Trust and grants fundraiser jobs in Manchester

The Wave Project is seeking a Trust & Grant Fundraiser to help secure the income that powers our life-changing Surf Therapy programme, supporting over 2,600 children and young people each year with their mental health and wellbeing.

As part of an ambitious fundraising team generating £1.7m annually, you will manage and grow a portfolio of charitable trusts and foundations, securing grants ranging from smaller awards to significant six-figure gifts. You will develop compelling, impact-driven applications and reports that clearly demonstrate how funders’ support transforms young lives.

Working closely with the Head of Fundraising, you will strengthen existing funder relationships while building a robust pipeline of new prospects. Using digital fundraising tools and research platforms, you will identify and qualify new trust opportunities, combining data-led insight with creative engagement approaches.

This role is ideal for someone who is a strong writer, confident relationship manager, and proactive prospect researcher — motivated by the opportunity to expand access to Surf Therapy for children and young people who need it most.

About us

Wood Street Mission is a children’s charity helping children and families impacted by poverty in Manchester and Salford. 

We provide practical help to help meet children’s day-to-day needs and improve their life chances. We give clothes, bedding and baby equipment to struggling families, along with toys and books which are important for children’s wellbeing and development.

We support engagement in education by helping families with the costs of school uniform and run Book Roadshow events in schools to promote reading and improve children’s literacy. We work to raise awareness about child poverty and help thousands of children and their families every year.

We are looking to recruit a Grants and Trusts Fundraiser to join our growing team, as we take Wood Street Mission to the next level. You will be responsible for managing and delivering our Grants and Trusts income stream, developing long-term relationships with funders, and building on our small but successful track record. The Grants and Trusts Fundraiser is a pivotal role in helping us to accelerate our growth even further so we can help more children to thrive free from poverty.

The role is flexible between the office in Manchester and working from home.

Purpose of post

As the Grants and Trusts Fundraiser, you will be responsible for securing grants of varying sizes, translating the charity’s work across our five projects into compelling, high-quality applications for a range of audiences. Working collaboratively with the wider charity team, you will have a hands-on role in understanding our projects to ensure you can authentically convey our mission and our impact to funders. 

You will provide excellent care to existing and new supporters, ensuring reporting requirements are met and that funders are kept informed of how their support has enabled the charity to continue its work.

A key responsibility will be to contribute to and develop the Grants and Trusts fundraising plan. You will work to identify, secure and develop a robust pipeline of grant funders to maximise income and enable continued growth and sustainability of Wood Street Mission’s work. 

Main duties and responsibilities

1. To contribute to and develop the Grants and Trusts fundraising plan as agreed with the Fundraising Lead, to support the charity’s strategy

2. Meet agreed key performance indicators and to monitor and report on these targets

3. To keep up to date with funding policies and grant giving organisation news to inform the fundraising plan

4. To work closely with the Fundraising Lead and other members of the team to ensure a coordinated approach and excellent level of care for supporters, through appropriate and engaging communication methods

5. To research and develop new funders to support the achievement of fundraising targets

6. Frequently report on progress of Grants and Trusts fundraising to the Fundraising Lead

7. Work with the wider charity team to build a bank of individual stories and information for each of the five projects, to develop a Case for Support which can be adapted to different audiences

8. To work with the Fundraising Lead and the charity team to carry out a Full Cost Recovery exercise across all five projects, to provide a clear overview of the charity’s income and expenditure budget

9. Write comprehensive and persuasive applications to funders and prepare tailored presentations for a range of supporters

10. Build, nurture and account manage relationships with grant giving organisations, providing impact assessments, case studies and progress reports as required

11. Implement an effective stewardship process to maximise income and encourage long-term support, so funders feel appreciated and understand how their support has made an impact

12. Ensure grants are acknowledged promptly and reporting requirements are met within agreed timescales

13. To work alongside colleagues within the charity to identify potential grant funding opportunities and potential cross team working opportunities to ensure the charity maximises income across all income streams

14. Maintain up-to-date and accurate funder and volunteer records on the Beacon database, and to input data, donations and consent preferences, ensuring all data processing is GDPR compliant

15. To provide general administrative support to the Fundraising team

16. To represent Wood Street Mission as required at special events, and to proactively seek out new funding prospects and networking opportunities

17. To act as an ambassador for Wood Street Mission and promote the charity

18. To champion the Fundraising Regulator Code of Fundraising Practice, upholding a high standard of fundraising that is legal, open, honest and respectful 

Other areas and general work duties:

1. Work collaboratively on a daily basis with the wider charity team, including the Finance, Marketing, Administration and Project Development/Worker team

2. To support a safe working environment

3. To attend and participate constructively in staff meetings, supervision and appraisal

4. To implement Wood Street Mission policies and guidelines as set out in the staff handbook

5. To undertake training to develop knowledge, skills and confidence as agreed with your manager

6. To work flexibly and undertake such other work appropriate to the post as may be assigned by your manager. If evening and weekend event work may be required TOIL can be taken.

7. Other tasks and duties relevant to the role as required by the organisation

 

Personal Specification

Experience:

· Experience working in a fundraising or customer care environment

· Experience of working towards targets and with a wide range of stakeholders

· Experience of writing and developing funding applications, proposals and budgets

· Experience of delivering presentations to different audiences in a variety of settings

· Experience of using a CRM for data analysis and reporting

· Success in securing high-value trust and grants (Desired)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

· An excellent understanding of effective supporter care and stewardship

· A genuine interest in the issues of child poverty and an understanding of Wood Street Mission’s aims to tackle these issues

· Excellent interpersonal skills, capable of communicating with a diverse range of people with sensitivity, confidentiality and respect

· Excellent attention to detail, ability to keep clear and accurate records, and a desire to offer a high standard of service to our supporters

· Excellent organisation and time management skills, with an ability to work effectively under pressure and prioritise overlapping deadlines

· Excellent written and verbal skills, with the ability to communicate clearly with different audiences

· Excellent numeracy skills including the ability to track income, interpret accounts and present detailed financial information for supporters

· High IT proficiency with an excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Outlook and social media platforms

· Ability to work proactively and autonomously, using your own initiative to overcome challenges and problem-solve

· A good team player who can work collaboratively and alongside with the wider team and volunteers

· A self-motivated individual with a drive to achieve targets

· GCSE Level Education including Maths and English

· Excellent understanding of all aspects of fundraising and a commercial awareness of fundraising trends in the UK (Desired)

· Knowledge of charitable grant giving organisations, funding policies, data protection and fundraising best practice (Desired)

· A good working knowledge of the Code of Fundraising Practice and the Charities Act (Desired)

We are looking for a part time Global Trust Fundraiser to join a small team and play a critical role in securing funding from diverse sources to support the charity with their innovative development initiatives.

The ideal candidate would bring senior-level fundraising experience from a similar role at an NGO, organisation, or charity with an established network of executive relationships in major foundations.

This is a remote working role.

The charity
A passionate international development charity, dedicated to to collaborating world wide to make a lasting social impact.

The Role
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.

We are looking for a skilled and energetic Fundraiser to lead revenue generation at this outstanding, award-winning, international charity. Working alongside the Director, there is exceptional scope for securing the support of high net-worth individuals, regular givers and Trusts and Foundations. This is a new post and you will have an important role in shaping the future of HYT.

Please see attached the full job description below.

Location: Home-based with regular meetings in London and travel across the UK as required
Salary: £41,063 to £45,626 per annum
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Permanent
 
Benefits: 27 days holiday bank holidays (pro rata for part time roles), perk scheme access, life assurance, paid compassionate leave, enhanced sick pay, Cycling UK membership plus many more staff benefits.
 
We are almost two years into our ambitious organisational strategy, and this is an exciting moment to join Cycling UK as our Philanthropy Manager. Cycling UK’s public fundraising programme is at a pivotal stage of development. The Philanthropy Manager will play a central role in shaping and accelerating this next phase, leading the growth of major gift and legacy income through strong donor relationships, compelling propositions and high-quality stewardship.
 
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 role with real opportunity to influence direction, build capability and embed philanthropy at the heart of the organisation. Working closely with the Head of Fundraising and colleagues across Cycling UK, the postholder will help transform a developing philanthropy programme into a mature, relationship-led income stream that delivers sustainable growth over the long term.
 
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
 
Closing date: 23-03-2026
 
You may have experience in the following: Philanthropy Manager, Major Gifts Manager, Major Donor Manager, High Value Giving Manager, Fundraising Manager, Senior Fundraiser, Development Manager, Partnerships Manager, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Individual Giving Manager, Legacy Fundraising Manager, Legacy Giving Manager, Trusts and Foundations Manager, Grants Manager, Donor Relations Manager, Stewardship Manager, Relationship Fundraiser, Income Generation Manager, Strategic Fundraising Lead, etc.
 
REF-226 943

We're FIRST UK, a EdTech charity using robots, role models and competitions to make STEM more approachable and inclusive – empowering young people with the technical knowledge and soft skills to engineer better futures. 

It’s an exciting time to join us as we move from startup into scaling mode. We’re backed by some of the world’s leading tech-enabled businesses including Arm, Purposeful Ventures, Smiths Group, Bloomberg, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and many more.

In summer 2026 we’ll publish a new 5-year strategy articulating how we will build more than robots in schools and community groups nationwide, alongside growing our annual income to £2m by 2027.

It’s easy to see why competitions like this really do help students develop the skills they’re going to need for the rest of their lives. Honestly, I wish I had something like this when I was at school.

Spencer Kelly, BBC Broadcaster

What we're looking for

A fundraiser, partnerships guru, and consummate relationship builder. Someone who can support the CEO to identify, go after, and convert opportunities which sustain and scale the charity’s impact. Broadly this means more money and greater participation. Through your ability to seek out and support the relationships which matter most you will ensure the charity secures:

• Income generating relationships with trusts, foundations, and philanthropists
• Corporate partnerships fuelling our programmes with funding and volunteers
• Collaborations with organisations supporting outreach and growth
• An ecosystem of proactive trustees, advisors, ambassadors and advocates

Working closely with the CEO you’ll get the charity in front of the right people, having the right conversations which grow investment and participation. Your tenacity will help build and steward a network to achieve our mission better and sooner.

Who this might suit

A people person. You love seeking out and building relationships, then maximising their impact. You might have worked in a charity fundraising position before. You understand what good looks like in terms of brokering strong partnerships – and relish the mix of research, prospecting, proposal development, pitching, and importantly onward stewardship of the relationships we win to ensure we amplify, leverage and retain them.

Whatever your background – the common, transferable skill set is being excellent at relationships. Understanding that it’s not just about the chat, it’s about the follow through. You do what you say you will – and do it well.

The experience you'll have

• Evidence of winning income (e.g corporate partnerships, sponsorship, grants etc)
• Evidence of driving growth (this might be in sales, membership, users, income etc)
• Experience stewarding relationships (partners, funders, trustees, volunteers, stakeholders)

You might also possess

• Passion for STEM, tech for good, inclusion

What you'll get

Responsibility, autonomy, sense of purpose. You’ll be working in a small organisation which is lean, agile and fast-paced. Unimpeded by hierarchy and bureaucracy you’ll have the freedom to experiment, fail fast and crack on. You’ll be presenting a compelling case for support against a validated impact model. Long before pandemics we were working flexibly and remotely – it’s embedded to our culture.

I'm in, what's next?

• Check out the full role profile on our HR platform
• Browse our website and get familiar with our mission
• Answer 3 short screening questions, upload CV and hang tight until Sun 08th Mar
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview by Thu 12th Mar

Safer recruitment

You must live in and have the right to work in the UK. In accordance with our Safer Recruitment Policy, all employees of the charity will be asked for two references which will be conducted by phone and are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks upon appointment.