ABOUT US
The Funding Network (TFN) is a small, dynamic charity which raises funds for other highly impactful small charities addressing issues including poverty, discrimination, social exclusion, racial justice and inequality in the UK and around the world.
We do this through live and now online crowdfunding events at which three charities each has six minutes to pitch for £10,000. Individual and corporate donations to the charities range from £10 right up to £10,000 and everything in between. Targets are often smashed with friendly competition a regular feature of the auction-like pledging session which follows the (friendly!) Dragon’s Den-style pitches. This short film shows how a TFN event works and you will find videos of charity pitches at our YouTube channel.
The charities TFN supports are on the front line, serving and fighting for the rights of some of our most marginalised and vulnerable fellow human beings. The disproportionate impact of the Covid pandemic on these groups has made our work more vital than ever. Fortunately, the move to online delivery of our events necessitated by the pandemic has led to an incredible 70+% increase in the funds we’re raising for charity. Average funds raised at a virtual TFN event in 2022 was £55k which compares with £32k in 2019 when events were delivered live. This has created exciting new opportunities for us to scale up our impact at a time of immense need.
ABOUT THE ROLE
At the heart of our work are our individual and corporate members. Members play a key role in the selection of charities, contribute approximately 80% of the funds raised at events and make a vital contribution to our own core costs through an annual membership fee. While relatively small in number, TFN members are loyal, engaged and deeply committed. This is evidenced by a steep increase in giving from members during the pandemic and the success of a fundraising campaign to members in 2021 which raised over £350k to invest in TFN over the next three years.
We believe that the success of virtual events (which we will continue to deliver alongside live events post- pandemic), has created an opportunity for us to invest in and grow our membership base. This, combined with investments in our digital capacity, creates the potential for us to significantly increase the funds we are raising for charity.
We have created the new role of Membership Manager with overall responsibility for the growth and development of TFN’s membership offering to both individuals and corporates. This will be the first time that TFN has had dedicated, experienced membership resource and as such, presents a really exciting opportunity for a membership professional to use their skills and experience to make a real mark.
As Membership Manager, you will be an integral member of a small team of six and will work with a tight knit group of colleagues to contribute to organisational planning and strategy, as well as day-to-day tasks.
You will be a strong team player willing to turn your hand to a wide variety of responsibilities. Experience of the voluntary sector is not required however a strong belief in the vital role of small charities and a passion for supporting their work, is.
This is a very exciting time to join an ambitious charity and to play a part in strengthening the fabric of the charitable sector in the UK and internationally and to change the lives of thousands of disadvantaged and marginalised people.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategy and data management
• Work with the CEO to develop and implement a membership recruitment and retention strategy
• Set targets for recruitment, retention and revenue from members and monitor performance against those using our CRM system (Salesforce)
• Establish and report on metrics around the membership journey, member engagement, membership numbers, member giving to charities
• Ensure membership records are accurately kept and regularly updated • Help ensure that all systems and processes are as efficient as possible
Communications
• Manage all communications to members, including using Mailchimp
• Conceptualise and deliver membership campaigns
• Contribute to the development of a new website, with an emphasis on ensuring the best possible user experience for both new and current members
Customer service
• Be the main point of contact for new and existing members
• Provide high levels of customer service to members by responding to enquiries
• Proactively contact and build relationships with potential new members • Be a warm, confident communicator who is able to represent the charity with a wide cross section of people both in-person and online
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential experience
• A minimum of two years’ experience in a membership role or a fundraising role with some experience of membership, with demonstrable evidence of the impact you made on a membership programme in that role.
Essential capabilities
• Ability to review TFN’s current individual and corporate member journey and engagement cycle and to make recommendations for improvements that will drive recruitment, engagement and retention • Ability to effectively use CRM systems and to analyse data to inform activity and potential investment • Ability to work independently and to represent the charity at a senior level • High level of digital literacy • Excellent all round communications and interpersonal skills • Ability to work quickly and efficiently to meet deadlines • Ability to travel as required and to work outside of normal office hours
Desirable skills, experience and capabilities (To be clear, we’re not expecting the successful candidate to have all of these skills and experience and training will be provided, as necessary, to develop these competencies.) • Experience developing and delivering a corporate membership programme • Experience using MailChimp or other marketing platforms • Experience using social media to increase engagement
• Experience commissioning and managing third party suppliers (e.g. graphic designers, AV, video production, web designers etc ) • Experience using digital project management tools and video conferencing platforms • Experience in a sales environment • Experience stewarding relationships with major donors
Essential personal attributes We are looking for a highly organised self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as part of a close-knit team. You will need energy, resilience and a problem-solving attitude! If you have a strong commitment to positive social change and are looking for a role to make your own and develop it as the charity grows, we’d love to hear from you.
TERMS
Salary: £32,000 - £35,000 p.a.pro rata depending on experience
Hours: Fulltime with some evening work required. Flexible working and compressed hours may be offered.
Term: Permanent Benefits: 25 days annual leave (rising to 28 after 2 years), pension, enhanced maternity package, 4 days volunteering leave p.a. (all offered on a pro rata basis)
Location: Toynbee Hall, East London and home based.
Start date: As soon as possible
APPLYING
To apply, please send a CV and a cover letter to Jennie Jeffery – jennie@thefundingnetwork.org.uk. Your cover letter should be no more than one page explaining how you fulfil the criteria outlined in the person specification and what excites you about joining us. We welcome candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds. Please let us know if we can help you with the application process in any way. We are more than happy to make any reasonable adjustments to enable all interested candidates to apply. If you’d like to have a quick call in the first instance to talk about the role to decide whether it might be for you, then please drop us a line. The last thing we want to do is waste your time!
Interviews will be held on a rolling basis from 24 January so please apply as soon as you can. After submitting an application, we will contact shortlisted applicants to arrange a short (30 minute) preliminary phone call which will give us both the opportunity to assess the strength of the fit. A formal interview will follow if both parties agree there is one. Good luck!