Fundraising Lead

Cycle Sisters are looking for a Fundraising Lead to join their team on a 2-year contract.

Overview:

• Freelance position: 2 year contract with opportunity to extend dependent on funding
• Language: English
• Location: Remote within the UK (occasional travel to London)
• Salary: £23 per hour
• Time commitment: 14 hours per week; hours can be worked flexibly but need to include some fixed hours during weekday standard working hours and ability to occasionally attend evening/weekend events
• Applications closing: 13th October

Job Description

Cycle Sisters has grown hugely over the past few years, with an expanded range of programmes and activity in many more boroughs than when we first set up. We are keen to continue this journey of growth and have just finalised a new strategy for 2024-2027 which prioritises reaching more women and girls, and ensuring our financial sustainability.  

The Fundraising Lead will play a critical role in supporting our ‘sustainability’ strategic priority to ensure Cycle Sisters can access the resources it needs to keep making a difference.   This post-holder will lead on growing Cycle Sisters’ unrestricted income, with a focus on community fundraising and corporate partnerships.    

The post-holder will need to be an excellent networker, confident in representing the organisation externally and able to motivate a range of stakeholders to financially support Cycle Sisters’ work.  

Below is a list of responsibilities which provide a broad outline of the role.   This is not an exhaustive list as Cycle Sisters is a small team which requires flexibility.   

This is a new part-time role and we will work with the successful candidate to develop a work plan which is realistic within the hours available.  There will also be support from other team members on some of the areas of work.

Responsibilities

As a Fundraising Lead at Cycle Sister, you will be responsible for the following:

General responsibilities

• Develop strategies to achieve income targets across the areas outlined below 
• Ensure all fundraising initiatives are properly planned, delivered, monitored and evaluated.   All activities should be conducted in adherence to best practice, Cycle Sisters’ ethical policy and charity law. 
• Represent the organisation externally including networking, delivering presentations and speaking at events 
• Work with the Communications & Media Lead to create compelling fundraising messages and materials for a range of audiences 
• Work collaboratively with other team members in Cycle Sisters to maximise all opportunities for fundraising

Individual Giving and Community Fundraising

• Oversee event/challenge fundraising, liaising closely with volunteer fundraisers to maximise income and ensure fundraisers feel valued and appreciated 
• Work with the Communications & Media Lead to ensure donors feel valued and appreciated 
• Develop and implement a regular giving strategy, helping us to progress donors from one-off to regular giving  
• Work with the CEO to develop a “membership” scheme to generate regular income from Cycle Sisters’ participant network with incentives and benefits for members 
• Work with an external agency to secure income through digital fundraising

Corporate Fundraising

• Develop relationships with existing corporate partners, ensuring partners feel valued and are receiving regular updates
• Research and identify new corporate fundraising prospects.  Develop relationships through networking and representing Cycle Sisters externally.  
• Create tailored packages to secure in-kind and financial support from corporate partners 
• Develop ideas for earned income services for corporate partners e.g. led rides

Role Requirements

Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement.   At Cycle Sisters, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with everything listed below, we would encourage you to still apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Essential skills and experience:

• At least 3 years’ experience in a charity fundraising role or similar roles 
• Evidenced track record of personally meeting fundraising targets in previous roles 
• Networking, negotiation and people skills with the ability to inspire, motivate and build relationships 
• Public speaking skills
• Ability to develop and implement strategies as well as be involved with operational delivery, requiring good attention to detail 
• Written communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging, pitches and projects to differing donor needs and requirements 
• Organisational, planning and project management skills, with ability to be self-directed and work independently 
• Research skills, including identifying potential supporters and prospects 
• Experience and understanding of Muslim communities and of the networks and stakeholders Cycle Sisters engages with
• Commitment to the aims and values of Cycle Sisters including inclusion and diversity 

Desirable:

• Well networked with corporates including (but not exclusively) within the Muslim community
• Experience of and passion for cycling, active travel or sport in general

How to apply?

To apply for this role, please:

1. Email your CV and a covering letter (approx 2 pages) outlining why you are passionate about this role and how you meet the requirements to hr@cyclesisters.org.uk
2. Complete our Equal Opportunities form here. 

Please note that we are only able to accept applications from female applicants due to the nature of our organisation and cause including the fact that the successful candidate would need to interact with, represent and work within women-only spaces.