Whizz Kidz: The facts

Over 75,000 young people aren’t getting the wheelchair or support that fully meets their needs.

Without the ability to be independent young wheelchair users are restricted in their ability to socialise and participate in society.

We’re here to change that.

As the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users (9 months -25 years old), we empower young people by providing the wheelchairs, equipment, support and confidence-building experiences they need, and campaigning for a more inclusive society.

And we won’t stop until they are mobile, enabled and included.

The Fundraising and communications team at Whizz Kidz raises around 95% of the income to fund the work of the charity and supports the generation of funds through on and offline publications, develops our social media and website presence and leads on PR activities.

Our vision

A society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included.

Our values

We are young people focused, ambitious, collaborative and inclusive.

Job summary

Whizz Kidz is transforming. It is an exciting time to join us and lead and shape the ideas, vision and work of our Corporate Fundraising team. This pivotal role will develop and deliver significant relationships with companies large and small - working closely with our service teams as well as the fundraising and marcoms team and SMT. You will enhance and expand relationships with current supporters, create compelling funding proposals which will inspire fundraising and lead a team of 3 across all areas of corporate fundraising. You will also lead on the relationship management of our largest corporate partners managing detailed reporting, financial monitoring and delivering excellent account management to maximise the potential of these significant long-term funding relationships helping to build the Whizz Kidz brand, grow influence and drive income.

The person

As the Whizz Kidz Head of Partnerships you will get into the heart of the organisation and use your passion, experience and skills to identify and lead innovative and insightful new business approaches and an excellent standard of account management. You will have experience identifying, wining and managing partnerships both large and small including more strategic multiyear relationships. You will have outstanding writing and presentation skills, with an excellent eye for detail. You will want to play a vital role within the fundraising and marcomms team helping to create a strong team spirit and high performing team that is delivering against financial targets, proactively supporting efforts to unlock income in support of young people in wheelchairs and their families.

Key accountabilities

• Devise and implement a strategy to optimise fundraising from companies large and small.

• Set an annual budget and regularly monitor and track income, forecasts and reforecasts to determine realistic corporate activity and to achieve annual team income targets.

• Manage members of the Corporate fundraising Team to meet the annual work plan objectives and targets.

• Play a pivotal role in the fundraising leadership team.

• To achieve agreed income targets from current and new supporters, with a focus on large corporate multiyear partnerships.

• To research, network and develop relationships with new key companies with a view to securing their long-term support; this will involve face to face meetings and the creation of inspiring presentations.

• To ensure that all funders where appropriate receive financial and written updates and progress reports, both verbal and written, using the monitoring information garnered by colleagues in the Young People’s Team, Communications Team, Finance Team, and Children’s Services Team.

• To work with the Finance Team to ensure that accurate proposal budgets are created and to ensure that donations are accurately coded and used to fund the projects or activities that they were raised for in a timely fashion.

• To build strong internal working relationships with colleagues to facilitate the gathering of information for updates and in order to frame new funding proposals in line with the charity’s aims and objectives.

• To manage and develop the skills and capabilities of all members of the Corporate Fundraising team, ensuring they receive the support and supervision they need to fulfil team and individual performance objectives.

• To maintain accurate and up-to-date records on Raiser’s Edge.

• Lead on managing the team’s prospect research process, using Raisers’ Edge to accurately monitor the impact of prospect research on income received from companies..

The post holder will also

• Work within all policies, procedures and budgets set by Whizz Kidz.

• Act at all times in the best interest of Whizz Kidz.

• Form effective working relationships with all colleagues members, volunteers and outside organisations as appropriate.

• Take responsibility for ensuring that the policies and procedures relating to Health & Safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times.

• Respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means in line with the Data Protection Act.

• Not disclose to an unauthorised person any confidential information acquired through official duties unless they have received official permission to do so.

The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be expected within the scope and job rank of the post.

Please note: This post is subject to a Basic level DBS Disclosure, which will be sought prior to the confirmation of a job offer.

Person specification

Skills and knowledge

• Excellent communication skills

• A team player with a confident manner who can develop effective relationships both internally and externally

• Strong innovation and creative skills

• Well organised and excellent attention to detail

• Proactive

• Good level of computer literacy, including databases

• Ability to work unsupervised

• Highly motivated, positive and studious

• Good negotiation skills; the ability to challenge colleagues effectively in order to achieve the best outcome for Whizz Kidz

Experience

• Experience of operating successfully in Senior Corporate Fundraising role in medium organisations

• Comprehensive Corporate fundraising experience (experience of raising funds from large and small companies including multiyear partnerships)

• Staff management experience

• Experience of creating successful proposals for new or innovative projects

• Experience of raising multi-year donations from companies.

• Experience of leveraging networking opportunities and having strong relationship management skills.

• A detailed knowledge of fundraising and changing trends in the funding environment

• Experience of formal report writing

• A positive ‘can-do’ attitude and the ability to work on own initiative with limited supervision

• Able to work flexibly and creatively to respond to the emerging needs

• Strong decision making skills

Personal qualities

• Alignment with our values – young people focused, ambitious, inclusive and collaborative

• Passionate about supporting young wheelchair users and creating societal change

• The ability to enthuse and engage others in the potential benefits of an engaging project

• An unbounded curiosity for exceptional customer service and improving performance

• Goals driven and creative problem solver

A Few Perks

The wellbeing of our colleagues is of paramount importance to our success as an organisation, and we want to ensure that our benefits package provides for everyone!

Annual leave: 25 days of annual leave per annum plus Bank Holiday (pro-rata for part time colleagues).

Christmas closure: In addition to annual leave, employees get three days of paid Christmas leave.

Cycle to Work: This is salary sacrifice scheme provided by Cycle Scheme Ltd (part of Black Hawk), which allows you to purchase a bicycle up to the value of £1,000, saving tax and NI.

Maternity, paternity, adoption and surrogacy: Upon completing 1 years’ service by the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC), or Expected Date of Placement (EDP) in the case of Adoption or Surrogacy, anyone on maternity leave will receive 8 weeks full pay (inclusive of statutory pay) and a return-to-work payment of 4 weeks full pay after six months of having returned to work. Anyone on paternity leave will receive 4 weeks full pay (inclusive of statutory pay).

Pension: Automatic enrolment for all colleagues with the option to opt out. Contributions of 5% gross salary made by both Whizz Kidz and employees. We will match higher contributions of up to 6% of gross basic salary.

Simple Health: Automatic enrolment in a fully paid for cash plan that assists you with everyday health costs. This scheme is also available to your families for an extra charge.

Season ticket loan: An interest free loan of up to £5,000 following the successful completion of the Probationary Period.

Wellness Days: Two days per calendar year for employees to take off for any reason that you chose.

You can find out more about our perks at:

Whizz Kidz.org.uk/charity/careers