Appointed Head of Trusts and Foundations

Whizz Kidz

Whizz Kidz is UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users, providing them with the equipment and skills to live life as independently as possible.

More than 75,000 young people need a wheelchair to be mobile, yet most have no access to a wheelchair that’s right for them, leaving them at risk of social isolation, poor mental health, and physical injury. Whizz Kidz’ empowers them to enjoy opportunities and activities that so many others take for granted ‐ at home, school, work, and beyond.

The role of Head of Trusts and Foundations is a superb opportunity for a relationship-focused trust fundraising expert to lead the trusts and foundations team and leverage multiple opportunities to drive income growth. This pivotal team is pursuing a relationship-driven approach to funders and has outstanding potential to grow income from existing and new donors, developing collaborative partnerships and sustainable income.

You will oversee a buoyant £3.8million portfolio of trust, foundation and lottery funders giving at 5-, 6- and 7-figure levels, including The People’s Postcode Lottery, The Kentown Wizard Foundation and The Edward Gostling Foundation. Alongside this, you will lead on and support the team to secure funding from new partners that will ease the impact on beneficiaries of the cost-of-living crisis combined with steep rises in equipment costs and services.

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About the role

As Head of Trusts and Foundations, you will:

  • Lead and support a team of 5 to meet annual targets and KPIs, creating a strong team spirit to inspire team members
  • Devise and implement the T&F strategy and budget, identifying and prioritising opportunities with a focus on continued financial growth
  • Manage relationships with 6-figure+ trusts, foundations and lottery funders, ensuring they receive superb, tailored stewardship
  • Work with the team to identify and prospect potential funders and create compelling proposals and bids to secure long-term, strategic partnerships
  • Play a vital role as part of the fundraising leadership team, forging strong working relationships with SMT, Fundraising, Marcomms and Services colleagues

About you

Ideal skills and experience:

  • Demonstrable experience of operating in a senior T&F fundraising role with the ability to line manage a small team
  • Ability to rally and motivate a team, fostering a positive and collaborative environment
  • A strategic and ambitious fundraiser, who can demonstrate where they’ve effectively delivered consistent income growth
  • Strong examples of managing complex 6-figure+ relationships with trusts, foundations and lottery funders
  • A track record of securing new funding opportunities through pro-active prospecting, networking, and creating compelling funding proposals
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills that underpin productive relationships with internal colleagues and senior external stakeholders
  • Superb writing and attention to detail skills to craft compelling funding proposals, reports and donor communications

Employee benefits

Whizz Kidz’ employee benefits include:

  • Flexible working
  • 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays PLUS an additional 3 days of paid leave over Christmas Employer
  • Empoloyer pension contribution of 5% (Whizz Kidz will match higher contributions of up to 6% of gross basic salary)
  • Two wellness days – Two days per calendar year for employees to take off for any reason that you choose. It could be to have time to volunteer for a good cause, to spend a duvet day, or for any reason at all that contributes to your wellbeing.
  • Simple Health Cash Plan (available to your families for an extra charge)
  • Season ticket loan, up to £5,000
  • Life Assurance

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