IPSEA is the leading charity in the field of special educational needs and disability (SEND) law in England, and we provide free and independent legal advice and support to families of children and young people with SEND. We also provide training on the SEND legal framework, and we influence policy at both a local and national level.
We are looking for an experienced and motivated Trusts and Philanthropy Officer to join our small, ambitious fundraising team. IPSEA has a proven track record of successfully securing grants, and this is a new role designed to help strengthen and grow IPSEA’s income from charitable Trusts and Foundations. You will be responsible for researching new funding opportunities, preparing and submitting tailored applications and reports, and managing relationships with existing funders through thoughtful and timely stewardship. You will also support the early development of strategies in major gifts and wider philanthropy.
This role is an opportunity to play a key role in our future fundraising strategy and help secure long-term financial sustainability for our services.
You will work remotely, with occasional travel required for essential meetings approximately 4-5 times per year.
If you share our commitment to protecting, promoting and upholding the rights of children and young people with SEND and would like to use your fundraising skills at IPSEA, we would love to hear from you.
To apply
- Download our ‘Trusts and Philanthropy Officer Recruitment Pack’
- Visit our website to download an application form
- Submit your completed application form via our website
Please note that we do not accept CVs as applications.
Closing date for applications: 9am on Monday 12 May 2025
First-round interviews: 21 or 22 May in central Birmingham
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior IDVA to join the Specialist Services team in Bedfordshire, working 30 hours a week. This is a fixed term contract until 31st March 2026. This role will be hybrid and be located within Bedford Borough.
Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change and improvement for those who need it?
Do you have resilience and adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care?
If yes, then we'd love to hear from you…
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
- Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About this role:
This role supports the service across Bedford Borough. As a Team Leader for the Specialist Services team you will:
- Offer a consistent representative for the twice weekly MARAC
- Be a SPOC for the Front Door - giving advice and support around queries/ concerns about DA
- Carry a reduced caseload
- Support the Safe & Together model
- have line manage responsibilities including Bedford Borough IDVA
You will need:
- A qualification as an IDVA or ISAC
- Experience of developing and maintaining partnerships and pathways within a multi-agency and legislative framework
- Knowledge of legislation relating to equal opportunities and diversity, safeguarding and risk assessments
- Practical understanding of the requirement for confidentiality and safe working practice and maintenance of files in accordance with the Data Protection Act and other legal requirements
- Experience of working in a challenging and changing environment with an emphasis on customer focus and excellence in service delivery
- Demonstrable experience of providing crisis management, support and guidance in sometimes stressful and difficult situations to a team with a client service focus
- Have excellent communication, negotiation and advisory skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals
- Work without direct supervision, prioritise work and deal with competing or conflicting demands/ needs and interests in an organised and methodical manner
- Gather, analyse and use information and evidence from different sources to solve problems and report on data quality and compliance
- Sound IT expertise with the ability to use a range of software including: Word, Excel and Case Management systems
- Self-aware and committed to own continuous development
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website, and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.
We looking forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
About Free to Run
Free to Run’s mission is to advance gender equity globally through running. We are a registered nonprofit/nongovernmental organization that has been operating community-led programs for adolescent girls and young women since 2014. We are known for delivering long-term, youth-led, progressive running, leadership, rights, and health programs directly to girls and young women living in protracted conflict zones. However, the longer-term impact of our work is building enduring social change - decreasing barriers to public participation, increasing women in leadership, and making power structures more equitable and inclusive. Free to Run identifies as an organization working at the intersections of feminism, human rights, development, and humanitarian interventions.
The organization is in a position of significant growth, in terms of our strategy, reach, impact, and operating budget. In 2024, we embarked on a new three-year strategic plan that positions us to reach 50,000 people by 2026. We will meet this goal through our work across three strategic pillars: direct service (EMPOWER), capacity building for local, women-led NGOs (EQUIP), and building a global movement of activists who are passionate about gender equity and running (MOVE).
Position Overview
A new role within the organization, the Philanthropy Officer, Trusts and Foundations is responsible for identifying, building, and managing a (new) portfolio of trust, foundation, and grant funders from identification to stewardship, developing high-quality proposals, budgets, and reports. Alongside ownership of this portfolio, the Philanthropy Officer, Trusts and Foundations will support the broader Free to Run team with prospect research and assist with applications and reports for institutional/transformational funders.
This position offers a high degree of flexibility and would suit a proactive self-starter with a strong ability to self-manage to achieve goals and a demonstrated passion for the work of Free to Run. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced trusts and foundations fundraiser to build and grow a new, high-potential portfolio from the ground up, with strong support from program and leadership teams.
While some support for larger institutional grants is part of the role, we are particularly seeking applicants with experience managing and growing portfolios of charitable trusts, private foundations, or family foundations, rather than institutional grant management alone.
This role reports to the Director of Development and Communications and is a part-time (20 hours per week), fully remote position. While Free to Run is registered in the U.S., our team is based around the world.
Core Accountabilities
1. Create and manage a portfolio of trust and foundation donors at the four- to five-figure level (60%)
-
Take primary responsibility for developing, growing, and building strong relationships with a portfolio of trust/foundation/grant funders through the full donor cycle.
-
Take an active role in meeting and exceeding annual income targets by developing strategies to maximize foundation and grant funding, regularly assessing progress, and reporting to senior management.
-
Develop a formal pipeline of foundation funding opportunities for Free to Run
-
Develop compelling, high-quality funding applications tailored to donor requirements, leveraging program data and impact narratives.
-
Work with the Programs team to oversee budget tracking and reporting requirements for grants, ensuring accurate fund allocation, compliance with donor requirements, and timely submission of financial and impact reports.
-
Collaborate with the global Free to Run team to identify and develop new funding opportunities and projects
2. Support the process of donor qualification and prospect research (15%)
-
Use research tools to support the ED and Development Team with in-depth prospect research profiles for individual major donor prospects, family foundations, and other prospective funders
3. Provide support to the Free to Run team with institutional grant applications (20%)
-
Monitor grant tracking tools to identify and qualify new opportunities for institutional or transformational grants
-
Keep up to date with the funder landscape and giving trends across multiple geographies
-
Support the ED and Programs with the development of grant applications, project budgets, or other related materials where needed
-
Work with internal stakeholders to lead organizational grant tracking within the donor database (EveryAction), ensuring accurate documentation of all interactions, proposals, and gifts.
4. Engage with the Free to Run Team (5%)
-
Participate in weekly 1 on 1 meetings with manager
-
Participate in performance planning, goal setting, and evaluation activities
-
Liaise with key staff across functions of this position
-
Attend team meetings and participate in strategic planning and evaluation meetings
Location
- This is a fully remote position that can be carried out from anywhere in the world. Travel may be required occasionally to attend fundraising events or organizational/donor meetings.
- For candidates outside the U.S., this role will be offered as an independent contractor position, allowing for flexible working hours and location.
Working Hours
- This position is a part-time role at 20 hours/week. The role offers a high degree of flexibility, although working hours may occasionally fluctuate outside regular core hours to attend meetings across time zones.
Compensation
- The full-time equivalent (FTE) salary for this role is $45,000–$50,000 USD per year (approximately £35,500–£39,500 GBP based on current exchange rates). The actual salary will be pro rata based on 50% FTE, i.e., $22,500–$25,000 per year, and will be paid in USD.
Experience and Competencies
Below is what we are looking for as we evaluate applications. Candidates don’t need to have all these experiences and competencies but should be able to display strengths across multiple areas.
Language:
- English (full fluency required, written and spoken)
Experience
-
3+ years of experience successfully managing a portfolio of charitable trusts, private or family foundations, or similar funders, with a proven track record of securing and stewarding gifts in the $5,000–$100,000 range
-
Direct experience crafting tailored funding applications, budgets, and impact reports for US, UK, or international philanthropic funders, in collaboration with Programs teams
-
Confidence in independently managing the full donor lifecycle — from prospecting and cultivation to application, reporting, and stewardship
-
A demonstrable track record of developing long-term relationships with grantmakers or major donors
-
Experience in prospect identification and research using relevant tools and databases
-
Familiarity with the funding and donor landscape in the UK, EU, North America, and/or MENA region
-
Experience using a CRM system for fundraising (EveryAction or similar) to manage donor records, track proposals, and support donor stewardship
Skills and Competencies
-
Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to write compelling and persuasive cases for support
-
Ability to effectively convey the impact of social justice, gender equity, and the power of running, hiking, and outdoor sport in driving positive change
-
Ability to think creatively and spot opportunities for new or increased funding
-
A results-oriented mindset with the ability to self-organize, meet deadlines, and deliver on goals
-
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, religious, sexual orientation, gender, and generational backgrounds
-
Interest in international girls’, women’s, and human rights or running/outdoor sports
Free to Run is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We don’t just accept differences — we celebrate, support and thrive on them for the benefit of our team, our programs, and our organizational strength. We are proud to be an affirmative action employer, committed to diversity, equity and inclusion of ALL people in our hiring and employment practices. We encourage applications from people who have non-dominant identities based on race, ethnicity, migration status, ability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, etc.
Free to Run's mission is to advance gender equity globally through running.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.