Senior Trust Fundraising Manager

We have big ambition, and our organisation strategy reflects this. Your role will focus on securing five- and six-figure gifts from grant-giving trusts and foundations. You will provide exceptional stewardship to those trusts with whom we have existing relationships, whilst researching and cultivating new prospects to maximise income, value, and influence for The Children’s Trust. This role will be key in enabling us to strengthen long term financial sustainability, through multi-year funding relationships and to drive restricted and unrestricted income to realise the strategy for 2030.

Responsibilities

• Prospect Research: Identify and develop a pipeline of opportunities from grant-giving trusts and foundations. Use internal database, online resources, desk research, and contact mapping to identify new funder opportunities. Review trusts’ and foundations’ funding criteria to grow the prospect pipeline. Develop a thorough understanding of our work and future developments to identify new funding opportunities.
• Submitting grant applications: Create compelling and persuasive funding appeals. Complete grant application forms and follow application processes as required. Work closely with colleagues across the Directorate and the wider charity to articulate our work and build strong funding propositions.
• Leadership & Relationship Management: Lead and manage the Trusts and Philanthropy Executive by developing skills, conducting appraisals and overseeing ongoing development. Lead & steward a portfolio of existing charitable trusts and foundations, and cultivate new potential donors, ensuring their support is recognised and celebrated. Ensure funders are thanked promptly and that grant terms and conditions are applied. Provide progress reports and manage all formal reporting requirements on time. Build relationships in person, by phone, email, or virtual meetings to secure long-term commitment. Identify opportunities for funders to meet key staff and attend events and site visits that strengthen their relationship with the charity. Implement the High Value Donor Stewardship Plan. Take a proactive role in developing assets such as appeals and cultivation events. Work with colleagues across the charity to monitor and evaluate funded projects, producing reports that demonstrate impact.
• Administration and Reporting: Manage trust prospects and donors on the CRM database, ensuring records are accurate and compliant with fundraising regulations. Budget management, cost control forecasting and taking corrective action to achieve budgets. Use the CRM database to manage task “actions”, prioritise and evaluate opportunities, and record funder interactions. Manage and develop a portfolio of high value relationships. Liaise with colleagues to ensure grant applications are coordinated across the organisation.

Education & Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths
• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

Experience

• Significant experience and track record in trust fundraising.
• Experience of writing compelling proposals and appeals.
• Proven experience of working as part of a team to deliver ambitious income targets.
• Experience in undertaking prospect research and creating a pipeline of prospects through to cultivation, ask and stewardship.
• Experience of securing and managing statutory funding desirable.
• Demonstrable experience of using fundraising or relationship management databases.

Skills & Abilities

• Exceptional skills with excellent attention to detail and proofreading ability
• Excellent research skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills whether on the phone, virtually, in person or in writing
• Excellent relationship building skills
• Professional, positive, and committed
• Results focussed with strong analytical skill
• Adaptable and flexible, tenacious, and persuasive
• Financially astute, with the ability to understand project budgets and read the accounts of grant giving trusts