FOUNDATIONS EXECUTIVE  

Duration: Permanent  

Salary: circa £31,500 per annum 

Hours: 35 hours per week. Other flexible arrangements will be considered 

Disclosure Level: Basic - This role involves no direct or indirect work with children  

Team: Foundation Partnerships 

Reports to: Head of Private Foundations  

Location: Working from home and at 1 Westfield Avenue, London E20 1HZ  

At the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), we pull together to achieve the best possible results for children in danger around the world.  We believe in an inclusive workplace and in the power of fulfilled colleagues who share the same values and goals, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.   

Our work is guided by the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which recognise the universality of children’s rights. 

ABOUT THE TEAM  

The Partnerships and Philanthropy department encompasses the Foundations, Corporate, and Philanthropy teams. The Foundations Executive works in the Foundation Partnerships team; a high-performing, ambitious and supportive team of nine people that sits within the wider Partnerships and Philanthropy department. 

The Foundation Partnerships team’s purpose is to build and nurture strategic partnerships to realise their full potential. The team has experienced exciting success and growth and has ambitions to continue to grow over the coming five years. This role will be key to enabling the team to achieve even greater results for children.  

ABOUT THE ROLE 

The Foundations Executive is a key role within the Foundation Partnerships team, working to maximise income for UNICEF’s work for children through managing a portfolio of donors and prospects and supporting the wider team on key partnerships. This role will build and nurture relationships with UK-based trusts and foundations, with individual responsibility of a portfolio of predominantly four and five-figure donors, embedding these important ongoing donors into the UNICEF UK family and actively seeking out and identifying new potential donors. 

As well as providing an exceptionally high level of personalised donor care to these trusts and foundations, you will also provide essential support to the Foundation Partnerships team through writing proposals, preparing narrative and financial reports for the team and supporting other keyworkers on partnerships as needed. 

What we will expect you to achieve 

• Manage a caseload of predominantly four and five-figure trusts and foundations, including the team’s portfolio of small and medium trust supporters, and take ownership for income targets within your caseload.  

• Secure new funding for UNICEF through building partnerships with prospective trust and foundation donors, actively taking on new prospects and taking part in peer review and leadership-related activity as appropriate 

• Provide the highest level of donor care, including through bespoke and creative stewardship for existing supporters and developing genuine face-to-face relationships. 

• Support the team’s Emergencies Lead to coordinate the Foundation team’s response to humanitarian emergencies, as needed. 

• Work closely with IPE and Finance to ensure that funds are transferred in a timely way to UNICEF’s offices around the world. 

• Contribute to the development and implementation of Foundation Partnerships team operational plans and strategies, and actively input into team meetings. 

• Ensure that all donor records are kept fully up to date, as needed. 

• Represent UNICEF UK and the Foundation Partnerships team at peer networking meetings, and others as needed. 

• Demonstrate and model a commitment to our shared values, behaviours and inclusive practices (known as Our Shared Commitment) in all aspects of your work. 

BEHAVIOURS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS 

This section contains the essential behaviours, experience, knowledge and skills needed in order to be effective and successful in this role. All criteria in this section are essential. 

Effective behaviours 

Supporter driven and mission aligned.  

• Is committed to children and their rights and motivated to work towards achieving a world that is fit for every child.     

Results Focused  

• Take ownership for work and focus on key outcomes when under pressure.  

Communication  

• Present information in suitable formats for donors, including on the telephone and face-to-face.  

Positive Relationships  

• Actively support team colleagues and develop excellent relationships with other departments.  

Efficiency and Effectiveness  

• Manage conflicting priorities and demands within a busy, fast paced team; negotiate with colleagues to ensure deadlines are met, or difficulties flagged in advance. 

   

Relevant Experience  

• Experience of successfully raising funding from trusts, foundations and/or institutional donors, including through face-to-face negotiations, on the phone, and in writing.  

• Experience of using research mechanisms for identifying trusts and foundations, high value donors or equivalent.  

• Experience of producing a range of communications, written and verbal for trusts and foundations, high value donors or equivalent.