Head of Fundraising

About us

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Pro Bono Economics (PBE), an organisation that prides itself on its flexible working environment, culture of learning, focus on employee wellbeing and the strength of our employee relationships. PBE offers a strong benefits package, opportunities for development and a team working at the top of their game.

PBE’s mission is to end low personal wellbeing in the UK. We do this by helping charities and social enterprises understand their economic and social impact, so they can improve their overall effectiveness. We enable professional economists from the private and public sectors as well as academia to volunteer their skills to tackle some of the most pressing issues in society. We have worked with over 500 charities since our inception in 2009.

Having successfully delivered a major programme of groundbreaking work on the condition of the charity sector in the form of the Law Family Commission on Civil Society at the start of 2023, PBE is entering a new phase in its development. Building on its growing research and policy expertise and its strong association with the social sector, the organisation is taking a bottom-up and top-down approach to exploring, understanding, and tackling the causes and consequences of low personal wellbeing in the UK that uses the insights and perspectives of charities and community groups as a unique jumping off point. PBE is focused on delivering high quality research that both translates into real policy and practice impacts for people with low wellbeing and supports a more effective social sector to help deliver that change.

About the role

The Head of Fundraising will be responsible for executing Pro Bono Economics’ (PBE) fundraising strategy under the Director of Development’s guidance. This role focuses on increasing and diversifying income through building relationships with trusts, foundations, corporates, and high-net-worth individuals, while also securing funding for specific research projects in collaboration with the research team. The role includes managing donor engagement, overseeing grant applications, leading a small team, and ensuring compliance with fundraising regulations, all while maintaining operational oversight of the fundraising department.

Post type: Full-time, Permanent, hybrid working

Staff Benefits

• 28 day annual leave per year (excluding bank holidays)
• 7% employer pension contributions
• Group life assurance scheme and sickness cover
• Employee assistance programme
• Enhanced parental leave policy
• Generous personal development budget
• Discounted university gym membership
• A flexible work environment committed to employee wellbeing

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Fundraising strategy implementation: Deliver PBE’s multi-year fundraising strategy to expand and diversify income from major donors, trusts and foundations, corporate partners and research institutions
• New business development: Identify and secure new funding opportunities, focusing on building sustainable partnerships.
• Research support: Collaborate with the research team to identify funding for specific research projects and submit tailored grant proposals.
• Donor engagement: Steward relationships with existing donors, ensuring renewals and funding upgrades.
• Bid writing & reports: Develop and write compelling grant applications, case for support documents and reports which communicate PBE’s services and research programmes.
• Departmental leadership: Support the Director of Development in managing budgets, resources, and a fundraising officer, ensuring team efficiency and future planning.
• Regulatory compliance: Ensure adherence to fundraising regulations and policies, including GDPR and safeguarding.

About you

Report directly to the Director of Development, the Head of Fundraising will have the following experience and skills.

Experience

• You have senior fundraising experience across a broad mix of income streams, a talent for building partnerships, bid writing and a strategic mindset.
• Experience working with research-driven organisations is a plus, as is familiarity with CRM systems like Salesforce.
• You are happy to roll up your sleeves and spend as much time focused on immediate management and income priorities as you are on strategy and ideation.
• Will be suited to a senior fundraiser looking for their first Heads of role or someone who has already taken that step.
• A strong commitment to PBE’s internal culture of inquisitiveness, generosity, honesty and respect.

Skills/Competencies

Ideal characteristics

• Fundraising expertise: Proven experience in securing multi-year funding from trusts, foundations, corporates, and high-net-worth individuals.
• Grant writing: Strong ability to develop persuasive funding applications and project reports.
• Relationship management: Excellent interpersonal skills with a track record of managing donor relationships and securing renewals.
• Research funding knowledge: Ability to work closely with the research team to identify and secure funding for specific research projects.
• Project management: Ability to deliver complex projects on time, set priorities, and manage resources effectively.
• Team leadership: Experience managing teams, fostering development, and making resourcing decisions.

Core competencies

• Strategic thinking: Experience executing strategies that align with organizational goals.
• Communication: Exceptional writing and presentation skills, adaptable to different audiences.
• Attention to detail: Commitment to quality and precision in both written work and fundraising operations.
• Collaborative approach: Ability to work effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving organisation, responding to new opportunities.

Desirable characteristics

• Experience working within research-driven organisations.
• Familiarity with fundraising databases (Salesforce preferred).
• An eye for detail and a strong dedication to quality.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage priorities and deadlines, alongside an ability to work collaboratively in a small team.

PBE is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We encourage applications from all parts of the community, and we give all applicants and employees fair and equal treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality. We also guarantee an invitation to interview for all applicants with disabilities who show evidence that they can meet the role’s ideal criteria.

For details of our applicant’s privacy policy, please see PBEs website

Please note that PBE does not hold a sponsorship licence and is therefore unable to provide work sponsorship visas for this role.

As part of the interview process, you will be required to complete a pre-interview task or presentation. Further details will be provided in due course