Fundraising Manager – Trusts and Foundations

Acorns Children's Hospice

Supporting over 750 children and nearly 1,000 families annually, Acorns Children’s Hospice is a vital lifeline for families across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire during unimaginably difficult times.

Palliative care for children aged 0–18 is delivered at Acorns’ hospices in Birmingham (serving Birmingham and Warwickshire), Worcester (serving Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire), and Walsall (serving the Black Country and parts of Staffordshire and Shropshire), as well as in family homes and other community settings. Acorns’ holistic, tailored approach is designed to meet each child’s clinical, emotional, cultural, religious, and spiritual needs.

Trust and Foundation income is a cornerstone of Acorns’ fundraising strategy. Income is primarily unrestricted and multi-year – a reflection of the strong, long-standing relationships Acorns have built with funders. With a mix of small templated applications and large bespoke bids, trusts work is underpinned by thoughtful stewardship and a collaborative, well-resourced approach across teams.

We’re looking for an experienced Trusts fundraiser to provide maternity cover and hit the ground running. You’ll take on a robust pipeline and inherit relationships from a portfolio that includes multi-year partnerships with major funders such as Children in Need and John Martins. 

Working closely with a highly experienced and supportive peer, you’ll enjoy a shared, balanced portfolio and the space to focus on great fundraising. With a responsive Data team, access to strong stories, and excellent internal buy-in, this is a rare chance to build on solid foundations and deliver high-impact work. We’re looking for someone with a proven track record in writing successful 5- and 6-figure bids, excellent storytelling skills, and confidence in translating data into compelling narratives.

About the role

As Fundraising Manager – Trusts and Foundations, you will:

  • Take on a well-established portfolio of trusts and foundations with a combined value of c.£850K, delivering a mix of templated and bespoke applications
  • Collaborate closely with a peer Trusts Manager, sharing responsibility for monthly submissions and stewardship
  • Maintain and build relationships with existing funders, ensuring excellent reporting and donor care
  • Work cross-functionally with the Data, Marcomms, Finance, and Care teams to develop strong cases for support
  • Support joint cultivation and engagement events alongside the Philanthropy team

About you

Ideal skills and experience:

  • A strong track record of securing 5- and 6-figure grants from trusts and foundations, including multi-year funding
  • Excellent written communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging across formats and word counts
  • Comfortable managing and interpreting impact data, financial information, and project detail
  • Highly organised and efficient, able to manage a busy workload with autonomy
  • Collaborative and supportive team player with a donor-centred approach

Employee benefits

Benefits include:

  • 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (5 days holiday buyback scheme starting from April 2026)
  • 7.5% employer pension contribution
  • Life assurance scheme (2 x annual salary)
  • Retail discounts (including the Blue Light card)
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Discounted gym membership
  • Access to expert financial health and wellbeing support

Apply for this role

QuarterFive and our clients know fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. We encourage individuals with relevant skills and experience to apply for roles regardless of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief. If you think you meet some of the criteria for a role and would like to discuss how your other experience might transfer, please ask us for a chat. We’re here to support you. Appointments will be made on merit alone and we will gladly make reasonable adjustments to always ensure a fair process.

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