Strategic Fundraising Advisor

Location: Hybrid / Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1EW, UK
job type: Casual / Full or part-time
Sector and subsector: Voluntary/Charity | Fundraising
AnnualFixed salary:£ 12000.00

This is a Freelance/Contracting opportunity, with a maximum budget of £1,000 per month

Company Description

ShareAction is an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.

Position

What you’ll do (key responsibilities)

We're currently seeking to hire an independent adviser to support our senior fundraising leadership over a fixed term period of approximately 12 months on a freelance basis. The Strategic Fundraising Advisor will provide senior-level, external guidance on how ShareAction raises the money that powers our work. This is an advisory role rather than an operational one: you won’t run campaigns, write grant applications or manage donor relationships directly. Instead, you will strengthen the judgement, confidence and networks of the colleagues who do.

Our income has historically been concentrated in trusts and foundations. Over the coming year, we want to increase income from this stream while diversifying and growing our high-net-worth (HNW) individual giving. You will help shape and stress-test that strategy, working primarily with our Head of Business Development and Chief Operating Officer. A typical month would see you:

• Reviewing and constructively challenging our fundraising strategy, plans and pipeline
• Holding regular mentoring and thinking-partner sessions with the Head of Business Development and the COO, building their confidence in major gift fundraising and high-value donor cultivation
• Helping us identify and prioritise new funding opportunities among trusts, foundations and HNW individuals
• Making introductions where appropriate and advising on how best to approach specific prospects

Your advice will help us keep pushing companies and investors to tackle the climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies, and to advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core. Over the course of the engagement, we hope to see a clearer, more robust fundraising strategy, a stronger pipeline of trust and foundation prospects, first gifts secured from HNW donors, and a wider network of warm introductions across UK and international philanthropy.

This role is independent of our Board and Fundraising Committee, although you may liaise with trustees on fundraising matters at the COO’s request.

If this role sounds like something that would build on your current skill set and engage you, we’d love to hear from you!

Requirements

Ideally, you'll have significant senior-level experience leading a fundraising team in a UK charity and are looking to put that experience to work as an independent adviser. We think this role would suit someone who has:

• Current knowledge of trends in UK and international trusts, foundations and philanthropic giving, particularly in systems change, responsible investment, climate, health, human rights and/or corporate accountability
• Existing contacts and networks within UK philanthropy, trusts and foundations, and/or HNW donor circles
• Knowledge and experience of donor stewardship and major gift fundraising
• Comfort offering candid, constructive challenge to senior leadership
• Support for ShareAction’s goals and a real interest in our work

It would be a bonus if you also have experience of charity mentoring, advisory or non-executive roles, experience of working in or with regranters, or knowledge or experience of capital markets and the financial system.

While we hope we’ll find someone with the majority of these skills and experience, we’re keen to hear from you even if you don’t have them all.

We appreciate lots of skills are transferable and we welcome opportunities to explore different ways of achieving our goals.

This is a freelance role, with the time commitment flexing according to our operational needs. It can be carried out primarily remotely or in person, and we will agree what works best at the outset.

Other information

Contract type: Freelance, up to 12 months

Who it reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Budget: Up to £12,000 in total over 12 months

Deadline for applications: 9am, Monday 16 th November

Interview dates: W/c 23 rd November 2026

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities and we are working hard to provide an environment where all can bring their authentic selves to work.

Our hiring process is anonymised, we won’t ask for a cover letter and we don’t look at CVs until the interview stage. We do this so that we reduce the opportunity for unconscious biases to affect our decision making and so we prioritise skills and expertise over how well you can write a CV.

We also actively encourage incoming staff to consider flexible working arrangements; recognising that a better work-life balance can improve employee motivation, performance and reduce stress. Please talk to us at the interview about the flexibility you need. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

While we embrace hybrid working at ShareAction, we also think there is a lot of value in spending time together in person. We run all-staff away days, a yearly retreat and more regular team and directorate meet-ups so that we can develop our ideas and plans together. As part of the induction process, we’ll invite you to our office in Aldgate so you can meet and get to know your line manager, team and others from across the organisation.

To be considered for this post you must be legally eligible to work in the UK, unfortunately we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Please be aware that when shortlisting we are really keen to get a sense of your unique voice and individual experience, especially if you are using generative AI tools as part of your drafting process.

NB A lthough the application form asks for it, a cover letter is not required and will not be looked at as part of the shortlisting process

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