Grant Finder/Fundraiser & Bid Writer

What will you be doing?

Research and identify suitable trusts, foundations and corporate giving programs. 
Write compelling grant applications and funding bids, articulating our mission and impact clearly. 
Follow up on all submissions and manage the corporate donor pipeline.
Identify where are our key areas that would help us to raise funds and establish an ambitious, dynamic yet also conservative strategy.
Create and implement a corporate giving strategy focused on cultivating meaningful relationships with local businesses to develop a corporate giving program that fosters community partnership and generates sustainable support for our charity.

What are we looking for?

Essential Skills

• Exceptional Written and Verbal Communication: The ability to write clear, persuasive and compelling narratives is crucial for grant proposals and donor communications. Strong verbal skills are needed for presentations, networking and engaging with corporations.
• Research and Analytical Skills: Fundraisers must be adept at identifying potential funding sources, researching funder priorities and gathering data and statistics to support their proposals and demonstrate need.
• Attention to Detail: Meticulousness is vital to ensure all application guidelines, formatting, budget calculations and deadlines are met, as minor errors can lead to disqualification.
• Relationship-Building and Interpersonal Skills: Success relies heavily on nurturing ongoing relationships with donors, funders and internal teams.
• Project and Time Management: The role involves managing multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously, requiring excellent organizational and planning skills to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Financial Acumen: Fundraisers and grant finders need an understanding of budgeting, forecasting and financial management to develop project budgets and ensure compliance with funding regulations.
• Strategic Thinking and Planning: The ability to develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan to maximize income from various sources is essential.
• Resilience and Adaptability: Fundraising can be challenging, involving rejections and changing circumstances. A proactive, flexible and resilient approach is necessary to navigate these ups and downs.
• Storytelling: The ability to convey the organization's mission and impact through engaging stories that resonate with donors' motivations is a key skill for inspiring action.
• Digital Literacy: Proficiency with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) databases, grant management software and online research platforms is increasingly important. 

Relevant Experience

• Direct Fundraising Experience: Prior experience in successfully raising funds from various sources (trusts/foundations, corporate sources, individual giving, events) is highly desirable.
• Experience in the Non-Profit Sector: A deep understanding of the charity industry, the specific cause area and the needs of beneficiaries helps in authentically communicating the mission.
• Transferable Skills: Experience from other fields like sales, marketing, journalism, or project management can be highly relevant, as these roles often involve similar skills in persuasion, communication and planning.

• Demonstrated Results: The ability to showcase tangible impact, such as the amount of funds raised or a high grant success rate, is a significant advantage.

  
  Ultimately, a passion for the cause and the drive to make a difference are paramount for our successful volunteer. 

What difference will you make?

Your main task will be researching and writing compelling applications to trusts, foundations, and corporate giving schemes. 
You’ll be responsible for finding new funding streams and articulating our mission's impact to potential partners. This is a critical role that directly enables us to supply more Memorial Boxes, keepsakes, Angel Cards and give support to more families.
Help us secure the resources needed to comfort bereaved families across the UK.

Before you apply

Any fundraising campaigns they may have previously worked on  - although we understand actual details may be subject to privacy restrictions.
Clear and concise knowledge of what the role entails and some indication of how they might implement a strategy.
Interviews will be arranged by email or phone and will be conducted over Zoom or Teams.
Once we have had the interview we would hope to make a quick decision and would hope to inform them within 48 hours although this does depend on whether they are the only candidate volunteering, as if we need to see more people then it may take us longer.  We should know this by the time we conduct any interviews and would be able to advise the applicant at the time of the interview when they will be likely to hear from us.