JOB SPECIFICATION

Funding and Development Officer

Job title: Funding and Development Officer
Reporting to: Director of Funding and Development
Location: The Sarah Duffen Centre, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
Travel: Some UK and occasional overseas
Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week)
Holiday: 20 days + statutory holidays
Salary range: £20,000 - £25,000 p.a.

Purpose

To engage individual and institutional donors and support volunteer fundraisers with commitment and integrity, ensuring broad and sustained financial support for the organisation's activities.

Description

Working closely with, and reporting to, the Director of Funding and Development, you will respond promptly and accurately to fundraising and public relations enquiries, support fundraising events, draft applications for funding, research institutional and individual donor prospects and assist with other fundraising, marketing and public relations activities.

You will develop a thorough understanding of the organisation's work, operating plans and strategy to advise donors in detail. You will have a thorough understanding of ethical standards in fundraising, including in particular the codes of conduct and policy documents published by the Institute of Fundraising. You will maintain the highest standards of honesty and confidentiality in all aspects of your work.

You will contribute to funding and development planning and strategy. You will assist volunteer event organisers and manage Trust-sponsored fundraising events. You will maintain accurate donor records and ensure that donor relationships are effectively managed throughout a donor's involvement with the charity. You will support major donor initiatives and the development of institutional grant proposals.

Duties and responsibilities

  • Responding promptly and accurately to all enquiries from donors, potential donors, volunteers, event organisers, journalists and others, providing information and promotion materials as required and referring to colleagues as appropriate
  • Supporting donor relationship management, including maintaining accurate records and promoting Gift Aid donations
  • Developing and supporting voluntary and managed fundraising events
  • Authoring of information and news about the charity for the charity's web site and newsletters
  • Preparing funding proposals and applications for submission to not-for-profit and commercial institutions

Knowledge and skills

Essential

  • Empathy and support for the charity's mission
  • Honesty and openness
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to express yourself succinctly and clearly in conversation and in writing to people of all ages, of all abilities and from all backgrounds
  • Training or experience in marketing, public relations and/or fundraising
  • A thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory issues relevant to fundraising activities and a clear appreciation of recognised best practice standards in fundraising
  • Competence with information technology, including effective use of Windows (XP or Vista), Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel
  • Excellent time management and self organisation skills

Desirable

  • Training, experience or other involvement in disability or mental health issues
  • Experience in donor relationship management, events fundraising, scientific research funding and/or overseas fundraising
  • Familiarity with Internet technologies and HTML authoring
  • Experience with databases, accounting and/or fundraising IT systems

Further information

For further information, please email jobs@downsed.org

Application

To apply, please send a detailed CV to jobs@downsed.org to arrive by 17:00 GMT on Friday 14 December 2007. Interviews will be held between 7 and 18 January 2008.