Title: Fundraising Manager

Location: London SE13 (Lewisham) based 

Salary: £33,000 – £42,000 (FTE) dependent on experience

Start Date: As soon as possible

Job type: Full-time or Part-time (0.5-1.0 FTE) – flexible working with time spent in office every week

Reports to: Managing Director

 

INTRODUCING ONWARDS & UPWARDS 

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Onwards and Upwards (O&U) is a charity created to directly tackle the cycle of reoffending driven by the barriers to employment faced by those with a criminal record; our purpose is clear, and our plan is simple. We break the cycle of reoffending by starting sustainable businesses which train and employ ex-offenders. These must be organisations that people are proud to work for, provide personal and professional development, that operate in high demand sectors, and that showcase the talents and potential of ex-offenders as employees to businesses and society at large. 

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Our plan in the long-term is to launch, test, and grow a range of businesses that all follow this model – of training, supporting and employing ex-offenders in positive environments that are part of a community, with aspirational brands, and with full support for people to grow and move on with their lives. 

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Our first commercial venture is XO Bikes – where we train people to become qualified bike mechanics and then work with them to find them meaningful jobs in the cycling sector and beyond. Our second venture is XO Barbers, we are currently building our first in-prison training barbershop and will begin training in it soon. Then we move on to launching our XO Barbers Finishing School in the community…

We have been training mechanics for two years and have supported people into employment in the cycling sector, into roles in other sectors ranging from hospitality to construction, and have helped many find a positive path forward. For us to be able to deliver our work we rely on a secure fundraising pipeline that is diverse and sustainable. We have been achieving this well but have reached a point where more capacity is needed.

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THE ROLE

We have a good track record in fundraising and a strong network, which together have helped us grow to our current position. We have reached a point where we no longer have the capacity within the team to maintain and grow our four main funding pillars. We now need an experienced fundraiser to build a well organised grant application, management and reporting function, and to support the wider fundraising strategy and its implementation. We have some brilliant assets, fabulous people, and a good stock of relevant expertise – this is not an outpost of a role; it is a chance for someone to build a structure fit for growth, to bring order and organisation that creates clarity and space, and for a passionate individual to share our mission, approach and impact with those that might just be interested in supporting us. For the right person, it’s a total dream.

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The major responsibilities for this role are as follows. It is a bit of a wish list, and we don’t expect an expert in every area, but a pro-active approach, and willingness to learn is essential:

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1. Writing and submitting grant applications – with a range of relevant trusts and foundations

2. Grant management – refreshing our pipeline, setting up a simple management and application process, monitoring submissions, and managing grant acceptance processes

3. Events and fundraiser support – where we have people fundraising on our behalf, making sure they have all they need to optimise their efforts

4. Funder Management – maintaining good communication with funders including engagement during and beyond any grants

5. Monitoring and reporting – to funders throughout the year both with specific requirements and more general updates

6. Team player – we are a small and committed team and there are often times when it is all hands on deck. We work to people’s strengths, but being a part of the team, and having a laser focus on our mission is much needed throughout!

 

This is the first dedicated fundraising role we have had at Onwards and Upwards. As such there is scope to create something bespoke that enables us to continue to expand the work we are doing and grow the impact we have. We need someone with enough experience to be comfortable creating the systems, as well as running them.

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The vital skillset for this role is being a persuasive and adaptable communicator. We have a great story that needs telling in different ways, with varied tone and format, but always the same character. In a competitive funding environment we need someone who can represent our energy, who can describe the hope we create, and who can condense our passion into 20 words (or sometimes 25). Writing is the keystone skill, but ideally well supported all round.

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We have an entrepreneurial approach in all that we do. What this means practically is learning by doing, testing ideas, using data to understand results, and moving forward. We hope you will bring new ideas, new approaches, and be grounded by an ability to work independently and effectively within the really lovely working environment and culture we have created.

It is really important that what we do matters to you. We are a small, highly effective, and passionate team with a supportive culture and the humility that means we roll our sleeves up whenever needed, and whatever the task at hand. We like to think this brings a bit of variety and colour to the working week.

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You’ll be joining the team at an exciting time; as prison and prison–leavers appear increasingly in the media amid a change of Government and a national prison capacity crisis. We want to be a positive part of the story, an exemplar that solutions exist, and a firm nudge that inspires others to change their own behaviour. Fundraising is inextricably linked with awareness raising and being loud is baked into our core.

 

THE PERSON – if the above hasn’t scared you off…

We would like to meet someone with at least a few years of experience as a fundraiser, and specifically in grant writing with a demonstrable track record of success. In a perfect world this would be within the criminal justice sector or near to it – but we know the skillset is a transferable one.

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It is also essential that all candidates are self-motivated and embrace responsibility and trust; ready to take ownership of their function. There will always be support and help available, but all candidates need to have all of the core skills required to be an effective fundraiser and work with the SLT to build for growth.

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Our hope is to find someone with breadth of experience across the responsibilities above, with strong general fluency in grant writing, fundraising, and grant management. There are many things that can easily be learnt, but the culture and values fit is really important to us, as is the resilience, energy, and spirit with which we approach our work.

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We are looking for someone who shares our belief that individuals who commit crimes should be given the opportunity to build themselves a positive and productive life atop the foundations of secure employment. The cycle of reoffending is an enormous issue, but one we can start to solve.

 

HOW TO APPLY

If you would like an informal conversation before applying, have any specific questions, or would like the chance to come and visit us in person please do contact Will at will@onwardsandupwards.uk

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To then apply please send an up-to-date CV and one page cover letter to Maria at maria@onwardsandupwards.uk We will be reviewing applications as they come in so do please register your interest with us as soon as possible. 

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All applicants need to have the right to work in the UK and be able to provide two references.

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We believe we'll work better if our employees come from different backgrounds and if we create an environment of inclusion and belonging for them.