Leeds Community Foundation

Leeds Community Foundation

1.  INTRODUCTION

Community Foundations are independent grant-making charities that focus on raising money and then distributing it, in the form of grants, to local community groups and charities. A key focus is on building permanent Endowment Funds that distribute income every year, for ever.

There are 60 individual Foundations in the United Kingdom, each of which focuses on a specific geographical area. We work with a wide range of individuals, businesses and organisations to encourage them to set up Personal Funds (which operate like charitable trusts) or contribute to Themed Funds. We then work with the fund-holders to distribute grants to local community projects. We also offer professional grant-making services to local and central government, the NHS, national grant-makers and other organisations that want to make sure their money is having a positive impact in local communities. We provide a vital bridge between the public and private sectors, and the voluntary sector.

2.  Leeds community foundation

The Leeds Community Foundation was established in early 2005 and, since then, we have given out over £16 million in grants to 1,500 local community groups and charities. We are a registered charity and company limited by guarantee with a board of 8 trustees/directors. We have approximately £12million invested in endowment and, each year, we distribute £3-£4m in grants through a range of programmes. We are ranked in the top 5 Community Foundations in the UK in terms of the size of our grant-making and the size of our endowment. The Foundation has two key roles:

·  To work with companies, individuals and organisations to encourage them to make financial contributions to local charities and community groups operating in Leeds

·  To provide a grant-making service, specialising in supporting small to medium-sized organisations who are working in some of Leeds’ most disadvantaged communities.

We have six full-time employees (Chief Executive; Senior Grants Manager, Grants Manager, Office Administrator, Events Manager, Business Development Manager) and one part-time employee (Finance Manager).

3.  RECRUITMENT OF FINANCE TEAM

In June 2012, we signed a £1.5m contract with ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) which will result in our managing a new regional initiative – the Yorkshire Venture Philanthropy Programme. This will mean we will be working closely with other Community Foundations in Yorkshire, particular in Calderdale and South Yorkshire. We are thus looking to recruit two new finance posts: a Head of Finance & Operations (to replace a member of staff who is leaving); and a Finance Officer, who will specifically support the ERDF programme in terms of preparing and submitting reports and forms, as well as providing general financial support to the Leeds Community Foundation.

4.  APPLICATION DETAILS

The closing date for applications is 5.00 pm Friday 10th August. Interviews will be held on 22nd August with a view to the post-holders taking up their posts as soon as possible. (We will try to accommodate people who have already booked a holiday in this period). We are using Blue Octopus for this post so please go to: www.blueoctopus.co.uk/JobSeekers/VacancyDetails/4524. Copies of our annual accounts, and further information about our work can be found at http://www.leedscf.org.uk/all-about-us/key-publications.

5.  SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Some key facts include:

·  We process approximately 800 payments a year, relating to core running costs as well as grant-making

·  We also process approximately 300 receipts a year with regards to our income-generation activities

·  We use the Quick Books financial management system but are considering moving to SAGE. We also have a dedicated CRM system that manages our grants payments and income, and which needs to reconcile with QB.

·  We are required to have an annual audit and our appointed auditors are Grant Thornton.

·  We manage £12m of investments with our appointed Investment Managers, Newtons.

·  We manage £5m of fixed term cash deposits on periods of 1 month to 24 months.

JOB DESCRIPTION
KEY DETAILS

Job Title: Head of Finance, Governance and Operations

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Responsible for: Finance Officer

Salary: £30,000 to £34,000 depending on experience
Non-contributory pension scheme in operation
Hours of work: 35 hours per week, usually Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 am to 5 pm. There may be some need to work outside normal office hours. Time off in lieu will be given where excessive out of hours working is required.
Please note: Applications from candidates interested in fewer than the full number of hours specified, or those interested in a job share will be considered.
Contract Term: The post is subject to a three-month probationary period and is offered on an initial 3-year contract. Annual leave of 24 days plus statutory holidays.
Place of Work: Leeds (city centre offices). A mileage allowance of 45p a mile is offered for business mileage.
Equal We select candidates for interview and the appointee in line with our
Opportunities: equal opportunities policy. Our offices are fully accessible for disabled people.
MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB
You will be a member of the senior management team with specific responsibility for the effective and efficient management of the Foundation with regards Finance, Governance and Operations.
Financial Systems and Procedures
1.  Manage the use of financial packages such as Quickbooks (or SAGE).
2.  Liaise with outsourced staff payroll company and make salary payments monthly.
3.  Review bank reconciliations prepared by the finance officer on a monthly basis.
4.  On a quarterly basis, manage gift aid administration and tax claims, liaising with HM Revenue and Customs as required.
Investment Management
5.  Liaise with Investment Managers.
6.  Manage banking procedures and cash flow across all accounts, liaise and negotiate with banks to ensure that the Foundation’s resources are maximised.
Accounting
7.  Prepare and agree annual budget in consultation with Chief Executive and the board of Trustees.
8.  Produce quarterly management accounts along with presentation to Trustees to explain quarterly results.
9.  On a monthly basis, monitor income and expenditure against budget providing regular income and expenditure reports, as required by the Chief Executive, Trustees and the Finance sub-committee.
10.  Manage preparation of annual accounts in accordance with current legislation and best accounting practice.
11.  Liaise with auditors.
ERDF Programme
12.  Ensure appropriate systems are set up, implemented and monitored for specific programmes such as Yorkshire Venture Philanthropy, to ensure compliance with requirements of ERDF around eligible expenditure, apportionment etc
Operations management
13.  Ensure the smooth running of the office through management of a number of office contracts including the lease, electricity, photocopier, franking machine etc.
14.  Liaise with computer support company to ensure maximum efficient use of systems.
Governance and Strategy
15.  Trustee development: ongoing liaison with trustees to support them in their role; assistance with the recruitment, induction and support for new trustees.
16.  Attendance at trustee meetings to present financial and other reports; taking and issuing of minutes; assistance with preparation of appropriate reports.
17.  Assist with design, development and implementation of the Foundation’s Development Plans including annual business plan, action plan and budget.
18.  Production of regular quarterly financial and non-financial reports, including key performance indicators, mapping progress against plans etc.
19.  Provide support for the Finance, Audit & Governance sub-committee by planning meetings, issuing papers, taking & distributing minutes and driving through actions.
20.  Co-ordinate the implementation of the Community Foundation Network’s quality accreditation programme by working with staff and Board members to ensure criteria are met.
21.  Make appropriate returns to Charity Commission and Companies House.
Other Responsibilities
22.  Comply with the relevant policies & procedures including:
Ø  Health and Safety Policy, associated safe working procedures and guidelines.
Ø  Data Protection policy
Ø  Equal Opportunities policy
Ø  Confidentiality Policy
23.  Participate in team-working and staff development activities and attend training events as required.
24.  Actively support the values of the Leeds Community Foundation.
25.  Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post, which may reasonably be required from time to time.
26.  As a member of the Senior Management team, we also expect you to:
·  Work with the other members of the senior management team to achieve LCF’s vision
·  Represent LCF as required at external events and forums.
·  Deputise for the Chief Executive as appropriate

Person Specification: HEAD OF FINANCE

Knowledge, skills and experience required (to be demonstrated on application form, from past experience and at interview)

Essential / Desirable
Experience / Min 5 years experience of financial management including budgetary responsibility
Able to interpret data with advanced IT skills
Advanced use of Excel and other finance-related software such as Quick Books, SAGE etc
Good ability in other Microsoft packages
Analytical and creative in problem solving and sound decision-making / Good knowledge of the Leeds and regional economy
Knowledge and understanding of voluntary sector
Familiarity with working with charities, community groups and social enterprises
Strategic planning and implementation
Prior experience of working with board of trustees or understanding of governance issues
Ability to identify opportunities to improve efficiency/effectiveness/ quality standards/use of resources
Skills / Excellent planning and organisational skills
People management and team skills – able to lead, work, delegate and develop
Ability to organise and maintain appropriate office systems / Good written and oral communication skills
Qualifications / Recognised finance qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) / Degree Level
Personal characteristics / Confident and able get on with people from a range of backgrounds
Ability to work on own initiative with minimal supervision as well as being active team player
Able to prioritise workload, meet deadlines and work under pressure
Detail conscious and methodical
Able to work on own initiative and under pressure
Flexible and able to respond to changing demand
Commitment to Equal Opportunities