Role Profile

Job title: Trust and Corporate Development Officer

Reporting to: Head of Fundraising and Marketing

Has reporting:N/A

Salary Band:SO4

Duration:Full time

Location:Findhorn

Trees for life - context

The core purpose of Trees for Life (TfL) is to restore the Caledonian Forest and all its constituent species of flora and fauna to the Scottish Highlands. By engaging volunteers to do this, TfL aims to provide a powerful and educational experience that will promote the work of restoration to wider audiences. Through providing a demonstration of the techniques of ecological restoration, TfL aims to inspire similar projects elsewhere in the UK and around the world.

Overall purpose of the job

To play a key role in the development and implementation of Trees for Life’s trust and corporate fundraising activities in order to secure regular and sustained funding for projects and organisational core costs.

Key Liaisons

The key focal points for liaison for the Trust and Corporate Development Officer are: Head of Fundraising and Marketing; the Fundraising and Marketing team; corporate supporters; trust donors and grant givers.

Scope, Accountability and Resources

  • The Trust and Corporate Development Officer is responsible for building relationships with corporate supporters and recruiting new supporters. NB: Target income from corporates is around £65k (2015/16 budget)
  • The Trust and Corporate Development Officer is responsible for raising grants from small-medium Charitable Trusts and grant giving organisations. NB: Target income for small-medium grants is around £60k (2015/16 budget)
  • The Trust and Corporate Development Officer also supports income generation from major grants, through report-writing and input into fundraising applications. NB: Total income from all grants and trusts is £440k, just less than 50% or organisational income (2015/16 budget)

Key responsibilities

Grant-giving trusts and foundations:

  • Take the initiative in planning and writing applications to trusts and foundations to meet agreed targets;
  • Develop core generic trust proposals for each project that requires funding;
  • Write tailored applications, addressing grant-making priorities or requirements as specified by individual trusts and foundations.
  • Ensure funders are acknowledged promptly and appropriately to comply with individual grant requirements;
  • Coordinate the distribution of information about major grant requirements within the staff team;
  • Plan and write grant reports as required;
  • Administer and record all information relating to trusts and foundations.
  • Maximise TFL employee engagement and development opportunities with trusts and foundations.

Corporate fundraising

  • Manage current corporate partnerships, to build on these relationships and secure ongoing funding;
  • Professional, friendly and gently-persuasive response, to convert new enquiries into donors;
  • Use agreed strategies to identify and approach corporate prospects to establish new corporate partnerships;
  • Prepare appropriate communications (online/ offline) for individual corporate supporters;
  • Plan and implement appropriate marketing activities to increase the number of companies that engage with TFL;
  • Administer and record all information relating to corporate support and donations.
  • Website development in relation to the corporate section of the web (content-writing/ editing, design)

General

  • Attend internal and external meetings as required;
  • Attend a wide range of events to promote and increase support for TFL;
  • Contribute appropriate information about trusts and companies for TFL’s website, social media and publications;
  • Contribute new ideas for fundraising, contribute to the Fundraising/Marketing team meetings, share ideas and support colleagues, and assist with the organisation of occasional events;
  • Undertake any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.

Person Specification

Overall, the postholder needs to be an organised and efficient professional with strong written and verbal skills to promote the charity to our trust and corporate funders.

Knowledge & Expertise

  • Experience of corporate fundraising, or comparable business skills in sales and marketing.
  • Proven record of successful applications for funding from Trusts and other grant-making bodies
  • Proven ability to develop relationships with Corporate partners and Trusts
  • Experience of working within a charitable organisation
  • Current environmental and conservation issues (desirable)

Skills & Competencies

  • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build good relationships and influence; people from a wide range of backgrounds;
  • Meticulous attention to detail;
  • Good organisational skills, for every aspect of the role;
  • Good time management skills;
  • Project planning skills;
  • Efficient research skills;
  • Ability to plan and prioritise own workload with minimum supervision;
  • Knowledge of Apple Mac, Microsoft Word and Excel software;
  • Knowledge of Filemaker Pro and CMS updating.

Experience

  • Experience of researching Trust and Corporate funding opportunities.
  • Writing for carefully crafted and persuasive applications and letters
  • Writing for marketing purposes
  • Writing for online and appropriate social media communication
  • Writing for clear reporting and other internal communication
  • Presentation and public speaking

Personal Attributes

  • Genuine enthusiasm and a passion for nature conservation are regarded as for communicating TfL’s vision to a wider audience;
  • Highly-motivated and professional in approach;
  • Demonstrably committed to TfL’s ethos.
  • Ability to assume responsibility for a task as directed
  • Team player – a readiness to work as part of a team and support colleagues
  • Attitude of taking the initiative

Working conditions/ Special demands

  • Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends as required

Trees for LifeTrust and Corporate Development Officer

Role Profile1Aug 2015