Fundraising Manager

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-driven UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips voluntary community educators to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of our world where communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.  

Since 2016, through collaborating extensively with over 250 local volunteers, who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’, with a strategy to support them in moving towards our ‘Dream Spot Model’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have relevance in settings across the world. 

Our Ghana-based programmes team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for volunteers: the Ignite, Catalyse and Peer Mentoring Programmes. These enable them to lead EduLit, EduSTEM, EduKidz and Ignite Equity clubs, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 students of all ages annually. Read our 2022 Impact Report here. 

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last year. In 2024, we are launching our new Catalyse Leadership Programme, alongside developing an EduSpots app to enhance data management and programme management at the community level, alongside a wider digitalisation process through the distribution of tablets across the network. 

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder/CEO was a Finalist in The Varkey Foundation’s  UNESCO-backed $1 million Global Teacher Prize. 

We are excited by our future. Do visit our website for further information. 

About this role

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic fundraising professional, with a proven track record of income generation and a strong ability to develop impactful relationships with the skills to bring aligned individuals and organisations into our long-term EduSpots community. The post holder will be creative, passionate and self-motivated, with strong marketing and communications skills, able to design and implement strategic fundraising approaches. 

In this role, you will take on responsibility for identifying, creating and delivering impactful fundraising strategies that enable us to generate further relationships and income in support of our programmes. 

You will oversee the development of our individual giving and monthly giving strategies and further develop relationships with schools, corporate organisations and NGOs, with a focus on resource acquisition (e.g. books, electronic devices) alongside fundraising. You will also play a supportive role in events and campaigns, and work closely with our Head of Communications to ensure our marketing and communications strategy is integrated with our fundraising aims. Currently, we already have a trusts and foundations manager, but would welcome applicants with experience of trust fundraising. 

We are an innovative, flexible and creative team, where all ideas are welcome and a strong teamwork ethos which ensures that fundraising is integrated into our overall strategy thinking, with staff in UK, Ghana and Nigeria working closely together. The role offers an exciting opportunity to make a tangible and immediate difference, with our inspiring Catalysts and remarkable stories of local change on a low-cost model, making working for EduSpots a rewarding and impactful experience. 

EduSpots is an equal opportunities employer and is also committed to the safeguarding of children & vulnerable adults. Appointment will be subject to child protection screening appropriate to the post.

Main Duties and Responsibilities 

The key responsibilities of this role are to:

• Develop our individual giving and monthly giving strategies, including:

  • Ensuring we have the right tools in place.

  • Strengthening thanking and communications to existing supporters.

  • Trialling new strategies for outreach to new audiences.

• Organise occasional fundraising events (e.g. face-to-face events in London; virtual events and fundraising challenges).

• Support organisation and delivery of appeals and campaigns (e.g. the Big Give).

• Support the development of impactful relationships with schools, universities, corporates and NGOs for fundraising and resource acquisition (e.g. books, digital devices, science equipment). 

• If time and experience, possibly support grant applications. 

• Line manage, and provide support to, the intern/s (fundraising). 

Other

• Ensure all administrative tasks relating to the role are carried out accurately.

• To comply at all times with the organisation's policies, procedures and performance expectations of staff as set out in the Staff and Volunteers Handbook.

• To ensure compliance with data protection legislation.

• Any other duties as may be reasonably required under the role.

Skills, Experience and Attributes

Essential

• Proven track record of successful income generation from individuals or communities - ideally in a similar education / international development organisation 

• Experience of developing and maintaining successful income generating relationships (e.g. with schools, corporates, individuals, communities)

• Experience of digital marketing to engage new charity supporters / donors (including using paid advertising and innovative engagement techniques)

• Experience of email marketing and donor conversion strategies

• Strong communication and marketing skills, ideally with basic design skills (Canva)

• Ability to work effectively in a remote based role with minimal day-to-day support 

• Outstanding interpersonal skills 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Ability to use own initiative and work to tight and competing deadlines

• Ability to effectively manage workload and prioritise tasks 

• Good IT skills - Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Zoom, Canva, Social Media 

• Alignment with EduSpots’ core values of care, passion, teamwork, sustainable impact, community leadership and play. 

Desirable

• Experience of writing compelling and successful funding proposals 

• Experience of managing and reporting to funders 

How to apply:

Please send your CV along with a covering letter (max 2 pages) explaining your interest in EduSpots and how your skills, experience and attributes meet the criteria we are looking for. Please send your application to Cat Davison, EduSpots Founder & CEO by email.

Deadline for applications: Noon on 30th May 2024.