Church Engagement and Fundraising Officer

Before applying for this role, please read the following information about this opportunity found below.

12-month Fixed Term Contract. Full Time, Home-based Location: London and the South East of England. Salary: £44,500 per annum.

About us

Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We are a global movement of people, churches and local organisations who passionately champion dignity, equality and justice worldwide. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and recognise the value this brings in forming strong, creative and high performing teams. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, and from those with experience from outside of the voluntary sector. We encourage people of all faiths and none to apply. We just ask that everyone lives out our values of dignity, equality, justice and love. We value a good work-life balance, so we’re open to part-time and flexible working. This is a homeworking role and you are expected to be in the London office once a month.

About the role

Reporting in to the Church Engagement & Fundraising Advisor, the Church Engagement & Fundraising Officer will empower people and amplify change by proactively identifying opportunities to inspire and equip a defined set of churches, groups, specialist volunteers, and individuals. The post-holder will foster relationships built on trust and openness, collaborating both across and outside the organisation to drive meaningful impact in fundraising and campaigning activities.

Some of the main areas of responsibilities include:

• Develop and manage Christian Aid’s relationships with a defined group of key churches and Christian Aid groups through face-to-face and online engagement.
• Maximise the involvement of churches and groups as agents of change in alignment with Christian Aid’s values and goals.
• Proactively identify and engage churches that have not previously supported Christian Aid, building and maintaining a pipeline of prospective churches to Give, Act, and Pray.
• Build and nurture meaningful existing relationships with churches and groups to ensure alignment with Christian Aid’s values and goals.
• Actively promote Christian Aid’s presence and profile by delivering impactful contributions, such as speaking at events, attending festivals, participating in meetings, and utilising communication channels.
• Adapt engagement based on the insights gained from stakeholders to consistently achieve departmental and team targets.
• Supervise and support volunteers, ensuring they are effectively developed and equipped to fulfil Christian Aid’s objectives.
• Monitor and maintain accurate records of all activities involving supporters and volunteers, utilising the CRM supporter database.
• Use collected data and insights to inform priorities and drive continuous improvement in processes and outcomes.
• Consistently deliver high-impact outputs, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and striving to maximise the impact of Christian Aid’s work.

About you

Who we are looking for:

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of church audiences across all denominations.
• Experience of mentoring volunteers to add capacity, skills and aptitude to empower and support them.
• Detailed knowledge of the principles of good donor management or customer care, and understanding of the principles of relationship building.
• Developed communication skills to inspire others to take action and use their skills and resources to fundraise and donate.
• Developed communication skills to communicate complex messages creatively and effectively to diverse audiences.
• An ability to analyse and interpret information and data to prioritise work and achieve results.
• Organisational skills to work under pressure and manage competing priorities to deliver multiple concurrent activities.
• The ability to travel frequently to locations, including some evenings and weekends.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of current fundraising legislation and good practice.
• Knowledge of relevant church networks and denominational structures.
• Ability to effectively portray development messages in a theological context.
• Knowledge of global development issues and Christian Aid’s work.
• Good knowledge of the London and South East geographical region.

Further information

At Christian Aid we strive to be an inclusive and diverse employer and recognise the value that this brings in helping to build strong, creative and high performing teams. We are actively encouraging racialised minorities, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people with caring responsibilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, women, and older workers to apply. This is because these groups are under-represented within our teams, especially at senior level, and we recognise and value the contributions members of these groups make to strong, creative and high performing teams.

We have a strong Christian ethos and we encourage applications from all faiths. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and sympathy with Christian Aid’s faith identity.

All successful candidates will require a DBS/police check appropriate to the role and location and a Counter Terrorism Sanction check as part of your clearance for commencing your role with us. We also participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information as part of the referencing process from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

This role requires applicants to have the right to live and work in the country where this position is based and undertake the role that you have been offered.