Fundraising Officer

Fundraising Officer - Community & Events

Duration: Temporary, initially until the end of January 2027, with potential to extend
Location: Hybrid - Southend-on-Sea, Essex, with travel across the local community as required
Hours: 9:00-17:00, 35 hours per week, with flexibility around working hours
Pay: £16.68 per hour plus £2.01 per hour holiday pay (equivalent to £30,368 FTE)

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with Havens Hospices to recruit a Fundraising Officer to join their Community & Events Fundraising team on a temporary basis.

Havens Hospices provides specialist palliative and supportive care to children, young people and adults, supporting patients and the people important to them when they need it most. With services spanning children's and adult hospice care, fundraising plays a vital role in enabling the charity to continue providing its care and support across Essex.

This is an exciting time to join the fundraising team. Havens Hospices is investing in fundraising and is looking for an experienced, confident Fundraising Officer who can hit the ground running, build relationships within the community and help maximise income opportunities.

About the Role

Working within the Community & Events team, the Fundraising Officer will play an important role in developing relationships with supporters and growing fundraising activity across the local community.

This is a varied, hands-on fundraising position, combining community engagement, supporter stewardship and events and challenge fundraising. You'll work with individuals, community groups, schools, clubs, local businesses, volunteers and other supporters, inspiring them to get involved and helping turn their enthusiasm into successful fundraising activity.

You'll support existing relationships while actively developing new opportunities, providing excellent stewardship and encouraging supporters to continue their involvement with Havens Hospices.

The role also contributes to the delivery of fundraising events and challenges, helping maximise participation and income while ensuring supporters have a brilliant experience.

Experience of using Raiser's Edge/NXT is essential for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and develop strong relationships with community supporters, volunteers, groups, schools, clubs and local businesses
• Proactively identify and develop new community fundraising opportunities
• Support individuals and groups to organise their own fundraising activities and events
• Provide excellent supporter stewardship through regular calls, emails, recognition and ongoing engagement
• Convert supporter enquiries into fundraising activity and encourage repeat involvement
• Plan and deliver fundraising events and challenge activities, working towards agreed income targets
• Help recruit, brief and support volunteers involved in fundraising activities and events
• Deliver engaging talks and presentations within the local community to raise awareness and inspire support
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Fundraising, Marketing and Communications to promote fundraising opportunities
• Maintain accurate supporter and fundraising information on Raiser's Edge
• Monitor activity and income, helping the team focus resources on the fundraising opportunities with the greatest potential

The role has a strong supporter-facing focus, with the JD placing particular emphasis on excellent stewardship, proactive conversion of enquiries and building long-term community fundraising relationships.

We're particularly interested in hearing from candidates with:

• Experience within charity fundraising, ideally community fundraising, whether gained through a paid or voluntary role
• Strong relationship-building skills and experience engaging supporters, donors or volunteers
• Confidence picking up the phone, starting conversations and making an ask
• A proactive approach and the confidence to develop new fundraising opportunities
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience of supporter stewardship and providing a positive donor/supporter experience
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a busy and varied workload
• The ability to work independently, use initiative and get up to speed quickly
• Confidence maintaining accurate CRM/database records
• A genuine enthusiasm for community engagement and relationship-led fundraising

Working Arrangements

This role offers flexibility around hybrid working. You won't be expected to be in the office every day; what's more important is having the flexibility to attend supporter meetings, community activities and events when needed.

The main office base is Southend-on-Sea, which is accessible by public transport and has parking available. Candidates living further afield, including London, are welcome to apply provided they can travel to Southend and across the relevant community when the role requires it.

Please note that the role involves community-based activity and the person specification lists a full UK driving licence and access to your own transport as a requirement.

How to apply

This is an urgent requirement, and applications will be reviewed as they are received.

The process will be kept straightforward, with one interview stage, week commencing 5th October. Interviews will ideally take place in person at Havens Hospices in Southend, although there can be flexibility for an online interview where needed.

We are looking for someone who can start as soon as possible, so please don't delay in getting in touch if the opportunity sounds like a good match.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. Please let us know if you require any adjustments to support you through the recruitment process.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.