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Head of Fundraising

We are looking for a new Head of Fundraising to lead and deliver ORG’s fundraising strategy and play a key role in our Senior Management Team.

Job Title: Head of Fundraising
Salary: £43,200 – £53,570 for 4 days per week, dependent on experience
Location: Nationwide (home-based); monthly travel to London required for meetings. Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK.
Working Hours: 0.8 FTE (ORG is a four-day-per-week organisation)
Benefits:
* 25 days paid annual leave plus public and bank holidays
* One week Christmas closure
* Day off for your birthday
* 7% pension contribution
* Generous training and development budget

About This Role

We are looking for a new Head of Fundraising to lead and deliver ORG’s fundraising strategy and play a key role in our Senior Management Team.

The Head of Fundraising will oversee income from corporate supporters, major donors, and trusts and foundations.

Reporting to the Executive Director, you will work closely with our Campaigns & Communications, Operations and Policy & Litigation teams. You will line manage key members of the ORG staff and be responsible for establishing a Fundraising Committee comprising Board, Advisory Council and other key stakeholders.

This is an exciting time to join ORG. We have a strong network of grant funders and corporate supporters to build on and a fantastic range of projects and programmes to fundraise for. You will also have the chance to grow a significant new income stream for ORG through designing our first major donor fundraising strategy.

About You

About all else, you are an experienced and dynamic fundraiser with a strong track record of leading a successful fundraising operation at a senior level. You will have a background in grants fundraising and ideally strong experience in either corporate or major donor fundraising. You’ve had demonstrable success in securing five and six-figure grants from trusts and foundations, as well as five-figure donations from individuals or corporate supporters. 

You are a persuasive communicator, able to represent and advocate for ORG in meetings with high-value, senior stakeholders. Your relationship management skills have translated into renewed support from grantmakers including long-term strategic partnerships. You also have experience sensitively collaborating with partners (ideally groups advocating for individuals and communities made vulnerable and marginalised by society) on joint proposals and funder reports.

We are a small team, so you’ll need to be a self-starter, able and willing to work flexibly, proactively, creatively and in collaboration with colleagues and external partners. You are a strategic doer and strong project manager, who strikes an effective balance between leadership, tactics and being hands-on as required. You share our passion for ensuring that ORG is a diverse, inclusive and people-orientated organisation. You enjoy dynamic and collaborative work environments.

You have a background in non-profit senior roles and ideally experience within a social justice or human rights organisation. You have demonstrable interest in technology and human rights, and share ORG’s commitment to ensuring that civil society, the general public and politicians are well informed and equipped to ensure that technology is directed to protect and promote human rights and social justice.

What the job will involve

Organisational Leadership: As a member of the Senior Management Team you will:

  • Play a visible leadership role in ORG and participate actively in meetings of the senior management team;
  • Be responsible for overall strategic development and leadership of the organisation.
  • Ensure the effective operation of ORG in line with our policies and values, and the well-being of colleagues.
  • Engage the Board of Directors and contribute to its quarterly meetings and attend Sub-Committee meetings on Financial Management and Strategy & Nominations.
  • Represent and advocate for ORG in external meetings with senior stakeholders.

Team Working and Organisational Culture: Alongside other members of the SMT you will:

  • Develop and deliver the culture, values and standards internally across ORG.
  • Lead the formation of team norms and policies to ensure efficient working and to develop an environment that builds employee trust and commitment.
  • Role model behaviour and standards expected, especially of interpersonal interactions, participation and respect; working through difficult questions diplomatically but thoroughly with everyone concerned.
  • Provide strong example of team working and participation.
  • Ensure good information flow between colleagues.

Line Management

  • Line manage the work of junior members of the staff, ensuring that they receive the training and support they need to develop in their role.
  • Ensure that the staff you are line managing are meeting their operational plans, and that these plans are in line with ORG’s strategic plan.
  • Support the staff you are line managing to identify and define personal and professional development goals and ensure they have the support, training and resources in place to meet these goals.
  • Oversee the work of external contractors and work with the SMT to shape consultancy job specs and contracts.

Fundraising Strategy: In order to deliver income across grants, corporate supporters and major donors you will:

  • Lead on researching and identifying new fundraising opportunities, including collaboration with Programme Managers to identify opportunities and partnerships for programme growth and development.
  • Draft narrative proposals and budgets to grant makers, engaging other members of staff in relevant proposal development. You will ensure that budgets and activity plans meet ORG’s resource planning needs and are in-line with our strategic plan.
  • Collaborate with civil society partners to identify and pursue joint fundraising opportunities, ensuring effective collaboration and fair remuneration for partners advocating for individual and communities made vulnerable and marginalised by society, as well as for people with lived experience engaged through a project.
  • Lead on developing new fundraising strategies and pipelines for corporate supporters and major donors. You will design a new engagement strategy for corporate supporters alongside our Advocacy and Campaigns Manager. You will work with the Executive Director to establish and mobilise a Fundraising Sub-Committee comprised of Board and Advisory Council members, as well as other external stakeholders.
  • You will work with our Campaigns & Communications team to explore how ORG members and supporters can be engaged through these new fundraising strategies.
  • You will also take the lead in identifying further opportunities and partnerships for ORG growth.

Grant Management

  • You will be responsible for end-to-end management of grants. This includes supporting Programme Managers to track set, monitor and track progress against grant objectives and deliverables, as well as to manage project/programme budgets.
  • You will draft narrative and financial reports to grant funders, engaging colleagues from across the organisation. This includes handling and communicating sensitive information with partners.
  • You will act as the key contact person for grant funders, providing them with regular updates on ORG’s work outside of contractual reporting requirements.
  • You will mentor and support staff to engage in meetings with grant funders and strengthen their experience of grants fundraising processes.
  • Your will focus on effective stewardship to maximise and secure grant renewal opportunities.

Programme Management: Together with the Operations Manager and SMT, you will:

  • Further develop the organisation’s programme management tools, systems and processes.
  • Implement efficient monitoring and evaluation systems.
  • Train other staff members in the adoption of project management and monitoring and evaluation processes
  • Support Programme Managers to set, monitor and evaluate programme objectives and key performance indicators in line with grant proposals.
  • Participate in regular programme meetings and collaborate with Programme Managers to identify further opportunities and partnerships for programme growth.
  • Support Programme Managers to set and manage budgets for specific projects and campaigns.

Financial management: Together with the Executive Director and Operations Manager you will:

  • Prepare project, programme and organisational budgets and other financial information for prospective and existing funders.
  • Prepare financial reports for funders.
  • Prepare ORG’s annual budget, including fundraising growth targets.
  • Participate in monthly financial management meetings and quarterly Sub-Committee meetings of the Board on financial management.

What we’re like

ORG is a vibrant digital rights campaigning organisation. Founded in 2005, we have over 20,000 members and supporters and 10 local groups across the UK.

We uphold human rights like free expression and privacy. We condemn and work against repressive laws or systems that deny people these rights.

We campaign, lobby, go to court – whatever it takes to build and support a movement for freedom in the digital age.

Our remote team is spread across the UK. We’re a supportive, flexible group with high standards. We’re innovative and agile. You’ll work hard but be rewarded by the impact you collaboratively achieve.

We take staff well-being seriously and meet up regularly for in-person work and social events.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter (no longer than 2 sides of A4), setting out how you are suited to the role by emailing recruitment@openrightsgroup.org by 5 pm on Monday 1 May 2023.

Please ensure your email has the subject heading ‘Head of Fundraising’, and that all attachments are sent in PDF format.

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held online. Please hold 3 and 4 May 2023 free for interviews.

Length and Salary

The Head of Fundraising will be employed on a permanent basis following successful completion of a six-month probation period.

The annual salary is £43,200 – £53,570 for 4 days per week, dependent on experience , less any required deductions for income tax and national insurance. You will report to the Executive Director. The position will be home-based, though regular (monthly) travel into London will be required.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK.

ORG is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team working in a supportive environment is vital to the success of our work. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as well as from LGB, Trans and non binary candidates.