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Fundraising Relationship Officer - Development and Alumni Relations Officer

Employer
University of Birmingham
Location
United Kingdom
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
Nov 11, 2021

View more

Sector
Pharmaceutical, Sales
Hours
Full Time
Organization Type
University and College
Jobseeker Type
Academic (e.g. 'Lecturer')
Position Details

Development and Alumni Relations Office

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,511 to £30,046 with potential progression once in post to £33,797

Grade 6

Full Time

Permanent

Closing date - 3rd September 2021

Job Summary

Do you want to be part of a dynamic and innovative fundraising team? Do you want to raise money for some of society's most pressing challenges and play a key role in a new and ambitious fundraising and volunteering campaign?

We are an ambitious and successful research-intensive University (one of the top 100 research-led universities globally) and have produced 10 Nobel Prize winners, including three who received their awards in 2016. Academics here are tackling some of the world's most pressing global challenges such as: antibody testing and Covid-19, the impact of climate change on our woodlands and forests, issues caused by migration and displacement, the rise in youth mental health issues, and the prevention of needless maternal deaths in the developing world. Our students come from nearly 150 countries and our flagship outreach programmes mean that almost 25% of our student population come from disadvantaged backgrounds, one of the highest proportions in the UK.

Philanthropy has always played an important role in shaping the University, most recently in 2015 when we closed the Circles of Influence Campaign which raised £193 million, making it the largest HE fundraising campaign outside Oxbridge and London.

The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) exists to support our student and research community by engaging, inspiring, and celebrating alumni, individuals, and charitable funders who give their money, time, and networks to support the University's strategic priorities. The Office, which is comprised of 60 staff across four teams, is focused on fundraising and volunteering from graduates, alumni and individuals who are passionate about changing lives, through funding various research trials, supporting student scholarships, mentoring students, and providing internships.

In 2019 we launched the Birmingham In Action campaign, which aims to transform lives for our generation and the next by tackling some of the world's greatest challenges. The campaign is truly global (having launched in Birmingham, London, Hong Kong, New York and San Francisco) and aims to raise £400 million, and secure 1 million hours of volunteering, making it one of the largest campaigns in the UK Higher Education sector.

We are now looking to recruit a Fundraising Relationship Officer to join us at this very exciting time. The Fundraising Relationship Officer will be responsible for the relationship management of a portfolio of around 100 prospective donors in order to raise funds for a range of key projects. They will be responsible for the entire prospect relationship management process including researching, cultivating, asking and stewarding.

This role will play a key part in bringing in donations for our five campaign theme areas:
  • Bright Minds
  • In Cancer Wards
  • In Our Environment
  • In Mind
  • In Global Communities

As part of an award-winning team and led by some of the most respected names in higher education fundraising, you'll get the chance to work across the team and wider university to encourage new donors to make long-term, sustainable and significant (5 and 6-figure) gifts. You will also have the opportunity to work with our senior team on proposals to top donors enabling you to get experience of working with some of the most successful and experienced major gift fundraisers in the UK Higher Education sector.

You will be provided with a robust induction and an ongoing training program that will include support from the University as well as expert external providers.

Main Duties

The Fundraising Relationship Officer will excel in the following areas:

Fundraising

As a Fundraising Relationship Officer you will have responsibility for managing a portfolio of current and prospective donors. You will have the confidence to ask for donations, be a strong communicator, and be passionate about making a difference to some of the biggest challenges the world faces.

This will involve taking ownership of the end-to-end relationship management process of a prospect, from initial research to stewardship activity:
  • Personally managing a portfolio of circa 100 of the University's mid-level (4 and 5-figure) donors and prospective donors, maintaining close relationships with each prospect and integrating them with the University whenever possible to bring the prospective donors to the point where you can ask for philanthropic support
  • Securing over £100,000 of donation pledges in the first year
  • Responsibility for identifying new prospects from your networks and undertaking any necessary additional research before an approach is made
  • Making the approach and managing the cultivation process, tailored to your prospect
  • Understanding the university and campaign priorities to bringing gifts in against our five key thematic areas
  • Asking confidently for donations to key projects that are areas of strength at the University and that the donor is passionate about
  • Delivering against set KPI's; particularly meetings undertaken, asks made and money raised
  • Focusing at all times on progressing the top 25 prospective donors in your portfolio
  • Building relationships that are centred on the donor, including maximising volunteering opportunities where appropriate
  • Stewarding the donor once the gift is made, ensuring the donor remains connected to the University and the project.
  • Responsibility for adhering to relevant fundraising regulation and GDPR whilst ensuring fundraising processes are ethical and that due diligence is undertaken as necessary

Communications and stakeholder management

Communicating effectively with prospects, donors, volunteers, alumni, academics, researchers and businesses using a wide range of communication skills:
  • Communicating confidently with individuals at all levels
  • Working with colleagues across the University to bring gifts to fruition
  • Working internally with academics to showcase projects to potential donors
  • Working closely with the Volunteering, Regular Giving and Legacy Teams to maximise opportunities for collaboration with prospective donors
  • Working in partnership with other fundraisers and members of DARO including sharing best practice and ensuring prospect development by playing in senior stakeholders at the right time
  • Communicating effectively with prospects and donors by phone, email, LinkedIn, letter and face-to-face
  • Promoting equality and valuing diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

Organisation and process management

Being an empowered fundraiser who has complete control of the entire fundraising process and organises their time effectively:
  • Using Blackbaud CRM to record meetings and proposals effectively, to allow accurate performance monitoring and reporting
  • Taking ownership of all processes and communications in relation to your prospects to include writing proposals, first approach communication, thank you letters and gift paperwork as appropriate
  • Managing your time effectively and maximising opportunities to ensure targets are met
  • Seeking out opportunities for professional development
  • Working with the Gift Administration Team to ensure pledges are fulfilled and donations are correctly managed
  • Being familiar with methods of tax efficient giving in the UK

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Fundraising management
  • Evidence of performance gained within a results-orientated environment such as fundraising, sales, marketing or recruitment.
  • Enthusiastic, target-driven and motivated to raise money.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to prepare information and reports for potential donors.
  • The ability to construct a range of solicitation strategies.

Planning and organising
  • The post holder is expected to manage their own prospect pool with support from the Prospect Research Team where necessary.
  • The post holder is expected to manage their own pipeline with support from their line manager to maximise the success of future performance.
  • The setting of cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans for mid-level donors in consultation with their line manager.

General
  • Educated to degree level or equivalent.
  • Strong sense of professional integrity and ethics.
  • Credible, sincere and honest.
  • The ability to work independently with initiative, to take decisions and think creatively and laterally.
  • Strong negotiation skills and the ability to persuade and influence with diplomacy and sensitivity.
  • The ability to work calmly and effectively in a fast-paced environment
  • The ability to represent the University with confidence, diplomacy, and authority.
  • The desire to support colleagues in the achievement of their individual and the collective goals, and to celebrate others' success as positively as your own.
  • Good all-round IT skills including competence with all aspects of MS Office, email and the internet.
  • The ability to work calmly and effectively in times of pressure.
  • The flexibility to work unsociable hours (evenings and weekends) when required.
  • The flexibility to travel within the UK.
  • Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Informal enquiries can be made to Gary Bilham - g.bilham@bham.ac.uk

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.

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