OLD FIRE STATION

Fundraising Manager Recruitment Pack

About Old Fire Station, Oxford

The Old Fire Station is a centre for creativity in Oxford housing three organisations: the homelessness charity Crisis, the Old Fire Station (OFS) and Damascus Rose Kitchen (DRK). We share our building.

OFS encourages people from all backgrounds to understand and shape the world in which we live through stories, creativity and the arts, and by connecting with others.

ART IS FOR EVERYONE. EVERYONE HAS POTENTIAL.

See our latest impact report here, and watch short videos about the OFS here and here.

Learn more about our projects Marmalade, Offbeat, Hidden Spire and Storytelling.

What we do

Produce and present across art forms

We want our reputation to be good-quality art, in person and online, which is aimed at adults, takes a risk, asks questions and entertains. We want our audiences to have fun and be open to new ideas and different people.

Help people to be creative

We want people to be able to write, sing, draw, devise, design, perform, move, make, imagine, play and create – physically and online – individually or with others and to a high standard. Creativity includes artistic practice but also extends to technology and science and imaginative thinking. We want people to tell their own stories using the medium that works best for them.

Support artists

We want early to mid-career artists from all disciplines to have access to the advice, networks and promotion they need to develop their practice as creatives and as facilitators of other people’s creativity.

Include people facing tough times because of disadvantage

We share our building with the homelessness charity, Crisis. Through this partnership, we offer people who are homeless space to define themselves and choose their own labels by including them in the running of the centre. We also seek to include others who are socially isolated and disadvantaged. We do not focus on homelessness. We focus on what people who face disadvantage can offer.

Work with communities across Oxford

With Crisis, we offer a public space which is shared by very different people and helps to break down barriers and promote solidarity in Oxford. We will also work through partnerships beyond our building with different communities around Oxford.

What we consider in everything we do

Be human friendly

This means working with others to

educate ourselves about healthy organisational culture and decision making

take practical steps to develop honest supportive relationships within our team, with our volunteers, our partners and funders and with the public

use our creativity to promote services founded on good quality relationships and learning

It also means having fun!

Experiment and Listen

To make great art and to achieve change we have to experiment and play.

This means taking risks, being prepared to fail and being able to adapt and respond. It also means listening carefully to those with whom we work (especially to dissent), reflecting deeply on what we do and how we do it, and measuring impact primarily through storytelling.

Build financial resilience

This means ensuring that we are here for the long term by diversifying income streams, securing core and project funding, developing the business, minimising expenditure whilst delivering our mission and maintaining appropriate levels of reserves. It also means ensuring that those we work with are properly paid to help them become financially resilient.

Unlearn Discrimination

This means working with others to

educate ourselves about racism and other forms of discrimination in cultural organisations (especially with regards to disability and class)

take practical steps to become more representative of diverse communities

use our creativity to explore diverse culture and challenge ignorance or abuse

Face the Climate Emergency

This means working with others to

educate ourselves about the emergency

take practical steps to reduce carbon emissions

use our creativity to help our community face the challenges ahead

How do we do it?

We do all this by focussing on:

good quality relationships

listening and learning

encouraging creativity and risk-taking

offering a public space which is welcoming to all

working collaboratively online, outside and elsewhere

Why is this needed?

Oxford is globally renowned for stunning heritage and outstanding research.

Oxford is also a place of disadvantage and inequality.

Oxford needs the Old Fire Station because it is about openness, inclusion, looking forward and different thinking.

The Old Fire Station acts as a bridge between sectors, organisations and people.

About the role

The person in this role will be an experienced fundraiser who enjoys both strategic and hands on work. You will take the lead on generating fundraising income, primarily through trusts and foundations, while also expanding the ambition of our individual donor programme and identifying new fundraising income streams. You will build on the strong foundations already in place, including our long-term relationships with major arts and social impact funders, and our loyal supporters. You will take the lead on stewarding these relationships while helping us diversify our funder portfolio, initiating and developing new relationships and opportunities. There may be opportunity to develop in the role and progress in the organisation as our fundraising expands.

It’s central to our practice to build and sustain high quality relationships, including with funders and partners. Alongside writing and speaking passionately and accurately about the fantastic work we're doing, you will contribute to setting the next phase of the organisation’s fundraising strategy, ensuring we continue to thrive over the medium and long term.

Contract: This role is offered on a 0.8 - 1.0 contract (4-5 days)

We will accept applications from candidates wishing to work less than full time if they can demonstrate that they can make the contribution we are seeking. Please indicate your preference in your application.

Subject to a 6-month probationary period.

Salary: £37,000-£42,000 (full-time) depending on experience, with opportunity to progress through the salary range

Benefits: Annual leave entitlement of 33 days (pro rata), including bank holidays Additional annual leave awarded for long service Free tickets to selected shows Birthday coffee and cake voucher Staff discount in the café A pension is offered to all employees

Line managed by: Chief Executive Officer

Line manages: Fundraising Administrator

Works closely with: OFS & Crisis colleagues, Board of Trustees, advocates and champions

Grant income, grant reporting, fundraising expenditure Budget responsibilities:

Key responsibilities

Key purpose

To develop and implement our fundraising strategy, generating income through strategic and long-term engagement with new and existing supporters, including trusts and foundations, Arts Council England (ACE), local authority, corporations and members of the public. To manage the Fundraising Administrator, who will provide communications and administrative support.

Develop and implement strategy

Supported by the CEO, take ownership of delivering, developing and monitoring fundraising activities in line with our fundraising strategy, helping to grow and diversify income across trusts and foundations, legacies, mass appeals, and individual giving

Write funding applications, reports and other relevant content

Develop cases for support, funding proposals and impact reports that demonstrate the difference the OFS makes, working closely with service delivery colleagues to understand this in depth

Manage and maintain the reporting schedule, updating and tracking deadlines for the team and writing reports for funders that clearly communicate impact

Collaborate with marketing colleagues to develop assets and digital campaigns to support fundraising appeals, including bi-annual crowdfunding campaigns.

Steward relationships with current supporters

Steward current relationships with Trusts and individuals to a high standard, reviewing and strengthening the OFS supporter journey

Support the Fundraising Administrator to increase support from individuals through a sustained strategy for low-level giving

Identify new funding opportunities

Build and maintain a clear prospect research and qualification process for major gifts and legacy giving, including plans for touchpoints and regular communications and meetings

Work closely with OFS staff to identify and develop fundable projects and funding opportunities

Help build a strong pipeline of prospective funders and develop tailored approaches for engagement with the support of the CEO.

Keep accurate and detailed records

Ensure compliance with funding and partnership agreements, Data Protection legislation and the Fundraising Code of Practice and keep up to date with developments in the fundraising sector, particularly in relation to best practice and compliance regulation

Assist with project budgets and financial projections and provide periodic updates on fundraising results, working closely with project managers

Provide inputs to reports for Board and Finance/Audit committee

Work with the finance team to improve and adhere to systems for managing and communicating relevant data (e.g. cashflow, grant monitoring data and requirements)

Selection criteria

If you have all or most of these, please apply:

Proven fundraising experience across multiple income streams, including trusts and foundations and/or ACE, individual donors, mass appeals and corporate giving

Track record of meeting fundraising targets in the charitable sector and an understanding of the relevant legislative and ethics frameworks within which we work

Excellent relationship building skills and the ability to build rapport with donors, prospects and colleagues

Experience using CRM systems and fundraising platforms

Excellent writing and communication skills

Experience of budget management, milestone monitoring and evaluation for grant reporting

Ability to identify strengths, listen to organisation priorities, and proactively seek out funding opportunities

Ability to manage competing priorities and work to deadlines

Energy and enthusiasm to develop a role in a small, evolving team

A willingness to take part in the day-to-day operations of the organisation to best support your colleagues when needed

Understanding of and commitment to the Old Fire Station’s aims and values

Working at the Old Fire Station

The role is offered at between 4-5 days a week, please specify your preference in your application form.

The post is offered on a permanent contract

The post is subject to a six month probationary period

Occasional evening and/or weekend work is required for specific events.

The OFS supports flexible working, including flexible hours to be negotiated and/or hybrid working.

As an equal opportunity employer, we recognise the diversity shortcomings of our industry and are committed to driving change and supporting employees to provide an inclusive workplace

We expect staff to have a commitment to unlearning discrimination in order to become a more inclusive organisation

We recognise the major impact that climate change is having on our world. We work as an organisation and with partners in the city towards a low-carbon sustainable Oxford. All staff are expected to share this responsibility and support this work.

The Old Fire Station requires an open, creative and flexible approach to the work. This job description is a guide to the nature of the work required. It is not fully comprehensive or restrictive. This job description will be reviewed with the post-holder annually

The post-holder will be expected to carry out the duties of this post in line with the Old Fire Station’s policies and procedures and in line with all relevant insurance, legal, health and safety obligations

How to apply and what to include

To apply, please send us your CV and complete the application form, which you can download from our website, to recruitment@oldfirestation.org.uk

If you require a printed copy of the application form, please email recruitment@oldfirestation.org.uk.

We recommend the software Speechify for reading aloud the job description and application form.

Application deadline: 5 July 2026 th

The interview process will take place on 15 or 16 July 2026th th

This role may be subject to a two stage interview process. The dates for round two will be confirmed after the first stage.

You are welcome to contact the team for an informal discussion in advance please email recruitment@oldfirestation.org.uk

We think it is important to hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds,

representative of our society, not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it enriches the arts for all and makes us stronger as a team.

We welcome and encourage applications from individuals with lived experience of discrimination and disadvantage due to class, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, neurodivergence, race and sexual orientation. Please tell us if you have this lived experience in your application. Based on this, if you meet the selection criteria, we are committed to offering you an interview.

We are keen to learn more about the barriers to inclusion and it would be really helpful if you could also fill in our demographics monitoring form. This is anonymous and is for us to assess how well we are doing in terms of attracting applications from people who experience discrimination.

OLD FIRE STATION

Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford, OX1 2AQ Registered charity number 1140525