. Big Tech and AI data centres are rapidly expanding, resulting in huge strain on energy and water supplies. Worldwide governments are ploughing ahead with the use of algorithms and mass data systems to cut costs and increase efficiency often resulting in digital tools that entrench unfairness and leave the most vulnerable in society in crisis. All these problems are only getting worse with generative AI.
Foxglove works to bring the rule of law to the tech and AI giants who have upended our public square, workplaces, and social lives. We have a strong track record. We’ve launched landmark cases seeking structural changes to big tech’s harmful business models, supported 180+ Facebook content moderators fired for trying to form a union to sue Facebook and their outsourcing company, Sama – winning world-first judgements. We're urging competition regulators worldwide to stop Google’s theft of independent news. We’ve filed the UK’s first legal challenge to a data centre permission decision over the government’s failure to properly assess their environmental impact. We’ve forced disclosure of secret contracts between tech giants and the NHS, stopped a racist Home Office visa streaming algorithm, helped make grading fair for UK A level students, forced the government to pause the NHS Data Grab and challenged the Department of Work and Pension’s use of an algorithm unfairly flagging disabled people for benefit fraud investigations.
We are a small but growing team of lawyers, communications experts, and campaigners. Our work is global, and we work in partnership with lawyers, civil society, unions, and people impacted by Big Tech.
The role
As Head of Operations, you will lead all operational functions of Foxglove. You will ensure that our finance, HR, legal compliance, fundraising, systems and internal processes enable the organisation to carry out its mission effectively. You’ll work across Foxglove and closely with leadership, as well as with external partners to build a resilient and well-governed organisation, able to manage growth and complexity while staying mission driven. This role manages one member of staff and multiple consultants.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Financial Management & Accounting
1.Oversee financial operations: budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, expenditure controls, financial reporting, payroll.
2.Ensure compliance with accounting standards, audit requirements and donor / funder financial reporting obligations.
3.Manage relationships with external accountants, auditors, banks, and financial service providers.
4.Ensure appropriate and best practice financial policies and controls are in place.
5.Ensure financial risk is identified and managed appropriately.
Fundraising & Development
1.Contribute to the organisation’s fundraising strategy in collaboration with the Co-Executive Directors and Head of Strategy.
2.Ensure systems are in place to track and manage grants, philanthropic donations, and other income streams.
3.Support the preparation of funding proposals and reports and ensure accurate and timely reporting to funders.
4.Support relationship management with key donors, foundations and partners.
Operational Systems & Processes
1.Develop and maintain efficient operational processes and systems (e.g. finance, HR, IT, data protection, office management).
2.Ensure proper policies and procedures are in place for procurement, vendor management, travel & expenses, and record-keeping.
3.Oversee the infrastructure that supports remote / hybrid working, ensuring tools and systems support collaboration, security, and productivity.
Compliance, Risk & Governance
1.Lead on organisational compliance: legal, regulatory, health & safety, data protection / GDPR, employment law.
2.Ensure the organisation’s policies and procedures are best practice, legally compliant and up to date.
3.Establish and monitor risk management frameworks and our risk register.
4.Support governance structures (internal reporting, director meetings etc.), ensuring decisions are well informed and documented.
Human Resources & People Operations
1.Oversee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and staff development.
2.Ensure policies on equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing are embedded in how we work.
3.Foster a positive culture in line with Foxglove’s values.
Team Leadership & Collaboration
1.Lead the operations team, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities, performance and support.
2.Work closely with the rest of organisation including the legal teams and advocacy to ensure operations enables, not hinders, impact.
3.Contribute to organisational strategy, helping translate strategic ambitions into operational plans.
Person specification
Below are the essential and desirable criteria for a successful candidate.
Essential
·Qualified accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), with proven experience in financial oversight and reporting
·Minimum of 5-7 years of senior operations / finance / business operations experience, including line management
·Strong experience of budgeting, forecasting, audit & financial compliance
·Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills, able to bridge between high-level strategy and operational detail
·Strong risk-management and governance experience; familiarity with compliance, data protection / GDPR, employment law etc.
·Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities; excellent time-management skills
·Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present complex operational, financial or legal information clearly
·Strong collaboration skills; ability to work across teams; good leadership and people management skills
Desirable
·Experience of operating in non-profit / mission-driven / legal organisations
·Legal or compliance experience
·Experience of international operations, dealing with cross-border legal / regulatory issues
·Experience of change management and scaling teams or systems
·Understanding of, or interest in, legal, tech justice issues
·Experience of hybrid / remote team leadership
·Experience with fundraising finances, grants management, donor reports
Please note we know this role is wide in scope, if you meet some but not all the criteria and are interested in applying please reach out – we are keen to hear from you.
Length and salary
This is a permanent full-time role with six-month probation period.
How to apply
Please make your application via Applied here, answering the application questions and uploading your CV. We will not review applications sent via a job board or to our email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with first round interviews likely to take place in mid to late-November for selected candidates.
Foxglove does not use AI in its recruitment processes, except to detect applications for AI use. As a tech-justice organisation, we ask the same of our candidates.
Foxglove is growing and we are striving to build a team that is inclusive. We will create a diverse and adaptable environment where we support people to do their best work. We believe an effective and creative team is made up of people from different walks of life. You can read more about how we work and what we offer our staff here.
If you require any reasonable adjustments to complete this process, or have any questions, please get in touch with us.
If you would like to know more about how we process your data as part of the recruitment process you can read our recruitment data use policy here.
Non Charity Employer
6 - 10
Foxglove is an independent non-profit organisation that fights to make tech fair.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.