Vacancies

Job Number: 000154

Job Title: Head of Fundraising & Comms
Charity: Free to Be Kids
Salary Range: £50,000 – £55,000 d.o.e
Location: You’d need to be in London an average of at least 2 days per fortnight in order to meet with new potential Corporate partners, host funders at our project sites, and build relationships with the team. Hybrid working is well established across the organization.

Deadline for applications: 6th January 2025

Job Purpose: This is a new role within our team, created at a crucial time and designed to absorb fundraising &
Comms leadership previously held by the CEO, as we work to first stabilize our income base at c.£600k pa
after a period of rapid growth, before later pushing forward again to eventually double project places
numbers within the next 5-8 years, at a likely future annual budget growing to c.£850-900k.

You’ll be joining a small staff team of 8, supplemented by a vibrant and committed group of volunteers. Of the
team, 1 works on fundraising, with the others covering project delivery, operations, volunteer recruitment.

The position is based in Waterloo, at our small office space. Most of the team work a hybrid pattern of 50%
home/office based. As a minimum we would need the candidate to work 2 days per fortnight from the office
to support our existing team culture and deliver London based fundraising actions. A keenness to spend a
small amount of time annually ‘walking the walk’ on our residential projects is desirable, but not essential.

Key Responsibilities:

• Top line management responsibility for the Charity’s fundraising and communications strategy, delivery and performance.
• Own the Charity’s (already reasonably well developed) income pipeline, working to grow this year on year.
• Undertaking significant direct fundraising work to make the lead contribution in delivering the Charity’s 2025 £675,000-£700,000 income target.
• Lead on work to increase the Charity’s success with: Charity of the Year and wider corporate partnerships, including development of corporate events; significant increase in support from higher net worth individuals and philanthropists; larger 5 figure grants from Trusts & Foundations.
• Line manage the Charity’s existing Senior Trusts & Foundations Fundraising Officer and such other future fundraising/communications staff as may be required.
• Oversee existing/where required set up new effective systems for tracking, reporting and stewardship of income, including adoption of our first fundraising CRM in 2025.
• Over time explore and potentially develop new fundraising streams including Events and Legacy income.
• Own, lead and contribute to on the ground delivery of the Charity’s Communications strategy, acting as brand champion, growing audience and reach, and helping us make more of our online presence and story.
• To hold and apply excellent knowledge of fundraising & communications best practice, confidentiality and data protection.
• To support the CEO in their leadership of the organization: interfacing with the Trustee Board; representing the Charity at external events; being a key voice in management decision making and direction; acting as a role model and learning resource to a younger staff team.
• To work as part of the wider Free to Be team management and staff team, pitching in and supporting where needed to ensure that the charity is doing all it can to meet the needs of the deeply vulnerable children it exists to support.

Our Organisational Culture & Values:
Our core values – Joy, Commitment, Adventure, Change and Belonging are at the heart of all we do. We believe in a hands-on approach, that small is mighty, and that impact and change for vulnerable children comes through the atmosphere of love, care, joy and possibility that we intentionally create on our projects. That atmosphere comes from our tight knit staff and volunteer community – we talk about ‘the Free to Be family’, and it’s crucial to all we do. We’re looking for someone who wants to dive into the heart of that – who deeply values being part of something small, special and powerful. We don’t have a Marketing team, a Design team and a CopyWriting team – they’re all you! The reality of life at the top of a small, impactful and forward thinking children’s charity is that you’ll mix pitches to London Corporates with sometimes jumping into the day to day – switching PowerPoint for popping into projects and between strategic planning one moment and coffee with a newer staff member the next. We believe in leadership by example and leading with love, joy, responsibility and positivity.

We believe in rewarding and supporting staff for their hard work. We’re flexible in working hours; management leads in ensuring staff take back any time owed; we close over Xmas to rest (and for Project staff for 2 weeks in September too); we have great morale, rapport and culture across the team and we believe that’s absolutely central to our success.

For a copy of the full job information pack including the full sperson spec and details on how to apply, please contact us using the form on this page.