Fundraising & Database Officer

Church Buildings Grant Manager and Trust Fundraiser

Diocese of Southwark

Trinity House (Borough High Street)/Hybrid with one day from home

Salary £42,000

Fixed-term contract until the end of 2025 (potential to extend)

Full-time, 35 hours per week with flexible working

Excellent benefits including 26 days annual leave, plus 2 local and 8 national bank holidays, increasing to 31 days after 2 years' service, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, pension, Employee Assistance Programme

Are you looking for a role that combines grant management and fundraising? Do you have an interest in heritage including historic buildings?

Charity People are delighted to be partnering with the Diocese of Southwark, a rich vibrant mix of churches, schools, chaplaincies and communities across South London and East Surrey, to recruit a Church Buildings Grant Manager and Trust Fundraiser.

The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, created in 1905 from part of the ancient Diocese of Rochester. The Diocese covers South London and East Surrey, is one of the largest Dioceses in the Church of England and the most diverse, and is divided into three episcopal areas: Croydon, Kingston, and Woolwich. The Diocese has the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury and has the centre of the Church of England in the diocese, Lambeth Palace.

Today the Diocese ministers to nearly three million people over an area of 317 square miles through its 293 parishes and 105 church schools, educating more 37,000 young people. The churches offer welcome, care and dignity to their parishes, supporting those in education, hospitals and prisons, and pioneering communities seeking to reach out and serve in new ways.

About the role

The Church Buildings Grant Manager and Trust Fundraiser, funded by the 'Buildings for Mission' grant, aids Southwark Diocese parishes in capital fundraising for church building maintenance and community use. The role prioritises hands-on support for churches and also offers ongoing advice. The goal is to secure funding for repairs, ensuring sustainability and aligning with the Diocesan Vision. The post contributes to growth objectives, collaborating with existing staff and builds on the Diocese's successful partnership with Historic England.

This role will promote and facilitate access to grant funding, advise parishes on capital fundraising, and develop financial strategies. The Church Buildings Grant Manager and Trust Fundraiser will maintain relationships with key grant-making bodies and encourage strategic thinking for church-building sustainability. Additionally, the role involves allocating grants, administering funds for energy-saving measures, collaborating on communications, delivering training, and participating in monitoring and evaluation activities. The post will play a crucial role in integrating church buildings with mission and ministry planning, supporting Southwark Vision's objectives.

About you

• You will have experience of writing fundraising bids and completing engaging applications.
• You will have knowledge and experience of heritage, community or religious grant-funding sources and how to access them. You will also have experience of handling applications and administrative procedures for grants. Ideally, you will have some experience of working with building owners or volunteers and wider community groups to build capacity and understanding.
• You will be proficient in project finances, and budgeting, with skills in persuasion, advocacy, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Knowledge of Church of England organizational structures, historic buildings legislation, and planning processes would be useful.
• You will have strong interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills.
• Experience in presenting and training will really help you in this role.

The role is full time and is based at the Diocese Head Office, Trinity House (SE1 1HW), which is off Borough High Street. There is the flexibility to work to work from home one day a week, and with flexible working hours between 7am-7pm. There will be the very occasional requirement for out of hours work for the delivery of training. Time off in lieu will be offered. The appointment is subject to satisfactory references.

Whilst a full-time role is preferred, we will consider applications from candidates seeking part time roles who have either the grants management and administration or the trusts and foundations experience, with hours of work to be agreed.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a passionate and dedicated team. If you are excited by this and have the relevant skills and experience to apply, we would be delighted to hear from you.

How to apply:

The application process is CV and Supporting Statement. In the first instance, please send your up-to-date CV to Katharine at Charity People or contact Katharine for an informal confidential chat about the role and for further details about next steps. We are reviewing CVs and interviewing on a rolling basis please get in touch as soon as you can.

Charity People actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. We match charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the charities we work with.