VSA is a well-respected local social care charity, helping support the people of Aberdeen for over 155 years.
Our mission is to provide the best of care to enable the best of lives; supporting individuals and communities to fulfil their potential.
VSA provides vital support and services to people of all ages. At VSA we support a person’s physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing through a range of residential and outreach support services.
Job Title
Head of Fundraising
Reports To
People Director
Direct Reports
Fundraising Team
Key Internal Relationships
Chief Executive Officer, Executive Leadership Team, Service Managers, Communications and Marketing colleagues, Finance Team, Trustees and Board Committees.
Key External Relationships
Supporters, Corporate Partners, Trusts and Foundations, Major Donors, Community Groups, Event Partners, Professional Fundraising Networks, Public Sector Contacts and Local Businesses.
Location
38 Castle Street, Aberdeen (with hybrid working and travel across operational areas as required)
Hours: 35 hours per week
Duration: Permanent
Salary: £55,000-£57,000
Purpose of the Role
The Head of Fundraising is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and delivering a sustainable, ambitious and values-driven fundraising strategy that enables VSA to achieve its vision and strategic objectives.
Reporting to the People Director, the postholder will lead the growth and diversification of charitable income across trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, major donors, communities, events, individual giving and legacy fundraising. Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Trustees and Executive Leadership Team, the Head of Fundraising will build a strong culture of philanthropy across the organisation and position VSA as a leading charitable partner within the North East of Scotland and beyond.
The Head of Fundraising will provide strategic leadership to the fundraising function, creating a high-performing and data-informed team, strengthening supporter engagement and ensuring fundraising excellence, compliance and innovation across all activities.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop, implement and evaluate VSA's multi-year fundraising strategy aligned to organisational priorities.
- Lead the development of annual fundraising plans, budgets and growth objectives.
- Drive diversification of income streams to reduce dependency on any single source of funding.
- Identify new markets, partnerships and opportunities to increase sustainable income.
- Contribute to organisational strategic planning and Executive Leadership Team priorities.
- Provide regular strategic reporting and recommendations to the People Director, CEO and Trustees.
- Build a culture of fundraising awareness and engagement across the organisation.
Income Generation
Trusts and Foundations
- Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of trust and foundation opportunities.
- Oversee the production of compelling, high-quality funding applications and funder reports.
- Build strong relationships with grant-making trusts and statutory funders.
Corporate Partnerships
- Develop a corporate partnerships strategy that generates income, awareness and long-term collaboration.
- Secure new corporate partnerships and grow existing relationships.
- Create sponsorship, employee engagement, payroll giving and cause-related marketing opportunities.
Major Donors and Philanthropy
- Develop and implement a major donor programme.
- Identify, cultivate and steward high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic supporters.
- Work with the CEO and Trustees to build strategic donor relationships and maximise giving opportunities.
Individual Giving and Legacies
- Lead individual giving programmes that increase supporter acquisition, retention and lifetime value.
- Develop fundraising appeals, regular giving campaigns and legacy marketing initiatives.
- Enhance supporter stewardship and engagement approaches.
Community and Events Fundraising
- Grow fundraising income through community supporters, volunteers and events.
- Develop fundraising initiatives that increase awareness and supporter participation.
- Ensure excellent supporter experiences across all community fundraising activities.
Supporter Experience, Data and Insight
- Champion a supporter-centred culture across the fundraising team.
- Ensure effective use of CRM systems and fundraising databases.
- Develop supporter journeys that improve retention and long-term engagement.
- Utilise data and insight to inform planning, forecasting and decision making.
- Establish meaningful fundraising performance measures and reporting mechanisms.
Leadership and People Management
- Lead, motivate and develop the fundraising team.
- Establish clear objectives, standards and accountabilities for all team members.
- Undertake regular supervision, coaching and performance development reviews.
- Embed a culture of continuous improvement, wellbeing and accountability.
- Promote collaboration between fundraising, communications, operational services and other functions.
Partnership and Stakeholder Management
- Act as a visible ambassador for VSA externally.
- Develop relationships with businesses, funders, supporters, influencers and community stakeholders.
- Support Trustees and senior leaders in cultivating strategic fundraising relationships.
- Represent VSA at networking, partnership and fundraising events.
- Develop opportunities that strengthen both organisational reputation and income generation.
Governance, Compliance and Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations, UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
- OSCR requirements and organisational policies.
- Maintain oversight of fundraising risk management and mitigation plans.
- Ensure financially robust forecasting, income reporting and budget management.
- Monitor fundraising performance and return on investment.
- Keep abreast of fundraising best practice, legislation and sector developments.
Success Indicators
Success in the role will be measured against a range of financial, strategic, operational and leadership objectives. Annual targets will be agreed with the People Director and reviewed quarterly.
Income Growth
- Achieve annual fundraising income targets as agreed within the organisational budget.
- Deliver year-on-year growth in unrestricted income.
- Increase income diversification with no single funding source accounting for more than 35% of voluntary income.
- Secure a defined annual value of new funding opportunities and partnership income.
Trusts and Foundations
- Maintain a rolling pipeline of trust and foundation opportunities.
- Increase the value of successful grant applications year-on-year.
- Achieve agreed application success rates and submission targets.Corporate Partnerships
- Secure a minimum number of new corporate partnerships annually.
- Grow income from existing corporate partners through structured stewardship and development plans.
- Increase corporate engagement opportunities across the organisation.
Major Donors and Individual Giving
- Establish and grow a major donor programme.
- Increase donor retention and supporter lifetime value.
- Increase the number of regular donors and legacy pledges year-on-year.
Team Leadership
- Achievement of team performance objectives.
- Positive employee engagement and wellbeing outcomes within the fundraising team.
- High levels of retention, development and succession readiness across the team.
Supporter Experience
- Improved supporter satisfaction and engagement measures.
- Delivery of effective supporter stewardship plans.
- Increased repeat giving and supporter retention.
Governance and Compliance
- Full compliance with fundraising regulations and UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
- Timely and accurate reporting to the Executive Leadership Team and Board.
- No significant audit, compliance or regulatory concerns.
Person Specification;
Qualifications, Training and Education
Essential
- Educated to Higher Education level or equivalent professional experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development in fundraising, business development, marketing, communications or leadership.
Desirable
- Degree qualification.
- Chartered Institute of Fundraising qualification.
- Membership of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
- Management or leadership qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior-level fundraising, business development or income generation experience.
- Proven track record of delivering substantial income growth and achieving challenging financial targets.
- Experience of developing and implementing fundraising strategies.
- Experience managing diverse fundraising income streams.
- Experience leading and developing teams.
- Experience of budget management, forecasting and performance reporting.
- Experience building high-value relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.
Desirable
- Experience within the charity or third sector.
- Experience securing major gifts, strategic partnerships and high-value grants.
- Experience reporting to Boards, Trustees or senior governance groups.
- Experience using fundraising CRM systems and supporter databases.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Strategic leadership and planning capability.
- Excellent written communication and proposal writing skills.
- Exceptional relationship-building and influencing skills.
- Strong presentation and public speaking skills.
- Commercial awareness and financial acumen.
- Excellent organisational and project management skills.
- Data-driven decision-making capability.
- Ability to identify and secure new income opportunities.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications and CRM systems.
Desirable
- Knowledge of fundraising regulation and sector best practice.
- Digital fundraising knowledge and experience.
- Experience of supporter journey development and stewardship planning.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Passionate about VSA's mission, values and purpose.
- Professional, credible and trustworthy.
- Strategic, ambitious and forward-thinking.
- Collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
- Highly organised and resilient.
- Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.
- Results-focused with a commitment to continuous improvement.
- Confident in representing the organisation externally.
Desirable
- Established networks within the charitable, business or public sectors.
- Experience acting as a senior ambassador for an organisation.
Other Requirements
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
- Ability to travel throughout UK as required.
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends to support events, stakeholder engagement and fundraising activities.