Development Coordinator

The Prison Phoenix Trust (PPT) are the leading experts in yoga and meditation in prisons in the UK and Ireland. Since 1988, we have supported the personal development and rehabilitation of people living in prison through meditation and yoga. We do this through 121 mentoring, group yoga classes, peer support newsletters, and resources such as books and DVDs that help people practise yoga and meditation in their cells. We deliver the British Wheel of Yoga’s accredited training Teaching Yoga in Prison. A small staff and volunteer team based in Oxford works with a network of self-employed yoga and meditation teachers across the UK and Ireland. This new role is part of an expansion of the staff team to build the capacity of the charity to meet the growing demands for its services and the income to support this.

At an exciting time for the expansion of the charity’s fundraising activities, the Development Coordinator will play a pivotal role in driving and expanding the charity’s income from individual donors while leading the development and execution of community fundraising initiatives and events. This role is pivotal in building and nurturing long-term relationships with individual donors, cultivating new donor prospects, and developing innovative community engagement strategies, working with The PPT’s Development Lead.

The ideal candidate will be an energetic and passionate professional with expertise in donor relations, event management, and community fundraising. They will be skilled at creating impactful experiences that inspire both individual and collective action, making a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.

Responsibilities

• Individual Fundraising: Innovate and implement a donor acquisition strategy appropriate for the values of The PPT. Implement an audience segmentation approach to building individual, regular, and legacy giving, drawing on accurate analysis of data, using The PPT’s Access database. Project manage delivery of quarterly postal appeals including segmentation and targeting of messaging, mail-merge and printing, dispatch by volunteers or mailing house. Email marketing, including use of Mailchimp to segment audiences and target messages. Optimise The PPT’s use of JustGiving and other fundraising platforms, regularly reviewing performance. Optimise fundraising functionality of The PPT’s website and support colleagues in the development and procurement of a new website.
• Community Fundraising: Manage and plan the growth of The PPT’s community fundraising activities, with a particular focus on yoga groups and faith groups. Review and develop cost-effective levels of support for fundraisers.
• Donor Care: Manage relationships with current and prospective donors and fundraisers by ensuring timely acknowledgment of gifts. Refine use of automated systems, such as Mailchimp and JustGiving to automate acknowledgement of gifts where appropriate, while ensuring optimum levels of personalisation, such as hand-written cards and notes. Fulfil established donor journeys, ensuring donor-led and annual stewardship is met.
• Data Management, Analysis and Reporting: Maintain and update The PPT’s supporter database, ensuring all records are accurate and up to date. Initially using Access and adapt with the move to a new database/CRM programme. Track, monitor and report quarterly on results of fundraising activities. Support colleagues in the development and procurement of a new database and/or customer relationship management system.
• Event Coordination: Plan and project manage delivery of The PPT’s public-facing, fundraising and donor stewardship events including planning, promotion, logistics, and follow-up. Integrate donor care into event planning, ensuring that donors feel personally valued and appreciated before, during, and after events. Work with Communications Coordinator in producing printed and display materials for events. Plan and project-manage delivery of The PPT’s presence at networking events for example in yoga, faith, and criminal justice communities.
• Communications and Marketing: Contribute to the development of social media audiences to meet charity’s profile-raising and fundraising objectives. Craft compelling messages and content for supporter communications that highlight The PPT’s mission and impact.

Skills and Qualifications:

Essential:

• Proven fundraising experience, especially in individual giving (e.g., regular giving, legacies, donor stewardship, direct mail, online fundraising).
• Knowledge of best practices and ethical standards in fundraising, with a strong focus on donor care.
• Expertise in using Excel and Access to analyse and report on fundraising data.
• Skilled in using Mailchimp and CRM systems (e.g. Donorfy, Beacon, Salesforce) to manage donor journeys and stewardship.
• Comfortable analysing donor trends and campaign performance.

Desirable:

• Membership of a professional fundraising body (e.g. IoF) or evidence of continuous professional development.
• Knowledge of emerging trends and innovations in donor engagement and stewardship.

Work Experience:

Essential:

• Experience in donor acquisition and retention, with a strong focus on engagement and stewardship.
• Experience in planning and managing fundraising events, including logistics, communications, and follow-up.
• Experience supporting community fundraising efforts and engaging volunteers.
• Experience using online platforms (e.g., JustGiving) for fundraising campaigns.
• Able to report effectively on fundraising performance metrics including donor retention.

Desirable:

• Experience working in a small charity environment where flexibility and relationship-based fundraising are critical.
• Experience or interest in contemplative practices (e.g., meditation, yoga).
• Experience with or interest in the criminal justice system and/or prison reform.

Communication Skills:

Essential:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to craft compelling donor messages, thank-you letters, and reports.
• Comfortable presenting fundraising results and stories to stakeholders including donors, trustees, and management.

Desirable:

• Creative in writing appeals and recognising donors in a personalised and inspiring way.

Teamwork and Collaboration:

Essential:

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a small team.
• Willing to support other areas of the charity’s work as needed.
• Proactive and flexible team player.

Desirable:

• Able to bring creative ideas for improving collaboration and community engagement.

Personal Qualities:

Essential:

• Passionate about the charity’s mission and values.
• Empathetic and relationship-focused.
• Organised and able to manage multiple donor relationships with care.
• Resilient and adaptable, especially in managing fundraising challenges.
• Creative and proactive in planning and delivering engaging fundraising experiences.

Desirable:

• Interest in personal/spiritual growth.
• Strong interest in donor-centred fundraising approaches.

Working Needs:

Essential:

• Comfortable managing a varied workload and meeting deadlines.
• Commitment to delivering exceptional donor care and stewardship.
• Tolerant, calm, and self-directed working style.

Desirable:

• Interest in deepening knowledge of charity fundraising and administration.
• Interest in yoga, meditation, or prisons as part of the charity’s broader focus.

Applications due as soon as possible to meet a rolling recruitment programme. Full job description, role, terms and conditions on our website. Please apply by sending a CV and covering letter about your interest and suitability for the role.