Job Description
About Us
Portobello Business Centre (PBC) is a not-for-profit organisation that helps people start, grow and scale successful businesses.
For 30 years, we have been committed to social mobility, inclusion and entrepreneurship and have supported thousands of businesses. Alumni include household names such as Charlie Bigham s, Innocent Drinks and Karen Millen, as well as countless sole traders and early-stage founders.
We are a small, ambitious, growing team working to deliver a new organisational strategy and expand our impact.
About You & The Role
You are a builder by temperament, who enjoys closing deals, developing relationships and creating meaningful social impact and demonstrates entrepreneurial behaviours. You would relish the responsibility of shaping and building PBC's first ever dedicated fundraising function.
You will be responsible for building a fundraising portfolio from the ground up, with limited existing donor relationships in place.
The primary focus of this role will be securing six-figure+ corporate partnerships and cultivating high-net-worth individual donors, alongside a smaller portfolio of trusts and foundations.
You want to make a tangible impact across London and the wider business community. You are comfortableemploying a broad range of fundraising disciplines and thrive in a strategic but relationship-led role.
You have a proven ability to build and sustain mutually beneficial relationships with high-net-worth individuals, local and national business communities, trusts and foundations, and other income-generating partners.
This is a strategic and operational position designed to secure our long-term sustainability, expand services and deepen impact across London and beyond. Working closely with the leadership team, you will identify and secure funding opportunities and develop strong, trusted relationships with key stakeholders.
While the postholder will be the organisation s sole fundraiser initially, there is clear potential to develop and lead a team as the function grows.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising Strategy Delivery: Take ownership of multi-year fundraising strategy working closely with the CEO and Board to diversify and increase revenue streams that support PBC s service expansion and reach.
Relationship Management: Research, identify and cultivate funding opportunities from companies and high-net-worth individuals, alongside trusts and foundations.
Trusts & Foundations: Oversee the grant pipeline, with external support for high-value applications and build relationships with decision-makers.
Develop Compelling Fundraising Material: Collaborate with CEO and wider team to evidence, quantify and articulate PBC s social value using data and storytelling to position PBC as a high-impact partner for donors and partners.
Performance Monitoring & Reporting: Track and evaluate fundraising performance against financial and operational targets. Provide regular updates to the CEO and Board, ensuring compliance with fundraising regulations, sector and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising best practices.
Proactive Self Starter: Though collaborative, you are motivated to build and maintain momentum, identify and create opportunities and take full ownership of projects from initial idea to delivery.
Commercial Development: Support development, sales and delivery of commercial income strategy, specifically helping to grow the paid membership scheme and securing sponsorship for commercial programmes and offers.
Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Fundraising Expertise: You will bring an established network of high-net-worth individuals, corporate contacts and/or philanthropic partners that you can activate in this role. You are comfortable with face-to-face donor stewardship with confidence to operate in high-net-worth and senior corporate networks, to build and maintain strategic relationships with corporate partners, align with their CSR/ESG goals and create reports to strengthen partnerships.
Partnership Development: Skilled in identifying, cultivating and managing a diverse portfolio of funding partners.
Corporate Fundraising: Demonstrable success in securing and managing four- to six-figure corporate charitable partnerships as a lead relationship manager.
Social Value and Impact: Ability to articulate social impact clearly using data and storytelling, and develop compelling cases for funders.
Financial and Data Skills: Proficiency in tracking, reporting and analysing fundraising performance, income pipelines and social impact data.
Communications: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience developing persuasive proposals and presentations.
Project Management: Can manage multiple projects and deadlines.
Networking: Ability to build and sustain warm, strategic networks across business, philanthropic and public-sector contexts.
Grant Management: Proven track record of overseeing successful grant applications and a strong understanding of grant-making processes.
Local Market Knowledge: Familiarity with commercial and philanthropic landscape of West and Central London (e.g., Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster) or other mixed-wealth London boroughs.
Personal Attributes
Passionate About Social Impact: Strong belief in PBC s mission and values and a commitment to creating measurable positive change.
Proactive and Adaptable: Highly motivated, able to work independently and take initiative in a small, fast-paced organisation with shifting priorities.
Collaborative: Works well with senior leadership and operational teams.
Learning Mindset: You bring a fearless, curious approach to expanding your understanding of new areas or developing into new disciplines.
