Community Fundraiser - Community. Full Time (Hybrid)

Help us turn community spirit into real change for local families. Are you an experienced fundraiser who loves bringing people together, building relationships and turning great ideas into successful fundraising? We’re looking for a confident, creative and driven Community and Challenge Events Fundraiser to join Gingerbread Family Support and grow our community fundraising and challenge events programme.

Overall Objectives of the Post

As our Community and Challenge Events Fundraiser, you will play a key role in growing income, participation and awareness of Gingerbread Family Support across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire Moorlands. You will take ownership of a portfolio of community fundraising and challenge event activity, developing relationships with individuals, schools, community groups, businesses and event participants and turning those relationships into long-term support. From securing new Community Charity of the Year partnerships and creating exciting fundraising opportunities, to supporting someone through their first challenge event or delivering a successful Gingerbread event, you will be responsible for creating an excellent supporter experience from the first conversation through to fundraising, participation, thank-you and ongoing stewardship. This is a hands-on role for someone who is confident working independently, enjoys being out in the community and has the experience and initiative to identify opportunities, build relationships and deliver results. You will work closely with the wider Fundraising and Marketing teams to develop engaging campaigns, maximise participation and income, and ensure our supporters understand the difference their fundraising makes to local families.

Key Responsibilities

• Community & Challenge Fundraising
• Develop and manage a strong pipeline of current and prospective community fundraisers, schools, community groups, businesses, challenge participants and fundraising partners.
• Identify and proactively pursue new opportunities to grow community and challenge fundraising income.
• Develop and deliver a programme of community fundraising initiatives, campaigns and challenge opportunities that increase participation, engagement and income.
• Secure, develop and manage Community Charity of the Year partnerships and other strategic community fundraising relationships.
• Develop relationships with schools, community organisations, clubs, groups and local businesses to create new fundraising opportunities.
• Develop opportunities for individuals and groups to support Gingerbread through sponsored challenges, bucket collections, school activities, community events, individual fundraising and other initiatives.
• Research and identify suitable third-party challenge events and opportunities for Gingerbread supporters to participate in.
• Monitor trends and activity within community and challenge fundraising and use this knowledge to identify new opportunities for growth.
• Events
• Manage a portfolio of Gingerbread-led and third-party fundraising events from initial planning through to delivery and evaluation.
• Support the development of new fundraising events and make recommendations for how existing events can be improved and grown.
• Develop event plans, timelines, budgets and income targets and ensure activity is delivered effectively and within agreed resources.
• Coordinate with venues, suppliers, volunteers, participants, sponsors, community partners and other stakeholders.
• Support the delivery of events, including attending evening and weekend events where required.
• Evaluate events and fundraising activity, capturing learning and making recommendations to improve future participation, income and supporter experience.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessments, health and safety arrangements, permissions and fundraising requirements are considered for events and activities.
• Supporter Engagement & Stewardship
• Provide excellent supporter care from initial enquiry or sign-up through to fundraising, event participation, thank-you and ongoing stewardship.
• Build genuine, long-term relationships with supporters and motivate them to reach and exceed their fundraising goals.
• Develop tailored stewardship journeys that encourage repeat fundraising and deeper engagement with Gingerbread.
• Ensure supporters understand the impact of their fundraising and have access to the information, tools and encouragement they need to succeed.
• Identify opportunities to develop supporters into longer-term advocates, volunteers, regular fundraisers or other areas of support.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Fundraising and Marketing to ensure supporters receive a consistent and high-quality experience.
• Marketing & Communications
• Work closely with the Marketing Officer to develop engaging, supporter-focused communications and campaigns for community and challenge fundraising.
• Provide clear briefs, content ideas, stories and updates to support the promotion of events and fundraising opportunities.
• Help identify and share compelling supporter stories and fundraising successes.
• Use social media, email, local networks and other appropriate channels to increase awareness, participation and income.
• Represent Gingerbread confidently at community events, meetings, presentations and networking opportunities.
• Income, Reporting & CRM
• Set and monitor income and expenditure budgets for relevant fundraising activity and events.
• Take responsibility for agreed income targets and proactively identify actions to maximise income where performance is below target.
• Maintain accurate records of prospects, supporters, partnerships, events and fundraising activity on Donorfy.
• Use CRM data to track supporter journeys, identify opportunities and inform future fundraising activity.
• Provide regular reports on income, expenditure, participation, engagement, pipeline activity and performance against targets.
• Ensure all supporter data is handled appropriately and in accordance with UK GDPR and Gingerbread policies.
• Carry out appropriate due diligence on prospective partners, community groups, events and fundraising opportunities to identify reputational, financial or other risks.
• Wider Team Contribution
• Develop a strong understanding of Gingerbread Family Support, our services and the experiences of the families and young parents we support.
• Use this knowledge appropriately and sensitively when communicating with supporters and external audiences.
• Act as a positive ambassador for Gingerbread Family Support and represent the charity professionally at external meetings, conferences, networking opportunities, events and functions.
• Build positive working relationships across the organisation and contribute to a collaborative and supportive fundraising culture.
• Share knowledge, ideas and learning with colleagues and contribute to the wider development of the Fundraising Team.
• Comply with all Gingerbread policies, procedures, fundraising regulations and relevant codes of practice.
• Undertake appropriate training and professional development.
• Work as part of a team, project group or working group as required.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties requested by the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team or Trustees that support the objectives and interests of Gingerbread Family Support.

Experience

We are looking for someone who can hit the ground running and bring existing fundraising and event experience to the role.

Essential experience

• Demonstrable professional experience in community fundraising, challenge events, events fundraising or a closely related fundraising role within the charity sector.
• Proven experience of developing and managing relationships with community groups, fundraisers, event participants, schools, businesses or supporters.
• A track record of delivering fundraising activity against agreed income and participation targets.
• Experience of planning, coordinating and delivering fundraising events, campaigns or activities.
• Experience of developing new fundraising opportunities and turning ideas into practical activity.
• Experience of managing budgets and monitoring income and expenditure.
• Experience of working collaboratively with marketing, communications or other teams to promote fundraising activity.
• Experience of using a CRM or fundraising database to manage supporter relationships, records and reporting.

Desirable experience

• Experience of securing or managing Charity of the Year partnerships.
• Experience of working with schools, community groups or local businesses.
• Experience of managing challenge event participants.
• Experience of developing and delivering supporter stewardship journeys.
• Experience of working with volunteers.
• Experience of using Donorfy or another fundraising CRM.
• Experience of organising events involving external suppliers, venues and stakeholders.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to communicate with a wide range of audiences.
• Excellent relationship-building and networking skills.
• Confident presenting to groups, delivering talks and making pitches.
• Strong supporter stewardship skills, with the ability to motivate, encourage and inspire people to fundraise.
• Strong event and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify opportunities that generate income.
• Creative and proactive approach to fundraising, with the confidence to try new ideas.
• Strong research skills and the ability to identify relevant prospects, events, partnerships and opportunities.
• Confident using CRM and fundraising systems to manage information and measure performance.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Ability to analyse fundraising performance and use data to inform decisions.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership and use initiative.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a wider team.
• Flexible and able to work occasional evenings and weekends when required.
• Ability to remain calm, positive and organised when working under pressure or managing competing priorities.

Personal Attributes

• We are looking for someone who is passionate about making a difference to local families and committed to Gingerbread Family Support's mission and values.
• Confident and personable, with the ability to build relationships quickly and authentically.
• Proactive and ambitious, always looking for the next opportunity to grow income and engagement.
• Creative, with the confidence to develop new fundraising ideas and turn them into action.
• Energetic and enthusiastic, particularly when engaging and motivating supporters.
• Resilient, with the determination to work towards and achieve challenging targets.
• Empathetic, with an understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by homeless families and young parents.
• Organised and reliable, with excellent attention to detail and a commitment to delivering a high standard of supporter care.
• A team player, willing to share ideas, support colleagues and contribute to the wider success of the organisation.
• Professional and trustworthy, with high standards of integrity and confidentiality.
• Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to Gingerbread Family Support's Equal Opportunities Policy.

What We Will Offer You

The successful candidate will receive a structured induction designed to give you a strong understanding of Gingerbread Family Support, our services, our supporters and our fundraising programme. Your induction will include introductions to key colleagues, partners and supporters, opportunities to visit our services and practical training on the systems and tools you will use, including Donorfy. We are committed to supporting your ongoing professional development and will provide appropriate training and development opportunities to help you continue to grow your fundraising skills and deliver an outstanding community and challenge fundraising programme.