Head Of Funding

Who are we?

The London Marathon Foundation (part of the London Marathon Group) is one of the UK’s major funders of initiatives that support people – especially children, young people and underserved communities – to lead active and healthy lives. 

We’re the parent charity of London Marathon Events (LME), whose event portfolio includes the TCS London Marathon and Ford RideLondon-Essex. Every year, after costs, the surplus generated by LME is passed through corporate Gift Aid to the Foundation, and we use this income to fund projects that inspire, increase and champion participation and diversity in physical activity in London, Essex and across the UK.

Since our founding in 1981, we’ve awarded more than £105 million to more than 1,700 projects that inspire activity. Being active looks different for everyone, and we fund a wide range of inclusive sports and physical activities – from boxing to wheelchair basketball, street dance to seated exercise classes and play to Pilates – so that everyone, regardless of their age, ability or background, can lead an active and healthy life.

Our values are integral to who we are, how we work and what we do:

• Impact – together we create positive change
• Innovate – together we enable new ideas
• Everyone – together we champion inclusivity
• Customer first – together we go the extra mile for all

Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do, and we want to ensure they are at the heart of our company. We strongly value diversity within our workforce and recognise that different people bring different perspectives, lived experience, ideas and culture to the company. This difference brings with it great strengths, including diversity of thought and innovation.

So, if you’re ready to be a force for good, lead change and make a difference to society, keep reading.

Overview of the Role

Reporting to and working closely with the Foundation’s Executive Director (ED), the Head of Funding role is a senior position at LMF, managing the day to day operations of our funding and grantmaking work.

The Head of Funding will help oversee delivery of all aspects of our funding plan, including the design and review of our funding programmes, development of new approaches, and the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of our funding. They will be able to think strategically about our grant-making and our position within the wider sport for development landscape, and work closely with the ED to ensure our strategic funding plan fits within any wider group strategy and is aligned to our group vision, mission and values.

They will bring demonstrable experience and expertise from the funding and grantmaking sector, preferably with knowledge of sport for development and/or associated fields such as health and wellbeing and community sport. They will oversee a diverse funding portfolio that delivers meaningful outcomes and impact, and will be an experienced line manager effective in managing a high-performing team that delivers our funding effectively. This will include having oversight of our grants management platform and optimising our systems and processes to ensure effective and responsive grantmaking aligned to emerging developments and innovations in grantmaking. They will have an ability to horizon-scan and share insights and recommendations, thinking creatively to help inform the continuous improvement of our funding and grantmaking. 

The Head of Funding will have a strong understanding of the governance needs and legal requirements of a grantmaking charity. They will be comfortable working with Boards, preparing reports and papers, developing grantmaking-related policies, and be experienced in risk management related to the delivery of our funding. They will work closely with the ED and the Finance Team on our funding budget forecasting and monitoring, and will be responsible for reporting regularly to the ED and when required to relevant Board and Committee meetings. They will act as the main liaison with our Grants Committee, managing the annual meeting cycle, collating and delivering Committee packs, and supporting Trustees to ensure optimal oversight and governance of our funding.

The successful candidate must have excellent interpersonal skills, an adaptable communication style, and the ability to build strong relationships both internally and externally. They will have demonstrable experience of bringing a sense of accountability and a focus on results to all their work, operating across a range of stakeholders, tasks, and timelines at any given time. They must demonstrate a deep commitment to improving society, and to harnessing the power of sport and physical activity to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of marginalised communities in London and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

Funding & Grantmaking

• To lead on the delivery and evaluation of the Foundation’s strategic funding plan
• To work closely with the Grants Committee on the effective annual Grants Committee meeting cycle, ensuring thorough oversight and governance of all our funding and grantmaking processes.
• To work with the ED and wider team on the continuous improvement of our funding and grantmaking processes and systems
• To lead on all aspects of the operational planning and implementation of the Foundation’s funding and grantmaking, ensuring effective and efficient processes and systems are in place to support our work.
• To work closely with the ED and the Finance Team on the long-term planning of the funding budget.
• To ensure that embedded themes such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and sustainability are woven into our funding plan.

Line Management & Team

• To line manage key members of our team working directly on our funding and grantmaking, and working closely with the ED on broader team HR and culture-related issues.
• To contribute to the ongoing development of a culture of high engagement and high performance in which the team’s performance is regularly reviewed, and to support their continuous improvement and development as expert grant-makers.

Impact & Evaluation

• To oversee development and delivery of our outcomes and impact framework.
• To oversee our data collection and M&E practices to ensure we maximise our impact and constantly strive to improve our approach.
• To develop greater focus on insights and impact, working with the ED to continue improving our approach to delivering, externalizing and improving our impact processes and narrative.
• To work closely with the ED and the Communications & Engagement Manager on all aspects of the Trust’s internal and external communications relating to our funding and impact.

Governance & Compliance

• To manage operational risks related to our grant-making working closely with the ED and Trustees on our risk register management, and reporting on specific risks as required.
• To attend full Board, Grants Committee and Finance and Audit Committee meetings and to report on our strategic funding plan and work as required.
• To work closely with the ED and Head of Governance on any governance matters that relate to the effective operation of the Grants Committee, or on risk or any other matters arising.
• To contribute to the Group’s Annual Report and Accounts and any other statutory documents alongside the ED, Finance and Governance teams as required.
• To support the ED and the Head of Governance in ensuring the Foundation fulfils all its legal, statutory and regulatory responsibilities as related to our funding and grantmaking.
• To oversee and liaise with our legal support on any legal review of grants and grant documentation.

Stakeholder Management

• To manage some key strategic funding partnerships and any other partnerships with key stakeholders within the portfolio of LMF’s work.
• To advise and guide the ED and Grants Committee on external risks and opportunities within the sectors and communities that our funding reaches.
• To horizon-scan on key policy issues, sector developments, innovations and learnings relevant to our work and to guide and advise the ED and team accordingly.
• To represent the Foundation at relevant external events when appropriate.

Strategy Direction & London Marathon Group Working

• To work closely with the ED and Trustees to oversee and refine our strategic funding plan, and to contribute to the ongoing development of our strategy as required.   
• To support the ED in their role, particularly supporting on London Marathon Group working and initiatives to maximise impact and innovation across the Group.
• To represent the ED in strategic discussions or meetings if the ED is unavailable.

Success Measures / KPIs

Delivery of LMF’s funding plan and strategy within the wider Group strategy, and all associated success measures.

Delivery of key improvements to the automation and efficiency of our grantmaking and funding processes and systems.

Delivery of a joined-up approach to data collection, impact reporting, and an emerging learning/insights function.

Required Skills/Experience

• Experience of managing and leading complex funding programmes
• Experience of adaptive/iterative programme management approaches, responding to evolving contexts
• Excellent understanding of the processes and systems required to deliver effective and impactful grant-making
• Experience of leading cross-functional teams in a ‘matrix’ team working style
• Experience of line management and leading high-performing teams
• Knowledge of a range of monitoring and evaluation approaches
• Proven ability to build, maintain and nurture positive, effective internal and external relationships
• Adaptable communication style and the ability to build rapport with different stakeholder groups, both internal and external
• Focus on results/sense of accountability, with a proven ability to work with a range of different tasks, stakeholders and timelines
• Creative and strategic thinker, dedicated to the continuous improvement of our funding and grant-making through identifying solutions, opportunities and potential innovations
• Leadership experience, demonstrating the ability to deliver tough messages, manage difficult conversations, and frame important decisions with integrity and empathy