Philanthropy & Fundraising Assistant

This could be your first administrative job, or a step up. If you are organised, efficient, creative and curious about people and nature, this is an opportunity to make a real difference for both.

The Rivers Trust is a leading environmental charity and the umbrella body of The Rivers Trust movement, comprising over 60 independent local charities. Our vision is for wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. We are at a critical point in our history as we expand to deliver projects to protect and replenish this critical part of the natural environment, and our research and expertise is now needed more urgently than ever as water supply and quality move up the public agenda.

Role summary

The need for healthy rivers is an increasingly hot topic, politically, socially and as our changing climate dictates. Increased focus on the work of The Rivers Trust and our Movement of 60+ Member Trusts reflects this, and we have grown rapidly as a result. We have recently created our first dedicated philanthropy and fundraising function, which has brought a sharp increase in funding opportunities, a larger and more diversified supporter base, and higher income from voluntary sources (individuals, grantmakers, and corporate supporters).

This new role will help look after (steward) these important supporters and help develop further opportunities for organisations, and new supporters. As Philanthropy & Fundraising Assistant, your work will directly and clearly lead to more funding for river health in the UK and Ireland, contributing to better outcomes for rivers, nature, communities and planet.

As a remote-first organisation, The Rivers Trust enables colleagues to work primarily from home while staying connected through virtual collaboration and occasional in-person meetings. You will need access to a suitable workspace and a secure, reliable internet connection to carry out the role effectively. The Rivers Trust is open to flexible working patterns, so please speak to us if you would like to enquire in advance about a working pattern that would enable you to undertake this role.

The main duties and responsibilities are:

Direct Donor Support: Stewarding The Rivers Trust donors and funders

• Managing Relationships: you will build excellent relationships with varied individuals and organisations who fund the work of The Rivers Trust, helping them to understand the impact of their support while making sure the contractual requirements and reasonable expectations associated with their funding are met.
• Stewardship Planning: you will create and manage an overall stewardship plan for donors, which will include both 1:1 and collective engagement through communications, arranging payment, and the delivery of information, events and connections which fulfil donor expectations. The outcome of your work will produce inspired, engaged supporters, many of whom will commit long-term to support the fight for healthier rivers.

Daily Responsibilities include:

• Keeping accurate donor records, including processing and recording gifts, maintaining accurate donor contact information and additional information on areas of funder interest. Tools used include Access CRM which enables us to produce accurate reports for internal and external use, and meaningful data and insights into income and donor profiles and patterns.
• Communicating with donors and funders: you will be the first point of contact for key donor groups ensuring donor queries, concerns and positive feedback are heard and actioned promptly. You will also create and send regular e-newsletters to key supporter groups, ensure our supporters are acknowledged whenever appropriate, and deliver bespoke communications for supporter groups (such as corporate funders).

Additional Responsibilities:

• Supporting the development and delivery of philanthropy events: you will oversee the smooth running of donor-specific events, online and in person. This includes Fellows meetings, events for corporate supporters such as webinars and site visits, and new cultivation events for prospective supporters
• Collating research and information: you will collate relevant research on prospective funders to help create a clear pipeline of potential support for The Rivers Trust. You will also liaise with internal teams and individuals to gather key information on current and future projects and programmes of work to inform donor stewardship, communications and reporting, and to help build strong and relevant funding propositions
• Undertaking financial donor admin: using the CRM and developing new systems as needed. Alongside processing donations and other payments, you will support both donor and charity with Gift Aid administration, and review transactions and payments to help monitor and report on accurate overall raised income.
• Collating philanthropic marketing materials: supported by the communications team, you will, over time and with team members, refresh existing proposals, brochures, webpages and other engagement copy and images) and help to create content for appeals such as the Big Give. You will help gather impactful and often moving stories about river support, and polish proposals and presentations for prospective funders. You will help manage a varied portfolio of creative content that helps people and organisations better understand and help rivers.

The Rivers Trust is a collaborative and adaptable organisation, so you may be asked to undertake other duties that are reasonably aligned with the purpose, level and responsibilities of the role, including supporting wider organisational activities and cross-team collaboration as needed.

The responsibilities attached to this role are designed to evolve in line with career aspirations and aptitude. This is a growing function, and we are committed to ensuring pathways for growth and career progression to match aspirations.

Knowledge, skills, experience, and personal qualities

Essential

• Confident, engaging and accurate written and verbal communication skills
• Strong IT literacy for administrative purposes – all main Microsoft products at a minimum.
• Basic digital design skills for presentations, reports, e-communications, using existing brand tools and software such as Canva.
• Confidence in handling straightforward financial data (donations, grant spending) by preparing and monitoring budgets, tracking income from external platforms such as JustGiving, and reporting outcomes.
• A demonstrable interest in purpose-led work for an environmental charity.
• A personable individual with the commitment and confidence to engage others internally and externally and connect them meaningfully to a cause.
• A curiosity to learn, improve, and problem-solve, especially in helping create new processes in a growing department.
• An interest in developing a career in charity administration, preferably within fundraising.
• Be able to demonstrate or evidence a level of proficiency in spoken and written English and numeracy to at least GCSE level.

Desirable

• Experience of administrative-based work, preferably connected to stewarding customers, donors or similar stakeholders.
• Knowledge of data and connectivity software such as SharePoint, Slack, OneDrive, CRM systems and databases.
• Demonstrable skill in analysing data to inform decision-making and collate reports.
• Experience of the structure and working practices of a charitable organisation.
• Knowledge of environmental issues, or a proven ability to learn and articulate these issues and their solutions.
• Further and Higher Education qualifications in subjects relevant to the skills required for this role (English, Maths, Psychology, Philosophy, Science, IT, Business administration.) or those relating to our sector (Environmental Science, Biology, Geophysics) are desirable but not considered essential for this role if the skills can be demonstrated through equivalent training or work experience.

Benefits

• 9% employer pension contribution (or local equivalent)
• 25 days annual leave (rising with service) plus statutory public holidays
• Flexible working hours and hybrid working
• Access to training and professional development
• Supportive and inclusive working culture

How to apply

If you have questions not answered in the advert or Recruitment FAQ, please contact [email protected] (please do not use this email address to apply).

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are particularly keen to improve the diversity of our Trust. As part of our commitment to positive action under the Equality Act 2010/ Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015, we strongly encourage applications from people from ethnically diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Supporting our people

We offer a welcoming, informal and supportive working culture. We are scaling-up fast and developing new systems to support our new projects and people. We welcome applicants from all communities, backgrounds and personal situations.

About The Rivers Trust

The Rivers Trust is a registered charity founded in 2004. You can find out more about our work in our most recent impact report.