High Value Fundraising Manager

HIGH VALUE FUNDRAISING MANAGER

Location: Flexible remote with regular presence at our office in Horsham, West Sussex for team meetings

Salary: circa £34,000 FTE depending on experience

Level Grade 5, Band B

Full-time 35 hours per week

About the Charity

Born Free works tirelessly to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs.  As a leading wildlife charity, we oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong – in the wild.

We promote Compassionate Conservation to enhance the survival of wildlife, especially threatened species in the wild, and to protect natural habitats while respecting the needs and safeguarding the welfare of individual animals. We seek to have a positive impact on animals in the wild and protect their ecosystems in perpetuity, for their own intrinsic value and for the critical roles they play within the natural world.

Set up initially as Zoo Check in 1984 by Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna and their son Will Travers, Born Free has worked tirelessly for nearly 37 years to prevent captive animal suffering and phase-out zoos.  Will continues to lead the organisation as Executive President, and Virginia remains active on the Board of Trustees, working closely with the team to share our vision and programmes on public forums. 

The Opportunity

There has never been a more exciting time to join Born Free’s team, as we invest more in our programmatic work than ever before. We are recruiting for a passionate High Value Fundraising Manager to generate and grow income from trusts and foundations as well as high net worth individuals, to support the charity's programme of vital work. This fantastic opportunity would best suit an individual with successful and proven experience in achieving income targets in a high value fundraising role.

The Role

The High Value Fundraising Manager will be dynamic and entrepreneurial, and have the confidence, authority and experience to be immediately credible, internally and externally.   

Key tasks will include:

• Strategy and planning: Work with the Head of Fundraising to develop an ambitious and sustainable high value funding programme which fits with Born Free’s diverse project portfolio;
• Prospecting: Research prospect lists of potential high net worth individuals, trusts, foundations, institutional and statutory grantors and funding partners, track funding opportunities, and maintain a funders’ database and healthy pipeline;
• Donor engagement: Establish and nurture effective relationships with donors including the co-ordination of initial approaches, thank you letters, updates, reports, appeal asks and invitations to events. Develop and implement supporter journeys to engage and develop donors;
• Collaboration with programmes: Cultivate partnerships with relevant stakeholders and work with Heads of Departments as appropriate to co-ordinate high quality, creative and compelling joint grant applications and funding proposals which meet grantor’s and donor’s requirements. Provide support to the Programmatic team as required for technical grant applications and reporting;
• Fundraising development: Work closely with all levels of the Programmatic team to compile case-for-support information for funding applications, develop proposal budgets and to create reports in-line with any donor requirements, ensuring deadlines are planned and agreed;
• Creation of fundraising opportunities: Support the wider Fundraising Team in developing new income-generating initiatives and funding opportunities, including but not limited to, the creation of fundraising materials such as concept notes, impact reports and case studies and by supporting our programme of events;
• Records and reporting: Work closely with the Head of Fundraising and Chief Finance Officer to develop and maintain accurate systems for recording and reporting against all high value fundraising activities, including through the delivery of regular reviews of income, pipeline and reporting criteria and the delivery of reports for the Executive Team and Trustees;
• Representing Born Free: Represent Born Free in key external funding relationships and with third party organisations as required;
• External trends and regulation: Keep up to date with fundraising trends and legislation in relation to high value fundraising, and ensure compliance with the Charity Commission, fundraising regulation, and data protection requirements, including the General Data Protection Directive;
• Collaboration: Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders, external partners and other charities;
• Ownership and accountability: Take collective responsibility for delivering the objectives of the Fundraising Department in accordance with the strategy established by the Executive Management Team and approved by the Board of Trustees;

The successful candidate should ideally demonstrate the following attributes: 

• University Degree or College Diploma in Professional Fundraising (or Marketing within the charitable sector);
• Minimum 5 years in a similar role, with demonstrable experience, creativity and innovation in income-generation, fundraising, and achieving targets derived from both trusts and foundations, high net worth individuals and from institutional and statutory funders;
• Professional writing, with ability to create compelling high-quality proposals as well as and experience of working in partnership to produce successful bids/applications;
• Excellent relationship-building skills, including the identification of new opportunities, and the ability to engage with and steward key supporters and high level donors;
• Excellent financial/business acumen and numeracy skills, comfortable with data and budgetary control;
• Advanced knowledge in CRM systems (ideally Raisers Edge) and the ability to compile and analyse performance data to develop metrics that support decision-making;
• Experience in negotiating and developing complex grant agreements which protect Born Free’s reputation and financial interests;
• Highly professional with exceptional interpersonal skills, and the ability to support, motivate and inspire confidence with colleagues and a range of external stakeholders;
• A strong empathy and engagement with the work of the Foundation, and the desire to drive it forward, bringing energy and determination to its mission;
• Decisive and straightforward; low ego and a team player; high levels of drive and energy; a sense of humour; impeccable, innovative and creative story-telling capability, and a healthy level of curiosity for external and current affairs.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills, and strong attention to detail;
• Ability to plan, prioritise and deliver to tight time frames and to work intuitively with a “can do”, entrepreneurial approach, in a small, fast-paced and dynamic team.

The candidate will report directly to the Head of Fundraising, and work closely with the Heads of Conservation, Rescue and Care, Policy and Education. This role has no direct reports.    

Our excellent benefits package includes opportunities for continuous professional learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, working from home with regular team meetings (Covid permitting) to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, wellbeing support, and a competitive pension.

Born Free is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. We welcome requests for flexible working.

Applications with a covering letter and CV should be sent by clicking on the Apply button below, by Sunday 11^th July 2021.

Important: Please include HVM/21 in the subject of your email. 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert at any time. Born Free politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

We are conducting interviews on a rolling basis and only selected candidates will be contacted. The interviews will take place on Zoom, due to Covid-related restrictions.

Thank you for your interest.