Challenge Events Fundraising Officer / Manager Role

Challenge Events Fundraising Officer / Manager Role

Full-Time 30000 - 42000 € / year (est.) No home office possible
Level Water

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the supporter journey for 3,000 challenge event fundraisers, ensuring meaningful interactions.
  • Company: Join a founder-led charity dedicated to teaching disabled children how to swim.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a fast-paced environment with opportunities for creativity and personal growth.
  • Other info: Flexible working options and the chance to attend exciting outdoor swim events.
  • Why this job: Be part of a mission-driven team making a real impact in the community.
  • Qualifications: Experience in customer journey design and a passion for fundraising are essential.

The predicted salary is between 30000 - 42000 € per year.

Challenge Events Fundraising Officer / Manager role

About you

You’re entrepreneurial, proactive, and relationship-led. You treat your work like it’s your own business - spotting opportunities, testing ideas, chasing results.

If you come from a big-charity, email-heavy world, this probably isn’t for you. But if you thrive in fast-paced environments, prefer the phone to the inbox, and enjoy building personal, scalable supporter experiences - we’d love to talk.

In the last three years, we’ve bought and built a swim events series, doubled our unrestricted income, and grown a committed community of 3,000 annual fundraisers. We want someone who’s excited to be part of that kind of ride.

You’ll bring experience, strong instincts, and a deep understanding of supporter journeys. You’ll enjoy digging into detail - like optimising email split-tests - but also stepping back to shape the big picture. Perhaps you even like outdoor swimming.

About us

We’re a Founder-led charity working to solve learn-to-swim for disabled children - and we plan to do it in the next 10 years.

We own and operate some of the UK’s most iconic outdoor swims -including the Dart10k and Bantham Swoosh - and we’ve built a growing series of 24-hour relay swims in lakes and lidos. Our swim events raise over £1m a year, with 80% of that income unrestricted. Our community of 3,000 fundraisers is at the heart of that success.

We’re a small team that moves fast. Strategy and delivery go hand in hand. We test ideas, learn quickly, and cover a lot of ground. You’ll need to enjoy that kind of environment to thrive here.

The role

As our Challenge Events / Supporter Journey / Fundraiser Experience Manager (call it what you like), you’ll lead the supporter journey for our 3,000 challenge event fundraisers - making sure every interaction is personal, motivating and meaningful.

You’ll plan and deliver comms across all channels, from automated emails to personal messages and calls. You’ll ensure people feel seen, valued, and inspired - and help them understand the difference they’re making.

Your goals will be to increase fundraising per head in the short term, and supporter lifetime value in the longer term. You’ll also help us explore opportunities for repeat fundraising, corporate giving, major donors, and regular giving - working closely with the wider fundraising and events team.

You’ll be the go-to expert on supporter journeys: leading, challenging, testing, and building evidence for what works. From refining the Fundraiser Hub to creating new stewardship ideas or in-person experiences, you’ll shape a journey that turns one-time swimmers into lifelong supporters.

You’ll also collaborate with our Events Marketing team - because our fundraisers aren’t just donors, they’re also our best ambassadors. The better their experience, the stronger our word-of-mouth marketing and the faster our events grow.

You’ll have a lot of freedom to test ideas - as long as you can show the financial model makes sense.

Key Responsibilities

Challenge Event Supporter Journey & Retention

Learn

  • Review and lead audience insight to understand motivations and barriers
  • Spot opportunities to increase value, connection and community

Design

  • Optimise our Supporter Journey plan to increase fundraising per head and product depth, and build strong, long-term relationships with supporters.
  • Ensure that our ‘Fundraiser Hub’ and other materials meet industry best practice

Deliver

  • Send all emails for 15-20 events, following the Supporter Journey plan
  • Attend many weekend swim events throughout the summer, giving our fundraisers the best possible experience to ensure that they sign-up to an event in the future
  • Deliver additional personal touches to deepen relationships, for example in-person events, training groups, information, offers, case studies, phone calls, hand-written cards, personalised thank-you communications, impact updates, recognition opportunities
  • Lead our CRM use, keeping it up to date with supporter information
  • Have a good knowledge and understanding of our ‘Swimmer Hub’ and where to access information about our swims

Deepen

  • Cross-sell other fundraising products to our swimmer audience. We magic up 3,000 new relationships every year
  • Maximise the opportunities each year to identify Corporates, Major Donors, Regular Givers, T&Fs and repeat fundraisers from this audience
  • Develop new products - like Regular Giving or Memberships - with this audience in mind first.

Improve

  • Take a data-driven approach to improving our Supporter Journey and Communications across our products
  • Track data and deliver regular reporting to the Head of Fundraising and CEO to ensure that we remain on track for fundraising targets (e.g. JustGiving pages and amount raised so far)
  • Continuously develop by learning and following industry best practice and current trends to identify opportunities to improve our Supporter Journey.

Supporting Individual Fundraisers

  • Input to CRM - Design and deliver Supporter Journey
  • Create tips, templates, and tools (like email drafts, social media post ideas) for effective fundraising.
  • Respond to Fundraisers through our Fundraising email inbox and social media pages and messaging platforms.
  • Work closely with our mailing house to post fundraiser thank you\'s where necessary.

Fundraising know-how

  • Stay informed and educate others on the latest fundraising trends and tools by engaging with industry updates, attending webinars, and exploring best practices.
  • Regularly share insights and recommendations with the internal team, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement in fundraising innovations.
  • Ensure that you are up to date with Fundraising Regulator best practice and legal process and attend regular training sessions on industry changes or updates.

Desirable skills and experience

  • Customer Experience or Customer journey design & delivery
  • Previous experience working in or with an ambitious charity or nonprofit
  • Familiarity with fundraising trends and best practice
  • A point of view on supporter upgrade, cross-sell, or stewardship strategies
  • Experience working on donor or customer retention
  • (For ManagerLevel)Demonstrable success overseeing and growing a broad fundraising mix, from T&F to Challenge Events, Corporate to Regular Giving.

You’ll thrive in this role if you are:

  • A natural relationship-builder who genuinely enjoys making people feel seen, valued, and appreciated.
  • Excited by challenge and change - and happy to test, learn, and adapt.
  • A thoughtful communicator who can balance efficiency with warmth.
  • Organised and proactive, with the drive to get things done and the humility to ask for help when needed.
  • Proud to take ownership and always on the lookout for ways to improve and grow.
  • Energised by teamwork, collaboration, and shared purpose

If this sounds like the role for you, then please do pick up the phone (07912 432 660) to express an interest in the role and ask any questions that you may have.

Please send a CV and Cover Letter (which can be a 2-3 minute video) to lucy@levelwater.org

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Challenge Events Fundraising Officer / Manager Role employer: Level Water

At Level Water, we pride ourselves on being an entrepreneurial and fast-paced charity that empowers our team to take ownership of their work while making a meaningful impact in the lives of disabled children. Our supportive culture fosters personal growth and innovation, allowing you to thrive as you lead our challenge events fundraising efforts. With unique opportunities to engage with a passionate community and contribute to iconic outdoor swim events, you'll find a rewarding environment that values your contributions and encourages your professional development.

Level Water

Contact Detail:

Level Water Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Challenge Events Fundraising Officer / Manager Role

Tip Number 1

Network with individuals in the charity sector, especially those involved in fundraising. Attend relevant events or webinars to meet potential colleagues and learn about their experiences. This can help you gain insights into the role and make valuable connections.

Tip Number 2

Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in fundraising and supporter engagement. Follow industry leaders on social media and subscribe to newsletters. This knowledge will not only prepare you for interviews but also demonstrate your passion for the role.

Tip Number 3

Consider volunteering for similar roles or events to gain hands-on experience. This will not only enhance your CV but also give you practical insights into what works in fundraising and supporter journeys, making you a more attractive candidate.

Tip Number 4

Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully built relationships and engaged supporters in the past. Think about metrics or outcomes that highlight your impact, as this will resonate well with the entrepreneurial spirit of the role.

We think you need these skills to ace Challenge Events Fundraising Officer / Manager Role

Fundraising Strategy Development
Customer Journey Mapping
Relationship Management
Data Analysis and Reporting
Event Planning and Coordination
Communication Skills
CRM Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in fundraising and supporter engagement. Use specific examples that demonstrate your entrepreneurial spirit and ability to build relationships, as these are key traits for the role.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:In your cover letter, express your passion for the charity's mission and how your skills align with their goals. Consider including a brief story or example that showcases your success in a similar role, particularly in fast-paced environments.

Showcase Your Understanding of Supporter Journeys:Demonstrate your knowledge of supporter journeys in your application. Discuss how you would optimise communications and enhance supporter experiences, drawing on any relevant experience you have in this area.

Be Authentic:Let your personality shine through in your application. The charity values relationship-building, so convey your genuine enthusiasm for connecting with supporters and your commitment to making a difference.

How to prepare for a job interview at Level Water

Show Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Demonstrate your proactive nature by sharing examples of how you've spotted opportunities in previous roles. Highlight any instances where you took the initiative to test new ideas or improve processes, as this aligns with the entrepreneurial mindset they value.

Emphasise Relationship Building

Since the role is relationship-led, be prepared to discuss how you've successfully built and maintained relationships with supporters or clients in the past. Share specific stories that showcase your ability to make people feel valued and appreciated.

Be Data-Driven

Prepare to talk about your experience with data analysis and how it has informed your decision-making. Discuss any tools or methods you've used to track performance and optimise supporter journeys, as this will resonate with their focus on improving fundraising outcomes.

Express Your Passion for Swimming

If you have a personal connection to swimming or outdoor events, share that passion during the interview. This can help you connect with the team and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the charity's mission, making you a more compelling candidate.