Trusts and Foundations Manager – job description

• Department: Fundraising
• Job title: Trusts and Foundations Manager
• Responsible to: Head of Fundraising
• Grade: F

Purpose of job

Lead on the development and delivery of the Trust fundraising strategy, identifying, researching, and writing compelling applications to meet and /or exceed income targets. Oversight and management of relationships with existing and new trusts and foundations and delivering funding reports to a high and consistent standard.

Duties and responsibilities

Income generation and opportunity pipeline development

• Develop and implement a strategy and plan to grow Trusts and foundation income to meet the organisation’s growth targets in the short and long term. Contribute to the overall fundraising strategy.
• Identify and research a diverse range of high value prospects to build a robust pipeline of sustainable trust and foundations with an emphasis on five/six figure grants and multi-year funding with a national scope.
• Craft high-quality, targeted, and compelling proposals tailored to specific trusts, foundations and other grant-making bodies.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with key decision-makers within identified trusts, including the day-to-day management of both new and existing funders, ensuring accurate records of restricted grants and application of funds.
• Develop and execute a detailed trust fundraising plan and pipeline, evaluating the likelihood of success for each prospect and implementing engagement strategies at each stage to optimise outcomes.
• Lead the development of new trust and foundation proposals for grants and services, including potential research partnership opportunities or where Family Fund collaborates on a joint bid with another organisation.
• Achieve and/or exceed the annual target for trusts and foundations.

Operational planning and reporting

• Develop and implement comprehensive annual operational plans for trusts and foundations fundraising, including monitoring and adjusting strategies as needed to achieve financial targets.
• Ensure all grant expenditures and reporting adhere to the requirements of each trust or foundation, working closely with the finance team to maintain accuracy.
• Provide regular management reports on financial progress, including updates on the pipeline, prospecting, activation, and grants received. Suggest contingency actions to address potential income shortfalls.

Process management and compliance

• Establish streamlined, effective systems and processes that support the overall trust and foundations activity.
• Monitor and document funding opportunities in the fundraising database, ensuring a sufficient pipeline to meet income targets. Prepare necessary documentation for senior operations meetings to support decision-making on funding new projects.
• Ensure appropriate cross-organisational input to proposals, including working with Grants Services for project/service design.
• Oversee the completion and submission of high-quality, compliant proposals and funding applications within required timelines, while maintaining a thorough understanding of trust application spending and coordinating with Finance and Grant Services to ensure funds are utilised appropriately.

Best practices and regulatory compliance

• Stay informed of best practices from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and the Fundraising Regulator, ensuring all activities are conducted within legal and regulatory requirements.
• Provide regular updates, forecasts, and reforecasting inputs as requested by the Head of Fundraising.

One team

• Work with all relevant staff to ensure that all activities are joined up and complementary.
• Attend networking events to support fundraising activity.
• Carry out other appropriate duties as required by senior management.
• Represent the Family Fund values.

Person specification

Experience

• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding income targets from trust fundraising.
• Securing one-off or multiyear grants of five-figure sums or above.
• Significant experience of researching and writing detailed and compelling proposals for trusts.
• Broad experience building and managing multiple trust and foundation relationships.
• Setting, phasing and monitoring income targets.

Desirable:

• Compiling public sector tenders.
• Line management responsibilities.

Skills, knowledge, and abilities

• Excellent level of computer literacy with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
• Excellent oral communications skills and the ability to engage and build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Excellent research and writing skills, with close attention to detail, high level of accuracy and ability to adapt to a variety of audiences.
• Good numeracy skills with ability to build project budgets.
• Ability to manage multiple applications/projects and prioritise accordingly.
• Ability to lead meetings and brief senior staff.
• Ability to work at the same time independently and collegially.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills – planning, prioritising and managing workload with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to hit the ground running and absorb complex information quickly.

Desirable:

• Excellent record keeping and knowledge of CRMs (Salesforce).

Desirable professional membership

• Institute of Fundraising

Personal attributes

• Results driven.
• Creative and innovative.
• Open and participative working style.
• Flexible, adaptable, and resilient to work demands and change.
• Willingness to travel when required.
• Commitment to Family Fund’s values.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and fairness for all.
• Commitment to safeguarding.

Desirable:

• Understands the impact of disability and poverty on family life.

Download the Trusts and Foundations Manager job description (185kB pdf)