At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape and grow our trusts and foundations fundraising programme to secure vital funding.
- Company: Join Perennial, the UK's only charity supporting the horticultural community.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working, and generous holiday allowance.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive team with opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by helping those in horticulture thrive through impactful fundraising.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in securing grants and excellent relationship management skills.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape and grow Perennial's trusts and foundations fundraising programme.
About Perennial
Perennial is the UK's only charity supporting everyone working in or retired from the horticultural community. Working in horticulture isn't always straightforward. Challenges such as seasonality of work, physical injury, isolation, ill-health and financial hardship can arise when least expected. As the charity for the industry, Perennial has a unique understanding of these challenges. Our free and confidential support services help horticulturists and their families navigate difficult periods in their lives through practical, financial and emotional support. Delivered through a network of caseworkers, debt advisers and wellbeing services across the UK, our work helps individuals and families build resilience and find stability during times of crisis. At the heart of our work is a commitment to helping people in horticulture thrive. By offering the right support at the right time, we strengthen wellbeing, improve financial security, support family relationships and help people remain connected to the industry they love. Alongside our support services, Perennial operates a select number of gardens and learning environments that help develop horticultural skills and careers, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector. For more than 185 years, we have been helping people build better lives within horticulture.
The Role
To develop and grow income from charitable trusts and foundations by identifying opportunities, building meaningful relationships and securing significant grants for both core services and project-based activity. The postholder will play a key role in strengthening Perennial's readiness for trust fundraising by helping colleagues develop projects, articulate impact, evidence need and create compelling cases for support. A central aspect of the role will be collaborating with teams across the organisation to bring our work to life for funders, helping colleagues translate their expertise, ideas and service delivery into attractive and fundable propositions. The successful candidate will maximise support from Perennial's existing trust and foundation partners whilst developing a strong pipeline of new funders capable of supporting both current services and future strategic priorities. They will also work with senior colleagues to develop compelling narratives around organisational sustainability, long-term impact and the strategic use of charitable resources.
Duties and responsibilities
- Develop and deliver a trusts and foundations fundraising strategy.
- Build and manage a pipeline of charitable trusts, foundations and institutional funders.
- Prepare high-quality funding applications, proposals, expressions of interest and cases for support.
- Research and identify new funding opportunities aligned with Perennial's strategic priorities.
- Manage funder stewardship, reporting and grant compliance requirements.
- Maintain accurate records of applications, reporting deadlines and relationships within the CRM.
- Monitor income performance and provide regular pipeline and forecasting reports.
- Collaborate with teams across the organisation to bring our work to life for funders.
- Support colleagues to identify, shape and develop fundable projects and services.
- Work closely with service leads to gather impact data, outcomes, beneficiary stories and evidence of need.
- Help develop funding propositions ranging from small service enhancements to larger strategic initiatives.
- Ensure projects are clearly costed and supported by realistic budgets and outcomes frameworks.
Relationship management
- Develop strong relationships with new and existing funders.
- Create tailored stewardship plans for key supporters.
- Arrange visits, presentations and meetings with prospective funders.
- Act as a trusted internal adviser on trusts and foundations fundraising.
Strategic development
- Work with senior colleagues to develop compelling narratives around Perennial's financial position, reserves and long-term sustainability.
- Identify opportunities for multi-year and transformational funding.
- Monitor trends in trusts and foundations funding and advise on emerging opportunities.
Person Specification
- Proven track record of securing significant grants from trusts and foundations.
- Experience managing a trusts and foundations pipeline.
- Excellent proposal and bid-writing skills.
- Strong relationship management and stewardship skills.
- Ability to translate complex services into fundable propositions.
- Experience working with project budgets and impact reporting.
- Strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.
Highly desirable
- Experience helping organisations build or expand a trusts fundraising programme.
- Experience securing five-figure and six-figure grants.
- Experience fundraising for welfare, health, employment, community or advice services.
- Understanding of balance sheet and reserves issues and how these can be addressed in grant applications.
- Membership of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
Success in the first 12 Months
- Produce a comprehensive trusts and foundations fundraising strategy.
- Build a robust pipeline of prospective funders.
- Develop a portfolio of compelling funding propositions and cases for support.
- Strengthen internal project development processes.
- Increase the value and number of trust applications submitted.
- Establish strong relationships with key funders and prospects.
- Improve understanding of trusts fundraising across the organisation.
Key Terms and Conditions
- Location: Leatherhead Office, KT22 7SU (Hybrid considered)
- Salary: Up to £42,000 per annum depending on experience
- Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week
- Pension: Perennial operates an auto-enrolment pension scheme and will match employee contributions up to the statutory amount. Details of the scheme will be available following a formal offer of employment.
- Holidays: 25 days per annum pro rata, plus bank holidays (with increases for long service)
- General: Sick Pay, Death in Service Benefit (3x salary). Perennial has a number of well-established, family-friendly policies, including ‘buying’ extra (unpaid) leave, time off for dependents, variations to normal working hours. Further details available on request.
- Company car/car benefit
- General Considerations: All Perennial jobs are subject to a probationary period (6 months) and a periodic review.
- Smoking: In the interests of health and safety, Perennial operates a non-smoking policy on its premises and expects staff not to smoke in company vehicles.
- Closing date: Midnight on 30 September, interviews will be held on 21 October.
Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager in Leatherhead employer: Perennial
Perennial is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work culture that prioritises the wellbeing of its employees and the horticultural community. With opportunities for professional growth and a commitment to making a meaningful impact, our team enjoys a flexible hybrid working model and generous benefits, including 25 days of holiday and a competitive salary. Join us in our mission to improve lives in horticulture while enjoying a fulfilling career in a dedicated charity environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager in Leatherhead
✨Get Involved Locally
Dive into local volunteer opportunities or social initiatives. This not only beefs up your CV but also connects you with like-minded folks in nonprofits. Plus, it shows your passion for social impact, which is key for getting noticed by Perennial.
✨Tap into Professional Networks
Join networks like the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) or local charities to meet professionals in the sector. Attend events and workshops to build relationships and learn about potential openings at organisations like Perennial.
✨Showcase Your Commitment
When prepping for interviews, be ready to speak about your personal connection to social issues. Dive into specific examples of how you’ve contributed to community projects – this will resonate with the mission-driven vibe at Perennial.
✨Utilise Online Platforms
We’re all about making connections, so use platforms like Idealist and CharityJob to hunt for full-time roles. And of course, you should keep an eye on our website for exciting opportunities at Perennial. Apply directly through us to stand out!
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for the Cause:In the nonprofit sector, it's super important to demonstrate genuine passion for the mission of Perennial. Use your cover letter to showcase any personal experiences or volunteer work that connects you to their social impact initiatives. This emotional connection can really help your application stand out.
Highlight Relevant Experience:When crafting your CV, be sure to include any relevant projects or roles that showcase your skills in social impact. Whether it's community organising, fundraising, or advocacy, highlight what you've done and the difference it's made. Don’t just list tasks; quantify your achievements and the outcomes of your efforts.
Tailor Your Documents to the Role:For a full-time role like Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager, ensure your CV and cover letter specifically address the responsibilities outlined in the job description. Use their language to describe your skills and experience, making it easy for the hiring team to see how you fit into their vision.
Emphasise Teamwork and Collaboration:Nonprofits thrive on teamwork, so make sure to emphasise your collaborative experiences. Whether you've worked in a team setting, partnered with community organisations, or facilitated group projects, highlight these experiences in your application. Show them you understand the importance of working alongside diverse individuals to achieve shared goals.
How to prepare for a job interview at Perennial
✨Show Your Passion for Social Change
When we’re prepping for interviews in the nonprofit space, it's vital to demonstrate our genuine passion for social impact. Be ready to discuss not just your skills and experiences but also why you care about the mission of Perennial. Sharing personal stories or insights can really make us stand out.
✨Highlight Project Experience
We should focus on specific projects we've worked on that align with the goals of social impact. Whether that’s a community initiative, volunteering, or a class project, having solid examples that showcase our role and the outcomes will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Familiarity with Relevant Tools and Practices
Let’s brush up on tools and methodologies commonly used in the nonprofit sector, like project management software or outcome measurement frameworks. Being able to speak fluently about these will show that we’re not just passionate but also knowledgeable and ready to hit the ground running.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that evaluate our problem-solving skills in real-world social issues. Think about how we’d handle challenges in the nonprofit environment and prepare stories that demonstrate our critical thinking and adaptability. Role-playing with a friend could help us feel more confident!
