Head of Fundraising

We are looking for a dynamic fundraising professional who can help lead us into our next stage of growth as a charity. We are looking for someone who is ambitious, visionary, creative, and compassionate, who recognises the challenges facing refugees as they rebuild their lives in the UK, as well as the great potential they possess, and the opportunities needed to realise this potential.

Imagine this…

You're packed in the back of a grubby van driving through an unknown land. You hear your smugglers exchanging a coarse joke. You look out of the tiny opening in the window beside you and watch the sun setting on another uncomfortable day. The smugglers promised you safety from violence. Right now, though, safety feels like a distant memory...

Refugees have been forcibly displaced from their home. Their lives have been invaded by violence, war or persecution.

Upbeat Communities is a Christian charity that exists to help refugees settle and rebuild their lives in the UK. We have been helping strangers become neighbours since 2005.

In line with the Christian ethos and values of Upbeat Communities, and due to the strategic importance and seniority of this role, there is a genuine occupational requirement that the post holder is a practicing Christian.

About us.

Upbeat Communities was founded in response to the needs of refugees arriving in the UK and the stories they shared of their lives and their journeys. Through building relationships with those from refugee communities we were able to identify their needs and the best ways to respond.

One of the best resources a refugee can have to help them settle in their new home is a good social network. Relationships and connectedness can help overcome the many challenges faced by those seeking refuge. With this aim, we want to help connect refugees into community.

Our name reflects our vision to see thriving, positive communities where refugees can contribute and make the most of opportunities.

We greet new arrivals with our Welcome Boxes befriending project. We offer free English classes and community activities to help refugees (adults and children) integrate. We empower refugees to rebuild their lives through Host Derby (temporary accommodation), mentoring (careers guidance) and the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, which local authorities contract us to deliver. We also empower the local community through awareness raising. Our organisational values, lived out by our staff and volunteers, are:

We work to WELCOME
We create COMMUNITY
We are inspired to act with INTEGRITY

We exist to EMPOWER
We are committed to CREATIVITY
We run on RELATIONSHIPS
We are proud to be PROFESSIONAL

We have COMPASSION at our core

Upbeat Communities’ Christian ethos is the motivation for all our work. It is the reason why we do what we do. It is to work together to demonstrate God’s love to refugees who have been displaced by war, conflict or persecution. We are inspired by the message, life and example of Jesus through which God’s unconditional love for all people is expressed. It compels us to love our neighbours as ourselves. It is through relationships, with each other and those whom we seek to work with, that we practice and demonstrate our ethos. We seek to live out Jesus’ command to “welcome the stranger” by building mutually enriching relationships with those who are seeking sanctuary in our country.

Context of the role.

We currently have a diverse range of income streams including grants, local authority contracts, one-off donations, regular giving and earned income. Our 3-year strategic plan has identified a number of areas of development which will require increased funding for the charity. Our income for each of the last 2 financial years has been ~£500K but we are looking to increase this across all current income streams, in particular our grant funding, as well as developing new areas of growth including corporate and major donor giving.

In order to achieve this, we have created a new role of Head of Fundraising and are looking to fill this position as soon as possible. The Head of Fundraising will develop and lead on our long term fundraising strategy in line with our organisation-wide strategic objectives.

The successful candidate will have a positive attitude and love resourcing our team with the finances to deliver the best possible services to those we work with. The candidate will be committed to, actively demonstrate, and take a lead in the delivery of our Christian values, ethos and practice in order to achieve our mission and vision.

About You.

Are you passionate about communicating a message of hope and transformation that will engage current donors as well as recruit new supporters in financing our work of welcoming refugees and helping strangers become neighbours?

Are you a leader who can inspire the Upbeat team with a vision for fundraising and generating new income for the charity?

Are you committed to living out your Christian faith in the workplace through prayer, worship, leadership and action?

Are you a catalyst in cultivating long term relationships with individuals, churches, businesses and grant funders?

Are you meticulous in your approach to project/campaign planning and delivery and can work well at both the strategic and operational level?

Do you thrive in an environment that can change quickly and needs creative and agile responses, often needing flexibility to manage the competing demands on your time?

Are you comfortable working digitally, embracing new developments in tech, whilst also confident in more traditional approaches to fundraising including bid writing and engaging relationally with major donors and grant funders?

Are you committed to standing alongside refugees, providing welcome and support as they rebuild their lives as well as listening and learning from those who remain resilient in the face of great difficulty?

Are you an experienced Fundraising Manager looking for a new challenge, an ambitious fundraising professional looking to develop your skills and experience, or maybe someone who hasn’t worked in the charity sector previously but has some amazing transferrable skills gained in the public or private sector?

If that describes you, then you sound like the perfect fit!

Please read the full job description/ person specification attached before applying.

There is no set deadline for this post. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews will be scheduled accordingly. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

It is likely initial interviews will be carried out online, with second stage interviews taking place in person.

All applicants need to submit a CV and covering letter explaining why they would be a fantastic fit for the role.