Fundraising & Development Organiser

Welcome to Xenia!

Xenia is a grassroots women’s organisation on a mission to create more inclusive, equal and welcoming communities. We deliver weekly workshops in London and Sheffield which support women from all backgrounds, ages, faiths, cultures and immigration statuses to share, connect and learn together. 

Participants are at the heart of the Xenia community. Migrant, refugee, asylum seeking, and British women come together as active equals at our workshops where we use the arts, heritage and power of conversation to connect, learn from each other and take part in local civic life. Together we create a community that supports practising spoken English, reduces social isolation, connects different cultures, and gives underrepresented women access to civic and democratic opportunities. 

As an organisation Xenia is non-hierarchical and participatory, meaning decisions are made collectively and are proactively informed by participant involvement. The organisation is run by an Organising Team, made up of a small number of staff (currently 5) and volunteers and the trustee board. We aim to be true to our values that everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn. We do not have managers and instead operate in a flatter structure in which everyone contributes to running the organisation. 

This is where you come in. We are looking for the newest member of Xenia’s staff team to drive our growth forward, with the support of the staff, Organising Team and Trustee Board. This role is right for you if you have a strong desire to work in a non-hierarchical setting, have a good understanding of migrant women’s lives, and an unwavering commitment to equality and inclusion. You will have experience of raising funds from varied sources, with excellent communication skills that are adaptable to different people and situations. Most of all, you will be excited by the work that Xenia does.

If you think you could be a good fit for this role in Xenia, we’d  love to hear from you. Even if you’re not sure you have the right experience, you can always get in touch and have a chat. 

Job Description for Fundraising and Development Organiser:

Key responsibilities

• Fundraising

  • Securing circa £130k per year from a range of sources. This includes submitting applications to trusts, foundations. It may also include maintaining major donor relationships, and establishing new relationships and leading on public fundraising campaigns. 

  • Developing other sources of income generation as agreed with the Finance & Fundraising sub-group

  • Work with the team to develop Communications and Fundraising Strategies, with support from Organising Team members and Trustees

• Grant management

  • Liaison with funders and donors

  • In collaboration with Delivery Organisers: coordination & submission of grant reporting, monitoring grant deadlines and submission requirements

  • In collaboration with Operations Organiser: putting together grant budgets and monitoring grant allocations

Strategic partnerships and external relations

• Developing professional strategic relationships with the wider sector

• Writing blogs, speaking at conferences, contributing to sector discussions

• Being a spokesperson for Xenia at events

Communications 

• Occasionally creating digital assets for social media and or contributing posts, blogs or promotions, especially in relation to grant funders

• producing a monthly newsletter 

Being an active member of the team

• At Xenia we do not have a hierarchical management structure; instead all team members play an active role in the staff team making decisions that best guide our organisation.

•  As part of this role, you will be expected to play an active role in the Xenia Team. You will join other staff team members in sitting on the Finance and Fundraising sub-group and quarterly Trustee meetings.

• Conduct all work in a way that reflects the values of Xenia.

• Commit to personal development in the role, attend training and development opportunities as is beneficial for you and your role at Xenia(these will be mutually agreed).

• Attend a Xenia workshop every 1 or 2 months for which you will be able to take time off in lieu*. 

* Please note that these workshops take place on Saturday mornings 10am – 12pm, and team members support from 9.30am – 12.30pm. While we are aware that this may not be possible for all good candidates for this role, it is important that the postholder has an in-depth understanding of the activities of the organisation and therefore this is a requirement. Child care during Saturday sessions can be provided if needed. 

Person Specification - Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience of securing funds and donations, particularly from charitable trusts and foundations and/or major donors and corporates, and experience of managing funder relationships

• Experience creating strong networks and being a public spokesperson for a group or organisation

• Experience in building partnerships within the voluntary and social enterprise sectors

• Excellent oral communication with a range of audiences, and a confident public speaker

• Excellent written and verbal communication , for example blog writing, funding applications, public statements, social media

Desirable

• Experience in following sectors: migration, heritage, social integration, loneliness, women, equalities

• Experience developing and implementing strategies

• Experience working in a small charity/social enterprise/start up/ non-hierarchical organisation