Trusts and Foundations Manager in Cobham

The Yehudi Menuhin School is seeking to appoint a Trusts and Foundations Manager to support the achievement of The Yehudi Menuhin School’s strategic goals by generating income from trusts and foundations of a wide range of sizes and interests, as well as statutory funders, meeting agreed financial targets.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Fundraising
  • Develop relationships with potential Trusts and Foundations partners.
  • Research new trusts and analyse their giving potential and funding priorities and fulfil due diligence requirements.
  • Identify and secure opportunities to support the School’s fundraising campaign.
  • Liaise directly with key contacts in trusts, foundations and grant‑making bodies to establish important dates and criteria in order to strengthen applications.
  • Implement all agreed actions with these trusts, including writing and submitting proposals, reports and other relevant information.
  • Identify fundable elements of YMS’s work; source and collate information on this work; and package and present it in formations which are suitable for a range of current funders and new prospects.
  • Liaise with relevant colleagues within YMS on the development of new projects, identify potential trust and foundation funders for proposed new work.
• Donor Stewardship and Development
  • Manage The Yehudi Menuhin School’s relationships with a portfolio of existing Trusts and Foundations, whose grants range from 4 to 6 figures.
  • Create and regularly review tailored development plans for each allocated trust, identifying and analysing key information to inform actions aimed at maintaining or increasing these trusts’ support.
  • Monitor restricted spend alongside colleagues in the finance team and project leaders, to ensure all trust and foundation funds are spent in accordance with the terms of the grant.
  • Ensure invitations are issued to appropriate YMS events and accompany invitees to event.
• Planning and Reporting
  • Develop and monitor income and activity plans for donors and projects.
  • Maintain accurate and complete records of donor details and communications on YMS’ fundraising database (Spektrix).
  • Contribute to annual target and budget setting.
• General Responsibilities
  • Understand and support the mission and strategic aims of The Yehudi Menuhin School.
  • Contribute to the development of the overall fundraising strategy for The Yehudi Menuhin School.
  • Be aware of and abide by all Yehudi Menuhin School policies and procedures.
  • Ensure compliance at all times with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice.
  • Take appropriate responsibility for records held, created or used as part of your work for The Yehudi Menuhin School (paper‑based and electronic), as per the Data Protection Act 2018 and other relevant legislation and regulations including GDPR and PECR.
  • Undertake other duties as may be reasonably requested of your post.

Person Specification

Skills, Experience and Knowledge

• Substantial, demonstrable experience as a Trusts and Foundations fundraiser, preferably in the cultural or education sector, securing 5 and 6‑figure grants.
• Demonstrable experience of the whole cycle of T&F fundraising, from initial prospect research through to generating meetings and securing income to achieve targets.
• Exceptional copy‑writing skills and the ability to convey a case for support in a way that maximises success.
• Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate orally to a wide range of audiences with confidence.
• Experience initiating, developing and managing long‑term relationships with funders to maximise engagement with the charity’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Knowledge and understanding of and adherence to the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice and relevant data legislation.
• Experience and proficiency using a CRM database (preferably Spektrix).
• Strong financial acumen and experience of working with budgets.
• Knowledge of key funders in the cultural and/or education sectors.
• Qualification in fundraising or marketing‑related discipline preferred.

Person Qualities

• An excellent writer, experienced at telling engaging stories and building persuasive cases for support.
• Driven and highly self‑motivated.
• You will have a proven track record of securing significant grants (five figures and above) and experience of working with a range of trusts and foundations, including large institutional funders.
• Enjoy working autonomously while still forming part of a highly supportive team, and showing creativity, flair and tenacity in reaching your targets.
• Have the ability to communicate complex messages to a wide‑ranging audience; an exceptional eye for detail are all essential.
• Be comfortable working with a range of internal and external stakeholders and will excel at building relationships.
• Have an ambitious and confident approach, combined with sensitivity and the ability to quickly gain the respect of others, will be critical to your success in this role.

The School is registered with the DBS and successful applicants will be required to complete the Disclosure Procedure at Enhanced level. It is an offence for a person barred from working with children to apply for this post. Such post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. The Yehudi Menuhin School is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

Notice: The deadline for applications is Wednesday 10 June 2026 at 12 noon.

Status: 32 to 40 hours per week by agreement. Start date Early July 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary Up to £45,000 per annum (FTE). Closing date Wed 10 Jun 2026 12:00 pm. Interview dates: Interviews will take place the week commencing 15 June 2026.