Fundraising Managers

Sales & Account Management

Level 6637 of 1200 points

Job description

Fundraising Managers

Job purpose

To plan, direct and coordinate activities that solicit and maintain funds for an organisation's causes or special projects, developing fundraising strategy, events and donor relationships and managing the staff and budgets behind them, so that income targets are met and contributions properly safeguarded and disbursed.

Skills

Knowledge of business and management principles covering strategic planning, resource allocation and the coordination of people and resources, together with customer service practice, administrative and records systems, sales and marketing technique, economics and accounting, media production, personnel practice, and the statistics needed for donor research and budget analysis. Written English to a publishable standard is central. Bachelor's degree is the norm, with around a fifth of incumbents having some college courses and a further tenth a master's, together with several years of related experience.
Establishes and maintains working relationships with clients, government officials and media representatives, and uses them to open new fundraising opportunities. Contacts corporate representatives and community leaders to raise awareness of the organisation's causes and needs, and speaks in public on its behalf. Writes press releases, media kits, brochures and web content for lay audiences, and assigns and reviews the work of fundraising staff.
Develops strategies to encourage new or increased contributions where the outcome turns on donor behaviour that cannot be directed. Researches the goals, net worth and giving history of potential donors and wider donor markets to decide where effort is best placed, evaluates advertising and promotion programmes for compatibility with fundraising, and judges whether activity complies with the rules on solicitation and handling of contributions. Problems are open-ended and resolved against competing claims on the same donors.
Develops fundraising activity plans that maximise participation and contributions while minimising cost, establishes goals for soliciting funds, and formulates the policies governing fundraising programmes. Plans and directs special events such as silent auctions, dances, golf events and walks, and directs external agencies implementing campaigns. Determines own tasks and priorities, working to event dates and funder deadlines that cannot be moved.
Work is carried out seated at a desk and in meetings, using office and web publishing systems. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

Assigns, supervises and reviews the activities of fundraising staff and is accountable for their output, and directs external agencies or departments implementing fundraising strategies. Much of the influence the role depends on is exercised over people outside any reporting line, through persuasion rather than authority.
Manages the fundraising budgets and accounts for what is spent. Establishes the goals for funds to be solicited, develops the policies for collection and safeguarding of contributions and coordinates their disbursement, so both income generation and the controls over incoming money rest with the postholder.
Ordinary care of a workstation, donor records systems and the organisation's internet and intranet pages. Where the role extends to producing films and video products, carries responsibility for their distribution and the film library.
Owns the organisation's donor records — including the net worth and giving history compiled on individual donors — and its published fundraising material, from press releases and media kits to brochures and funding applications. Exactness matters because the claims made are relied on by donors and grant-makers, and decisions taken on this evidence carry weight for colleagues and organisational results.

Effort required

Sustained drafting and analytical work — donor research, budget monitoring, grant submissions and publication copy — carried on alongside a high volume of contact by email, telephone and in person. Decisions are frequent and made under time pressure, and both figures and published statements must be exact.
Carries visible personal accountability for income against target in a competitive field where the result depends on persuading people who owe the organisation nothing. Represents the organisation to the public and in public speaking, handles complaints and settles disputes, and sustains composure in doing so.
Predominantly seated office work. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoors and environmentally controlled throughout, with no hazard, noise or weather exposure recorded. The day is built on contact with others — colleagues, external customers and the general public. The exposure is reputational rather than physical: sustained competition for the same donors, and a result that is publicly visible.
All incumbents work a regular established routine, though around two-thirds work more than a standard week. Work is done to time pressure and decisions are frequent, with elements of the work repeating. Substantial freedom to determine tasks, priorities and goals, with the fundraising plan largely set by the postholder inside the organisation's wider objectives.

Skills

40% · 250 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 4 of 5
77 of 96 points
Advanced communication and interpersonal skills. The job holder is required to manage complex interactions, mediate interpersonal conflicts and support group collaboration.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 284 points▾

PeopleLevel 4 of 5
115 of 144 points
High level of responsibility for people. The job involves significant responsibility for the well-being and development of others. This includes making decisions that affect others' jobs, tasks or welfare, such as managing teams, providing care, teaching or ensuring psychological safety. It can also include hiring, evaluating, motivating, coaching and leading workers.
Goods and equipmentLevel 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Some responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the use and maintenance of equipment or stock, and the job holder is responsible for ensuring resources are used appropriately and safely.
InformationLevel 4 of 5
77 of 96 points
Considerable responsibility for information. The job manages large amounts of valuable or sensitive information, deciding what is needed and how it is used and ensuring it is protected.
Financial resourcesLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for financial resources. The job requires handling significant financial resources, including managing budgets, overseeing expenditures, being accountable for spending and participating in financial decision-making.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.