Director of Development

Walkabout Foundation is seeking a Director of Development with an entrepreneurial spirit to develop our current fundraising strategies and create a long-term fundraising plan.

Our Foundation

Walkabout Foundation is a charity with the mission of restoring dignity, freedom and independence by providing wheelchairs and rehabilitation in the developing world and funding research to find a cure for paralysis. 

To date, Walkabout has distributed over 13,000 wheelchairs in 24 countries, provided daily rehabilitation to 60 children in centres in Kenya and India, funded $1.425 million in groundbreaking research, and set up a wheelchair assembly and repair centre in Kenya.

As our organisation grows, so too does our responsibility to our beneficiaries and our need to expand and diversify our fundraising strategies. As such, we are looking to appoint a Director of Development who will develop and advance current approaches and cement a long term and well diversified fundraising plan.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Design and implement a fundraising strategy both for Walkabout UK and Walkabout US that will help us secure long term financial sustainability.
• Create a matrix of fundraising targets for events, campaigns, grant applications and direct asks to individual, corporate and institutional donors, ensuring Walkabout builds a healthy  mix of reliable sources of funding
• Work alongside our CFO and Programmes Team to identify potential programme specific asks
• Identify fundraising opportunities in some of the countries where we operate and where funding pools may be available
• Work with the CEO, Senior Management and Board to identify opportunities and implement initiatives to maximise existing and new donor engagement, create synergies, strengthen relationships and hone long term loyalty
• Prepare, submit and track grant and other fundraising applications and reports
• Prepare follow up and feedback reports to donors
• Work alongside our Events Manager to design any Walkabout related fundraising events
• Work alongside our Social Media Manager in the design of any fundraising campaigns
• Keep at all times our CRM system up to date with any relevant information on existing and prospective donors
• Ensure, to the highest extent, that any new donors approached are appropriate for Walkabout and would not create any compliance or reputational issues for the organisation
• Travel from time to time internationally either to visit donors or prospective donors, and with the Programmes Team to some of the countries where we carry out our mission;

Key Requirements

• A genuine interest in our cause;
• An extensive experience and track record of a minimum of five years successfully fundraising, securing gifts from high net worth individuals, foundations, trusts, legacies and corporate and institutional donors;
• Great interpersonal and communication skills, with excellent oral and written English, and extensive experience in writing grant applications and donor reports. Good knowledge of other languages would be an additional asset;
• An entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to take the lead and proactively seek opportunities to fundraise, promote donor engagement, identify synergies and further our mission;
• Financial literacy and knowledge of compliance requirements for charities in the UK. Experience in financial budgeting and reporting both internally and to donors, as well as working with CRM systems, ideally Salesforce;
• The willingness and ability to work in a small team, and often under pressure to deliver in short deadlines. Previous experience managing a team would be ideal;
• The availability and desire to travel internationally, in some occasions even last minute;
• The right to live and work in the UK.

The remuneration package for this role will be in line with the experience of the successful candidate.