Philanthropy Manager (Trusts and Foundations)

About Future Frontiers

Household income is still one of the strongest predictors of a young person’s future opportunities and earning potential in the UK. Future Frontiers exists to level the playing field. We equip under-resourced young people with the knowledge, skills, confidence and connections they need to broaden their horizons and take positive steps towards their futures. In partnership with schools and businesses across Greater London, we deliver programmes of personalised careers coaching, skills development and exposure to professional role models for young people from low-income families. This year, we are supporting around 2,500 young people through our programmes.

About the role

We’re looking for an experienced Philanthropy Manager to join our small, ambitious team and help secure the funding that makes our work possible. Our Philanthropy team builds meaningful relationships with supporters, particularly charitable trusts and foundations, to secure a significant proportion of Future Frontiers’ income. We have a strong case for support, a track record of securing trusts and foundations funding, and an exciting pipeline of opportunities. We’re now looking to build on this success as we continue to grow our philanthropy income.

Reporting to the Head of Philanthropy, you’ll identify prospective funders, manage relationships with charitable trusts and foundations, and craft compelling funding proposals and reports that bring our impact to life. This role requires exceptional writing skills, meticulous attention to detail and the ability to communicate information clearly, accurately and persuasively. You’ll need to be highly organised, proactive and confident managing multiple deadlines, while producing consistently high-quality work. We’re looking for someone with strong trusts and foundations fundraising experience who can combine outstanding written communication with excellent relationship-building skills.

Your responsibilities:

• Write funding applications and reports: You’ll lead on developing high-quality funding applications, reports and proposals for charitable trusts and foundations that make a compelling case for support and bring our impact to life. This will include translating complex programme and impact information into clear, engaging and persuasive written communications tailored to each funder’s interests and priorities. Exceptional writing skills and meticulous attention to detail are essential. You’ll ensure all applications and reports are accurate, well-structured, tailored and submitted to a consistently high standard. You’ll work closely with colleagues across the organisation to gather information, outcomes and stories that reflect the impact of our programmes.
• Manage relationships with trusts and foundations: You’ll help build and manage strong relationships with charitable trusts and foundations through thoughtful stewardship, high-quality communications and proactive engagement. With support from the Head of Philanthropy, you’ll identify opportunities to secure renewed and increased support, helping grow long-term partnerships with funders. You’ll also act as an ambassador for Future Frontiers, creating opportunities for supporters to engage more deeply with our work.
• Identify new funding opportunities: You’ll proactively identify charitable trusts and foundations with the potential to support Future Frontiers. Through research and collaboration with colleagues across the organisation, you’ll help build a strong pipeline of prospective funders and develop tailored approaches for engagement.
• Gather case studies and impact stories: You’ll help collect pupil case studies and testimonials that bring the impact of our programmes to life. This may include attending programme sessions, speaking directly with young people and helping them feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Strong communication skills, sensitivity and the ability to build rapport with young people will therefore be important in this role.
• Support wider voluntary income and engagement opportunities: You’ll work with colleagues across the organisation to support wider voluntary income and engagement opportunities where appropriate. This could include supporter engagement activity, charitable giving from businesses and other opportunities that help grow Future Frontiers’ network and income.
• Keep accurate and detailed records: You’ll ensure all philanthropy activity is recorded promptly and accurately, helping us manage relationships, reporting deadlines and fundraising activity effectively. You’ll support the team’s efficiency by keeping organised records and helping manage key administrative processes. You’ll also ensure we meet data protection and fundraising regulations, including GDPR and the Code of Fundraising Practice.
• Contribute to wider organisational priorities: You’ll be a collaborative team member, supporting cross-team projects and organisation-wide initiatives as needed. From time to time, you may also be asked to take on other duties in line with your role.

About you

Essential:

• Experience independently securing high four-figure or ideally five-figure grants from charitable trusts and foundations, including developing successful funding applications and reports.
• Experience managing relationships with funders and delivering thoughtful stewardship to encourage long-term support.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to communicate information clearly, accurately and persuasively for different audiences.
• Meticulous attention to detail, with the ability to produce consistently high-quality work while managing multiple deadlines independently.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport with a wide range of people including funders, colleagues and young people.
• Experience identifying and researching prospective funders and helping to develop funding pipelines.
• Passion for Future Frontiers’ mission and a strong commitment to improving opportunities for under-resourced young people.

Desirable:

• Experience securing multi-year funding.
• Experience collecting case studies and testimonials sensitively and confidently.
• Experience supporting wider voluntary income generation or supporter engagement activity.
• Familiarity with fundraising regulations and best practices, including the Code of Fundraising Practice.
• Experience working in education, social mobility or youth focused organisations.

What we can offer you:

• Annual leave of 27 days plus bank holidays, pro-rated for part time employees and increasing with length of service.
• Enhanced leave and pay packages exceeding statutory requirements.
• Pension scheme with employer contributions starting at 3%, increasing with length of service.
• Flexible working arrangements, including regular home working, up to two weeks working abroad annually, and flexibility around core hours.
• Opportunity to apply for an extended career break (following 3+ years’ service).
• A supportive and inclusive workplace, with dedicated wellbeing initiatives and mental health support through our Wellbeing and Inclusion Group and mental health first aiders.
• Employee Assistance Programme including 24/7 GP access.
• Annual personal training and development budget of £300.
• Cycle-to-work scheme access.
• Season ticket loans.
• Access to discounts and savings through Tickets for Good and Charity worker Discounts.

Equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion

Here at Future Frontiers we are dedicated to the practice of equal opportunities. The principles of it underpin our mission and we treat all employees, volunteers, clients and young people as individuals. We believe in having an open and inclusive culture that champions diversity in all its forms, including disability, culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, life experiences, socio-economic background, and religion. We encourage everyone to apply for our roles. If you would like to talk to us about working at Future Frontiers in advance of your application, particularly regarding diversity, we strongly encourage you to contact us via email. We’d love to hear from you. We are particularly interested to hear from candidates who have lived experiences relatable to our young people.

How to apply

To apply, please answer the questions below in a Word document, attach your CV, and send both to our email found in the job specification:

• Please tell us why you would like to work at Future Frontiers and what particularly interests you about this role. (Max. 1,500 characters - including spaces)
• Please tell us about your experience securing funding from charitable trusts and foundations, including examples of successful applications and funder relationships you have managed. (Max. 2,500 characters - including spaces)

Deadline: Sunday 14 June

First-round interviews will take place virtually during the week commencing 22 June.

Second-round interviews will be held in person at our London Bridge office on Tuesday 30 June.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a DBS check and reference checks.