Grants Manager

The Grants and Trusts Manager will play a vital role in growing income from Charitable Trusts, Foundations, and Statutory funding by identifying new funding opportunities, developing compelling, high-quality funding applications, and delivering excellent stewardship. This role will support Lakeland Arts’ artistic, heritage, learning, and engagement programmes across our sites in the Lake District including Blackwell – the Arts Crafts house, Abbot Hall art gallery, and Windermere Jetty Museum. You will collaborate with colleagues to develop strong, place-based cases for support aligned with the charity’s strategic priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Trusts, Foundations Statutory Fundraising
• Identify, research, and qualify funding opportunities from trusts, foundations, and statutory bodies – including Arts Council England - to support the conservation of our artistic, heritage, learning, and engagement activity.
• Lead on writing and submitting high-quality funding applications, securing both unrestricted income and project-specific funding aligned with Lakeland Arts’ strategy.
• Develop compelling proposals that clearly articulate the significance of our extensive collections, the benefit of public access to these and the value of our heritage, and community impact, using evaluation data, audience insight, and partnership testimonials.
• Maintain ownership of a proactive and balanced funding pipeline, ensuring prospects are thoughtfully approached and progressed through the fundraising cycle.
• Stewardship, Reporting Relationship Management
• Steward a balanced portfolio of funders, building strong, long-term relationships through regular communication and engagement opportunities (including site visits where appropriate), while complying with funding agreements.
• Maintain a clear calendar of applications, reports, renewals, and deadlines, ensuring all funder requirements are met to a high standard and on time.
• Produce clear, engaging funder reports that demonstrate impact, successful financial management, and agreed outcomes.
• Internal Collaboration Funding Priorities
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across curatorial, participation learning, conservation workshop, visitor experience, finance, and leadership teams to shape strong, well-informed funding bids.
• Proactively gather information to ensure funding proposals reflect current and emerging organisational priorities.
• Contribute to a positive, collaborative culture that values shared learning and cross-departmental working.
• Data, Systems Performance Management
• Use CRM systems to accurately record fundraising activity, funder communications, deadlines, and outcomes.
• Track and analyse fundraising performance against income targets and KPIs, contributing to internal reporting, forecasting, and strategy reviews.
• Ensure compliance with fundraising best practice, data protection, charity law, and internal policies and procedures.
• Representation Wider Development Activity
• Act as a confident and knowledgeable ambassador for Lakeland Arts, representing the charity at funder meetings, networking events, and sector committees.
• Support wider development activity, including campaigns, events, and partnership work as required.
• Provide administrative and project support to the Development team when needed.
• Safeguarding, Equity Organisational Values
• Embed safeguarding, health safety, and duty of care into all aspects of work in line with Lakeland Arts’ policies.
• Promote inclusive, welcoming, and accessible arts and heritage spaces for all audiences.
• Actively promote Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Belonging principles into day-to-day practice.
• General
• Ensure the highest level of donor care for sponsors and supporters.
• Maintain a solid understanding of the external funding environment, keeping up to date with funding trends and developments in the sector.
• Adhere to ethical and legal fundraising best practice keeping up to date with any changes in fundraising legislation.
• Contribute to the overall success of the organisation by attracting new funders.

This job description outlines the principal responsibilities and duties of the post holder. It isn’t meant to be, nor is it, an exhaustive list of specific responsibilities and duties. The post holder will be expected to undertake any other duties which could reasonably be expected as being within the remit of the post and which arise out of changes of legislation, regulations, orders, rules and working practices, methods and procedures and reviews, as directed from time to time.