Funding development manager jobs in Belfast

Salary: £20,000 at 17.5hrs a week (£40,000 per annum pro rata)

The Farming Community Network (FCN) is a UK-wide voluntary organisation and charity that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people in farming and ‘walk with’ people at times of difficulty and change. We have been described as a ‘lifeline’ and a ‘trusted friend’ by people we have helped, and support over 12,500 people in agriculture each year with a wide range of issues.

We are recruiting a part-time Trust Fund and Legacy Development Manager. You will be reporting to the Head of Partnerships.

You will build vital relationships with Trusts, Foundations and other grant providers, generating income and helping to ensure the financial sustainability of the charity.  

You will also focus on increasing the volume and value of legacies left to FCN and nurturing these relationships and opportunities.

Now is an exciting time to be joining FCN – we are currently delivering our three-year strategy (2025 - 2027) and we are working with a wide range of stakeholders to create a resilient farming future for the next generation of farmers.

You will be working under your own initiative for much of the time, and will need a valid, clean driving license and own transport. Mileage expenses are reimbursed.

Key Relationships:

Internal: Close working relationships with Head of Partnerships, Head of Operations and Communications, Head of Finance and HR and other staff members.  

External: Liaising with Trusts, Foundations, families and a wide range of other stakeholders. 

Key responsibilities:

The Trust Fund and Legacy Development Manager will be responsible for:

Trusts:

- Lead on the development and delivery of a new trust fundraising strategy.

- Identify, research and write 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, including evaluating impact.

- Writing and submitting high-quality bids and tailored proposals to secure charity funding from trusts, foundations, grant providers and other sources.

- Monitoring requirements of trust fund projects, including meeting deadlines and collating relevant information.

- Working with the Senior Leadership Team to identify opportunities and develop project proposals aligned to organisational strategy.

Legacy Development:

- Create and deliver an effective strategy for gifts in wills and in memory giving.

- Increasing income from legacies and wills, as well as maintaining and building legacy opportunities. 

- Ensuring legacy funds are utilised in accordance with the wishes of the donor.

- Managing relationships with donors, families and other stakeholders.

- Recording income and donor support accurately and maintaining databases.

- Handling the responsibilities of the role sensitively and with care and compassion.

- Acknowledge and celebrate gifts in wills to raise awareness throughout the organisation, with its followers, supporters, staff and volunteers.

- Working with colleagues to gather content and produce high quality and inspirational updates for legacy supporters and their families.

- Respond to potential enquiries about all types of legacy gifts and gather details about each.

- Gather information from existing content and new sources to draft updates and other stewardship communications for individuals and legacy families.

- Identify case studies and stories from across our work, to show the impact of legacies and gifts in memory.

- Supporting on the delivery of projects and other charitable activities as and when required.

Essential Criteria:

· Strong verbal and written communication skills with excellent attention to detail.

· Excellent customer/donor care experience with a proven track record of exceptional listening skills.

· Methodical and organised approach to tasks with meticulous attention to detail with the  ability to plan and prioritise.

· Experience in supporter acquisition, retention, and the development of supporters.

· Experience in writing funding bids, grants and proposals and tailoring bids to requirement and working to strict deadlines.

· Knowledge and experience of developing and maximising fundraising opportunities.

· Excellent organisational skills and deadline achievement.

· Good interpersonal skills.

· Computer literacy including a working knowledge Microsoft office software, (Word, Excel, & PowerPoint).

· Ability to research, plan and budget.

· Able to work on own initiative while also as a key team member of the management team.

Desirable Criteria:

• Has worked in the charity sector previously.

• Knowledge and understanding of the law as it applies to charity legacies, taxes applicable to estates and probate/trust law and related processes.

• Has knowledge of agriculture and the rural community

• To have completed Higher Education (A-Levels, HNC, HND, foundation degree, bachelor’s all considered).

This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the post holder according to future developments at FCN.

*At times you may be expected to attend in-person meetings at Bragborough Hall Business Centre, Welton Rd, Braunston, Northamptonshire. You may need to travel in order to meet with donors and foundations.

Applicants must be based in the UK. 

Social entrepreneurs scaling their ventures face a specific set of challenges including income generation, hiring, governance, hard calls about growth and risk, all alongside scaling their social impact. We’re recruiting learning and enterprise development managers who’ve lived that journey themselves, to bring first-hand credibility and challenge directly to the entrepreneurs on our scale-up and scale-up-plus programmes.

You’ll hold ownership of SSE’s scale-up approach, shaping our learning content on strategy, profitability and the systems that hold a growing venture together – grounded in what actually works, not just what’s written down. Facilitation sits at the heart of this role. You’ll design and deliver learning programmes and group sessions for cohorts of entrepreneurs as well as leading 1-2-1 coaching and diagnostics, and delivering Action Learning Sets, SSE’s long-standing peer-coaching method (training provided).

We’re looking for people who’ve founded or led a VCSE with an annual turnover of £100,000 or more and held financial accountability such as statutory reporting to the Charity Commission and, where relevant, Companies House, reporting to a board or funders, and making hard calls about growth, income and risk.

You’ll succeed in this role if you believe in what social entrepreneurship can achieve and want to turn your experience into supporting social ventures to scale and create more impact in their communities and beyond

The purpose of this role is to lead the design and delivery of learning programmes that help social entrepreneurs create lasting impact. You’ll take direct responsibility for facilitating cohorts as well as leading 1-2-1 coaching and diagnostics, and delivering Action Learning Sets, SSE’s long-standing peer-coaching method (training provided). You’ll hold accountability for the quality of programmes allocated to you. You’ll work alongside our learning facilitators and our learning and enterprise development managers to ensure every programme stays true to our action learning approach.

As SSE deepens its focus on commercial acumen and scale-up support, you’ll help make sure that direction reaches every cohort you work with — keeping your programmes as sharp, practical and impactful as everything else we do. You’ll bring your own commercial awareness to how you facilitate, and build relationships with contributors, speakers and specialists who can bring real-world commercial expertise into the room for your cohorts.

You’ll succeed in this role if you believe in what social entrepreneurship can achieve and want to support social ventures to grow and create more impact in their communities and beyond.

Natural Capital Assessment Partnership

The Natural Capital Assessment Partnership (NCAP) has operated for over 30 years. Formerly the Habitat Biodiversity Audit, a key remit of NCAP has been to survey and gather habitat data across Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, combining ecological field surveys with pioneering satellite imagery and remote sensing analysis. A second key aspect of NCAP’s work is managing the Local Wildlife Sites programme for the region.

Data acquired and produced by the team supports Local Wildlife Site designations, Local Nature Recovery Strategy development and monitoring, and creates baseline habitat reports and statistics.  This localised yet UK-leading dataset provides robust evidence for decision-making and monitoring, plus a unique record of land-use change over the past two decades. Combined with Biological Records Centre species data, it offers an unrivalled picture of the local state of nature.

NCAP is funded by local authorities, managed by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and hosted by Warwickshire County Council.

The School for Social Entrepreneurs backs people with purpose — entrepreneurs building organisations that change their communities. We're looking for a National Partnerships Lead to work directly with our CEO, driving high-priority national funding partnerships, diversifying our income, and building the relationships that fund our impact. 

You'll identify major funding opportunities, negotiate with trusts, corporates and government partners, and lead complex proposals from first conversation through to a signed agreement — including the budgets, risk assessments and value propositions behind them. You'll also act as a sounding board for the CEO, pressure-testing ideas and sharpening how we tell our story to funders. 

We're looking for sustained experience supporting a CEO or senior leader, a track record of leading multi-million pound funding initiatives end-to-end, and the versatile writing skills to move between board papers and detailed funder tenders without losing accuracy under pressure. Sharp budgeting and numeracy matter for this role, alongside real comfort building trust with senior external stakeholders. 

This position is for someone who thrives on ambiguity, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants their work to directly fund entrepreneurs changing their communities. 

Job Title: Programmes & Funding Officer

Location(s): Home-based with attendance in the AUK’s London office or at meetings as required

London office: AdviceUK, 83 Victoria Street, London SW1

Status: Permanent

Reporting to: Programmes & Funding Manager

Responsible for: N/A

Pay scale: £30,000 to £32,000 dependant on experience, full time equivalent. £24,000 to £25,600 actual salary, depending on experience.

Working hours: 28 hours per week (35 hours full time equivalent) within normal operating hours. (Normal operating hours are 8.00am - 6.30pm, Monday – Friday.) Lunch & other breaks are unpaid.

Special conditions: Some evening work may be required for which time off in lieu (TOIL) will be granted. Some travel will be required.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds, particularly encouraging those from underrepresented groups. If you require any accessibility support or reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. 

CHARITY OVERVIEW

Since 1979, AdviceUK has been supporting advice organisations by helping them to be efficient, competent and effective, and by campaigning for a policy environment that supports advice agencies and people needing advice.

We are both a membership body and charity. We support our 700+ members to provide advice to around 2 million people every year.

We are working towards a world in which every individual, regardless of means, is able to access the advice they need to exercise their rights and deal with any legal and social welfare challenges they may face.

JOB PURPOSE 

To assist the Programmes & Funding Manager in coordinating the day-to-day delivery of AdviceUK's funded programmes. The role will keep projects running smoothly, maintain accurate monitoring data, and be a reliable first point of contact for members and delivery partners. The Programmes & Funding Officer will also assist in maintaining stakeholder relationships and ensuring that AdviceUK members have the practical support needed to access and sustain advice services.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

1.Programme & Project Support

·Assist the Programmes & Funding Manager in the delivery of AdviceUK's funded programmes and contribute to their design and development where required.

·Coordinate the day-to-day delivery of funded projects, keeping track of timelines, milestones and actions in line with agreed project plans.

·Support the coordination of AdviceUK staff and external associates/trainers involved in programme delivery.

·Maintain project governance processes and practical workflows to ensure funder requirements are met.

2.Development & Funding Support

·Conduct research on potential funders and commissioners at local and national levels to identify new opportunities.

·Provide administrative support during the drafting of funding bids, tenders, and proposals.

3.Relationship Management

·Liaise with members, stakeholders and partners to maintain positive working relationships.

·Support the Manager in organising meetings and events with key stakeholders in the advice sector.

·Ensure AdviceUK’s vision and values are reflected in all external communications and interactions.

4.Monitoring, Data & Evidence

·Maintain and update CRMs and other reporting tools to ensure accurate programme progress tracking.

·Collate monitoring data and project evaluations to help demonstrate performance against KPIs.

·Assist in the preparation of financial and non-financial reports for funders and stakeholders.

·Help identify and share impact studies and good practice case studies from projects with the wider membership and sector.

5.General Responsibilities

·Ensure you effectively communicate AdviceUK’s vision, mission and objectives to staff, members and external stakeholders.

·Ensure you demonstrate AdviceUK’s values and behaviours in all aspects of your work

·Build and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders including staff trustees; members, partners and suppliers

·With support from your manager, deliver your agreed personal objectives and undertake any agreed development or training

·Maintain a strong understanding of our members and the advice sector more generally, by reading internal reports; accessing relevant data reports; following our social media channels and, where possible, attending member and other relevant events. With the agreement of you line manager, ensure you make time to speak to members and visit their           services.

·Adhere at all times to AdviceUK’s policies and procedures

·Carry out any reasonable duties compatible with the post assigned by your line manager

We can’t fix issues like poverty, inequality, health and climate change alone. We are fully conscious of the scale of the challenge that faces the country and the urgent need to respond. That’s why the School for Social Entrepreneurs exists, to empower and equip people with entrepreneurial ideas and solutions to grow the social economy. The social economy is a movement of organisations and enterprises that prioritise people and planet. Together, we are committed to tackling the greatest social and environmental challenges of our time.This is a new and exciting role at a significant time of growth for the School for Social Entrepreneurs. In the coming year. we are developing new programmes, working with leaders who are developing small community led social and environmental projects as well as leading larger charities and social businesses developing social investment and housing solutions.

We’re not a traditional funder. Our grants tend to be small, but they punch above their weight, helping social and environmental entrepreneurs take the next step to grow their organisations. Our grants run alongside learning programmes, challenging and supporting leaders. We’re innovative in how we do this, through both traditional and enterprise grants. We lead on Match Trading™, a grant that challenges leaders to grow their trading income, and we are working on further grants innovations.

You will work with our Grants Team, Project Co-ordinators and Assessment Lead to develop and support grant management across a range of programmes. Your role will be to lead on specific programmes, including supporting assessment, onboarding and grant management. You will ensure that grantees are fully supported to manage their grants and ensure that grant management is compliant, auditable, efficient, and timely. You will support the development of grant policies and processes, writing grant paperwork and documentation, overseeing payments, and reporting to the wider Programmes Team and others about our work.

You don’t need to have managed grants before, but you do need to have a good understanding of a wide range enterprises and charities, gained through experience of training, business consultancy or development support. You will have a good understanding of business models, legal structures and financial systems that social and environmental organisations and community run and owned businesses may use. You will need to understand social enterprise finances, be able to read accounts, budgets, cashflows and have a good knowledge of social enterprise income streams.

We need someone who understands how hard it is to start up and grow social and environmental enterprises and can support people from diverse backgrounds in managing their grant, finances and growing their business.

Are you up for the challenge?

Interviews: Friday 18th and Friday 25th September (online)

About Us

We are an environmental charity with science at our heart. We help people to take action to protect the nature around them; by connecting them with it and giving them the tools they need to do so. We passionately believe in citizen science and are leaders in it. Our current focus areas include helping to create nature-friendly urban spaces, growing the impact of internationally known citizen science programmes such as Freshwater Watch, developing early career scientists and sharing learning internationally, and working with partners to advance the science, tools and thinking behind citizen science.

Role purpose:

To drive the growth of income from businesses, local authorities and public sector funders by identifying, developing and securing strategic partnerships. The role will build high-value relationships, generate new funding opportunities, and lead the development of compelling proposals, working closely with colleagues across Earthwatch to convert opportunities into longterm partnerships and sustainable income. This role will focus on building connections and opening doors, working closely with the Director to convert opportunities into funding to meet organisational targets.

Key deliverables:

Partnership Management and Development

• Lead on building and maintaining positive relationships with existing contacts in businesses, local authorities, and other partners in line with organisational priorities.
• Carry out excellent stewardship and management of partnerships, overseeing delivery plans, strategic activities and routine partnership activities.
• Lead all aspects of the partnership development process, including prospect research, proposal development and pitching, ensuring a seamless pathway from opportunity identification to funding secured.
• Cultivate relationships with other charitable organisations to expand Earthwatch’s network of partners and collaborate on joint environmental initiatives.

Proposal Writing and Project Development

• Lead the preparation of compelling funding proposals, tailored to meet the specific interests and priorities of potential partners.
• Ensure proposals are timely, impactful, and demonstrate clear outcomes.
• Work closely with the Finance team to develop accurate project budgets, ensuring all proposals are cost-effective and financially viable.
• Manage a portfolio of prospects and funding opportunities, contributing to agreed annual income targets. 

Sector Awareness and Marketing

• Monitor plans and strategies from businesses, local authorities and government bodies with a view to spotting opportunities for partnership working.
• Collaborate with the Communications teams to create high-quality marketing materials that support partner engagement and public relations.
• Represent Earthwatch at partner and networking events. 

Monitoring and Reporting

• Oversee the end-to-end grant management process, including timely submission of progress reports and financial narratives to ensure full compliance with donor requirements.
• Maintain a comprehensive reporting process via the CRM, providing accurate income generation updates, dashboards, and pipeline forecasts.
• Monitor environmental and sustainability issues in the media including emerging policies, trends and the performance of organisations with whom we have relationships. 

Collaboration and Team Support:

• Work closely with colleagues across the organisation, particularly the Income Generation, Programmes, Communications, and Finance teams, to ensure that funding proposals and reports are aligned with Earthwatch’s programs and objectives. 

In undertaking these roles, the postholder should also have regard to:

• Acting as an ambassador for the work, vision and values of Earthwatch Europe.
• Ensuring continuous development of skills and knowledge required for the post, undergoing training and performance review as required.
• Working within all the policies and procedures of Earthwatch Europe, ensuring compliance with health & safety policies and all legal and contractual obligations associated with the post.
• Collaborating with other Earthwatch teams to ensure effective delivery of partnership programmes.
• Carrying out any other reasonable duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of the post, as requested by the postholder’s line manager.

Please see the full job description attached.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; Earthwatch is unable to support visa applications. 

Earthwatch is committed to making any adjustments we can for short-listed candidates, to facilitate participation in our interview process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. 

For nearly 20 years, Lively Minds has been proving that parents are the sleeping giants of early childhood development. With strong evidence and a national scale proof point in Ghana, we have shown that parent powered approaches delivered through government systems can transform children's lives at scale.

We are now at a pivotal moment. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum, and we need the funding, profile and influence to match our ambition. This is a rare opportunity to lead income generation and external voice for an award winning NGO entering an exciting new phase of growth. You will lead our fundraising strategy and direct engagement with Funders ensuring that we maximise all funding opportunities as we continue our strategic evolution. You will also shape a compelling external narrative that will help position Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments strengthening their early childhood development systems.

If you are an exceptional fundraiser and communicator who is equally comfortable in a strategic conversation and writing a winning proposal, we would love to hear from you.

Read the full advert and apply below. Closing date: 3rd September 2026.

About Lively Minds

Lively Minds is an award-winning NGO with nearly 20 years of experience designing, testing and scaling early childhood development (ECD) solutions across the Global South. Our core idea is simple but radical: parents are the sleeping giants of ECD. Governments and donors have long overlooked parents, assuming that poverty and low literacy make them unable or unwilling to support their childrenʼs development. We have spent two decades proving otherwise. With RCT-backed evidence and a national-scale proof point in Ghana, we have demonstrated that parent-powered approaches, delivered through government systems, can achieve meaningful child development outcomes at scale.

Our 2026–2028 strategy marks a pivotal shift. Having demonstrated what is possible, we are now helping pioneer an innovative model of country-led sustainable scale. Rather than delivering programmes ourselves, we provide lean, time-limited technical advisory support to governments to help them integrate parent-powered ECD into their own systems, budgets and institutions. We are currently working with the governments of Ghana, Uganda, Oromia state (Ethiopia) and The Gambia in 2026, growing to six or more country engagements by 2028. Our ambition is to catalyse a sector-wide shift, positioning Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments seeking to strengthen their ECD systems.

Our scale strategy rests on three interdependent pillars: fixed-term Technical Advisory partnerships with governments; the development of a modular radio model simple and affordable enough for governments to adopt and fund independently; and an advocacy and sector influence agenda designed to make parent-powered ECD the norm globally.

Purpose of the Role

Lively Minds is at a critical inflection point. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum. We now need the funding, profile and sector influence to match our ambition. The Director of Fundraising and Communications is a priority hire, created to provide the dedicated, experienced leadership that this moment demands.

The Director will own and drive Lively Mindsʼ income generation, building new funder relationships, managing and deepening existing ones, and ensuring the organisation has the pipeline, discipline and quality of engagement to meet and exceed its fundraising targets. Working in close partnership with the Founding CEO, who retains ownership of a small number of long-standing strategic relationships, the Director will take primary responsibility for securing the funding that makes the 2026–2028 strategy deliverable, and that opens the door to greater scale beyond it. We need to raise approximately £3.4m over the next 3 years to deliver our strategy. But our ambition is to exceed that target so we can support additional governments.

Alongside fundraising, the Director will provide strategic leadership to Lively Mindsʼ communications and advocacy work, ensuring that the organisationʼs external voice is compelling and that we are building credibility in the spaces where funding decisions are made. The Director will lead and provide strategic coherence to a small but outward-facing team, including Head of Partnerships and Advocacy Lead who are active on the international stage. Lively Minds is committed to thought-leadership and active external engagement, but equally committed to ensuring that communications resource is deployed with discipline and rigour. The Director will set a clear strategic filter for where the organisation shows up, what it publishes and who it engages: prioritising focus and quality over volume, and always asking whether external activity is building the relationships and reputation that ultimately drive income and/or systems change.

Lively Minds is a dispersed, remote organisation. The Directorʼs team the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer - are internationally distributed. The ability to lead, develop and maintain high standards across a dispersed team is essential. The role requires regular travel to international conferences and events.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Income Generation

• Own and deliver the multi-year fundraising strategy with clear priorities, targets, income streams and a disciplined pipeline to support the 2026–2028 strategy and future scale
• Steward existing funder relationships, turning strong partnerships into long-term supporters, advocates and connectors to new funding opportunities.
• Lead the shift towards Big Bet and catalytic funding, personally cultivating and negotiating high-value, multi-year partnerships and positioning Lively Minds for system-level scale
• Maintain a high standard of fundraising quality, pipeline management and forecasting, while coaching the team to produce compelling, sophisticated fundraising materials
•  Build and continuously strengthen a diverse funding pipeline, identifying emerging opportunities, new funding markets and strategic partnerships that reduce concentration risk and support long-term financial sustainability

Communications, Brand & Advocacy

• Own and deliver Lively Mindsʼ communications and marketing strategy, balancing visibility and sector influence with the need to strengthen fundraising and systems-change objectives
• Partner closely with the CEO to shape and steward a coherent external narrative, brand and messaging framework across all audiences and channels
• Oversee high-quality core communications and fundraising materials, including cases for support, pitch decks, website content, proposals and donor reports
• Provide strategic communications expertise to Advocacy, Partnerships and MEL, ensuring evidence and learning are translated into compelling narratives and consistent external messaging
• Lead efforts to strengthen Lively Mindsʼ profile and thought leadership in the ECD sector, identifying opportunities for strategic media, events, publications and external platforms that reinforce its positioning and influence

Organizational Leadership&TeamDevelopment

• Contribute actively to SMT and organisational strategy, bringing funder intelligence, external perspective and communications expertise to strategic decision-making.
• Work closely with Finance and MEL to align fundraising targets, forecasting, budgets and evidence, ensuring proposals are credible, accurately costed and evidence-led
• Act as the organisationʼs communications subject matter expert, providing guidance and challenge to ensure high-quality, consistent external communications
• Lead and develop the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer, fostering a team culture of quality, accountability, strategic clarity and continuous improvement
• Build strong cross-organisational collaboration, ensuring teams understand how fundraising, communications, advocacy and evidence work together to advance Lively Mindsʼ strategic priorities

Person Specification

Essential Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of significant senior-level fundraising experience within international development, education, philanthropy or a comparable sector
• Proven track record of securing major grants from foundations, institutional donors and high-net-worth individuals, alongside demonstrated experience securing or meaningfully progressing large-scale, catalytic funding from Big Bet philanthropy programmes such as the Audacious Project, Skoll Foundation or comparable funders. A strong understanding of what these funders look for and how to position an organisation compellingly within their processes is essential
• Exceptional fundraising writing skills, with the ability to personally develop compelling cases for support, funding proposals, award applications and pitch decks tailored to sophisticated impact funders. This is a hands-on role requiring both strong writing capability and the ability to coach others to consistently produce high-quality fundraising content
• Experienced in developing and owning a marketing and communications strategy, with a strong understanding of how to balance organisational visibility, thought leadership and sector influence with coherence, strategic focus and income generation
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with a Founding CEO to shape and steward the organisationʼs external narrative and brand. Comfortable working in a founder-led environment, providing expertise and constructive challenge while ensuring the organisation maintains a clear, consistent and coherent external voice

Desirable Experience

• Experienced fundraising for a technical advisory, systems change or government-facing organisation
• Knowledge of the ECD, education or early childhood sector and its funding landscape
• Familiarity with the Big Bang Philanthropy network or equivalent impact-focused funder communities
• Experience working alongside advocacy and partnerships teams, providing communications expertise and strategic coherence to their external activity
• Familiarity with the funding landscape for organisations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience working remotely across multiple countries and effectively collaborating with cross-cultural teams

Behaviours & Ways of Working

• A doer, equally comfortable in strategic conversations and writing a funding proposal
• Sets a high bar for quality and clarity in all external communications and holds it consistently
• Builds a strong, trust-based partnership with the Founding CEO, provides honest challenge and operates effectively within a founder-led dynamic without losing their own voice or judgement
• Collaborative and cross-organisational. Invests in strong relationships with programme, MEL and finance colleagues, understanding that the best fundraising is grounded in organisational reality
• Calm and focused under pressure - able to manage competing priorities and maintain quality when the stakes are high

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• 25 days annual leave
• Health insurance
• Pension contribution
• Generous learning and development budget
• Flexible, remote working

Application Instruction

Interested candidates are encouraged to read the Job Description carefully before applying to ensure they understand the role and meet the required criteria.

To apply, please complete the pre-screening questions and submit your updated CV

PLEASE NOTE - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Timeline

Closing Date: 3rd September 2026

Our Stance

Lively Minds operates a strict Safeguarding Policy and is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable people. As part of our recruitment process, the suitability of successful candidates will be verified through appropriate background checks including professional references and police checks.

Lively Minds is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and to providing equal opportunities throughout our recruitment process. We want this commitment to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, experiences and perspectives.

We are committed to ensuring that recruitment decisions are based on merit, skills, experience and suitability for the role, and that all candidates are treated fairly and with respect throughout the recruitment process.

About Us

We are an environmental charity with science at our heart. We help people to take action to protect the nature around them; by connecting them with it and giving them the tools they need to do so. We passionately believe in citizen science and are leaders in it. Our current focus areas include helping to create nature-friendly urban spaces, growing the impact of internationally known citizen science programmes such as Freshwater Watch, developing early career scientists and sharing learning internationally, and working with partners to advance the science, tools and thinking behind citizen science.

Role purpose:

To play a pivotal role in growing income from trusts, foundations and statutory funders by proactively identifying opportunities, cultivating high-value relationships and developing compelling funding proposals that align with Earthwatch's strategic priorities. This role will focus on raising funds from trusts and foundations, working closely with the Director to meet organisational funding targets. 

Key deliverables:

Relationship Development and Management:

• Identify and develop new funding opportunities and build relationships with trust, foundation and statutory funders at a senior level.
• Manage all aspects of the trusts and foundations fundraising cycle, including prospect research, application development, stewardship, retention and long-term funder engagement.
• Cultivate relationships with other charitable organisations to expand Earthwatch’s network of partners and collaborate on joint environmental initiatives.
• Maintain excellent stewardship of funders through regular communication, impact reporting and relationship management, supporting long-term engagement and repeat funding.
• Represent Earthwatch at donor and networking events.

Proposal Writing and Grant Applications:

• Lead the preparation of compelling funding proposals, tailored to meet the specific interests and priorities of potential funders.
• Ensure proposals are timely, impactful, and demonstrate clear outcomes.
• Work closely with the Finance team to develop accurate project budgets, ensuring all proposals are cost-effective and financially viable.
• Manage a portfolio of prospects and funding opportunities, contributing to agreed annual income targets.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Oversee the end-to-end grant management process, including timely submission of progress reports and financial narratives to ensure full compliance with donor requirements. 
• Maintain a comprehensive reporting process via the CRM, providing accurate income generation updates, dashboards, and pipeline forecasts. 

Collaboration and Team Support:

• Work closely with colleagues across the organisation, particularly the Income Generation, Programmes, Communications, and Finance teams, to ensure that funding proposals and reports are aligned with Earthwatch’s programs and objectives.

In undertaking these roles, the postholder should also have regard to:

• Acting as an ambassador for the work, vision and values of Earthwatch Europe.
• Ensuring continuous development of skills and knowledge required for the post, undergoing training and performance review as required.
• Working within all the policies and procedures of Earthwatch Europe, ensuring compliance with health & safety policies and all legal and contractual obligations associated with the post.
• Collaborating with other Earthwatch teams to ensure effective delivery of partnership programmes.
• Carrying out any other reasonable duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of the post, as requested by the postholder’s line manager.

Please see the full job description attached.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; Earthwatch is unable to support visa applications. 

Earthwatch is committed to making any adjustments we can for short-listed candidates, to facilitate participation in our interview process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. 

We are recruiting two Portfolio Managers, one on a 12-month FTC and one on an FTC to 31 March 2027, to join our UK Portfolio team.

At The National Lottery Community Fund, we are driven by our strategy ‘It starts with community’ and  our commitment to tackling poverty, discrimination and disadvantage through an equity-based approach.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the UK Portfolio team at a time of growth, ambition and innovation. Through significant strategic investments, the UK Portfolio supports communities across all four nations of the UK, backing bold ideas and proven approaches that have the potential to deliver UK-wide impact and drive lasting systems change.

Working across national boundaries and sectors, we complement the Fund's country portfolios in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, bringing people, organisations and ideas together to tackle complex challenges and create positive change.

As part of a team of just over 40 colleagues, and alongside a cohort of experienced Portfolio Managers, you will help shape and deliver some of the Fund's most significant investments, working with partners across the UK to maximise learning, influence and impact for communities now and in the future

The UK Portfolio delivers a range of funding programmes, strategic partnerships and innovation initiatives designed to create lasting change across the UK, including:

• The UK Fund: supporting organisations to scale proven approaches that can improve outcomes for communities across the UK.
• Climate Action Fund: investing in ambitious partnerships that tackle climate and environmental challenges through systems change.
• Strategic Partnerships and Emerging Initiatives: collaborating with funders, policymakers, communities and sector partners to address complex social challenges and innovative approaches to change.  Examples include Communities for Children, focused on tackling child poverty and Together for Families, supporting early intervention for children and families. We are also developing new areas of work that explore the opportunities and implications of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence.

As the Portfolio continues to evolve, we are creating new opportunities to test ideas, build influential partnerships and respond to the issues that matter most to communities across the UK.

Role Expectations

As a Portfolio Manager, you will play a key role in delivering the UK Portfolio's strategic priorities and significant investments. Working with colleagues across the Fund and externally, you will oversee funding delivery, support the development of new initiatives and partnerships, and help ensure our programmes remain responsive to the needs of communities across the UK.

You will provide leadership and support to Portfolio Officers, contribute to continuous improvement across our funding practice, and use insight and learning to help maximise the impact of our investments.

Key responsibilities may include:

• Leading the operational delivery and oversight of the UK Portfolio, including the UK Fund, Climate Action Fund and strategic partnership investments.
• Overseeing the end-to-end funding process, ensuring a high-quality and consistent experience for applicants and stakeholders.
• Line managing and developing Portfolio Officers, supporting performance, wellbeing and professional growth.
• Monitoring programme performance and assuring the quality of funding recommendations and decisions.
• Identifying and managing operational risks, ensuring appropriate mitigation and escalation where required.
• Contributing to the development of new funding approaches, partnerships and investment opportunities.
• Building strong relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders to support learning, influence and impact.
• Championing the Fund's values and behaviours, promoting inclusion, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Skills & Requirements

We're looking for someone with experience of delivering funding, grant-making or investment programmes in a complex environment. You will bring strong analytical, project and stakeholder management skills, alongside the ability to balance strategic thinking with effective delivery.

You will be confident leading and developing others, managing performance, and building collaborative relationships across teams and organisations. Sound judgement, adaptability and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing communities across the UK will help you succeed in this role.

The role involves working with colleagues and partners across the UK and may require occasional travel.

Interview details:

• Date: Week commencing 21 September 2026
• Format: Online
• Location: UK Wide

The UK Portfolio supports a hybrid approach to working. Work pattern and location will be agreed with the successful candidate. The role can be based at any of our UK offices: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester and Newcastle.

We will be hosting a briefing session  on Wednesday 19th August at 10:00 am. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the role, gain insight into the team and key responsibilities, and ask any questions you may have. To register or ask any questions please email the recruitment team. 

Essential Criteria

• Experience of either funding work or managing programmes that fit with those of the UK Portfolio.
• Experience in leading and motivating people and teams (including remote teams), role modelling a culture of inclusion.
• Strong project management and organisational skills, including budget and risk management.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build trust and effective relationships across diverse audiences.
• Strong ability to apply critical analysis and consider strategic implications in your work, thinking about how things impact the whole Portfolio, Fund or sector.
• A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and the ability to apply this throughout your work.
• Experience of navigating ambiguity and leading through change, with the ability to adapt your approach to shifting priorities and help others thrive in a dynamic or evolving environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of supporting grant-making teams through the funding lifecycle, with oversight of the application assessment, due diligence, decision-making, monitoring, relationship management, risk assessment, performance reporting and grant closure.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.) 

SOS UK is looking for a Project Manager to deliver our engagement work with a focus on our Climate Action Fund programme – Student Energy Action for Life (SEAL).

Role details

Location: Home working in (or close to) London, Midlands or Manchester

Working patterns: 1 FTE (35 hours per week) with typical working times between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. The role includes weekly travel with early starts and late returns, and approx. 6 overnight stays a year. 

Salary: Starting salary £32,289 per annum, rising to £36,843, plus London Weighting of up to £3,655 pro rata where applicable. We also provide up to a 6% pension contribution and life assurance.

Contract: Fixed term until December 2029

Closing date for applications: 31st August 2026 at 11.59pm

Interview dates: 14th September 2026 (TBC). All interviews will be held online.

About the role

This role will be primarily focusing on our Climate Action Fund programme – Student Energy Action for Life (SEAL), with opportunity to contribute towards our wider engagement programmes. SEAL has a twofold vision; to support students navigating the home energy system and to improve access to student energy efficient properties via landlord engagement and student campaigning. 

Key responsibilities include:

• Engage, maintain and develop strong relationships with key stakeholders particularly landlords and students' unions, as well as students, volunteers, universities, local authorities, and other key organisations. 
• Support landlords, student letting agencies and students’ unions to improve the energy efficiency of student accommodation, focusing on implementing energy efficiency initiatives, advice and support.
• Plan, design, and deliver engaging training sessions to a variety of audiences.
• Provide support for students’ union officers and other student campaigners working on housing energy efficiency campaigns, including the design and implementation of a national student home energy campaign.
• Support with the creation and management of sector wide student energy efficiency advisory groups including a home energy efficiency network, student advisory group and stakeholder advisory group.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of programme resources and communications, including social media and website updates. 
• Recruit, coordinate, and support student volunteers including line management of student staff when required.

Please read a full description of the role’s responsibilities and person specification (knowledge, skills, attributes, qualifications and experience) in the role profile.

Introducing SOS UK

SOS UK is a UK based charity transforming education so people protect the climate and nature.

Our education system helped cause the climate and nature crisis, but now we’re making it the solution. We are fighting to make sure everyone develops a commitment to protecting the earth and puts it to work – whether it’s at school, university or in their careers.

By empowering students and educators to build a better world, we can transform the lives of generations to come. In just a few years we have developed unstoppable student leaders. Behind these leaders every step of the way is the SOS UK community making sure students don’t have to fight for change alone. We unite people from every background, inside and outside education, because protecting our earth matters to each and every one of us.

This is an exciting opportunity to join Cause4’s Development Team as a Development Manager, supporting a varied portfolio of charities and social purpose organisations with fundraising, strategy and organisational development.

This opportunity provides a fantastic opportunity for someone to work as part of a passionate and hard working team to hone their consultancy skills to fast track into more senior positions within the organisation.

The role offers the chance to work across multiple sectors including arts, heritage, education, health, sport and community organisations, helping clients to develop fundraising strategies, secure funding and build sustainable income streams. Alongside client work, you will play an active role within the wider Cause4 Development Team, contributing to research, organisational planning, training delivery and business development activity.

This position offers broad exposure across a wide range of organisations, fundraising disciplines and consultancy projects, making it an excellent opportunity for someone looking to accelerate their career within the charity or consultancy sectors.

THE OPPORTUNITY WHO THIS ROLE MAY SUIT

• This role could particularly suit: Someone looking to step into their first consultancy or Development Manager role.
• A fundraiser wanting broader experience across multiple organisations and income streams. Someone currently working in the charity, arts, education or cultural sectors looking to transition into consultancy.
• An ambitious individual seeking a fast-paced role with clear progression and development opportunities.
• An existing manager looking to build their consultancy skills to fast track into more senior positions in the sector.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising & Client Support

• Supporting a portfolio of clients with fundraising strategy development and delivery.
• Writing compelling funding applications, Cases for Support and donor-facing materials.
• Supporting funding approaches to Trusts & Foundations, statutory funders, corporates and individual donors.
• Conducting research into prospective funders, partners and opportunities.
• Supporting the development and delivery of fundraising events and engagement activities. Building positive relationships with clients, funders and wider stakeholders.
• Supporting the delivery of fundraising training and wider Cause4 programmes.

Research & Consultancy

• Producing high-quality research, reports and briefing papers.
• Supporting the development of programme ideas, evaluation frameworks and measurable outcomes.
• Contributing strategic thinking to fundraising campaigns and organisational development projects.
• Supporting wider consultancy and innovation work across the organisation.

Team & Organisational Development

• Contributing to Cause4’s business development and growth activity.
• Sharing knowledge, expertise and fundraising insight across the team.
• Supporting the wider strategic and operational needs of the organisation.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Cause4 is a fast-paced consultancy environment offering significant opportunities for learning and career development.

Skills & Experience

We are particularly interested in candidates who are ambitious, adaptable and keen to grow within a consultancy environment. You may already have experience in fundraising, charity operations, programme delivery, arts administration, partnerships, research or strategy work.

We are looking for:

• Strong written communication skills and the ability to produce compelling, engaging and high-quality written material.
• Strong research and analytical skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to interpret and synthesise large and complex amounts of information and data from a range of sources.
• Experience within a charity, fundraising, arts, education or consultancy environment.
• An interest in fundraising, philanthropy and organisational development.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Confidence working with a range of stakeholders and building professional relationships.
• Strategic thinking, creative and problem-solving skills. Strong organisational and coordination skills.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience using online platforms such as Zoom or Teams.
• Alignment with our company values.

Experience across fundraising or income generation is desirable, but we are equally interested in candidates with strong transferable skills and the ambition to develop into a client-facing consultancy role.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your CV together with either: a Cover Letter (maximum two pages), or a Cover Video (maximum three minutes) to Ben Wilson, Director of Development and Enterprise.

The deadline for applying is 5pm on Tuesday 1 September 2026.

Please also include a completed Equal Opportunities Form downloadable from the Cause4 website.

Help us ensure that no amputee needs to cope alone.

Fixed term contract for 2 years starting from the contract start date with the possibility of extending subject to funding.

The Limbless Association is looking for an experienced and passionate Regional Development Manager (one in the North including Northern Ireland and one in the South including Wales) to help expand our reach and strengthen support for amputees and their families across the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing national charity and play a key role in developing partnerships, increasing engagement and ensuring more people can access life-changing support services.

You’ll work with rehabilitation centres, healthcare professionals, service users, volunteers, supports and sponsorship partners to strengthen referral pathways, grow regional outreach and ensure amputees feel informed, connected and supported throughout their journey.

We are looking for someone who:

• Builds strong relationships quickly 
• Is passionate about community engagement and inclusion 
• Understands partnership working 
• Can work strategically whilst remaining hands-on 
• Wants to make a meaningful difference 

In return, we offer flexibility, autonomy, supportive leadership and the opportunity to shape services that have real impact.