Grants And Trusts Manager

Villiers Park is generously supported by charitable trusts and foundations, which contribute over £500,000 every year towards our work. The Trusts Manager will build on and develop Villiers Park’s trust fundraising, by cultivating relationships with current and prospective supporters, preparing compelling applications and reports, and seeking new funders and opportunities to help us to realise our goals and those of the communities we serve. Our established portfolio offers a unique opportunity for an experienced Trusts Manager to steward relationships and meet with funders across our hubs, to see our work in action.

This is a rewarding role at an exciting time for Villiers Park. We have four regional hubs cross the UK, with a fifth in development, and an evidence-based approach that makes a proven impact on young people’s lives. We are going into the second year of Scaling Award support from the Fair Education Alliance, which is helping us to extend our impact and reach.

About you

• Passionate about supporting young people from under-represented backgrounds;
• Experience of successfully building relationships with charitable trusts and securing five and six figure gifts;
• Excellent communication skills and able to cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
• Excellent planning and organisational skills;
• Ability to work autonomously and on own initiative;
• Good understanding of financial information and ability to communicate this effectively;
• A team player, who is personable, curious and empathetic;

• A commitment to learning and professional development;
• An understanding of current fundraising trends and connected with relevant fundraising networks.

Main duties and responsible 

• Prepare and write compelling applications to charitable trusts and foundations who have the capacity to make five and six figure gifts towards the charity’s work;
• Prepare and submit scheduled applications and reports to current funders, ensuring that we hit deadlines and develop relationships with the trusts and foundations currently supporting Villiers Park;
• In collaboration with the Senior Leadership team, and colleagues in Fundraising and Communications, create engaging and accurate reports to current funders that share the impact of their support, including trusts, major donors and university partners;
• Develop and implement targeted stewardship strategies that bring current donors closer to our work;
• Identify new prospects and propose engagement and cultivation strategies;
• With the Head of Fundraising and Partnerships and Chief Executive, develop the trusts and philanthropic strategy to support the organisation’s five year plan from 2025;
• Prepare regular financial and pipeline reports, working closely with the Finance team on budgeting and forecasting;
• Support the Head of Fundraising and Partnerships to identify and develop fundraising channels, including family trusts, corporate foundations and legacy giving;
• Ensure compliance with Villiers Park’s safeguarding policies, and with the charity’s gift acceptance and fundraising policies and processes.

This list is not exhaustive and the post-holder will be required to undertake other tasks relevant to the role and within their capability.

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience of fundraising for an educational or social mobility charity;
• Experience of securing multi-year six figure gifts;
• Interest in extending fundraising knowledge and experience, to include major donors, legacies and university partnerships.

This is a hybrid role with in-person meetings at our office in North Cambridge at least every two weeks.

Location:Hybrid (to meet in Cambridge at least every two weeks)

Salary:£38,000 - £41,000 FTE

Deadline:25 June 2024

Interviews:Interviews will be held online, first stage: 1 July 2024 and the second stage: 8 July 2024