Fundraising Consultant (Trusts, Foundations, and Grants)

Fundraising Consultant (Trusts, Foundations, and Grants)

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Senior Project Manager - BrainWaves (University of Oxford)/ Operations Director at The Day

BrainWaves (www.brainwaveshub.org) is a newly established and innovative charity dedicated to addressing the growing mental health crisis among young people, particularly adolescents. Led by a group of academics, educationalists, and philanthropists, our core mission is to transform adolescent mental health and wellbeing through evidence-based research and educational resources.

We aim to achieve this by:

• Aiding researchers to discover more about the adolescent brain through the creation of a unique, long-term research platform and one of the largest-ever cohort studies of adolescents. This will provide vital data assets for scientists in the UK and globally to gain new insights into prevention and treatment.
• Equipping schools and educational professionals with evidence-based resources to effectively care for young people's wellbeing. This includes developing and refining cutting-edge educational materials for the classroom and providing staff development in mental health and wellbeing.
• Supporting young people to better understand their own wellbeing and mental health , empowering them with mental health literacy, tools for improved personal decision-making, and strategies to build resilience.

The Opportunity

BrainWaves has been run successfully over the last 3 years as a project led by the University of Oxford, Swansea University, and The Day. Due to its success, BrainWaves has now been registered as a charity. This creates an opportunity to explore new fundraising avenues that have previously been unavailable. We're looking for a highly motivated and experienced Fundraising Consultant to help us strategically build and manage our trusts, foundations, and grants fundraising efforts. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of our funding strategy and contribute significantly to our mission. You'll work closely with the COO as well as two other external consultants: one who specialises in HNW and philanthropic fundraising, and another focused on high-end fundraising events. This collaborative approach will ensure a holistic and integrated fundraising strategy.

BrainWaves (www.brainwaveshub.org) is a newly established and innovative charity dedicated to addressing the growing mental health crisis among young people, particularly adolescents. Led by a group of academics, educationalists, and philanthropists, our core mission is to transform adolescent mental health and wellbeing through evidence-based research and educational resources.

We aim to achieve this by:

• Aiding researchers to discover more about the adolescent brain through the creation of a unique, long-term research platform and one of the largest-ever cohort studies of adolescents. This will provide vital data assets for scientists in the UK and globally to gain new insights into prevention and treatment.
• Equipping schools and educational professionals with evidence-based resources to effectively care for young people's wellbeing. This includes developing and refining cutting-edge educational materials for the classroom and providing staff development in mental health and wellbeing.
• Supporting young people to better understand their own wellbeing and mental health , empowering them with mental health literacy, tools for improved personal decision-making, and strategies to build resilience.

The Opportunity

BrainWaves has been run successfully over the last 3 years as a project led by the University of Oxford, Swansea University, and The Day. Due to its success, BrainWaves has now been registered as a charity. This creates an opportunity to explore new fundraising avenues that have previously been unavailable. We're looking for a highly motivated and experienced Fundraising Consultant to help us strategically build and manage our trusts, foundations, and grants fundraising efforts. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of our funding strategy and contribute significantly to our mission. You'll work closely with the COO as well as two other external consultants: one who specialises in HNW and philanthropic fundraising, and another focused on high-end fundraising events. This collaborative approach will ensure a holistic and integrated fundraising strategy.

The successful consultant will be responsible for the following:

• Pipeline Development: Research, identify, and qualify a robust pipeline of prospective trusts, foundations, and grant-making bodies whose priorities align with BrainWaves' mission and projects.
• Case for Support Refinement: Review and adapt BrainWaves' existing case for support to resonate effectively with the specific requirements and interests of trusts, foundations, and grant funders. This may involve tailoring language, highlighting impact metrics, and framing projects in a way that appeals to institutional donors.
• Grant Application Management: Proactively manage the end-to-end grant application process, including:
• Writing compelling, well-researched, and persuasive grant proposals.
• Developing project budgets in collaboration with the BrainWaves team.
• Ensuring all application requirements are met and deadlines are adhered to.
• Submitting applications in a timely manner.
• Relationship Building (as appropriate): Advise on and, where appropriate, support the initial cultivation of relationships with potential funders.
• Reporting & Strategy: Provide regular updates on pipeline progress, application status, and successful outcomes. Contribute to the development of a sustainable long-term trusts and foundations fundraising strategy, ensuring it integrates with other fundraising streams.
• Compliance: Ensure all fundraising activities adhere to relevant charity regulations and best practices.

• Proven track record of successful trusts, foundations, and grants fundraising.
• Demonstrable experience in building and managing a robust fundraising pipeline.
• Exceptional proposal writing and communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex projects clearly and persuasively.
• Strong research skills to identify suitable funding opportunities.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills , with the ability to manage multiple applications simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Understanding of charity governance and fundraising regulations.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with a small, dedicated team and external consultants.
• Familiarity with the educational/health/research sector is desirable but not essential.

This is a freelance consultancy role, with the exact time commitment and duration to be agreed upon based on project scope and deliverables. We anticipate a need for more days at the start of the contract, with agreed upon days for management going forward. A guideline is 2-3 days pw initially, moving to 1-2 days pw.

Location

Remote, with occasional meetings (virtual or in-person if feasible and agreed upon) with the BrainWaves team, other consultants, trustees or donors.

Competitive freelance day rate or project fee, dependent on experience and agreed scope of work. Please indicate your preferred fee structure in your application.

• Please submit your CV , a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and why you are a good fit for BrainWaves, and your proposed daily rate/project fee to Natalie Coles (natalie.coles@brainwaveshub.org) by 25 July 2025. Please also include examples of successful grant applications (redacted if necessary for confidentiality) or an example piece of writing, demonstrating your grant writing skills.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Part-time

Job function

• Job function

  Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing

• Industries

  Research

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