Fundraising and Communications Manager in Macclesfield

The Bridgend Centre is a local, independent charity that plays an important role at the heart of the local community in Bollington, Cheshire. We work to enhance the quality of life for residents and community members by fostering a caring, inclusive and supportive environment. We provide a wide variety of activities, resources and interactions which improve the lives of those living in and visiting our community. Established in 1990, the Centre is a place where everyone is welcome. We offer friendship, company and someone to talk to in an accessible and disability friendly space. We are here to help those who are going through a time of crisis and who need some trustworthy, non-judgmental support to cope and thrive. We particularly support those with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and older people, who without our Centre may feel especially isolated or vulnerable.

Purpose of the Role: The Bridgend Centre celebrated its 35th Anniversary in 2025. The organisation is set to go through more growth and change in the coming years. As part of this growth, the Fundraising & Communication Manager is a new post that will be responsible for driving forward both our fundraising and marketing activities, to enable growth and continuity of activities. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute your experience and skills to a charity that adds a huge amount of value to Bollington & surrounding areas and supports over 1,250 people every year. This post will work closely with the Chief Officer (and Board of Trustees) to grow our income and develop marketing activities to increase the reach and profile of our supporters.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a Fundraising Strategy focussed on different areas of funding including Grants, Corporate, Individual Giving, Charity Challenges, Events, Legacies & Trading to drive growth of income and ensure that targets are met.
• Work closely with the Chief Officer to maintain existing grant partnerships and write grant applications to new charitable trusts or statutory bodies.
• Develop and maintain a portfolio of corporate partners to provide income and pro-bono opportunities.
• Lead impactful campaigns for specific funding appeals and sponsorship opportunities.
• Engage and motivate both current and past supporters, minimising donor loss and optimising their long-term value.
• Develop a mixture of accessible charity challenges opportunities for supporters to fundraise for The Bridgend Centre.
• Maintain a list of events and activities to steward donor relationships increasing individual giving and event income.
• Increase awareness of legacy giving to both new and existing supporters of The Bridgend Centre, whilst developing the assets and messages we use to encourage more legacies left to Bridgend Centre.
• Monitor progress against income targets, mitigating risk and maximise return on investment.

Marketing

• Develop and deliver a Marketing Strategy looking at using multiple channels (e.g., digital, print, face-to-face), ensuring consistency with the organisation's brand guidelines whilst raising the profile and engages with supporters.
• Engage innovative approaches to campaign development and outreach to attract new audiences.
• Ensure engagement through the community newsletter to grow contacts and increase reach.
• Develop case studies and storytelling to provide compelling reasons to support service provision of The Bridgend Centre.
• Attend networking events to build and maintain relationships that support fundraising efforts.

Budgeting and Reporting

• Manage the CRM database to enhance donor experiences and support fundraising activities.
• Oversee the forecasting and budget management of Fundraising Income & Expenditure.
• Develop a Fundraising Strategy which sets measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor progress.
• Stay informed on market trends and sector developments and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Ensure all donations are processed according to internal procedures, and donors receive timely and appropriate acknowledgements.

Governance and Internal Co-ordination

• Prepare and present reports for Chief Officer & Board of Trustees as needed.
• Ensure materials, activities, and communications comply with internal specifications and fundraising regulations and data protection laws.
• Work closely with staff and volunteers to organise funding events.

Person specification

Experience

• Working in a fundraising role in a charity of comparable breadth and scope with proven success in growing income.
• Developing growth through digital fundraising.
• Proven track record in creating and writing compelling proposals and developing a strong case for support.
• Representing the charity with key senior stakeholders and high value potential and existing supporters.
• Identifying/ managing reputational, operational and financial risks.
• Forecasting and budget management.

Personal attributes

• Results driven, creative and innovative.
• Open and participative working style.
• Flexible, adaptable and resilient to work demands and change.
• Willingness to work outside office hours when required.
• Commitment to The Bridgend Centre values.
• Commitment to equality, inclusion and fairness for all.
• Commitment to safeguarding.

Skills, knowledge, and abilities

• Computer literate with excellent MS Office capabilities.
• Skilled in networking and collaboration, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Excellent in analysis and financial management.
• Capable of clearly and persuasively communicating complex ideas to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Able to manage time effectively under pressure, meet deadlines, and prioritise tasks across multiple work streams.
• Experienced in setting targets, defining, monitoring, and evaluating performance, with a focus on achieving outcomes.
• Proficient in conducting research and analysis.

Education/ Membership

• Member of the Institute of Fundraising.

Terms and Conditions

• Hours – 18.5 per week– with an expectation of occasional evening and weekend work.
• Annual Leave – 25 Days per year pro rata plus bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme - employer’s pension contributions of 5%, plus the Bridgend Centre will match employee contributions up to an extra 5%.
• Probation Period – Post subject to successfully completing a 6-month probationary period.
• Hybrid Working - As an organisation we follow a hybrid method of working (working both from home and in our Centre). We would expect at least one day per week working at the Bridgend Centre.