Funding & Communications Manager

Job description Cara Funding and Communications Manager

This is a critical time to join our dedicated team as we expand our work in response to the growing risk to academics and universities worldwide. Building on our 93 years of experience and partnerships with 135 UK university, this role provides an excellent opportunity for a dynamic fundraiser to grow our support from individual and organisations.

Line Manager: Chief Executive

Objective: The Funding and Communications Manger leads on the delivery of our fundraising strategy to diversify and grow Cara s income streams.

Hours: Full-time. Eight hours each day Monday Friday, with flexible working by arrangement around core hours of 10am 4pm.

Location: Hybrid working - in London office in Elephant and Castle SE1 (2-3 set days per week) and working from home on the remaining days.

Role purpose - responsible for executing fundraising strategy to generate increased income for Cara s work - identify and cultivate potential donors, manage fundraising events and campaigns, and ensure compliance with fundraising regulations.

Detailed responsibilities:

Fundraising Strategy and business plan:

Work closely with the Chief Executive to review and adapt our fundraising strategy and business plan and produce analytics to review performance by income type and to help set stretching and achievable targets and improvement plans for each income stream. Implement and develop fundraising plans, including initiation and management of campaigns. Take responsibility for developing new income streams and products including alumni and legacy giving.

Relationship Building:

Cultivate and maintain relationships with existing and prospective donors, including individuals, major donors, and foundations. Work with the Cara team to ensure effective relationship management across all donors and lead on donor identification for all income streams. Identify opportunities for pro bono support in support of the Cara strategy.

Event Management:

Organize and manage fundraising events, ensuring successful execution and high engagement with our target audiences. This includes a schedule of location-based university engagement events (up to twelve per year) to engage existing individual donors, build awareness of Cara s work, and cultivate new individual donors. Collaborate with contacts at each university to plan, deliver and follow up on each event. Lead on other key Cara events including the annual science and civilisation lecture to ensure that these build the Cara brand.

Data Management for donor stewardship:

Maintain accurate donor records (on salesforce) and build and maintain fundraising databases for individuals and organisational donors to manage engagement throughout the donor journey. Maintain a view of Cara s pipeline income to support the work of the Cara management team and reports to support accountability and trustee engagement including return on investment for each income stream.

Communication:

Prepare and distribute fundraising materials, including appeals, newsletters, social media content, and articles for the website. Develop a range of case-studies profiling the work of Cara (including programmes, university partners, and individual academics). Collaborate closely with the Chief Executive to build the Cara brand through co-ordination of Cara s presence at events and through priority digital channels.

Proposal writing

Lead on proposal writing for major donors and philanthropic funding. Collaborate with colleagues on larger grants taking responsibility to overall proposal quality and timely submission. Ensure that the team work to agreed standards on all written reports and proposals to donors.

Compliance:

Adhering to fundraising regulations, such as those outlined by the Fundraising Regulator, and ensuring that all fundraising activities are ethical and legal. Develop policies and practices to manage risk including appropriate due diligence and gift acceptance policies.

Trends

Stay up to date on signals and trends in fundraising relevant to Cara s work and use these to inform our business planning and risk/opportunity management.

Essential Skills and Qualifications:

Proven success implementing effective strategies to raise income from a range of donors with a focus on major donors.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills: The ability to effectively communicate with donors including senior staff at universities.

Strong writing and presentation skills: Developing winning proposals and presentations. Experience ranging from individual regular donors to six figure grants.

Project management and organizational skills: Managing fundraising projects and campaigns effectively.

Research and analytical skills: Identifying funding opportunities, analysing fundraising performance, and making data-driven decisions.

Team working skills: ability to collaborate effectively with team without firm levers of management control. Ability to motivate and support non-fundraisers to work to best practice.

Knowledge of fundraising regulations and best practices: Understanding the ethical and legal aspects of fundraising.

Experience with fundraising software and databases: to manage donor information and track fundraising activities. Experience and/or willingness to learn to use salesforce.

Demonstrated interest in and commitment to Cara s mission and objectives.

Benefits of Role

Challenging and rewarding work, always life-changing, sometimes lifesaving

Competitive salary

Team and individual training opportunities

Commitment to performance and personal development

Hybrid working, home and office (minimum 2 days each week in the office)

Eight hours each day Monday Friday, with flexible working by arrangement around core hours of 10am 4pm

25 days plus Bank Holidays annual leave entitlement

8% employer pension contribution

Convenient office location at Elephant and Castle, close to Tube (Bakerloo and Northern lines) and bus routes

To apply

Please send a CV and cover note in response to the following four questions (max 1-page A4 11 size font) by 9am (UK time) on 30 June. Applications that do not follow this guidance will not be considered.

1. Summarise your experience and skills most relevant to this role

2. Tell us about a fundraising campaign that you have worked on explain its success, what you did, and what you learnt from it?

3. Having looked at our website () what steps would you take in this role to make Cara s brand more attractive to potential donors?

4. Which target audience would you prioritise for fundraising in this role and explain why you have selected them and how you might reach them?