Fundraising Officer

Location: Hybrid · Brixton, UK. Hybrid working with one regular weekly day (Wednesday) at our office space in Brixton, London.

Who we are:

Chefs in Schools exists to improve children’s health and futures through improving school food and food literacy. We work alongside schools and catering teams to transform what children eat every day, particularly in communities facing the greatest barriers to good health. We combine practical support, training, operational expertise and sector influence to help schools serve fresh, nutritious food that children want to eat. We are ambitious about both impact and scale. We want every child to have access to excellent school food and a real food education, regardless of background. We are a values-led organisation. We are bold, honest, collaborative, innovative and focused on solutions.

About you and the role:

We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Fundraising Officer to join our Partnerships and Engagement team. This is a brilliant opportunity to support a broad portfolio across income streams including Trusts and Foundations, Corporate Partnerships, and Major Donors. You will play a crucial role in our fundraising efforts by leading prospect research to identify new funding opportunities to build a strong pipeline. You will support the Senior Partnership Manager and Philanthropy Manager to grow a portfolio of trusts, corporate partners and philanthropists. You will also be responsible for maintaining the CRM database (Beacon) and administrative tasks. This varied role is perfect for someone who enjoys building relationships and coordinating meaningful supporter engagement opportunities. You will work with colleagues across Chefs in Schools to gather compelling stories and impact data that demonstrate the difference our funders make.

The responsibilities, skills and experience listed below are intended to give you an idea of what we need for this role. If you don’t meet every requirement but feel you would be able to work with us to deliver the majority of them, we urge you to apply anyway. We’re dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and for us the most important ‘experience’ is passion for our mission. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

• You will have excellent organisation skills, with good attention to detail and the ability to prioritise a varied workload.
• You will have strong communication skills and be able to build relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

As we work with children and young people, an offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and DBS clearance, in line with our safeguarding policy.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead prospect research to build a strong pipeline of trusts, corporates and major donors which align with our mission. This includes network mapping to identify existing connections and relationships.
• Act as the CRM champion for fundraising, ensuring all donor interactions and details are accurately recorded and updated.
• Support in developing and maintaining inspiring stewardship and engagement plans for funders and supporters.
• Provide events support; logistics, guestlist management and other duties where required.
• Prepare insightful briefings for the Senior Leadership Team ahead of key funder meetings.
• Work with the communications team to create engaging end of term/annual reports for key funders and donors.
• Monitor sector trends and newly launched funding rounds to ensure we never miss an opportunity.
• Work with the finance team to process donations and Gift Aid declarations, ensuring thank-yous are sent out promptly.
• Pull regular financial and pipeline reports from the database to assist with team forecasting and planning.
• Provide warm supporter care as the first point of contact for public fundraising inquiries.
• Support the delivery of digital appeals, regular giving, and community fundraising initiatives.

Essential skills & experience:

• You have at least 1–2 years of experience in a charity fundraising environment.
• You have interest and belief in our mission, to improve child health through improving food and food education in schools.
• You are an excellent writer and communicator with strong presentation and communication skills.
• You have experience of using CRM software.
• You have strong research skills and experience synthesizing complex information into succinct and accessible copy.
• You are highly organised and can juggle multiple deadlines while maintaining a sharp eye for detail.
• You are a natural relationship builder, comfortable interacting with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• You demonstrate self-motivation, flexibility and the ability to adapt to an ever-changing, growing organisation.
• Experience using tools like Canva or Mailchimp to create engaging fundraising content.
• Experience in planning and delivering fundraising events.
• Familiarity with fundraising regulations and data protection laws regarding donor privacy.

What success looks like:

Within the first 12 to 18 months, success in this role is likely to include a comprehensive knowledge of our existing fundraising model and key funders, taking the lead in prospect research, leading on account management of restaurant partners, small to medium scale fundraising campaigns, and supporting with event organisation. You will also have gained a comprehensive knowledge of the organisational strategy and the wider school food system.

Our commitment to inclusion:

We know that strong candidates may not meet every single requirement listed in this job description. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution to our mission, we would encourage you to apply. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation where people from different backgrounds, experiences and communities can thrive. If you require assistance or reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process please let us know.

You would be joining a friendly, supportive team who works hard but believe in a healthy work/life balance. We were voted one of CODE Hospitality's happiest places to work in 2024. We seek a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge. Joining a small, collaborative team means you'll be able to contribute to and draw on various projects and strategic insights.

Benefits:

• 33 days of holiday per year including bank holidays
• 3 additional office closure days over the Christmas period as well as wellbeing days over the summer school holidays
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Hybrid working
• Enhanced parental leave
• Free access to the CODE app for discounted restaurants & hospitality venues
• We are committed to developing our team and will support you with relevant training opportunities
• £250 towards elective training and development of your choice
• Bupa Dental Insurance
• Income Protection Insurance
• Access to the Aviva Smart Health Platform which offers health benefits including free rapid access online GP appointments, free counselling, wellbeing support