Fundraising Manager

The Palace Trust, Wells, Somerset

The following notes provide information on the recruitment of a new Fundraising Manager.

The deadline for applications is Monday 8th November. Full details on how to apply can be apply can be found at the end of the document.

The Bishop’s Palace & Gardens

The Bishop’s Palace and gardens is a site of local, national and international importance. The Palace itself is a Grade I listed building and is also in part a ScheduledMonument. It is recognised as the most important bishop’s palace in England due to the high proportion of medieval buildings within the moated site and its continuous ecclesiastical occupation. As the home to the Bishop of Bath & Wells for over 800 years, it is steeped in history, having been the site of many dramatic events over the centuries.

Meanwhile its tranquil gardens and beautiful grounds, containing the prehistoric wells which give the city its name, are scarcely less important. The site is registered as a HistoricPark and Garden, ranking amongst the most important heritage sites in the region due to its collective archaeological, architectural, historic and landscape significance.

Despite this, it is largely unappreciated, both by the citizens of Wells and by the 400,000 annual tourist visitors to the city. Limited accessibility is partially to blame but lack of visitor facilities, especially interpretation materials, has meant that the 40,000 visitors who pass through the gateway each year, often leave after a short duration, feeling unrewarded and withlimited understanding of the site’s historical importance and purpose.

This is now set to change. Bishop Peter, the Palace Trust and the Church Commissioners, as owners of the site, have raised £4.8 million through a capital appeal to extend access to the Palace and its beautiful grounds, making them more open and welcoming to a wide variety of local organizations and interest groups, thus providing a real service to the local community, and ensuring that visits are a more satisfying experience.

Fundraising Manager

Following the successful completion of the capital appeal, the role of the new Fundraising Manager is to support the continuing growth of the charity. The Trustees require a self motivated and experienced fundraiser to meet challenging income targets. The development of new fundraising initiatives will be key to this role, allowing the successful candidate to establish a fresh income stream for the charity.

Job Title: Fundraising Manager

Reporting to:General Manager

Key Accountabilities

  • Develop and implement the fundraising strategy to achieve the highest levels of income available to support new and existing work of the charity;
  • To be responsible for securing the funds from the corporate sector, major donors, trusts and individuals to a set target of £190k yr 1, rising to £250K, £310k and £395k in yr4
  • Identify and research prospects and create a coherent cultivation strategy for each individual, corporate and trust target;
  • Retain existing supporters through the provision of first-class donor care;
  • Work as a key member of the team working closely with the General Manager to identify projects that will attract funding;
  • Explore opportunities for fundraising within the community, inspiring people to take part in their local heritage;
  • Initiate new avenues for income, specifically looking at the opportunities for legacies, subscriptions, friends and membership schemes;
  • Report progress of the Palace’s development project to existing supporters;
  • Major donor event organisation and delivery;
  • Ensure good records are kept of all donations and sponsorship contracts and provide reports as required by the General Manager;
  • Ensure the development and proper utilisation of the fundraising database, and be responsible for DPA compliance.

Candidate Profile

To be able to display experience of:

  • successful strategic planning
  • the development of a range of sustainable income streams
  • obtaining significant funding for major projects
  • identifying and converting significant ‘prospects’
  • successful working with charitable trusts, corporates and event management
  • budgetary management responsibilities together with financial planning in a fundraising environment
  • an understanding of the methods of tax efficient giving
  • the development & support of major donors, high value committees and the corporate sector
  • working with volunteers and volunteer committees

and to possess:

  • An education to degree level with proven fundraising experience appropriate to this role.
  • excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to present professionally to a wide spectrum of audiences.
  • excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills with the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships at all levels.
  • a flexible approach to working hours. Some evening and weekend work is likely.

Terms and Conditions:

Hours: 21 hrs (flexible)

Remuneration:£30k pro-rata

Holidays: 25 days per year plus recognised Public Holidays

Terms : Permanent Contract

How to Apply

Applications should be sent by email . The closing date for applications is Monday 8th November 2010

Your application should comprise of:

A full CV, including educational and professional qualifications, a full employment history, relevant achievements and latest remuneration (including any benefits)

A covering letter, of not more than 1.5 pages

Daytime, evening and/or mobile telephone numbers

Please note in the covering email where you saw the advertisement

Process

Selected candidates will be invited to first round interviews w/c 15th November 2010. Second round interviews are planned for the w/c 22nd November 2010.