At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and grow WWF-UK's Events and Community Fundraising strategy for sustainable income.
- Company: Join WWF-UK, a leading charity dedicated to environmental conservation.
- Benefits: 26 days annual leave, flexible working, pension contributions, and wellbeing initiatives.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in fundraising while leading a passionate team.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in fundraising, strategic thinking, and team leadership required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
Join us at WWF-UK – Head of Events and Community Fundraising
Location: Living Planet Centre, Woking, Surrey
Contract: Permanent, full time (35 hours)
Hybrid working: Minimum 40% in person collaboration per month
About the role
We’re looking for a strategic and results-driven Head of Events and Community Fundraising to lead and grow one of WWF-UK’s most important fundraising income streams. This is an exciting opportunity to shape and deliver an ambitious Events and Community Fundraising strategy, driving sustainable income growth across a diverse portfolio of challenge events, mass participation products and community fundraising activity. You’ll lead the development and evolution of the existing portfolio while identifying and delivering new fundraising products, partnerships and opportunities that engage supporters and grow impact. Working across the organisation and with external partners, you will play a key role in ensuring WWF-UK continues to build strong supporter relationships and deliver excellent fundraising experiences.
As an experienced and inspiring leader, you will lead a high-performing team, creating a collaborative, ambitious and supportive environment where people can thrive and deliver strong results. You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders across WWF-UK and externally, building trusted relationships that support innovation, growth and delivery. This role requires a strong combination of strategic thinking and operational delivery. You’ll oversee complex budgets, performance reporting and planning, using insight, evidence and supporter feedback to drive decision-making, continuous improvement and long-term growth.
We’re looking for someone who brings strong fundraising expertise, commercial awareness, creativity and a proactive mindset, alongside a genuine passion for delivering meaningful supporter engagement and impact.
Skills and experience
- Extensive experience in Events and/or Community Fundraising, with a strong track record of delivering and growing income
- Significant experience of developing and delivering successful fundraising strategies and plans that achieve measurable results
- Experience of driving growth across fundraising products, events, partnerships or community fundraising activity
- Proven experience of developing, launching and scaling new fundraising products, events or income-generating initiatives
- Strong experience of leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams
- Experience of managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, priorities and deliverables
- Significant experience of setting, managing and delivering large-scale income and expenditure budgets
- Experience of managing senior-level internal and external relationships, including corporates, sponsors, suppliers or strategic partners
- Strong understanding of supporter acquisition, retention and lifetime value approaches
- Experience of leading effective fundraising marketing or supporter engagement activity across multiple channels
- Strong commercial awareness and ability to use insight, evidence and performance data to drive decision-making and continuous improvement
- Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills
- Experience of working collaboratively across teams and functions to deliver shared organisational goals
- Good understanding of fundraising regulation, compliance, GDPR and supporter data responsibilities
- Strong organisational, planning and prioritisation skills
- Ability to lead through change, bring people with you and create clarity and focus within teams
- Results-focused, proactive and solutions-oriented approach
- Experience working within the charity or not-for-profit sector
- Experience of negotiating and managing contracts or supplier agreements
- Experience of community-led fundraising or mass participation campaigns
- Confident and engaging public speaking or presentation skills
- Experience of working across complex or matrix organisations
- Understanding of innovative fundraising trends, products and audience engagement approaches
What we offer
- Annual leave starting at 26 days a year, rising one day each year to 31 days plus bank holidays
- Flexible working options, to support your work life balance
- 7.5% employer contribution to pension, rising to 10% with employee contribution
- Learning and development opportunities to help you grow
- Regular wellbeing initiatives to support your health and happiness.
Our Diversity Promise to You
At the heart of our mission is a simple truth: the planet needs everyone. That means you - in all your uniqueness, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or how you choose to express yourself. We don’t do stereotypes. We work together with purpose, driven by passion and enhanced by respect, courage, and integrity. We pull together from all walks of life to fight for a better future, and we want you to feel supported every step of the way. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and identities. So, if there’s anything we can do to make your application or interview experience more comfortable or accessible, just give our Talent Acquisition Team a shout at recruitment@wwf.org.uk
Head of Challenge Events and Community Fundraising in Woking employer: WWF-UK
WWF-UK is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and supportive work environment at the Living Planet Centre in Woking, Surrey. With a strong commitment to employee wellbeing, flexible working options, and a focus on personal growth through learning and development opportunities, we empower our team to thrive while making a meaningful impact on global conservation efforts. Join us to be part of a diverse and inclusive culture that values every individual's unique contributions and fosters collaboration towards a sustainable future.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Challenge Events and Community Fundraising in Woking
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the charity sector, especially those involved in fundraising. Attend events, webinars, or even casual meet-ups to get your name out there and learn about potential opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your passion! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to express your genuine enthusiasm for community fundraising and events. Share your ideas on how you can contribute to their mission and engage supporters.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the organisation thoroughly. Understand their current fundraising strategies and think of innovative ways you could enhance them. This will show that you're not just interested in the role, but also invested in their success.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team and ready to dive into the exciting world of fundraising with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Challenge Events and Community Fundraising in Woking
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Head of Events and Community Fundraising role. Highlight your relevant experience in fundraising and events, and show us how your skills align with our mission at WWF-UK.
Showcase Your Achievements:Don’t just list your responsibilities; we want to see your impact! Use specific examples of how you've driven income growth or developed successful fundraising strategies in your previous roles.
Be Authentic:Let your passion for fundraising and the environment shine through in your application. We’re looking for someone who genuinely cares about making a difference, so don’t be afraid to share your personal connection to our cause.
Follow Up:After submitting your application through our website, consider sending a brief follow-up email to express your enthusiasm for the role. It shows initiative and keeps you on our radar!
How to prepare for a job interview at WWF-UK
✨Know Your Fundraising Strategies
Make sure you’re well-versed in the latest fundraising strategies and trends. Research WWF-UK’s current events and community fundraising initiatives, and think about how your experience can enhance their efforts. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully developed and implemented fundraising strategies in the past.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Events and Community Fundraising, your leadership style is crucial. Prepare to share stories that highlight your ability to motivate and develop high-performing teams. Think about how you’ve created collaborative environments in previous roles and be ready to discuss how you would foster a similar culture at WWF-UK.
✨Demonstrate Your Commercial Awareness
WWF-UK is looking for someone with strong commercial awareness. Brush up on how to use data and insights to drive decision-making. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve managed budgets and used performance metrics to improve fundraising outcomes in your previous roles.
✨Build Relationships and Communicate Effectively
Strong communication and relationship-building skills are key for this role. Think about how you’ve successfully managed relationships with stakeholders in the past. Prepare to discuss your approach to engaging supporters and how you would maintain those relationships to ensure long-term success for WWF-UK.
