Head of Fundraising and Communications

Clinks; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

Changing Tunes is seeking a Head of Fundraising and Communications in Bristol, offering a 0.6 FTE role (21 hours per week) with hybrid working arrangements. The postholder will lead fundraising and communications strategy, including donor stewardship and campaigns, and work closely with the CEO and Trustees to advance the charity’s mission.

The role requires significant fundraising experience, strategic planning, and strong leadership, with a focus on leveraging digital tools and AI-enabled

Qualifications

• Significant experience in charity fundraising.
• Experience of developing and delivering fundraising strategies.
• Experience of managing staff, volunteers or external partners.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an integrated fundraising and communications strategy.
• Lead annual fundraising planning and income forecasting.
• Establish and monitor KPIs and income targets.
• Provide regular reports to the CEO and Board of Trustees.
• Support organisational strategic planning and business development.
• Identify opportunities for income growth and diversification.
• Lead fundraising activity across the organisation.
• Drive growth in individual giving, trust and foundation income, legacy fundraising and other streams.
• Develop annual fundraising plans and campaigns.
• Monitor and manage fundraising pipelines and performance against targets.
• Lead large grant applications and multi-year applications.
• Work with the CEO on major donor and strategic funding opportunities.
• Ensure donor stewardship and retention practices.
• Lead the organisation's communications strategy.
• Oversee supporter communications, marketing campaigns, digital activity, media engagement and storytelling.
• Manage external communications providers.
• Line manage fundraising and communications staff.
• Support staff development and wellbeing.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Lead the adoption of AI-enabled tools, automation and digital systems.
• Identify opportunities to use technology to strengthen prospect research, donor stewardship, communications and reporting.
• Ensure ethical and responsible use of AI and supporter data.

Skills

Communication

Strategic planning

Data analysis

Leadership

Tools

AI tools

Job description

• Support staff development and wellbeing.

Person Specification

The Head of Fundraising and Communications is responsible for leading the development and delivery of an integrated fundraising and communications strategy that grows sustainable income, strengthens supporter engagement and increases the visibility and impact of the charity. The postholder will lead all fundraising activity, oversee communications and brand development, and ensure the organisation is making effective use of digital tools, data and AI-enabled systems to maximise fundraising performance and operational efficiency. As a member of the senior leadership team, the postholder will contribute to organisational planning, support the CEO and Trustees, and ensure fundraising and communications activities align with the charity's mission, values and strategic objectives. Reports to: CEO Location: Bristol / Hybrid (as agreed) Hours: 21 hours per week (0.6 FTE / 3 days per week) Salary: £33,000 per annum (equivalent to £55,000 FTE) Direct Reports: Individual Giving Manager, Grants Officer and Communications Officer (or equivalent support)

About Changing Tunes

Changing Tunes is a registered charity (no. 1144789) that uses music to unlock human potential and reduce reoffending, working in prison and post-release, as well as pupil referral units and children’s secure homes in the community. We started in 1987 when our founder took his guitar into HMP Bristol. He was inspired by his Christian values, wanting to reach out to those who had found themselves in prison. Changing Tunes now works in 18 locations across the England and Wales, from Stoke on Trent, through the Midlands and into the Southwest right down to the Isle of Wight, as well as having its own off shoot record label, Red Tangent Records. We offer a model of music and mentoring, which we continue to provide post-release. This work is delivered throughout the year by our musicians-in-residence. The effectiveness of our approach is evidenced in our reoffending rates, which are significantly below the national average.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement an integrated fundraising and communications strategy.
• Lead annual fundraising planning and income forecasting.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators and income targets.
• Provide regular reports to the CEO and Board of Trustees.
• Support organisational strategic planning and business development.
• Identify opportunities for income growth and diversification.

Fundraising Leadership

• Lead and oversee all fundraising activity across the organisation.
• Drive growth in individual giving, trust and foundation income, legacy fundraising and other appropriate income streams.
• Develop annual fundraising plans and campaigns.
• Monitor and manage fundraising pipelines and performance against agreed targets.
• Lead large grant applications and multi-year applications
• Work closely with the CEO on major donor, philanthropic and strategic funding opportunities.
• Ensure robust supporter stewardship and donor retention practices.

Communications and Brand

• Lead the organisation's communications strategy.
• Oversee supporter communications, marketing campaigns, digital activity, media engagement and storytelling.
• Manage organisational messaging and external communications providers.

Team Leadership

• Line manage fundraising and communications staff.
• Support staff development and wellbeing.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture.

Innovation, Digital and AI-enabled Working

• Lead the adoption of AI-enabled tools, automation and digital systems.
• Identify opportunities to use technology to strengthen prospect research, donor stewardship, communications and reporting.
• Ensure ethical and responsible use of AI and supporter data.

Person Specification

Essential Experience

• Significant experience in charity fundraising.
• Demonstrable success in securing income from multiple fundraising streams.
• Experience of developing and delivering fundraising strategies.
• Experience of managing staff, volunteers or external partners.

Essential Knowledge

• Individual giving and trust fundraising.
• Fundraising regulation, GDPR and data protection.
• AI, automation and digital tools.

Essential Skills

• Excellent communication skills.
• Strategic planning and organisational skills.
• Data analysis and performance management.
• Relationship-building and leadership skills.

Personal Qualities

• Strategic thinker.
• Innovative and solution-focused.
• Collaborative and adaptable.
• Committed to the organisation's mission and values.