Head of Fundraising

About EduSpots

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-driven UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips voluntary community educators (named Catalysts ) to drive community-led change through education spaces named Spots . Our vision is of our world where communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 400 local volunteers, who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named Spots . Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. Read our model of change document here.

Our Ghanaian-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for volunteers: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead DigLit, EduSTEM, EduKidz and Ignite Equity clubs, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 15,000 students of all ages annually. Read our 2023 Annual Report here.

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the two years. We have been recently selected for two accelerator programmes, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model.

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in UNESCO-backed The Varkey Foundation s $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. Visit our website for further information.

About this role

We are looking for an engaging and dynamic fundraising specialist and team player with a proven track record of income generation, to take on this exciting new role at this exciting point of our organisational growth.

Across the last two years, EduSpots has significantly grown its income, and significantly advanced the quality, scope and reach of its operations in Ghana, with further plans for expansion in the years ahead. We are looking for an individual that understands the value of community-led change, with all our work centred on, and resulting from the actions of 400 locally-based educational Catalysts.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will take on the responsibility for growing our income generation from trusts and foundations, as well as building a strong network of partnerships with schools, corporates and individuals who will contribute effectively to our overall annual income targets. We are looking for an experienced individual, who is able to work with the CEO to develop larger fundraising partnerships at this point in our development.

You will oversee a small part-time fundraising team, comprising a Fundraising Manager, Trusts and Foundations Manager, and Communications Manager, alongside interns and other income-generation roles that may emerge.

This is an exciting and flexible opportunity for someone who is passionate about educational equity, and wants to work in a creative, fast-paced team, with huge ambitions for the reach of our unique model for promoting community-led change through education.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of this role are to:

Team management

• Manage the Trusts and Foundations Manager (part-time, 1 day a week), the Fundraising Manager (2 days/week), and the Communications Manager (full-time), alongside other income-generation roles that emerge, ensuring strategic input into their work, and support of their professional development and well-being.

• Oversee the effective use of interns to support our fundraising and wider communications work.

Trusts and Foundations

• Support the Trusts and Foundations Manager to continue to build relationships with small and medium trusts and foundations.

• Oversee our grants database to track and monitor applications, outcomes, reporting requirements etc.

• Develop relationships with new larger grant-makers and prepare information including requirements for application and deadlines.

• Work with the UK and Ghana team to identify projects, programmes and areas of work suitable for grant funding.

• Develop funding proposals and applications, working with the CEO and liaising with the delivery team to ensure accurate information.

• Support the Trusts and Foundations Manager to compile reporting data that meets the requirements and deadlines of the funder.

Community fundraising, events and individual giving

• Work with the Fundraising Manager to build further relationships in support of our work through strategic input into campaigns, events, school partnerships, the Elmina-based EduSpots Experience and the redevelopment of our online courses.

• Work with the CEO to oversee the fundraising strategy related to our 10th anniversary year in 2025.

• To oversee the creation and strategic direction of the EduChamps Community, and the effective use of our newsletter.

• To build on our individual giving strategy ( EduChamps Club ), through our 10th anniversary activities.

• Work with the Fundraising Manager and Interns to research further groups, individuals and organisations who may have an interest in our work.

• Work with the Fundraising Manager to further develop our relationships database of donors and sponsors, ensuring information is accurately recorded and tracked.

Corporate partnerships

• Identify, develop and promote sponsorship opportunities that are attractive to corporate partners and that achieve income generation for specific projects and programmes.

Other:

• To contribute to the Charity s fundraising and other strategies, as well as supporting the development of the annual business plan and budget, and assisting with the preparation of Annual Report.

• Ensure all administrative tasks relating to the role are carried out accurately.

• To comply at all times with the organisation's policies, procedures and performance expectations of staff as set out in the Staff and Catalysts Handbook.

• Any other duties as may be reasonably required under the role.

Skills, Experience and Attributes

Essential

• Proven track record of income generation - ideally in a similar education / international development organisation.

• Experience with fundraising bids, grants and/or corporate partnerships ranging from at least 5 to 6 figures (GBP) in size.

• Experience of establishing and managing effective relationships with trusts, foundations and grant-makers

• Strong knowledge of a wide range of UK-based funders, as well as of some international (European / US based) funders.

• Some experience of communications and marketing in an NGO context.

• Experience of developing and maintaining successful income generating partnerships ideally with corporates and / or schools.

• Experience of overseeing individual giving campaigns and digital marketing for fundraising.

• Friendly and flexible team player, with an ability to work with people across diverse contexts, inspiring the team and wider colleagues towards achieving our shared goals.

• Effective management of a team

• Proven experience of writing compelling and successful funding proposals

• Experience of managing grants and reporting to funders and donors

• Ability to work effectively in a remote based role with minimal day-to-day support

• Outstanding interpersonal skills alongside excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to advocate for our work online and in person.

• Ability to use own initiative and work to tight and competing deadlines

• Good IT skills - Word, Excel, GoogleDrive, etc.

• Highly aligned with EduSpots key values (community leadership, sustainable change, teamwork, play, passion and care) alongside a core belief in community-driven change.