About ACF

The Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) is the leading membership association for the UK’s foundations and grant-making charities.

Driven by a belief that foundations are a vital source for social good, our mission is to support them to be ambitious and effective in the way that they use their resources. We do this through the provision of policy and advocacy, research and information, and a wide-ranging programme of events and learning. Our 430 members collectively hold assets of around £50bn and give over £2.5bn annually. Together they cover the full range of foundations, from small to large, and operating in many different fields of grant making, including social change, the environment, research, education, across the UK and overseas.  

Our work builds common understanding of the work and role of foundations, including with government, and enables our members to be more than the sum of their parts, collaborating and developing their practice, and navigating complexity in the challenges they face.

Our ambitions

This is an exciting time to join ACF. In September our board signed off a new, ambitious five-year strategy with the central purpose of strengthening foundations to rise to the challenges of our times. Our vision for our sector is one of diverse, vibrant and effective foundations, working together for social and/or environmental good. Over the next five years we will support foundations to aspire to and achieve excellent practice; advance diversity, equity and inclusion for our sector and for ACF; strengthen connections across and beyond our sector; and sustain a landscape where foundations can thrive.

The role of senior policy and engagement officer

The senior policy and engagement officer will support the next stage in ACF’s journey, helping the organisation to achieve its ambitious plans and ensure a positive operating environment for foundations. This role offers an opportunity to support ACF’s policy, practice and research programme through work on a range of issues, one of which is climate change.

Role description

 Objective

 The senior policy and engagement officer will be a crucial member of the ACF’s external affairs team, which seeks to identify and influence key issues for foundations in regard to their practice, policy, regulation and legislation.

This role will lead on some policy projects and support on others and will involve writing, producing and commissioning guidance, tools, and other resources for members.

The senior policy and engagement officer will also work closely with other internal teams to design and deliver in-house events, develop communications for members and coordinate media engagement.

Practical details

Remuneration:   The salary range for this role is £28,600 - £30,600.

Location:                  ACF is located in London and currently operating with a mix of at home and in office working.

Time commitment: 35 hours per week

Reporting to:          Head of policy

Benefits

ACF has a developed a range of benefits to enable staff to perform and be supported in times where personal situations change. Annual leave is 25 days per year, plus all the bank holidays, as well as time off during Christmas and New Year which does not affect the leave above. We will also make a pension contribution of 10% of base salary into (currently) Now Pensions on your behalf.

We have a generous sick leave policy to support staff in the event of illness or accident, and a Parental, Maternity and adoption leave policy designed to support staff significantly above our legal obligations.

ACF is currently using hybrid working, with staff able to work from home some of the working week, and we will ensure that any working from home is supported by appropriate equipment. ACF is also open to flexible working arrangements.

How to apply

 The closing date for applications is at midnight 16 November 2022 using the BeApplied platform. Please click on the following link, where you will be asked to answer the following questions in no more than 250 words:

1.      Describe the work environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy.

 2.      ACF has adopted a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Policy internally and is an advocate for DEI in the sector through its Stronger Foundations work. In our Policy, we state “We will value lived experience, the ability to draw from one’s lived experience and to bring insights to an organisation that can develop its work.” Describe how your lived experience could support ACF’s work.

 3.      ACF hosts the Funder Commitment on Climate Change – a high-level framework for foundations to play their part in tackling the causes and impact of climate change. Please outline how you would attract new signatories and engage funders already signed up.

  4.      This role involves researching and analysing information from a broad range of sources to inform policy. Please describe your approach to gathering and analysing evidence. 

 5.      ACF produces a wide range of written materials for its members, including tool kits, guidance, and blogs. What do you think are the most important considerations when writing resources for ACF’s members?

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place online in the week commencing 28 November 2022.  A second interview may take place in person in the week commencing 5 December 2022.

If you would like to know more, or to discuss this opportunity, in the first instance please contact our recruitment team at recruitment@acf.org.uk directly or by using the Be Applied platform.

Principal responsibilities

 Policy

• Manage the Funder Commitment on Climate Change, and meaningful action by signatories and ACF members on climate change, communicating commitments made and action taken by creating case studies and articles, setting up events, and sending out targeted communications to inform and motivate the foundation sector and beyond.

• Work with the external affairs team to identify opportunities to influence policy, regulation and legislation that is likely to affect foundations’ operating environment, suggest actions and approaches to intervene, and work with colleagues to deliver influencing strategies and inform members about our work.

• Support the chief executive, director of policy, practice and research and the head of policy with briefings and other intelligence to inform the strategic direction of ACF’s policy function.

• Engage with members to build and maintain ACF understanding about their policy concerns, including through our Funder Network website, and provide support on issues they raise.

• Support implementation of ACF’s strategic priority on advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the foundation sector, including to create, curate and share DEI resources for members and liaising with members to gather new intel on progress, to embed DEI approaches in the foundation sector.

• Support the head of policy to develop and deliver the activities of the Members’ Policy Forum by producing regular e-bulletins and supporting its programme of events.

• Support the development of the Stronger Foundations toolkit to enable foundations to measure and strengthen their current practice and progress.

• Contribute to the production of ACF’s research output by providing accurate data and communications to increase members and external audiences’ awareness, and lead on small research projects to provide useful evidence for ACF’s work with and on behalf of foundations.

Engagement

• Work with the membership and communications teams to ensure policy matters are relayed accurately and timely.

• Assist in the development and delivery of in-person and virtual events, and brief speakers and delegates accordingly to ensure they run smoothly.

• Support engagement with the media to raise our profile by helping to coordinate our responses and draft high-level messages. 

• Support good internal communications to ensure that colleagues in other teams are aware of external affairs and policy activities.

• Attend external meetings to represent ACF where appropriate.

Additional information

 The above list is indicative only and not exhaustive. The senior policy and engagement officer will be expected to perform additional duties on an ad-hoc basis which are reasonably deemed to be within the scope of the role.

Person Specification

 Experience

• Demonstrable experience in a policy, advocacy or communications role, ideally within a civil society context

Knowledge

• Understanding of and interest in/commitment to the importance of the charity sector, and foundations’ role within it

• A strong interest in issues related to tackling climate change and the role of funders and civil society

Skills

• Developed ability to gather and research information from a broad range of sources, to interpret complex and technical information and to analyse data and evidence to inform policy

• Highly developed ability to multi task high level tasks and projects

• Developed communication skills

• Developed written skills

• Developed presentation skills

• Developed analytical ability

• IT skills including Office 365 [Desirable]

Personal attributes

• Logical thinking

• Time management

• Attention to detail

• Innovative

• Shows initiative

• Diplomatic

• Creative thinking

• Flexible

• Resilience

• Networking

• Passion for philanthropy

• Interpersonal skills and team player