Trusts & Foundations Manager

The Talent Set is delighted to be partnering with Back Up to recruit for a new Trusts Manager. As Back Up celebrates its 40th anniversary, this is an exciting opportunity to join an ambitious and growing charity at a pivotal stage of its development.

Back Up supports people affected by spinal cord injury and their families to rebuild independence, confidence and a sense of purpose after injury. Through services delivered in spinal injury centres, hospitals, communities and through innovative digital platforms, the charity helps people to live the life they choose after spinal cord injury.

As the organisation continues to deliver its ambitious strategy, Limitless Ambition, they have invested significantly in the charity's infrastructure, leadership and systems, creating the foundations for long-term growth while maintaining the strong culture, values and lived experience that underpin its work.

The current strategy focuses on three key ambitions:

• Living confidently
• Everyone thriving
• Meaningful connections

Alongside continued service development, the organisation is investing in regional expansion across the UK, digital transformation and the development of strategic partnerships that will help increase both impact and income. With organisational income currently standing at approximately £3.2m, Back Up has ambitious plans to grow income to £5m by 2030, with this role playing a key part in these ambitions.

The Trusts & Foundations Manager will play a key role in securing life-changing funding for people affected by spinal cord injury, growing and managing a diverse portfolio of charitable trusts, foundations and grantmakers.
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated fundraiser who wants to combine professional success with meaningful impact, helping to create a positive future for people affected by spinal cord injury.

Key Responsibilities:

• Research and submit compelling proposals and applications for high-value grants and donations (5 and 6 figures) to secure income and support long-term sustainability.
• Prospect research of new funders and partners capable of supporting Back Up's work.
• Provide timely, accurate reports and updates to funders showing the impact of funded work.
• Deliver an effective stewardship programme to engage and thank funders, working closely with the Partnerships team to inspire our donors
• Maximise opportunities through Back Up's networks, including the fundraising team, services staff, SMT, development board, board of trustees and volunteer networks.
• Manage multi-year budgets and ensure accurate forecasting, monitoring and evaluating performance to meet agreed targets.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Proven success in securing significant income from a range of charitable trusts and foundations
• Experience of managing or mentoring junior staff or volunteers
• Excellent relationship-building, engagement and stewardship skills
• Confident communicator with excellent written skills
• Experience in supporting planning and monitoring of budgets, pipelines and KPIs
• The ability to manage conflicting priorities and timelines
• Willingness to travel and work occasional evenings or weekends

Above all, we are looking for someone who shares Back Up's values and commitment to creating opportunities for people affected by spinal cord injury to thrive.

How to Apply
The deadline for this role is Wednesday 9th September, with 1st stage interviews to take place on 22nd September. To express an initial interest, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the 'apply now' button (please do not apply via email). We aim to get back to all successful candidates within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity
The Talent Set is committed to inclusive recruitment practices and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. We actively encourage applications from people with diverse experiences and are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments required throughout the recruitment process.