At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead fundraising efforts to secure vital income and support advocacy initiatives.
- Company: Join a passionate team dedicated to empowering voices in health and social care.
- Benefits: Enjoy 30 days annual leave, flexible working, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive environment that values creativity and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by helping vulnerable individuals access their rights and services.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in charitable fundraising and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
About The Advocacy Project
We help people speak up and make decisions about their health, wellbeing and social care. We’re here to make sure people who are vulnerable because of their circumstance can understand their rights, make effective choices about their lives and voice their concerns. Some of the ways we do this include:
- Advocacy services that make sure people can express their wishes when decisions are being made about their care or wellbeing
- User involvement projects that help organisations improve what they offer by listening to people who use their services
- Local Healthwatch services, which act as health and social care champions for the areas they serve and give people a direct channel to share their feedback
Our services are independent, confidential, and free to those receiving them. Together, our teams are standing up for essential rights and supporting people to have a say on the issues that matter to them.
About the role
The Advocacy Project vision is clear: everyone should have a voice. We work tirelessly to ensure that those who are often unheard or whose wishes are dismissed are heard and their rights upheld. We believe passionately that everyone should have equal outcomes when accessing health and social care services, and we all live our values every day showing up with kindness, strength, honesty and belief in the work we do. Our work makes a difference, but we need to reach more people and change more lives; can you be part of our journey?
You will be joining The Advocacy Project at a critical time as we enter the second year of our new strategy. Key to the success of the new strategy is developing a sustainable business model that moves us from a reliance on statutory income to a mixed portfolio of funding including trusts and foundations and paid for services. Focusing on growth we are looking to secure at least £250,000 new income annually while maintaining our current income levels; we aim to double our income by the end of our strategy in 2030.
As part of our senior leadership team, you will be agile and collaborative, a fundraising professional who has developed and delivered an income generation strategy and achieved income growth across multiple income streams, including developing commercial income streams, grants and statutory income. You will be hands-on, getting stuck into applications, prospecting, communicating, and developing new income opportunities. Building strong relationships with staff, volunteers and service users, you will also have the ability to engage with stakeholders and build relationships externally. You will develop evidence-based and impact-led cases for support for various projects and must be able to unlock growth, develop new approaches and help communicate our impact. You will build and lead a small, effective and positive fundraising team.
Key responsibilities
- Developing our income strategy to ensure we reach our financial and strategic goals.
- Chairing the Business development and fundraising committee.
- Further developing trust and foundations pipeline, growing income and identifying new opportunities.
- Further develop our commercial income opportunities including training, consultancy and paid for services.
- Overseeing all tender submissions including building the pipeline and writing or commissioning tender writers.
- Working with the CEO and our comms officer to ensure our Comms and Income generation strategy are aligned.
- Recruiting and managing bid writers as required.
- Working with our Finance team to ensure all donations are collected and recorded correctly, holding budget responsibility for fundraising and comms.
- Building our case for support, working closely with staff and service users to understand their lived experience.
- Representing The Advocacy Project with funders, commissioners and external partners.
- Ensure the Board of Trustees are regularly updated on the progress of income generation and our comms engagement, using a transparent and consistent reporting framework.
- Embed a fundraising culture within The Advocacy Project.
About you
We’re looking for someone with significant success and experience of impactful charitable fundraising across diverse income streams especially from trust and foundations. You must be passionate about our work, the role of advocacy and involving service users in design.
Essential
- Effective line management skills and ability to deliver alongside and through a small team.
- Experience of developing trust and foundations pipelines, bid writing and evidenced success of winning significant funding.
- Experience of statutory services and tender submissions.
- Experience of developing new income streams.
- Experience of delivering to targets, including a strong understanding of risk and how best to manage it.
- Knowledge of fundraising regulations, GDPR, and best practices.
Desirable
- Experience of working as a senior leader within a third sector, public sector, or voluntary organisation, including setting strategy and managing change.
- Experience of designing and delivering commercial income streams including business to business and direct to consumer products.
- Previous experience in an Advocacy/user voice organisation.
- Previous experience of co-production.
Skills
- Strong leadership and management skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively and lead change effectively.
- Be highly organised and self-motivated with a proven ability to work to tight deadlines.
- Positive, creative, entrepreneurial, and solutions focused.
- Proactive, dynamic, able to work effectively independently.
- Ability to problem solve and think creatively.
- Confident networker, with strong communication skills.
- Strong understanding of EDI principles and how to apply them in your work.
Benefits of working for us
We’re committed to providing an empowering, flexible and supportive working environment for all our staff. Our employee benefits include 30 days annual leave (including up to 3 days between Christmas and New Year), participation in a pension scheme with 6% employer contribution, access to a free confidential counselling service, and an interest-free travel/bike loan. All our staff are supported to learn and develop in a variety of ways, including a monthly lecture series where we invite sector experts to talk to our staff on topical issues. We are a Disability Confident and Mindful Employer.
Locations
Head of Business Development in London, Westminster employer: The Advocacy Project
The Advocacy Project is an exceptional employer dedicated to empowering individuals and ensuring their voices are heard in health and social care. With a strong commitment to employee wellbeing, we offer generous benefits such as 30 days of annual leave, a supportive work culture, and opportunities for professional growth through monthly lectures and training. Join us in making a meaningful impact while enjoying a flexible and inclusive working environment in a role that truly matters.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Business Development in London, Westminster
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, or even hit up LinkedIn. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Head of Business Development role.
✨Tip Number 2
Be ready to showcase your skills! Prepare a killer pitch about your experience in fundraising and income generation. When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure you highlight how you've successfully developed income streams before.
✨Tip Number 3
Research the organisation inside out! Understand their mission, values, and current projects. This will not only help you tailor your conversations but also show that you're genuinely interested in making a difference with them.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’re all about making the application process smooth and straightforward. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at The Advocacy Project and contributing to our mission.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Business Development in London, Westminster
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When you're writing your application, let your passion for advocacy and helping others shine through. We want to see how much you care about making a difference in people's lives, so share your personal connection to the cause!
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in fundraising and business development. We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate their success in securing funding, so be specific about your achievements and how they relate to our mission.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured responses that get straight to the heart of what you want to say. Avoid jargon and make it easy for us to understand your key points.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Advocacy Project
✨Know Your Advocacy
Make sure you understand the core values and mission of The Advocacy Project. Familiarise yourself with their services and how they empower vulnerable individuals. This will help you articulate how your experience aligns with their goals during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Fundraising Success
Prepare specific examples of your past fundraising achievements, especially in developing trust and foundation pipelines. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully generated income across multiple streams and how you can apply that experience to help The Advocacy Project grow.
✨Demonstrate Collaborative Leadership
Highlight your ability to lead and manage a small team effectively. Share instances where you've fostered collaboration and built strong relationships with stakeholders, as this role requires engaging with various partners and service users.
✨Be Ready for Problem-Solving
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and creativity. Think of examples where you've tackled challenges in fundraising or income generation, and be prepared to discuss how you approached these situations and what the outcomes were.
