Head of Fundraising

Job Title: Head of Fundraising

Team: Supporter Engagement & Experience

Location: Hybrid (split between home-working and either London, Cardiff or Edinburgh)

Salary on appointment: £52,958 - £58,254 per annum

Context and purpose of role

To lead from the front, to build and embed a sustainable, long-term fundraising strategy which generates the income required to further the Ramblers charitable mission. To bring leadership and cohesion across a variety of fundraising programmes; viewing things through an audience lens, and optimising income from individual giving and legacy fundraising; income from corporate partners, trusts, foundations, lotteries and other funding channels.

Key Responsibilities:

• The post holder will share accountability with the Director for delivering income targets from fundraising - a significant proportion of the organisation's overall income.
• The post-holder will be accountable (with delegated authority) for managing all fundraising-related activities, together with fundraising income and expenditure budgets - a significant part of the organisation's resources. They will be accountable for delivering income growth against a healthy return on investment, within budget.
• During a time of organisational change, bring exceptional leadership to a growing fundraising team. Foster a culture of excellence, accountability and teamwork, where vision is shared, service standards are exceptional and success is celebrated. Build capacity and expertise, managing the performance and personal development of team members.
• In collaboration with your Director, develop and implement the Ramblers fundraising strategy, building a strong case for support that is aligned to the Ramblers strategic priorities and vision. Build and embed a cohesive plan and pipeline to generate sustainable, long-term growth from a diverse range of income streams including appeals, committed giving, legacies, corporate partnerships, trusts, foundations and society lotteries.
• Develop and oversee the charity's individual giving and legacy fundraising programmes, ensuring the necessary expertise, systems and data management are in place to optimise income generation from appeals, committed giving, gifts in wills and in memoriam donations from a loyal supporter base.
• Develop and embed the Ramblers supporter acquisition strategy to expand our reach and relevance. Oversee the creation of integrated, multi-channel fundraising campaigns, using a test-and-learn approach to optimise conversion rates, ROI and lifetime value, by attracting, retaining and reactivating donors.
• Ensure the charity is maximising income through charitable trusts, foundations and other grant-giving bodies, nurturing and maintaining positive relationships with existing and potential funders. Developing an active pipeline of new target trusts, crafting compelling and persuasive funding applications, and ensuring that appropriate projects are prioritised to present to potential donors.
• Ensuring that relationships with potential, new and existing corporate partners are developed and nurtured to maximise mutual value and benefit, with strong account management and innovate programmes that maximise income generation.
• Oversee the charity's partnership with People's Postcode Lottery, providing excellent account management, impactful communications and PR, and a strategic portfolio of lottery-funded projects that deliver and demonstrate lasting impact for the Ramblers. Complete the annual Trust application for funds.
• In collaboration with peers, use evidence-based insights to evolve the supporter retention strategy, to deepen the Ramblers' relationship with our supporters, to increase loyalty, advocacy and lifetime value. Harness business intelligence tools, digital platforms and a single-customer view to increase donor engagement.
• In collaboration with peers, ensure the Membership Services Team continues to evolve in a new era of member and supporter care, with the right systems, processes and approach, to ensure the best possible standards of stewardship for our donors.
• In collaboration with the team, build and implement annual fundraising plans and identify required resources to support the delivery of the fundraising strategy. Create and manage financial budgets (income and expenditure), delivering plans within budget and to agreed timescales.
• Embed a robust KPI-led reporting framework to drive evidence-based decisions, measure and report on progress against plans and to demonstrate impact to a range of stakeholders. In collaboration with colleagues in the Data & Digital team, build new reporting dashboards to visualise fundraising KPIs.
• Ensure regulatory compliance is embedded across team processes and communications in areas such as the Fundraising Regulator, the Gambling Commission, GDPR (data protection), Privacy & Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), BACS (Direct Debit), HMRC (gift aid); and that the team have the knowledge, skills and qualifications to operate to required standards.
• Lead from the front as an influencer and collaborator across the Ramblers staff and volunteer network and externally, influencing funders and influencers. Represent the Ramblers across sector forums and networks, building strong peer relationships and sharing best practice. Keep abreast of external factors that might impact Ramblers fundraising.

The person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Personal Attributes:

• The post holder will need to be a problem-solver, able to take a holistic view and develop and deliver a new fundraising strategy, to achieve strategic goals and anticipate long term trends. It is expected that risks and benefits of alternative options will be considered before choosing the best approach.
• The post holder must be a self-starter, able to bring new and innovative ways of working to a new team environment, embedding new frameworks, processes, guidelines, and planning runways.
• The post holder will identify innovative new approaches, amend existing working practices and apply creative solutions to champion the voices of our supporters and develop our fundraising landscape.
• The post-holder will communicate confidently with a wide range of staff, trustees, external partners and agencies, to develop and deliver the Ramblers fundraising strategy.
• The post holder will be required to positively promote the Ramblers in a wide range of public and organisational settings to enhance the organisation's reputation and public profile and maximize income generation.
• The post-holder will be required to maintain existing and create new strategic partnerships to achieve income growth.

Leadership Framework

By functioning as one cohesive leadership team, we can leverage our collective strengths to drive the growth and success of the Ramblers. These five practices provide a framework to guide us as a Leadership Team.

Leading the Way

We work together collaboratively and promote teamwork; upholding high personal standards that align with the values and charitable purpose of the Ramblers. We encourage others to follow in our footsteps by:

• Championing cross-functional collaboration
• Demonstrating confidence that inspires trust in our abilities
• Continuously developing our leadership capabilities
• Holding ourselves and others accountable for actions
• Honouring our commitments

Communicating Our Destination

We are dedicated to creating an exciting future where anyone can enjoy walking outdoors. We consistently articulate the Ramblers vision and strategy, igniting enthusiasm and motivating others to contribute towards its realisation by:

• Communicating with authenticity and passion
• Maintaining a future-looking mindset
• Making bold and decisive choices aligned with our vision and strategy
• Encouraging active participation in shaping our work.

Equipping our people

We create an inclusive environment where everyone is empowered to contribute to the success of the Ramblers. We support and develop each other's capabilities, building trust and collaboration by:

• Guiding and supporting individuals and teams to reach their full potential
• Trusting others capabilities and encouraging autonomy
• Seeking out diverse perspectives to overcome challenges.
• Displaying empathy, respect and understanding of different perspectives

Exploring new paths

We constructively challenge existing practices and encourage innovation. We share ideas across the organisation, take calculated risks, and learn from successes and failures. We simultaneously improve our current operational efficiency and create innovative future solutions by:

• Being curious about our status quo and empowering new solutions.
• Prioritising the actions and outcomes that best support our vision and strategy
• Embracing change and inspiring others to be adaptable.
• Utilising setbacks as positive opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Looking outwards to anticipate trends and identify transferable good practice

Celebrating on route

We take time to measure and celebrate our collective impact. We express appreciation and value our collective efforts and achievements by:

• Regularly reviewing the impact of our activity
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