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

FLexible Working: This is an office based role, with flexibility to work from

home in line with organisational requirements and deadlines

Accountable to:  Chief Executive Officer

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

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

projects

Purpose of the Role

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

•  To

increase

income  by  researching,  developing,  and  submitting
compelling  funding  applications  to  charitable  trusts  and  foundations,
grounded in a deep, first-hand understanding of Circle’s work.

•  To raise Circle’s profile by delivering high-quality communications and
social media content that authentically reflects the lived experiences of
children, families, and staff across Circle’s services.

Collaborating  closely  with  managers,  frontline  staff  and  where  appropriate,
engaging  with  families,
is  essential  to  develop  a  rich  and  authentic
understanding  of  Circle’s  work,  impact,  and  values.  Writing  strong  and

successful funding applications for Circle requires immersion in the work the
charity undertakes with children and families, and a high level of curiosity, and
relationship-building. Funding applications, reports, and communications must
be informed by direct engagement with projects and practice, ensuring they
are not written in isolation or without meaningful understanding of the services
being delivered and the families being supported.

The  postholder  will  work  closely  with  the  CEO,  Management  Team,  and
colleagues  across  Circle’s  projects  to  develop  new  fundraising  initiatives,
manage  existing  funder  relationships,  and  deliver  communication  strategies
that genuinely reflect Circle’s practice 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.

•  Maintain a strong on-the-ground presence within Circle’s projects,

regularly spending time with Project Managers, frontline staff, and, where
appropriate, families, to ensure a deep understanding of service delivery
and outcomes.

•  Research potential funding opportunities and maintain a pipeline of

prospective trusts and foundations aligned with Circle’s strategic priorities
and current project activity.

•  Prepare and submit high-quality written funding applications, proposals,
and reports that are rooted in first-hand knowledge of Circle’s projects,
outcomes, and lived experience.

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

funders, ensuring timely stewardship, acknowledgement, and meaningful
feedback.

•  Liaise closely and continuously with the CEO, Head of Operations, and

Project Managers to gather qualitative and quantitative information, case
studies, and learning for use in funding applications and impact reporting.

•  Ensure families’ voices and experiences are represented ethically,

accurately, and sensitively within funding applications and reports, in line
with safeguarding and data protection requirements.

•  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.

2. Communications and Marketing

•  Support the CEO and Management Team in implementing Circle’s
Communications and Marketing Strategy to raise awareness and
engagement.

•  Develop communications and marketing content that is informed by
direct engagement with projects, drawing on real stories, outcomes,
and insights gathered through time spent with staff and families.
•  Coordinate the production of Circle’s quarterly newsletters, annual
reports, case studies, and other publications, ensuring consistent
branding, tone, and authenticity.

•  Work collaboratively with the Events and Communications Officer to
ensure consistent messaging across campaigns, fundraising events,
and public communications and social media.

•  Manage the external communications calendar, ensuring a planned

and initiative-taking approach to digital and print communications that
reflects current project activity.

3. Internal Collaboration and Organisational Development

•  Work closely and proactively with staff across Circle’s projects,

spending time within services to identify stories, data, learning, and
outcomes that can be used for funding bids, communications, and
campaigns.

•  Build trusted, respectful relationships with Project Managers and
frontline teams, ensuring fundraising and communications are
informed by practice reality and organisational learning.

•  Promote a culture of fundraising and communications engagement

across the organisation, encouraging staff to contribute ideas, insights,
and stories.

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

communications in achieving Circle’s mission, helping colleagues
understand how their work contributes to income generation.

Contribute to organisational planning, monitoring, and evaluation activities,
ensuring fundraising and communications priorities align with Circle’s overall
strategy and service delivery.

4. General and Administrative Duties

•  Attend  regular  supervision  sessions,  team  meetings,  management
meetings, project meetings, and staff development days, including time
spent within project settings.

•  Ensure  all  work  complies  with  relevant  legislation  and  best  practice,
fundraising  standards,  and

including  data  protection,  ethical
safeguarding requirements.

•  Represent Circle at relevant external meetings, networks, and events as

required.

•  Undertake any other duties  as  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 trust

and foundation funding applications, informed by close engagement
with service delivery and colleagues.

•  Demonstrated ability to manage and maintain funder relationships.
•  Experience of collaborating closely with colleagues across different

roles to gather information, insight, and evidence for funding
applications and reports.

•  Experience using fundraising or CRM databases to manage donor

information and reporting.

•  Ability to analyse and communicate complex data and lived

experience to varied audiences.

•  Experience producing compelling written materials grounded in real

practice for 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 directly 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 authentic narratives grounded in lived experience.
•  Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities

and meet tight deadlines.

•  Willingness and ability to work in a hands-on, relational way, spending
regular time within project settings and building trusted relationships
across the organisation.

•  Analytical and strategic thinking skills to identify opportunities and

overcome challenges.

•  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 remaining a

visible, collaborative member of the 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.

•  Hands-on, proactive, and relational 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.