Fundraising Officer

JOB DESCRIPTION

Fundraising Officer

Post Title:  Fundraising Officer

Contract Type:  Permanent

Hours:  Full Time 36 Hours per week

Salary Scale: £30,334 – £34,573 per annum (FTE), Scale Point 14-19

Location:  Circle Head Office, 18 West Pilton Place, Edinburgh

Hybrid Working Available:  This is an office based role with flexibility to work

from home in line organizational requirements and deadlines

Accountable to:  Chief Executive Officer

Driving Licence and Own Car Required: Not essential, but very beneficial

given the geographical spread of services and the requirement to spend time

in the projects.

Purpose of the Role
The  Fundraising  Officer  will  play  a  central  role  in  maximising  income  and  raising
awareness of Circle’s work supporting children and families across Scotland. This post
has three core functions:

•  To  increase  income  by  researching,  developing,  and  submitting  compelling

funding applications to charitable trusts and foundations.

•  Have  a  key  role  in  securing  significant  income  for  Circle  by  identifying,
developing,  and  submitting  high-quality  bids  and  tender  applications  to
statutory bodies, commissioning authorities, and large-scale funders.

•  To raise Circle’s profile by delivering high-quality communications and social

media content that engages supporters, funders, and the wider public.

The postholder will work closely with the CEO, Management Team, and colleagues
across  Circle  to  develop  new  fundraising  initiatives,  manage  existing  funder

relationships,  and  deliver  effective  communication  strategies  that  reflect  Circle’s
values and impact.

Key Responsibilities

1. Trusts and Foundations Fundraising
•  Develop and implement an ambitious trusts and foundations fundraising plan to

increase income for both project and core activities.

•  Research potential funding opportunities and maintain a pipeline of prospective

trusts and foundations aligned with Circle’s strategic priorities.

•  Prepare and submit high-quality written applications, proposals, and reports that

demonstrate Circle’s impact and value to funders.

•  Build and nurture long-term relationships with existing and potential funders,

ensuring timely stewardship, acknowledgement, and feedback.

•  Liaise closely with the CEO, Head of Operations, and Project Managers to gather

project information, data, case studies, and outcomes for use in funding
applications and impact reporting.

•  Monitor grant progress, ensuring compliance with funder requirements and

internal reporting deadlines.

•  Maintain comprehensive and accurate records of all fundraising activity using the

fundraising database, producing regular progress reports and performance
insights for the Management Team.

•  Contribute to the development and delivery of Circle’s wider Income Generation

Strategy and Action Plan.

2. Bid Development and Tender Writing
•

Identify, research, and assess tender opportunities, commissioned services, and
large-scale funding opportunities aligned with Circle’s strategic priorities.

•  Lead the development and submission of high-quality bids, tender applications,

and partnership proposals.

•  Coordinate the bid development process across departments, gathering

evidence, data, and operational insights from Project Managers and service
teams.

•  Develop compelling narratives that clearly articulate Circle’s impact, service

model, outcomes, and value for money.

•  Ensure all bids clearly demonstrate the organisation’s strengths in delivering

services for children and families.

•  Maintain a forward-looking pipeline of tender opportunities and funding

prospects.

•  Monitor procurement portals and funding platforms to identify relevant

opportunities.

•  Ensure bids meet all requirements, submission criteria, and deadlines.

3.  Internal Collaboration and Organisational Development
•  Work closely with staff across Circle’s projects to identify stories, data, and

outcomes that can be used for funding bids, communications, and campaigns.
•  Work with the Communications Officer to support a culture of fundraising and
communications engagement across the organisation, encouraging staff to
contribute ideas and stories.

•  Support staff training and awareness around the role of fundraising and

communications in achieving Circle’s mission.

•  Contribute to organisational planning, monitoring, and evaluation activities,

ensuring fundraising and communications priorities align with Circle’s overall
strategy.

4.. General and Administrative Duties
•  Attend regular supervision sessions, team meetings, management meetings, and

staff development days.

•  Ensure all work complies with relevant legislation and best practice, including
data protection, ethical fundraising standards, and safeguarding requirements.
•  Represent Circle at relevant external meetings, networks, and events as required.
•  Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be requested by the CEO or

Management Team.

•  Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and collaborative working culture within Circle.

This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended in response to
organisational needs. The postholder is expected to undertake any other duties
appropriate to the level and nature of the post.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

•  Proven experience of developing or contributing to successful tenders, bid,

trust and foundation funding applications.

•  Demonstrated ability to manage and maintain funder relationships.

•  Experience using fundraising or CRM databases to manage donor information

and reporting.

•  Ability to analyse and communicate complex data and information to varied

audiences to produce reports and other communication materials.’

•  Experience producing compelling written materials for different audiences,

including funders, supporters, and the public.

•  Strong IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and other packages

such as Canva, Power Bi, Salesforce

Desirable:

•  Knowledge of digital marketing, social media management, and website

content management systems.

•  Experience of fundraising in a charity or voluntary sector environment.
•  Experience of monitoring and evaluating project outcomes and

communicating impact.

•  Experience of working with vulnerable groups or within a social care or

community setting.

•  Knowledge of the Scottish charitable sector and current fundraising trends.

Skills and Abilities

•  Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to craft clear,

persuasive, and impactful narratives.

•  Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and

meet tight deadlines.

•  Analytical and strategic thinking skills to identify opportunities and overcome

challenges.

•  Ability to work collaboratively across teams and build positive working

relationships with colleagues and external partners.

•  Creative approach to storytelling and visual communications.
•  Confidence in managing social media channels and using analytics tools to

track performance.

•  Ability to work independently and take initiative while being an active

member of a team.

Attitudes and Values

•  Commitment to the vision, mission, and values of Circle.
•  Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and anti-oppressive practice.
•  Empathy and respect for the lived experiences of children and families

supported by Circle.

•  Proactive, positive, and flexible approach to work.
•  Willingness to learn, develop professionally, and adapt to changing

circumstances.

•  Passion for making a difference in the lives of children and families.