Head of Fundraising & Partnerships

Head of Fundraising & Partnerships 2024

Body & Soul is a thought leading organisation in frontline health and wellbeing and we are seeking exceptionally passionate and skilled people to lead our Fundraising & Partnerships team.

Body & Soul is a multi-award-winning organisation with a mission is to transform trauma across the life course. Our unique therapeutic and community-based programmes engage thousands of members of all ages in programmes including the RSPH award-winning 'You Are Not Alone' (Suicide Prevention Service), Body & Soul Families (Adoption Support) and Body & Soul HIV Support Programmes for children, young people and families.

Before you go any further…

Body & Soul works with marginalised communities and issues that do not attract mass support, awareness or funding, which is why we are here. It’s not the easy-end of the charity sector and not for faint-hearted. We are all campaigners alongside our formal roles, challenging stigma, racism and power that impacts our community and prevents access to resources that can transform adversity.

There are benefits if working here, but they are not the usual package of remote working, holiday allowance or pension schemes. What we have full access to is a working environment and community where you will be valued, respected and made to feel a part, rather than small cog in a machine. You will have full access to a rich learning culture that enhances our team’s wellbeing and an absolute sense of identity and purpose. You will hear inspiring stories and the people behind them, every single day. Then there’s the food, but we will tell you more about that another time….

At the Heart of the Charity

The work of our organisation is not just about the frontline. We believe Fundraising and Partnerships is part of a crucial operational set-up that is very much at the centre of our work at Body & Soul. Our mission drives us to constantly develop our model and design cutting-edge services for communities whose needs are often unseen or underserviced. We have the vision of health that looks beyond the diagnosis and fully understands the importance of ‘what has happened to people’, not ‘what is wrong with them’.

Fundraising and Partnerships is the pipeline that provides the stability and confidence in our services that our members need so much.

Fundraising works hand in hand with service research, design & development. The Fundraising and Partnerships Manager skillfully translates our model into compelling proposals that communicate a progressive, effective approach to health. The combination of a rich heritage, proven impact, a vibrant brand and a culture of innovation, makes this an incredibly rich environment in which to work.

Qualities

Passion: This role is made for an accomplished professional who is passionate about addressing some of the most marginalised health issues of our time. We want to work with people who are motivated to be part of challenging the conventions of healthcare that exclude minority communities and fail to effectively address the complex roots of so many current health issues. We need open minds and passion for change!

Communication: We also require the communication skills to translate our strong values and philosophy into inspiring and achievable project proposals. You’ll be skilled and experienced in your grant-writing but equally able to translate this into a range of formats to meet your audience.

People-focused: At Body & Soul you need to be drawn towards people. Our community will be your inspiration on a daily basis. If you envisage a department far away from the ‘real work’, you could not be further from the reality here. This role is based amidst the real everyday work. Bringing together impact data for reports is a part of the role, but every day you’ll see evidence around you. Your ability to build relationships with a diverse range of funders will be fundamental to generating financial support in the most challenging of times.

Creativity: the way we see and understand health is unique. The way we think and embrace design, language and authentic compassion are, we believe, rare commodities in the sector. We are always looking to find creative ways to translate this way of working into inspiring proposals with real vision!

Broad shoulders: This job comes with responsibility and challenging targets. Our members have found our services to be both a lifeline and a key to a future very different to the past. It is true to say that they were unable to find this anywhere else. With this responsibility comes the enormous job-satisfaction of securing relationships that can enable us to help thousands more.