4 Business development and fundraising coordinator volunteer roles

About Roots Academy

At Roots Academy, we’ve built a learning experience that’s changing the lives of the ummah’s future leaders, change-makers and visionaries.

Our vision is enabling university students to live God-centred lives, so we teach structured, engaging and transformative face-to-face foundational Islamic education to over 1,800 students across the UK.

Role Summary

As the Fundraising Coordinator, you will be responsible for helping create and implementing strategies to fundraise from both existing and new sources (individuals, mosques, grants etc.) with the aim of securing the long-term financial stability of Roots Academy.

Key tasks

Fundraising Planning:

• Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising plans to achieve income goals.
• Identify potential new funding sources and opportunities for income generation.

Campaign Management:

• Plan and oversee fundraising campaigns and events, including direct appeals, online campaigns, and fundraising events at mosques.
• Coordinate with marketing and communications teams to develop compelling fundraising material.

Proposal Development:

• Research trusts, foundations and corporations for grant opportunities.
• Work with the team to develop proposals, supporting with grant writing when needed.

Budget Oversight:

• Work closely with the finance team to monitor fundraising budgets, expenditure, and financial projections.

Donor Relations:

• Support with Donor Communications in activities related to donor relationship management and stewardship.

What we’re looking for

• Experience in organising fundraising campaigns and events, including digital fundraising strategies
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles and techniques, including donor cultivation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate the organisation’s mission and impact to diverse audiences
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and execute effective fundraising plans
• Strong understanding of Islam and the Muslim Community
   

What we have to offer

• Be part of a team of 40+ dedicated volunteers from across the country.
• Receive continuous rewards for those that seek Islamic knowledge from the Roots platform.
• Be a part of a growing organisation that aims to revive and educate Muslims from a grassroots perspective.
• Receive in-house tarbiyah sessions to develop your deen.

Please note this is an unpaid volunteer position.

Volunteers are entitled to claim expenses incurred for food, travel and equipment, in line with our Expenses policy.

Fundraising Project Coordinator (Volunteer) 

The Owen Smith Charitable Trust 

Location: Ealing, London / Hybrid 

Salary: Unpaid role 

Expenses: Agreed travel expenses may be reimbursed for attendance at the Ealing location, by prior agreement. 

Contract: Voluntary 

Time commitment: Up to 5 hours per week 

This voluntary role would suit someone who enjoys research, organisation and coordination, and wants to help a small charity build a more consistent approach to fundraising. You will help identify suitable funders, track opportunities and support applications that strengthen the Trust's opportunities to secure funding for environmental, community and wellbeing projects. 

Working arrangements 

• We currently meet in Ealing weekly, you are welcome to join also on a weekly or fortnightly or monthly basis, depending on project needs, to collaborate, review progress, coordinate activities and contribute to a supportive team environment. 

• Remote working is also available, with regular communication with the Project Director and wider volunteer team. 

• Specific meeting arrangements can be discussed with the successful volunteer. 

Help us turn environmental and community projects into reality 

The Owen Smith Charitable Trust is looking for an organised, proactive Fundraising Project Coordinator to identify funding opportunities, develop our funding pipeline and coordinate grant applications for our environmental, community and well-being work. 

You will collaborate closely with the Project Director and wider volunteer team to build a more structured and sustainable approach to fundraising for our Wild Magic project and wider charitable activities. 

We welcome applicants with strong transferable skills, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.We welcome applicants with strong transferable skills, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. 

Key responsibilities 

• Research and identify suitable grant, trust, foundation, corporate and community funding opportunities. 

• Assess funding criteria and maintain a simple pipeline of opportunities, deadlines, applications and outcomes. 

• Coordinate information, evidence and supporting documents required for funding applications. 

• Support the development of project proposals, outcomes, budgets and business cases. 

• Support the preparation and submission of grant applications, provide regular updates and review on application progress, outcomes and follow-up actions. 

• Work with the Project Director to align funding opportunities with project priorities, to help shape the Trust’s fundraising approach. 

• Identify potential fundraising, partnership and community opportunities that could support the Trust’s work. 

• Suggest improvements to the Trust’s approach to funding research, applications and coordination. 

Essential skills and experience

• Project Management: Ability to coordinate multiple activities, manage deadlines, track progress and ensure agreed actions are followed through, and deliver high-quality results. 

• Research Skills: Ability to research information, assess funding opportunities and identify those that are relevant to the Trust’s projects and priorities. 

• Time Management: Ability to prioritise tasks, manage competing deadlines and work effectively within an agreed time commitment. 

• Initiative & Reliability: Proactive and dependable, with the confidence to work independently, identify opportunities and keep others informed of progress. 

• Organisation & Attention to Detail: Strong organisational, written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to keep information, actions, deadlines and supporting documents accurately and up to date. 

• Digital Skills: Comfortable using everyday digital tools such as Microsoft Office, Google Workspace or similar platforms. 

Desirable skills and experience

We are interested in your transferable skills, what you can contribute and your willingness to develop. 

Experience in one or more of the following would be an advantage: 

• Grant writing: Experience researching funding opportunities and supporting the preparation of clear, compelling grant applications that help secure funding for environmental, community and wellbeing projects. 

• Fundraising experience: Experience planning, managing or supporting fundraising activity, such as trust and foundation fundraising, corporate fundraising, community fundraising or digital campaigns to attract donors and increase awareness. 

• Project Management: Previous experience coordinating projects, workstreams or activities, including managing actions, stakeholders, deadlines and deliverables. 

• Business Case Development: Experience preparing project proposals, budgets, business cases, outcomes or supporting documentation for funding or project approval. 

• Funding Pipeline Management: Experience tracking funding opportunities, application deadlines, submissions, outcomes and reporting requirements. 

• Monitoring & Reporting: Experience supporting funding monitoring, evaluation or reporting, including gathering evidence of project outcomes and impact. 

• Relationship Building: Experience developing and maintaining relationships with funders, corporate partners, community organisations or other stakeholders with the ability to communicate clearly. 

• Partnership Development: Experience identifying opportunities for collaboration with businesses, community groups, schools or other organisations. 

Initial trial and review

The role will begin with an initial one-month trial period to establish whether the role and ways of working are a good fit for both the volunteer and the Trust. 

Initial priorities will be agreed with the Project Director and may include becoming familiar with our projects and funding priorities, researching opportunities and developing the funding pipeline. 

Following the first-month review, the role may continue by mutual agreement, with the volunteers’ contribution and progress reviewed over the first three months. 

The review will consider the quality of funding research and application support, as well as organisation, reliability, communication, initiative and collaboration. It will not be based solely on whether funding has been secured, as funding decisions are outside the volunteer’s control.as well as organisation, reliability, communication, initiative and collaboration. It will not be based solely on whether funding has been secured, as funding decisions are outside the volunteer’s control. 

What you will gain 

This is an opportunity to gain practical experience in charity fundraising, grant development, and project coordination, while contributing to environmental and community projects to help shape the Trust’s fundraising approach. 

How to apply

We welcome applications from people with different backgrounds and experiences, and we are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments or flexible arrangements where possible. 

Please send a short CV and a brief explanation of why you are interested in the role and what skills or experience you could bring. 

If you do not meet every requirement but believe you could make a valuable contribution, we would still encourage you to get in touch. 

As the Guild has grown in the past few years, our risk management, financial controls, and body of policies and procedures have also matured. Following the scheduled departure of two trustees earlier this year, the Guild’s Finance Subcommittee is seeking to welcome an independent member with relevant skills to attend meetings and advise on financial matters to help us make good decisions effectively.

This voluntary role supports trustees and staff by providing independent insight, constructive scrutiny, and professional expertise on financial planning, budgeting, risk, and long-term sustainability. As a guest to Finance Subcommittee meetings, you will review financial information, contribute to discussions, and help ensure resources are used effectively to maximise our charitable impact for students.

The Finance Subcommittee currently consists of two elected Officers, two external Trustees, and may include a student trustee in future. Papers and reports are ordinarily provided by the Guild Director, who is a non-voting guest to Subcommittee meetings. The Subcommittee normally meets four times per year for around two hours.

Students’ Union experience is not essential, but we are seeking a volunteer able to operate within our distinctive context. We are particularly interested in applicants with experience in finance, accounting, audit, charity governance, or business management.