COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING OFFICER (MATERNITY COVER)

Candidate Application Pack

July 2016

Contents

Introduction from Head Events and Community Fundraising / 1
Background Information / 3
Job Description and Person Specification / 4
Recruitment Process and Timetable / 8
Terms and Conditions / 9
How to Apply / 10
Advertisement / 11
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form / 12

Introduction from Martin Neal, Head of Events and Community Fundraising

Dear Applicant,

At Dreams Come True we’re passionate about enabling life threatened and life limited children and young peopleto achieve a dream; we believe that the power of dreams can help them to get through dark and difficult times and can provide them and their families with hope, strength and joy. We are a national organisation with a growing reputation as the gold standard for dream delivery - a reputation we are determined to reinforce. We are unique in being the only dream/wish charity to fulfil dreams for young people aged up to 21 years of age. Without Dreams Come True they would have nowhere else to go.

Our mission:to bring joy to terminally and seriously ill children and young people by making their dreams come true.

Our vision:that every terminally and seriously ill child with a dream has the opportunity for that dream to come true.

Our commitments:

  • to excel at fulfilling dreams and at creating the resources to fulfil them
  • to recognize that every child is unique and every dream is unique
  • to treat all children and their families with respect, care, compassion and empathy
  • to recognize the importance of everyone in the organisation to fulfilling our mission
  • to celebrate the contribution made by all who work in and on behalf of Dreams Come True, all our hard working volunteer fundraisers and each and every donor to the Charity

In order to identify children who would benefit from a dream, we develop close relationships with hospitals and hospices, paediatric palliative care networks, residential centres, schools and colleges, family support charities and individual families.Through our team of professional dream coordinators we establish day to day contact with children and families affected by serious or life shortening conditionsdeveloping a clear understanding of the child’s uniquedream. We then work to bring that dream to fruition, ensuring that the associated memories are captured and treasured. We call this the power of dreams.

Delivering dreams, whether arranging for a child to meet Lewis Hamilton, or to experience zero gravity, requires skill, ingenuity, persistence and nerve, as well as compassion, sensitivity and complete reliability. We work with stars and their agents and minders, with travel and leisure companies, PR agencies, insurance companies, and a host of specific individuals and organisations whose help we need in order to make a particular dream come true. We stop at nothing and never take no for an answer when working on a dream.

In partnership with the University of Stirling, in 2012 we engaged in a programme of research, the Power of Dreams Study, which has gained the endorsement of high level experts in the paediatric palliative care sector. Phase 1 of this programme, a 3 year PhD study, is completed and the final report has been submitted. This study contains powerful findings that will strengthen our ability to communicate to a range of audiences including donors and supporters, paediatric palliative care sector professionals and families.

Our Fundraising and Marketing Teamplays a critical role indelivering the aims of the organisation. Motivated by the significant level of unmet need in our sector, and by the enormous impact that our work delivers, we are determined to grow our income and our impact.

We have made good progress over recent years in developing our marketing and brand and are now working hard to extend awareness of our work, and our fundraising reach, across all parts of the UK. We have good operations in community fundraising and events as well as in corporate partnerships, and we are looking to build our income from trusts and foundations and from individual giving including major donors.

You will be taking on a role that has grown and developed over the last few years. Working largely in the areas of Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire, there is much activity already in hand, but also much more that we could be achieving.

I am looking to appoint a Community Fundraising Officer who:

  • can sustain and build on the work that has been done by the current post holder over the last few years;
  • can successfully engage with and activate the fundraising work of our growing cadre of volunteers;
  • can identify and implement new opportunities.

If this is you, please get in touch.I would love to chat to you if you would like to find out more about the charity and the role before submitting and application. My numbers are 07717 533418 and 01428 726338.

Martin Neal

Head of Events and Community Fundraising

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Who we are

Dreams Come True is a children's charity serving the whole of the UK. Our mission is quite simply to bring joy to seriously ill children and young people across the country by making their dreams come true. Founded in 1988, over the last 27 years we have brought happiness and joy to more than 5,000 children and young people as well as their friends, family and carers.

What we do

Dreams Come True helps children and young people who have a serious or life-limiting medical condition. We operate with complete integrity and dependability – liaising, coordinating, organising, funding and often accompanying the Dream children – to ensure that each child has an unforgettable experience fulfilling their dream, with long lasting memories to share with families, loved ones and friends.

Each dream is unique. Some children want to meet their celebrity hero or favourite Disney character while others want to visit their grandparents abroad, ride a unicorn, swim with dolphins or work on a fashion magazine. Many want help with their everyday lives and Dreams Come True is delighted to provide vital sensory equipment, wheelchairs or specially adapted bicycles as well.

Why we do it

Dream Children often have to cope with endless rounds of hospital visits, painful treatments and the prospect of living with a long term debilitating disease. These very brave youngsters can become depressed and frustrated, yet they all dream of things they want to do and achieve.

Fulfilling a dream provides a positive focus empowering both them and their families with new enthusiasm and strength to deal with ongoing daily struggles of illness, gruelling hospital treatment and sometimes sad loss. It is a legacy of hope and well being that is poignantly expressed in many hundreds of thank you letters we receive from Dream Children and their families.

JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job Title:Community Fundraising Officer

Reports to:Head of Events and Community Fundraising

Location:Based at our Liphook office but able to travel particularly in the South East

Salary:£20-25k (depending on experience) plus benefits

Contract:Maternity cover- temporary contract up to 12 months

Background and overall purpose of the job:

The Events and Community Fundraising Team at Dreams Come True is responsible for securing income from individuals and groups fundraising in the community.

The Community Fundraising Officer (CFO) plays a significant part in contributing to the high performing fundraising team.Focusing largely but not exclusively on the South East, the CFOworks closely with the Head of Events and Community Fundraising to drive the continued growth of the charity’s community fundraising income particularly through providing support to community partnerships and volunteer groups. We are looking for someone who can build relationships, organise events and activities, identify and exploit opportunities and achieve targets.

Main tasks of role:

Strategy, Finance and Reporting:

  • Support the Head of Events and Community Fundraising in developing the community fundraising strategy for Dreams Come True to increase income within this stream.
  • Deliver the strategy with particular emphasis on the South East
  • Encourage supporter loyalty and increase multi-year support to the charity in order to maximise funds raised in accordance with fundraising legislation and good practice.
  • Recruit new fundraising supporters.
  • Support the Corporate Team to identify and apply for ‘Charity of the Year’ partnerships when appropriate to manage such relationships.
  • Support the Volunteer Coordinator to extend volunteer networks.
  • Ensure that fundraising activity is implemented and managed locally to deliver budgets and income targets achieving this by supporting and facilitating the development of groups and volunteers.
  • Track income and report against budget targets regularly

Supporter Management

  • Provide excellent customer service to community fundraising supporters, throughout the supporter journey.
  • Provide high-quality relationship management to volunteer groups.
  • Support, motivate and develop local fundraising volunteers, ensuring they have a clear understanding of Dreams Come True to enable them to represent the charity’s work effectively.
  • In liaison with the Corporate Team, provide high quality relationship management to corporate partners identified as being best supported by the post holder.
  • Keep up to date with fundraising legislation and codes of practice to be able to provide relevant advice to fundraisers.
  • Ensure volunteers and fundraisers have all necessary materials for fundraising activities and initiatives.

Increase community support

  • Use own initiative to extend volunteer networks, develop new groups and supporters, and respond to fundraising opportunities in line with the strategy.
  • Run volunteer events with both a recruitment and cultivation function, liaising closely with the Events team to ensure a seamless supporter journey, and with the Marketing team to include media volunteers.
  • Manage recruitment process of new Dreams Come True volunteers where relevant, providing relevant support and training.
  • Liaise with current community organisation supporters (e.g. golf clubs, educational institutions etc) to maintain and to increase income.
  • Recruit new community organisations as fundraising supporters.
  • Initiate and roll out community fundraising events with evidence of effective ROI and achievement of strategic goals, liaising closely with the Events Team.
  • Provide face-to-face talks and presentations to community organisations for recruitment/cultivation purposes.
  • Arrange appropriate volunteer representation at events in the community (for example, for cheque collections and talks), spreading the charity’s reach cost-effectively.
  • Accurately track and record contact with both community and corporate prospects for planning and reporting purposes.

Monitoring and Reporting

  • Ensure that your activity is monitored and evaluated, clearly communicating progress to Head of Community and Events Fundraising.
  • Manage relevant information on the charity’s database, keeping detailed, up-to-date records of activity and income.

Other Duties

  • Contribute to the charity’s social media channels and web content in liaison with the Marketing Team.
  • Develop effective community fundraising products with a recruitment and cultivation function, in liaison with the Fundraising Manager and the Marketing Team.
  • Work closely with the Marketing Team to maximise potential publicity and acknowledgement for fundraising supporters and their events.
  • Keep up to date with Dream stories to communicate to all supporters.
  • Stay abreast of competitor activity, particularly in your designated area, to inform strategy.
  • Effectively liaise with the Trust & Foundations Team including helping to promote other areas of the charity like the lottery, give as you earn events and individual giving referrals.
  • Undertake any other relevant duties and projects delegated by the Fundraising Manager in line with the responsibilities of the post.

Person Specification

Essential Experience Criteria

  • A minimum of one year’s successful experience of community fundraising within the voluntary sector
  • A minimum of one year’s successful experience of organising customer-facing events
  • Demonstrable experience of identifying, successfully acquiring and developing new business opportunities.
  • Demonstrable experience of working towards and achieving income/expenditure targets.

Essential Skills and Knowledge

  • Ability to develop and effectively implement annual work plans, monitoring performance so as to achieve agreed income/expenditure targets.
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, sufficient to develop effective relationships with volunteer supporters from scratch and from a range of backgrounds.
  • Negotiation and influencing skills sufficient to manage and direct the activities of volunteer supporters, often living at a distance, and to make the most of fundraising opportunities
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues at all levels and from all parts of the organisation.
  • Ability to deliver effective presentations to groups of people from differing backgrounds
  • Numeracy skills sufficient to develop effective budgets for events and other fundraising activities and to monitor progress against income/expenditure targets.
  • Ability to effectively use ICT to store and retrieve data, to generate routine correspondence and to undertake basic online research.
  • Ability to develop and maintain effective record keeping systems, both paper based and digital.
  • Strong organisational skills with the ability to effectively manage a diverse and changing workload, meeting deadlines to required standards.
  • Ability to work effectively as part of a team, offering and receiving support as required.

Essential Aptitude

  • A passionate and entrepreneurial approach to fundraising, with the ability to anticipate, identify and make the most of emerging opportunities
  • Possessing the personal credibility and gravitas necessary to effectively represent Dreams Come True within the expectations of the role amongst supporters from a range of backgrounds.
  • A willingness to work anti-social hours, including evenings and weekends.
  • Able to travel independently and to transport fundraising materials to and from events.
  • Customer focused and committed to providing the very best of customer care
  • Interest in and commitment to Dreams Come True’s mission, vision and values.
  • Self-motivated, flexible and enthusiastic approach to work Innovative and proactive with a problem solving approach where systems can be improved

Desirable

  • Experience of using ASI Europe’s Progress database or other fundraising databases.
  • Experience of creating written materials such as brochures and information packs Experience of supervising staff or volunteers.
  • Associate or Full membership of the Institute of Fundraising.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND TIMETABLE

All applications will be acknowledged.

Deadline for applications is 12.00 on Monday 15 August 2016

Candidates who have been short-listed will be informed by telephone. Those who have not been short-listed will be notified by email.

Interviews will be held in the period 18-25 August 2016 at Dreams Come True’s Liphook offices.

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional

information or wish to have an informal discussion, please contact Martin Neal on01428 726338 or 07717 533418.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 12.00 ON MONDAY 15 AUGUST 2016

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Salary

Up to £20-25k (dependent on skills and experience)

Holiday

25 days p.a. plus public holidays.

Pension

Contributory group pension with personal contributions being matched up to a maximum of 6% of gross salary.

Other

Private health insurance

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in being considered for this position, please examine the job descriptionand person specification carefully in assessing the suitability of your candidature.

  • If you wish to apply, submit a CV and supportingstatement which should state how you meet the listed criteria in the job description and person specification and how you would tackle the challenges.
  • You should give the names, positions, organisations and telephone contact numbers of three referees, one of whom should be your current/most recent employer. Referees willnot be contacted without your prior approval.
  • You are invited to complete and return the enclosed monitoring information form. This will help us to follow the recommendations of the Equality and Human Rights

Commission, that employers should monitor selection decisions to assess whether equalityof opportunity is being achieved. The information on the form will be treated as confidentialand used for statistical purposes. The form will not be treated as part of your application.

  • Any person with a disability, whose application clearly shows that they meet the essential requirements in the person specification, will be invited for interview.
  • Finally, please ensure that you have included mobile and home telephone numbers.

Applications should be either emailed to , orif preferred, marked “Private and Confidential” and posted to:

Jobs - Community Fundraising Officer

Dreams Come True Charity

Exchange House

33 Station Road

Liphook

Hampshire GU30 7DW

Advertisement

Community Fundraising Officer (maternity cover)

Dreams Come True Charity is looking for a talented and experienced Community Fundraising Officer to provide maternity cover. Working particularly within a 40 mile radius of our head office in Liphook, this role will include looking after and growing our current volunteer network, delivering planned events and activities, and supporting the fundraising activities of community based organisations including schools, golf clubs, Rotary and other service clubs. The role involves some evening and weekend work and applicants must be able to use their own car.

Further information on the charity can be found at The application pack isavailable at or by emailing . For an informal discussion on the charity and the role feel free tocontact our Head of Events and Community Fundraising, Martin Neal, on 07717 533418 or 01428 726338.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 12.00 ON 15 AUGUST 2016

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES MONITORING FORM (please separate out this form from the Application Pack, complete it and return it with your CV and supporting statement)