Senior Fundraising and Grants Manager

Salary: £46,812 (FTE)

Location: Hybrid – one day a week in the office if you are based in London, two days per month if based outside of London

Hours: 0.6 FTE – 21 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Applications close: 9:00am BST, 21st Sep 2026

About Runnymede Trust

The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading independent race equality think tank. For over 50 years, we have worked to challenge racial inequalities and create a more just and equitable society through high-quality research, evidence-based policy development, and public engagement.

Our work is grounded in the belief that racial justice is essential to a thriving democracy and a fair society. We work across a wide range of issues including education, employment, criminal justice, health, migration, housing, and economic inequality – centring the lived experiences and voices of racially minoritised communities throughout our work.

We combine rigorous research with advocacy, strategic partnerships, and influencing work to shape public debate and drive systemic change. Our work seeks not only to understand inequality, but to challenge the structures and systems that sustain it.

To support the delivery of our mission, we are guided by a set of core values that shape both our work and our culture:

• We’re uncompromising on quality and evidence – producing rigorous, credible work that drives informed debate and meaningful change.
• Our work is rooted in care – centring humanity, wellbeing, and respect in how we work with communities, partners, and each other.
• We believe in the power of solidarity – recognising that collective action and collaboration are essential to achieving racial justice.
• We are thoughtfully courageous – willing to challenge injustice, ask difficult questions, and speak truthfully with integrity and purpose.

As an organisation, we are committed to anti-racism, equity, collaboration, and intellectual integrity. We strive to create an inclusive and supportive working environment where colleagues are empowered to contribute, develop, and make meaningful impact.

About the role

This is a pivotal role that will help strengthen and diversify Runnymede’s income generation and fundraising capability.

Working closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team, the Senior Fundraising and Grants Manager will lead the development and delivery of a fundraising strategy that supports the organisation’s long-term sustainability and ambitions for impact. The role has been created to broaden fundraising responsibility across the organisation, reducing reliance on individual relationships and ensuring a more strategic, coordinated and sustainable approach to income generation.

The postholder will lead on identifying, securing and managing funding opportunities across a range of income streams, including trusts and foundations, appropriate corporate partnerships, consultancy opportunities, individual giving and high-net-worth Individuals.

They will work collaboratively with colleagues across research, policy, communications and operations to develop compelling funding propositions and ensure fundraising activity is aligned with organisational priorities.

The role is responsible for managing and nurturing relationships with existing funders, developing new funding opportunities, overseeing grant management and reporting processes, and ensuring the organisation maintains a strong funding pipeline. The successful candidate will also help build fundraising confidence and capability across the organisation, embedding a culture in which income generation is understood as a shared organisational responsibility.

The post holder would be a proactive and strategic fundraiser who combines strong bid writing and relationship management skills with the ability to identify opportunities, build partnerships and contribute to the long-term financial sustainability of a mission-driven organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Income Generation

• Lead the development and delivery of the organisation’s fundraising strategy, ensuring clear annual income targets and plans to achieve them.
• Work with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to identify income priorities, opportunities and risks.
• Support the diversification of income streams, with a particular focus on increasing unrestricted and core funding.
• Monitor fundraising performance and provide regular reporting on progress against targets.

Trusts, Foundations and Grant Fundraising

• Identify, develop and secure funding opportunities from trusts, foundations and other grant-making bodies.
• Lead the preparation and submission of high-quality funding applications, proposals and expressions of interest.
• Work with colleagues across the organisation to develop compelling funding propositions and project budgets.
• Maintain a strong pipeline of prospective funding opportunities.

Funder Stewardship and Grant Management

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective funders.
• Ensure all grant reporting requirements are met to a high standard and within agreed deadlines.
• Work with programme leads to monitor funded projects and gather evidence of impact.
• Support funder engagement activities, meetings and presentations.

Income Diversification and Development

• Develop and implement approaches to growing income from appropriate corporate partnerships, consultancy opportunities, high-net-worth individuals and individual giving.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships that align with the organisation’s values and mission.
• Design and implement donor engagement and stewardship activities to strengthen supporter relationships and increase retention.
• Assess and develop new fundraising opportunities that contribute to long-term organisational sustainability.

Systems, Monitoring and Organisational Capability

• Maintain and develop effective fundraising systems, processes and CRM usage across the organisation.
• Develop and maintain accurate funding pipeline and prospect management systems.
• Produce reports, forecasts and key performance indicators for the Senior Leadership Team, Board and relevant committees.
• Support colleagues to engage effectively in fundraising activity and contribute to a culture of shared responsibility for income generation.

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant experience of fundraising within the charity, not-for-profit or social impact sector, particularly unrestricted funding.
• Demonstrable experience of securing income from trusts, foundations and other grant- making bodies.
• Experience developing and submitting successful funding applications, proposals and expressions of interest.
• Experience managing funder relationships, including reporting, stewardship and grant management.
• Experience of optimising individual giving and developing and stewarding funding relationships with high-net-worth individuals.
• Experience developing and maintaining fundraising pipelines and prospect management systems.
• Experience working collaboratively with colleagues to develop funding propositions, budgets and impact reporting.
• Experience supporting organisational fundraising strategy and income diversification.

Skills

• Written communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling funding applications and reports.
• Relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple funding opportunities and deadlines.
• Ability to analyse information and translate organisational priorities into persuasive funding propositions.
• Ability to work independently and proactively while collaborating effectively with colleagues across the organisation.
• Attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records and reporting systems.
• Experience using CRM systems and fundraising databases.

Knowledge & Understanding

• Understanding of trust and foundation fundraising and the wider fundraising landscape.
• Understanding of effective grant management, monitoring and reporting processes.
• Understanding of income diversification strategies and sustainable fundraising approaches.
• Understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion principles and their application within fundraising practice.
• Commitment to the aims, values and mission of The Runnymede Trust.

Equity, Access & Inclusion

The Runnymede Trust is committed to creating an inclusive, equitable and supportive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As an organisation dedicated to racial justice and social equity, we recognise that a diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives strengthens our work, challenges our thinking and improves decision-making.

We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and racially minoritised communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, people with caring responsibilities, people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and others who are underrepresented within the charity, policy and research sectors. In our recruitment processes, we value the skills, knowledge, experience and perspectives that individuals can bring, particularly where these contribute to broadening representation and bringing insights that are not currently reflected within our organisation.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please let us know.

We recognise that candidates may not meet every requirement in the person specification. If you are excited by the role and believe you can make a strong contribution to our work, we encourage you to apply.

This job description provides an overview of the role and may evolve over time in line with organisational priorities.