Sense and Sense International

Job Description

JOB TITLETrusts Officer

REPORTS TO:Trusts Manager

LOCATION:Head office, London

SALARY:Sense salary scale 32-36 – £28,945- £31,773 (incl. London Weighting)

The post sits within the Trusts Team, itself part of the High Value Relationships (HVR) Team which raises income for Sense and Sense International. This is one of the three posts that currently make up the Trusts Team and reports to the Trust Manager.

The HVR team currently includes Trusts, Statutory, Philanthropy and Special Events Fundraising.

  1. Description of role

The purpose of the post is to deliver an agreed income target from charitable trusts and foundations, and to work as part of a team to sustain and grow Trusts income in line with Sense and Sense International fundraising strategies.

The post-holder will develop relationships with a broad range of trusts and foundations with a focus on maintaining and building on existing sources of funding, as well as securing new ones, for Sense and Sense International core work and targeted projects. The post-holder will be responsible for securing a minimum income target of £250,000, which may rise in line with Sense and Sense International trust fundraising strategies.

The post-holders’ experience of developing compelling fundraising proposals which meet the individual funder’s needs, their excellent organisational and planning skills, and commitment to building effective relationships will enable them to fulfil their contribution to the Team’s success.

He/She will do this by:

  • Complementing team research efforts by their own identification and research of both cold and warm trusts and foundations and developing and presenting funding proposals
  • Developing relationships with trusts and foundations and meeting their reporting requirements to maximise sustainable income in the longer term
  • Maintaining the Raisers Edge database, as well as their part of the team’s administration and filing systems.
  1. Specific Responsibilities
  • Work in partnership with the Trusts Manager to develop and implement a strategy and Annual Plans for the Trusts Team to maximise income from a portfolio of key warm and cold charitable trusts to achieve a minimum income target.
  • Contribute to the pipeline of Trust funding opportunities through upkeep of and additions to existing systems.
  • Research, approach and establish relationships with prospective funders with the view to achieving fruitful long-term relationships.
  • Establish, maintain and develop positive, personalised and strategic relationships with key personnel in funding organisations through a relationship-based approach.
  • Develop strong and effective relationships with other members of the HVR Team and colleagues in Sense and Sense International operations through appropriate communications and cross team working. Gather information pertinent to funding proposals and donor reporting, and updating.
  • Research and develop funding proposals and donor reports, individually tailored to each funder.
  • Ensure prompt and accurate reporting to all funders.
  • Liaise and work with colleagues and key contacts to use Sense and Sense International connections to support the development of relationships with existing and prospective donors.
  • Identify opportunities for trust representatives to meet with the team and other Sense and Sense International staff, including organising project visits and representing the Sense and Sense International as appropriate.
  • Represent Sense and Sense International knowledgeably and passionately to donors, potential donors and key contacts at meetings and events.
  • Support the development and implementation of mail merges.
  • Maintain and develop annual approach calendars, filing and database systems.
  • Maintain financial records as necessary, and report on performance against agreed budgets and targets.
  • Open to project managing the Fundraising Assistant on a case by case basis.
  • Keep up to date with developments in the wider Trusts and Foundations world. This could include some networking with Trusts fundraisers from other charities.
  • Undertake such other tasks as may be required by and agreed with the line manager.

And, as part of the role’s general responsibilities:

  • Keep to the Team's stated standards.
  • Ensure that records are kept in line with the Data Protection Act / GDPR and other relevant legislation.
  • Be aware of and abide by all relevant Sense policies and procedures, especially Health and Safety and Diversity.
  1. Person Specifications - Trusts Officer

The person specification is used to help managers identify suitable candidates and to ensure that all applicants are judged on fair and objective criteria, which is relevant to the post.

We will be looking for applicants who can show that they meet our essential requirements. You should, therefore, use the information below to help you to complete your application form.

Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential criteria / Desirable Criteria
  • Educated to Graduate degree level or equivalent experience
/
  • Fundraising specific qualification recognised by the Institute of Fundraising.

Achievements and Experience
Essential criteria / Desirable Criteria
  • At least two years’ continuous trust fundraising experience
  • Successful track record of achieving fundraising targets
  • Demonstrable experience of meeting with funders
  • Successful track record of working with and securing significant grants from major funding organisations
  • Experience of researching funding prospects (with knowledge of source materials)
  • Substantial, demonstrable experience of securing grant income through compelling, well-written grant applications
  • Experience of ‘new product’ proposal development
  • Experience of using Excel and working with budgets
/
  • Experience of either statutory and/or lottery applications
  • Experience of working for an international charity

Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria / Desirable Criteria
  • Excellent verbal communication skills
  • Ability to talk with funders face to face and on the telephone about a cause, a project or similar
  • Excellent writing skills
  • Ability to develop effective relationships internally and externally.
  • Ability to absorb complex information and present it in a clear, logical and appropriate manner
  • Ability to work as part of a team - the role requires collaboration with both managers and peers
  • Ability to respond effectively to competing priorities and to prioritise workload in order to maximize income
  • Ability to stay calm and work effectively under pressure
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Excellent MS Office and IT skills, including the ability to use relationship databases to manage donor relations
  • Self motivated and able to work on his/her own initiative at times
/
  • Experience of using a relationship database, ideally Raisers Edge, and maintaining accurate records
  • Experience of working with issues of health and/or disability
  • Sensitivity to, and willingness to develop an understanding of, deafblind issues