Fundraising Manager

Job Purpose: 

Pelican Parcels has grown from supporting 500 children in our first year, to now helping over 5,700 annually. We have been able to grow at this incredible rate due to the amazing people and organisations across Brighton and Hove. Our fundraising pipeline is overflowing, and our network of supporters continues to grow each year. 

We now need to bring in an enthusiastic fundraiser to work alongside our experienced volunteers and trustees, helping us strengthen and grow these relationships.

The Fundraising Manager will implement our fundraising plan. We have been successful in securing all funds needed for 2024/25, so this role will:

• Work with the team and Trustees to drive income and secure the annual targets

• Oversee fundraising for individual giving, community and events, companies and trusts and foundations, and deliver all aspects of these fundraising strands, with support from the fundraising trustees.

• Ensure all fundraising activity is delivered in an effective and integrated way.

• Ensure existing donors, as well as new prospects are nurtured.

• Work with the two fundraising trustees who will continue to have capacity to support fundraising 

 

We are looking for an efficient fundraiser, someone who is willing to get stuck in and join our warm and enthusiastic team and to work closely with our two fundraising trustees. Importantly, we are looking for someone who can demonstrate they are passionate about wanting to help local children and families living in poverty.

We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer committed to actively promoting and implementing equality of opportunity in all that we do. We value diversity and treat everyone fairly and equally. We ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and welcome applications from all backgrounds. 

This job description is a guide to the nature of the work required of the prospective employee. It is neither wholly comprehensive nor restrictive and therefore does not preclude change or development that will inevitably be required in the future.

 

PELICAN PARCELS FUNDRAISING MANAGER

 

Role: Fundraising Manager

Reports to: Shelley Bennett, Co-Founder & Trustee

Contract: Permanent. PAYE.

Salary: £21,000 per annum (£35,000 FTE)

Holidays: pro rata 20 days annually plus bank holidays, plus Christmas office closure e.g., in 2025 this will be an extra 4 days

Review Period: 3 months       Notice Period: 2 months

Location: This role will work in a hybrid way. We are based in a warehouse in the centre of Hove, next to Hove Station and expect you to be able to come to the office once a week. 

Hours: part-time 3 days a week. We are flexible about working patterns within the week (agreed 1 month in advance). There will be the possibility of working outside standard hours when agreed in advance e.g. open warehouse event, donor cultivation, community fundraising events.

Benefits: 3% employer pension, flexible working policy, friendly working environment.

 

ABOUT US

 

Pelican Parcels (PP) works in Brighton & Hove to recycle pre-loved essential items for babies and primary school aged children. We take them from families who no longer need them and give them to those who do. We are the only baby bank in the city. In 5 years, we have supported over 20,000 children aged 0-12 as well as pregnant mothers, reflecting the high level of need and deprivation in our city.

 

In 2023 our 5,774 parcels (an increase of 136% in the last 3 years)

• Helped 1,596 children & pregnant mums by gifting clothing & toys, buggies, nappies & essentials.  

• School Uniforms: distributed 387 parcels

• Christmas: 3,104 presents

• Eid: 623 presents

• Foodbanks: distributed c.20k nappies & 39 tubs of formula, supporting 605 children 

• Beds: we give out moses baskets, cots & single beds, blanket & sleeping bag sets & bedding bundles. We are giving out over 5 beds a week. 

• Books: in November we began supporting nurseries to give out books to pre-school children, supplying 248 books.

 

We collect items, receive referrals and distribute them to those in need 

• Collect: We have regular open sessions where people drop off items. Our 29 volunteers sort and organise donations ready for redistribution.  

• Referral: Once referrals and requests for items are received from partners, our volunteers process and package them. 

• Distribution: Our parcels are distributed by our partners at scheduled visits, through children's centres, foodbanks, schools and charity networks. Partners collect the parcels from our warehouse or we take them to their places of work.

 

“I really want to thank you for all the items that was given to me. It was more than ever thought I would receive from baby vests to a whole buggy, moses basket etc. I don’t know what I would have done without all the donations. I’m a young mum and I’m not working so I was stressing so much, plus my baby came 2 months early so I really not prepared it. I had nothing for the baby! So again I just want to say a huge Thank you again for your generosity it has really helped me and my baby more than you would imagine. <3  I plan to donate once my  baby has grown out of his clothes.”  Mum - Leanne

 

Our Fundraising Plans

 

Funding has been achieved so far from diverse sources including Brighton and Hove City Council, individuals (from a few pounds to thousands), a range of trusts and foundations and companies.

We now wish to grow our fundraising programme in response to the demand we are seeing to help more families. 

Our income has continued to grow. In 2022/2023 income was £90k, up from £38k in just 2 years. We raised £190k in 2023/2024 and have already raised over £220k for 2024/25. 

We know we need to continue to grow to meet demand for our service. We need a bigger warehouse (we have plans to move in early 2025) and additional staff soon afterwards. We have built up reserves to support 3 months of operations costs and the warehouse move of £117k.

We plan to grow our turnover to £250k by 2026/2027. We have already secured 25% of what is needed for 25/26 and 20% for 26/27. 

 

ROLE BACKGROUND

 

Our trustees Carla Pannett and Lucy Stone take the lead on fundraising for the Charity. Carla and Lucy will continue to support this work and role.

Lucy leads on Trusts and Foundation relationships alongside Brighton and Hove City Council funding applications. We feel confident with our level of work and growth in these areas. We have a number of multiple year funders confirmed, a range of funders who fund annually following applications and a pipeline of new trusts. 

Carla leads on corporate partnerships, individual giving, community and events fundraising. We believe there is more growth possible here which is why the role will focus heavily in these areas. One-off and regular donations continue to be made.

We have just completed a crowdfunding campaign in August 2024. £42,198 + Gift Aid (so far) has been raised during the ‘Children in Brighton & Hove need your help’ crowdfunder. It has been a smashing success due to 192 supporters, raising our profile across the city and beyond. This was a mix of trusts and foundation, individual and corporate giving. We want to ensure that we make the most of relationships developed during the crowdfunder.

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

 

Principal Accountabilities

• Work closely with Pelican Parcels’ Co-founder Shelley Bennett, our Head of Operations, volunteers and Board of Trustees to maintain and create an engaging fundraising programme.

• Represent Pelican Parcels at appropriate meetings and events.

• Support Pelican Parcels to secure budget-relieving in-kind support.

• Draft, design and produce bespoke fundraising applications, resources and reports.

• Adhere to best practice in fundraising cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individuals and corporations and to ensure the appropriate ethical policies and practices are followed.

 

Individual, community and company giving

• Develop and drive the overall individual, community and company giving strategy for Pelican Parcels’ prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and procurement of support, to meet the agreed targets.

• Develop external networks and work directly with supporters and prospects through face-to-face meetings, email and written correspondence.

• Manage and attend a variety of community fundraising events, including our open warehouse events.

• Be responsible for the management and budgeting of an effective and pro-active programme of donor stewardship

 

Trusts and Foundations

• Drive the overall trusts and foundations strategy for Pelican Parcel’s to include prospecting, cultivation, bid writing and reporting, to meet agreed targets.

• Timely reporting.

 

Working with the team

• Provide clear and effective reporting and financial updates on fundraising approaches for the Board of Trustees.

• Work closely with all Pelican Parcels’ team to ensure adequate knowledge of activities and to deliver benefits for supporters.

• Demonstrate understanding and awareness at all times of the importance of fully inclusive processes and practice.

• Maintain clear and up-to-date records.

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION AND SKILLS

 

Fundraising

• Successful track record of different types of fundraising, ideally with individual, community and corporate giving and trusts and foundations.

• Experience in writing and presenting successful proposals for support

• Ability to effectively gather project information to support fundraising applications

• Experience in marketing and promotional activities

• Experience in making face to face requests for donations/support

• Experience of working with senior executives and donors

 

Personal qualities

• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills

• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

• A flexible and adaptable approach to work with the ability to work outside standard hours when required

• Ability to work on own initiative and within a team

• Excellent time and project management skills with the ability to juggle a wide range of competing demands

• Ability to work professionally and develop productive relationships both externally and internally at all levels

 

Administration

• Fully computer literate: word processing, databases such as Ticketsolve or Donorfy, Excel, Salesforce internet and email

 

We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer committed to actively promoting and implementing equality of opportunity in all that we do. We value diversity and treat everyone fairly and equally. We ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and welcome applications from all backgrounds. 

This job description is a guide to the nature of the work required of the prospective employee. It is neither wholly comprehensive nor restrictive and therefore does not preclude change or development that will inevitably be required in the future.

 

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your CV and a two-page cover letter to Shelley Bennett

Closing Date and Time: 5pm 13th January 2025

Interviews: 29th January 2025 10 am – 1 pm

Interviews will be held in person at our warehouse Unit 9, Industrial House, Conway Street, Hove BN3 3LW.

Please note that you will not be required to prepare anything for interview, and we will reimburse travel costs.

 

Contact 

You should find the necessary information you need in this pack and from our website where you will discover more about who we are and what we do. 

However, if you would like an informal discussion before applying, please contact Trustee Lucy Stone

We look forward to receiving your application.

Pelican Parcels is a registered charity in England and Wales (1179866).