Trust Fundraising Officer

Reports to: Senior Fundraising Manager

Location: Currently operating hybrid working in our West London Office

Contract: FTC (12 months)

Pattern: Full Time (standard hours 9am – 5.30pm)

Interviews: Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised

This role is ideal for someone looking to take the first step in their fundraising career and help us to deliver real change for our students.

The Trust Fundraising Officer will play a critical part in the success of the small but driven fundraising department at Ark and contribute towards our target of raising £3m per year. The Trust Fundraising Officer will report to our Senior Fundraising Manager and work to support the fundraising efforts of our 39 schools, managing a portfolio of small to medium trust applications up to £10,000. This role will also involve prospect research, and the creation of compelling stewardship reports to inspire our supporters.  

Key Responsibilities: 

• Develop compelling, inspiring, and effective cases for support and applications for Trusts and Foundations
• To spend time working to achieve or exceed agreed income targets, with a focus on securing donations up to £10,000 from Trusts and Foundations
• Manage internal relationships with various internal departments and our schools network to gain support for funding proposals and reports
• Research, identify and segment potential donors
• Create and manage a robust pipeline of trusts and foundations and secure income for our schools and Ark’s networkwide programmes
• Effective administration across our Raiser’s Edge database and departmental management and tracking systems
• Support the team with administration tasks when necessary, including gift admin and acknowledgments
• Support the team with donor communication and retention 

Key Requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the credibility and authority to inspire others. Ability to write inspiring, accurate reports with up-to-date information from colleagues/sources for funders
• Strong persuasive and negotiating skills which result in positive outcomes, with the resilience and motivation to overcome challenges
• Good IT skills, including MS Office, Outlook, and Raiser’s Edge (or similar CRM system)
• A basic understanding of the education or youth development sector
• Utilising networking experiences, to have actively engaged in networking activities, including LinkedIn and other platforms to expand their network and strengthen relationships within the fundraising community
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail. A successful track record of meeting deadlines and managing own workload
• Developing and maintaining strong, long-term relationships with Trusts and Foundations is essential

• Our hybrid working model aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking the right balance between in-person collaboration and remote working. You will work a minimum of two days per week in our state-of-the-art office in West London allowing you to connect with colleagues, with the flexibility to work remotely, or in the office over the remaining days
• In addition to our current hybrid working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

We’re an international charity, transforming lives through education. We exist to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, we’re a network of 39 schools, educating around 30,000 pupils in areas where we can make the biggest difference and we’re recognised as one of the highest achieving academy groups in the country. We want to change the lives of children everywhere, not just in our own schools. So, we create and incubate Ventures designed not only to help pupils in Ark schools, but also to improve education systems.

You’ll be joining a group of like-minded, ambitious individuals who work collaboratively and are all committed to our core mission, that every child has the potential to succeed. Having just celebrated our 20^th anniversary, we are shaping our goals for the next 20 and there has never been a more exciting time to join us.