HEAD OF FUNDRAISING & COMMUNICATIONS
JOB DESCRIPTIONACCOUNTABLE TO: / Trustees
RESPONSIBLE TO: / Charity & Operations Manager
BASE: / Secret World Wildlife Rescue, East Huntspill, Nr Highbridge, Somerset TA9 3PZ
SALARY: / £35,000 pa plus up to 10% of salary pa in performance related pay dependent on achievement of fundraising targets
TERM: / Full time 37.5hours, permanent
MANAGES / SUPERVISES: / Fundraising Officer (to be permanently recruited), Administrator, ad hoc freelance and contracted staff and volunteers
ROLE: / Secret World is the South West’s leading wildlife rescue and rehabilitation charity, rarely out of the media and highly respected by leading wildlife presenters such as Simon King and Chris Packham. We provide the region’s only 24/7 wildlife rescue service and we help over 5,000 animals each year.
We are now building on our success as the charity grows and develops. New ways of extending our reach to people of all ages and backgrounds includes a learning and outreach programme conducted in schools and on-site.
The Head of Fundraising will be responsible for leading the fundraising function. You will refine and deliver our fundraising strategy and maximize income from the full mix of income streams including a busy direct marketing appeals programme, legacy marketing, grants fundraising, in-house events and third party fundraising. You will use your results-focused approach to help develop and professionalise these areas of fundraising for Secret World.
With significant potential to improve returns from regular giving, fundraising events, grants and from other sources, there is great opportunity for an ambitious individual to exceed fundraising targets and transform SWWR’s future operations.
Whilst the role is office-based at SWWR, we would be happy to discuss scope for some flexible working practices with the right candidate.
OBJECTIVES: / · To help develop and to deliver a new fundraising strategy to achieve an annual income of £1.1m by 2016
· To increase fundraising income (excluding trading and legacies) from £0.5m currently by at least £50k pa over each of the next 5 years
· To establish excellent systems and processes for fundraising and communications
· To lead the fundraising team and support its development into a professional, motivated and results-driven function delivering an increasingly profitable fundraising portfolio
· To plan, budget and be accountable for fundraising expenditure and income, providing forward projections and in-year forecasts, identifying and mitigating risks to achievement of fundraising goals and targets
· As part of the management team, support the Charity & Operations Manager in delivering change in support of the growth and development of SWWR.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: / Fundraising Strategy
1. To develop and implement strategies which realize the full fundraising potential of the charity and maximize sustainable income.
2. To develop and implement robust systems and processes including financial management and business planning, supporter stewardship and relationships.
Management
3. Responsible for developing and leading a fundraising team of 2 fundraising staff plus ad hoc contracted staff and volunteers.
4. Be an active member of the wider management team, a role model of leadership behaviours, supporting the Charity & Operations Manager and colleagues to deliver a broad change agenda.
Fundraising Operations
5. Employ best practice performance management techniques to ensure that targets and objectives are met and to professionalise the fundraising function focused on continually improving ROI.
6. To ensure the profitable delivery of:
a. A Direct Marketing programme to develop the contribution of new and existing donors and raise funds through regular giving, appeals, raffles and other means of attracting and continually engaging supporters
b. In-house events including 5 annual open weekends, donor cultivation and participant events
c. An effective legacy marketing programme
d. Fundraising from trusts and foundations and (possibly) statutory and lottery funds where opportunities arise
e. New profitable fundraising income streams as appropriate
Communications
7. To develop and deliver a dynamic and engaging external communications programme that maximizes the income potential of the charity including:
· Website
· Press
· Social media
· Print communications.
Database and Financial management
8. To ensure that all database records are accurate and up to date, including supporter and financial information
9. To develop the database management and data entry to enable more consistent reporting
10. To plan and schedule the portfolio of fundraising activities over a 3 – 4 year time horizon
11. To establish Performance Indicators and systems for monitoring and evaluating the ROI and effectiveness of all fundraising activities
12. To control and manage a fundraising expenditure budget of c£150k pa inc staff costs (enhanced in 2014 to reflect specific investment in regular giving)
13. To budget and forecast in-year financial income and expenditure and provide monthly reports on fundraising activities for trustees
PERSON SPECIFICATION
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Essential / DesirableQualifications: / A level or equivalent / Educated to degree level
Experience: / · Proven fundraising track record
· Minimum 3 year’s fundraising experience covering wide mix of income streams especially direct marketing, legacies, events grants and corporate fundraising
· Proven management experience
· Budget income and expenditure management
· Excellent working experience of MS Word and Excel
· Experience of working with a complex relational fundraising database such as Donorflex and of running reports / · 2+ years’ experience of managing a similar sized and constituted fundraising department
· 5+ years direct, hands-on experience of fundraising across as many of the relevant income streams as possible
· Experience of managing PR for fundraising purposes
· Managing web site content
· Motivation and direct support of volunteers
Skills: / · Good understanding of what motivates supporters to give and to raise money
· Sound instinct for what works in fundraising
· Ability to deliver effective fundraising programmes and gain results
· Strong manager with a good understanding of how to develop individuals to their full potential
· Exceptionally organised
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills
· Rigorous analytical skills and continual drive for improvement
· Highly numerate: able to control income and expenditure budgets and analyse fundraising performance
· Excellent IT skills including Word, Excel, databases etc
Qualities: / · Exceptional motivator
· A leader of people
· Someone who knows how to maximise opportunities and who continually strives for improvement
· Self-motivated and resourceful
· Meticulous and attentive to detail
· Team player who knows how to work well with others
· Creative
· Tenacious
· Numerate
· Tactful
· Flexible
· Calm under pressure
· Empathy for and understanding of wildlife rescue
· Willingness and flexibility to work occasional out of hours which will be replaced by time off in lieu
Training
While database proficiency is essential, training in DonorFlex database systems will be provided if required, as will training in our web content system. Fundraising training through workshops and seminars is also available.
How to apply
Please send your CV along with a covering letter explaining why you would be suitable for the job and a completed Equal Opportunities Form by email to Simon Kidner:
Closing date for applications: Monday 16th December.
First interview: 9th & 10th January. Second interview: 16th & 17th January. Third interview (phone): 23rd January.
Public holidays
Salaried staff are entitled to paid leave during bank holidays and public holidays.
Annual leave
Full-time staff are entitled to 22 days’ leave per calendar year.
Equal opportunities
Monitoring and information form
Secret World is committed to its equal opportunities policy. This means that we shall treat all applicants and employees fairly and equally, irrespective of ethnic origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, age, religion or disability.
The information you provide here is confidential, and will be used for monitoring purposes only. Please tick the boxes that apply to you:
Age group: 18 – 21
21 – 30
31 – 40
41 – 50
51 – 60
60+ / Gender:
Male
Female
Other ………………………….
Ethnic Origin:
White
Scottish
Other British
European
Other…………………………… / Asian
Asian British
Bangladeshi
Indian
Pakistani
Black
African
Black British
Caribbean
Other…………………………….. / Chinese
Chinese
Other
Other……………………………
Mixed race
White and Asian
White and Black African
White and Black Caribbean / White and Chinese
Other……………………………..
13. Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995
The DDA protects people from unlawful legislation. If you tell us that you have disability, we will make reasonable adjustments to your working environment and your work practices, if it is reasonable for us to do so.
The DDA defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term (12 months +) effect on a person’s ability to do normal activities. You may still be considered to have a disability if you are not currently affected, but the impairment is likely to reoccur.
Do you consider yourself to have disability? / Yes* No
*If yes, please indicate which category best describes your disability:
Hearing impairment
Visual impairment
Speech impairment
Mobility impairment
Physical co-ordination (eg. manual dexterity/muscle control)
Reduced physical capacity (eg. severe pain, lack of strength, breath or stamina)
Learning difficulties
Mental illness
Other……………………………………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………….
14. Advertising and publicity
Please tell us how you heard of this vacancy:
Website (please specify)………………………………………………………
Newspaper (please specify)……………………………………………………….
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Secret World Fundraising Background Information
1. Charity expenditure and fundraising income
In 2012-13 Secret World’s expenditure was c£1m. Income from fundraising activities was ££707,000 including legacies. Excluding legacies it was £439,000. Against this backdrop our fundraising emphasis now is to achieve fundraising sustainability and growth.
2. Charity development plans and the impact upon fundraising
The charity’s Call of the Wild Appeal successfully secured over £1.1m towards its education programme and to purchase a significant proportion of the existing site and facilities. It also aimed to raise funds for a new Wildlife Hospital which has been postponed in order to focus on sustaining current operations (revenue fundraising that can support the purchase of the remaining land and buildings). More modest improvements to animal care facilities are among a small number of critical capital projects which require funding.
3. Direct Marketing
Secret World has a database of 20,000 supporters. Active donors are part of a regular communications strategy to gather information, give them opportunities to give and to update them. Current fundraising initiatives have included regular giving, animal adoptions, raffles, DM appeals, newsletters and via the web. This is one of the biggest contributors to our income, contributing approximately £250,000 per year. The trustees have approved a new DM strategy which includes a telephone campaign and donor stewardship communications. Investment in the telephone campaign is scheduled for Spring 2014 with significant returns due to start within the calendar year.
4. Events
Secret World also raises funds through its 5 open weekends. Some additional community fundraising, participative and sponsored events take place. Together these events raise in the region of £45,000 but with a stronger focus on fundraising at the open days in particular, there is scope for significant growth.
5. Grants Fundraising
Secret World has successfully secured an HLF grant to support a learning and outreach programme including development of an on-site learning centre and match funding from a number of charitable trusts and foundation. Charitable trusts fundraising is a small but significant part of the income mix of the charity which could be developed further.
6. Contract, Freelance Staff
The charity recognises that from time to time, specialist fundraising support eg telephone fundraising, PR, trust fundraising, might more (cost) effectively be sourced from outside the charity or on a short term contract basis. For example, support to upgrade the charity’s branding is about to be engaged.
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