Fundraising Assistant

When asked what they love most about working at Rainforest Trust UK, our staff say it is feeling they are making a difference and taking direct action on some of the biggest issues of our time: climate change, biodiversity loss and Indigenous Peoples' rights. They also like being part of a small, friendly, and supportive team, where they feel they can have a direct input into decisions and our direction.

This is a great opportunity for someone to gain experience in our small, but growing, charity, supporting the team to reach our funding goals for Rainforest Trust’s vital projects internationally. The Fundraising Assistant will have a varied role supporting a broad range of fundraising strands and take responsibility for some of our supporter care, CRM administration, digital communications (including social media) and community fundraising.

You may not have experience in all of these areas, but you will be a fast learner and willing to pick things up on the job. You will be an excellent communicator, with strong interpersonal skills to speak to and thank donors both verbally and in writing. You will also have strong IT skills, be organised, proactive, and committed. 

You will share our values and passion for protecting the environment and will show genuine care in supporting our donors to give to the rainforests. We want our staff to be as diverse as the nature we seek to protect, so we particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within the conservation sector, including people of colour and people with disabilities. We recognise that your experience may be from unpaid roles as well as formal employment. We want to know why you’re the right person for this role, not whether you’ve been given the right opportunities. If your experience doesn’t entirely match the person specification but you feel you could bring value to the role we’d encourage you to apply.

What we offer
- This is a 2-year fixed term contract with the potential for an extension if the role delivers the expected outcomes.
- Annual FTE salary is £26,000
- We offer 25 days’ annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays (pro-rated)

Who we are
Rainforest Trust is a leading global organisation sponsoring the creation and expansion of protected and conserved areas, playing a central role in combating biodiversity loss and fighting climate change. We have already placed over 50 million acres under permanent protection across 72 countries, and recent surveys show that 99% of the rainforest we have protected since 1988 remains intact.

Rainforest Trust UK (RTUK) is set up as a separate charity to tax-efficiently raise funds from donors here in the UK for Rainforest Trust’s conservation projects. We are currently a team of seven people, but we are affiliated to, and supported by, the Rainforest Trust team in the U.S., which has a team of about 40 staff. In 2023 the global charity raised $46 million for conservation projects in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, with the UK charity contributing £2.2 million of this.

We currently work remotely, meeting up 2 days per month in London to work alongside each other in a shared office, or to run events for our supporters. 

Key Responsibilities (see attached job description for full list)
- Deal promptly with donations received on a daily basis, following our processes to ensure supporters are appropriately thanked.
- Respond to day-to-day enquiries from Rainforest Trust UK supporters via phone, email and post.
- Support the Fundraising Manager in sending communications to the donor base, utilising content from Rainforest Trust Global, checking for accuracy and ensuring all communications adhere to Rainforest Trust’s brand guidelines.
- Lead on the daily management of Rainforest Trust UK’s social media channels, including scheduling posts and responding to comments/messages.
- Be the main point of contact for fundraisers, schools and other community groups raising funds for Rainforest Trust UK.

Person Specification - see attached job description document

Working Arrangements and Travel Requirements - You will be predominantly home-based (so you will need an excellent internet connection) and expected to commute to London two days per month to work in-person, alongside the team.

We are flexible as to how many hours this postholder works, and will consider a 4-5 day per week arrangement.

Equal Opportunity Employer - Rainforest Trust UK is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to developing a diverse and inclusive working environment. We recognise that promoting diversity and eliminating discrimination in our work will bring benefits for our people, our organisation and our charitable purpose. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief or any other protected characteristic.