Trusts and Foundations Manager

About Bright Futures UK

Bright Futures UK supports children and young people aged 5 to 24 whose education has been disrupted due to serious long-term physical or mental health conditions. We offer online one-to-one tutoring, befriending, and mentoring programmes, as well as group programmes including hospital workshops, industry events, and advocacy initiatives. Working in close partnership with hospitals, families, and other services, we ensure that children and young people experiencing health-related challenges are not left behind.

Role Overview

The Trusts and Foundations Manager will play a central role in driving sustainable income for Bright Futures UK by securing funding from charitable trusts, foundations, and statutory bodies. This role will focus on developing high-quality funding applications, managing relationships with key funders, and ensuring timely reporting and stewardship.

Working closely with colleagues across Programmes and Finance, you will translate Bright Futures UK s impact into compelling cases for support, while identifying new funding opportunities to grow and diversify income.

Key Responsibilities

Income Generation

• Research and identify trusts, foundations, and statutory funding opportunities aligned with Bright Futures UK s mission.
• Develop and deliver a pipeline of high-quality funding applications to meet agreed income targets.
• Write compelling, tailored funding proposals and grant applications, drawing on organisational impact data and stories.
• Prepare accurate budgets in collaboration with the Finance Team to accompany applications.

Fundraising Strategy & Pipeline Management

• Maintain an active funding pipeline, ensuring applications and reports are submitted on time.
• Track progress against targets and provide regular updates to the Chief Executive and senior leadership.
• Contribute to the development of the charity s wider fundraising strategy, ensuring trusts and foundations income complements individual giving, corporate partnerships, and community events.

Funder Stewardship & Reporting

• Build and maintain excellent relationships with funders, ensuring effective stewardship at all stages.
• Produce high-quality, timely grant reports that demonstrate impact and accountability.
• Arrange funder visits, meetings, and briefings as required.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Administration

• Work with the Programmes Team to gather impact data, case studies, and evidence to strengthen proposals and reports.
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date records of applications, grants, and funder communications in the CRM system.
• Monitor sector trends and share insights on funding opportunities and best practice.

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven track record of securing significant multi-year grants from trusts, foundations, or statutory funders.
• Strong bid-writing skills with the ability to produce clear, persuasive, and tailored proposals.
• Excellent relationship management skills, with experience engaging funders or external stakeholders.
• Strong numeracy and experience in preparing budgets for funders.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Commitment to Bright Futures UK s mission and values.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the education, health, or youth sectors.
• Experience working in a small or growing charity.
• Familiarity with CRM systems and fundraising databases.
• Awareness of trends and challenges in the trusts and foundations funding landscape.