Senior Grants Fundraising Manager in London

Reports to: Director of Fundraising

Location: Brixton, London. Hybrid working offered with at least two days per week in our London office.

Working Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week. This is a permanent contract.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Senior Grant Fundraising Manager leads Trees for Cities' trusts, foundations, lottery and statutory fundraising, securing approximately £1.5 million in grant income annually to support organisational strategy and programme delivery. The postholder will develop and steward high-value funder relationships, drive growth in multi-year and six-figure grants, oversee effective grant management and reporting, and provide strategic leadership across the grants function. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, they will identify and develop funding opportunities that align with Trees for Cities' strategic priorities and maximise impact for communities and the environment.

Key accountabilities and responsibilities

• Strategic Fundraising and Business Development
  • Lead the development and implementation of Trees for Cities' grants fundraising strategy, identifying opportunities for sustainable income growth and supporting organisational priorities.
  • Lead the grants fundraising programme to ensure income targets, KPIs and agreed objectives are achieved in line with annual business and financial plans.
  • Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with grant funders, including government bodies, lottery distributors, trusts and foundations, to secure an increasing number of high-value grants, with a particular focus on six-figure and multi-year strategic funding partnerships.
  • Develop and manage a robust pipeline of prospective and existing funders, ensuring effective prospect research, cultivation, stewardship, retention and progression.
  • Lead the development of compelling, high-quality funding applications and proposals, working collaboratively with programme, finance and operational colleagues to articulate clear outputs, outcomes, impact, beneficiaries and budgets.
  • Ensure funding opportunities and applications are aligned with organisational strategy, programme priorities and funder requirements.
  • Conduct due diligence and ethical funding assessments on prospective funders and strategic partners in line with organisational policies and values.
  • Maintain an excellent understanding of trends within trusts, foundations, statutory funding and environmental philanthropy to inform fundraising strategy and identify new opportunities.
  • Share fundraising insights, sector developments, funder feedback and market intelligence with internal stakeholders to support organisational learning and influence future activity.
• Funder Stewardship, Grant Management and Reporting
  • Deliver an outstanding funder experience through proactive relationship management, effective communication and high-quality stewardship.
  • Oversee the management of all grant agreements, ensuring funding requirements, reporting deadlines, deliverables and compliance obligations are accurately tracked and met.
  • Work closely with programme and operational teams to ensure funded projects are delivered in accordance with grant agreements and funder expectations, escalating risks or issues where appropriate.
  • Lead the production of high-quality, engaging and timely reports to funders, including compelling narratives, impact data, case studies, photography and financial reporting.
  • Build long-term relationships with funders that foster trust, confidence and ongoing investment in Trees for Cities' mission and impact.
  • Ensure accurate and up-to-date grant management records are maintained within organisational systems and databases.
• Leadership and People Management
  • Lead by example as a senior member of the Fundraising Team, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and shared success.
  • Line manage the Senior Fundraising Coordinator, providing clear leadership, support and development to enable high performance and professional growth.
  • Set and review SMART objectives, providing regular feedback, coaching and development opportunities through effective performance management and regular one-to-one meetings.
  • Promote and support collaborative working across teams, ensuring strong communication and effective partnership between fundraising, programme delivery, finance and operations colleagues.
  • Act as an ambassador for fundraising across the organisation, championing funder perspectives and helping colleagues understand funding opportunities, requirements and priorities.
  • Attend regular team, departmental and organisational meetings and contribute positively to strategic discussions and decision-making.
• Finance, Planning and Performance
  • Work closely with the Fundraising Director to develop annual operational plans, budgets and resource requirements for grants fundraising activity.
  • Monitor fundraising performance against income targets and KPIs, analysing results and providing regular reporting, forecasts and recommendations to senior leadership and trustees.
  • Track the effectiveness of fundraising activity, including new funder acquisition, funder retention, progression and income growth.
  • Work with finance, development and delivery teams to ensure accurate income and expenditure monitoring across funded projects and grants.
  • Support quarterly forecasting and reforecasting processes, identifying risks and opportunities and recommending appropriate actions.
  • Work closely with Finance and the wider Fundraising Team to manage grant payments, invoicing, income allocations and reconciliation processes.
  • Ensure full cost recovery principles are consistently applied across grant applications and funding agreements wherever appropriate.
• Representation and External Engagement
  • Develop and maintain strong networks with grant funders, sector peers and relevant stakeholders to raise the profile of Trees for Cities and identify collaborative opportunities.
  • Represent Trees for Cities at meetings, conferences, site visits, planting days and other events as required.
  • Act as a professional and credible ambassador for Trees for Cities, promoting the organisation's mission, values and impact.
• Decision-Making and Autonomy
  • The Senior Grant Fundraising Manager works with a high degree of autonomy and is responsible for decisions relating to funder engagement, pipeline management, bid prioritisation and grant stewardship.
  • The postholder will identify and manage risks associated with fundraising activity, escalating significant financial, operational or reputational issues to the Fundraising Director as appropriate.
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Trees for Cities is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. The postholder will actively contribute to this commitment, ensuring fundraising approaches, partnerships and applications reflect organisational values and support equitable access to funding and programme delivery.

Person specification

• Essential
• Extensive grant fundraising experience (minimum 2 years) with proven track record of securing and managing 6-7 figure funding partnerships with government, trusts, foundations, and/or lotteries, ideally in an organisation of comparable scale.
• Experience of developing funded proposals in line with strategy, including co-creation of programmes, and narrative and financial reports for grant funders.
• Experience of managing a grant portfolio of <£1.5M.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to plan and manage a complex and varied workload including motivating colleagues.
• Experience of team and line management with high achievement through positive motivation and inspiration.
• Strong financial and IT literacy and experience with complex grant.
• Experience with MEL including logframes and impact metrics.
• Eligible to work in the UK.
• An active interest in the natural environment and desire to fulfil Trees for Cities’ mission.
• Desirable
• Experience of working within the not for profit sector.

All employees have a duty under the Health & Safety at Work Act to ensure that their working environment is free of hazards that may prove injurious to themselves, their colleagues, and all those engaged in the charity’s activities. Trees for Cities’ office is a no-smoking environment; all staff have a responsibility to keep the office clean and welcoming. Occasional weekend and/or evening work may be required, particularly during the planting season (October to March), for which staff receive time off in lieu (TOIL). This job description is not exhaustive and is liable to review following discussions with the post holder. The post holder will be expected to undertake any other reasonable duties as requested by his/her manager. Trees for Cities is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. We value diversity and are committed to promoting diversity within the workplace. We aim to ensure that our employees achieve their full potential and that all employment decisions, including recruitment, are taken without reference to irrelevant or discriminatory criteria. A full copy of our Equal Opportunities Policy can be provided on request.

Staff Benefits

• 29 days annual leave in addition to public holidays.
• Annual half day birthday leave.
• Pension: Employees are required to make a minimum 3% contribution with Trees for Cities’ making an enhanced 5% employer’s contribution. Trees for Cities also offers the option to match additional contributions up to a further 2%.
• Parental Leave: Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay.
• Enhanced Occupational Sick Pay: 3 days full pay during probationary period which increases to 10 days full pay after successful completion of probation (pro rata for part time staff and staff on fixed term contracts).
• Company Paid Healthcare with Simply Health.
• Staff Socials (annual Staff Appreciation Day and End of Year Celebration).
• Once salaried employees (permanent or fixed term) have successfully completed their probationary period, they are entitled to the following additional benefits:
• Professional development training budget.
• Moving day allowance (up to one day per year in addition to their annual leave entitlement).
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Employee Volunteering Day (one day).
• Career breaks in addition to annual leave linked to length of service.

Please note we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, you must therefore have valid a right to work in the UK to apply to this role.