Job Description –Trust and Foundations Fundraiser

Job Title / Trust and Foundations Fundraiser at Wirral Ark
Reporting to / CEO
Salary/wage / £25,000 plus per annum, contributory pension scheme, 25days annual leave plus bank holidays.
Hours / 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 or similar
Contract type / Permanent, subject to performance
Base / One of the charity’s offices, all close to Hamilton Square, Birkenhead. Partial homeworking considered.
Probation / 3 months

Job Purpose

Wirral Churches’ Ark Project is a small and vibrant homeless charity based in Birkenhead on the Wirral. The charity is seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Trust and Foundation Fundraiser to raise funds for the essential services we deliver from our sites across Birkenhead. This is a new post and the charity believes that there is every reason to expect significant success from the role.

The successful candidate will need the following:

  • Significant experience of submitting successful applications for regular five and six figure sums
  • The ability to devise project ideas based on input from the charity and its staff
  • The ability to work alongside a team of other people in different roles
  • Good strategic thinking and the ability to see opportunities for the charity to take advantage of new streams of funding
  • Good communication skills and the ability to move through the charity, working with the different parts of the organization to understand how they operate
  • To support the long term development of the fundraising function at Wirral Ark

Duties

  • To raise income to agreed targets from a range of trusts and foundations
  • To identify and research local and national trusts, foundations and other grant making bodies who have the potential to make a wide range of donations to the charity and to establish links where appropriate
  • To develop, write and deliver innovative and high quality proposals for funding
  • To ensure that all reporting requirements are met and reports submitted according to agreed schedules and in line with funders criteria
  • To produce an accurate record of the applications submitted, relationships made and successes achieved in a database within the charity
  • To produce database reports, internally and externally, as required
  • To work with the CEO to setin motion an agreed fundraising plan, in line with the charity’s aims
  • To input to the longer term development of a broader fundraising team
  • To work alongside Wirral Ark staff to understand the needs of the services we deliver
  • To build positive relationships with the third party service providers we work with, typically other charities, in order to avoid overlap and duplication of work
  • To work closely with the finance department to ensure all grants are correctly used and conditions met.
  • To manage relationships with funders and other related external parties
  • To undertake any duties that the CEO may reasonably require

Person Specification

Item / Essential (E) or
Desirable (D)
1 / Successful track record of generating and raising income from trusts and foundations and other grant making bodies / E
2 / Proven experience of developing and maintaining good relationships with funders and potential funders / E
3 / Significant experience in bid and application writing / E
4 / Experience of developing and understanding project budgets / E
5 / Experience of creating, and working to, fundraising strategic plans / E
6 / Strong research skills / E
7 / Experience of working to tight deadlines / E
8 / Able to work with light supervision / E
9 / Highly organized self-starter with excellent attention to detail / E
10 / Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, including the ability to present / E
11 / Able to occasionally work unsociable hours, such as evenings or weekends / E
12 / Able to travel for the needs of the job, occasionally nationally / E
13 / Experience of working with the homelessness sector / D
14 / Understanding of the charity sector on the Wirral / D
15 / Experience of working with a fundraising database / D

Background to the Organisation

Mission

WCAP’s mission is to provide good quality supportive accommodation to people aged 18 and over who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. To offer support, guidance and opportunity to all service users to enable them to reach their potential. To enable service users to accept appropriate, long term, accommodation. To facilitate and promote the improvement to optimum level the health and wellbeing of all service users, including the addressing of substance misuse issues.

Vision

The organisation aspires to:

  • Be an innovator in approaches to provision of homeless services and support for homeless people that is:
  • non-discriminatory and highly respectful of individual needs and human rights
  • providing homeless people with a sense of community and enabling them to develop a sense of belonging
  • Inspire decision-makers and attract resources to support its vision.

Values that guide the actions and decisions of WCAP:

Real Outcomes

  • We are committed to housing the homeless and not rejecting people regarded as “hard to house” or “high risk”
  • We will provide housing that service users can be proud to call home

Equity, Fairness and Respect

  • We will treat all people with warmth, respect their rights as individuals and make them aware of their rights
  • We will ensure fair, non-discriminatory treatment and access to services
  • We will have courage to challenge things we see as wrong and stand up for things we strongly believe in
  • We will work with people in way that encourages them to take responsibility for and control over their own lives

Good Governance

  • We will maintain high professional standards, accountability, and ethical behaviour in governance, management and service delivery

Responsive Services

  • We will provide the highest quality services based on sound research and prevailing professional standards
  • We will involve and consult service users/staff as key stakeholders in decision-making
  • We will employ skilled and compassionate staff and provide rewarding jobs and safe work environment
  • We will collaborate and share information with other agencies to improve or develop services

Importance of Community

  • We will develop the community’s understanding of homelessness
  • We will encourage the local community and its businesses to share in the responsibility for tackling homelessness

General requirements of all WCAP employees:

All employees of WCAP are required to work in a way that:

  • Respects the rights and privacy of service users
  • Encourages/supports links with community and family where possible
  • Encourages service users to make their own decisions and take charge of their own lives

All employees are required to:

  • Be personally responsible and accountable for high standards in personal performance, behaviour and attendance in the workplace.
  • Read, become familiar with, and comply with, organisational policies and procedures.
  • Comply with WCAP Code of Conduct.
  • Report non-compliance with WCAP Code of Conduct.
  • Comply with Privacy procedures.
  • Promote a positive, healthy and safe environment for self and colleagues.
  • Operate in a professional manner that fosters positive relationships focused on outcomes for clients.
  • Attend all planned general staff meetings apologise in advance if unable to.
  • Assist with reception (front desk or telephone) and other general duties on occasion.
  • Develop skills, knowledge to be able to provide appropriate information, advice.
  • Undertake training relevant to the job role and which may be identified through personal development reviews.

Wirral Churches’ Ark ProjectPage 1 of 7 Trust & Foundation Fundraiser – Sept 2016