Community Fundraising Executive

The Watercress Line is now looking to recruit an experienced Community Fundraising Executive. In this role, you will be responsible for supporting the fundraising strategy with executive action and targeted communications

As our Community Fundraising Executive, you will be organised, patient, collaborative and have a passion for making a difference in an exciting and varied role. You will be working as part of a small paid team and a large, dedicated volunteer base. You will have an eye for detail and a flair for getting the best out of people.

The Watercress Line works with different communities, each with their distinct motivations for giving. Locomotive, Railway, Local and Regional communities will be the focus of this role.

Responsibilities of the Community Fundraising Executive:

• On site and online fundraising asks - creating and maintaining the solicitation of the public
• Manage website donation asks and appropriate web pages
• Promotion at Watercress Line and local events, coordinating the attendance at local and onsite events and the provision of suitable and relevant materials
• Recruit, train and support volunteers to attend events
• Coordinating the Membership team, including continuous training and recruitment and retention of the Membership Administration Team and volunteer administrators
• Coordinating fundraising communications - reviewing and monitoring all communications to ensure that the charity status of the organisation is constantly referenced
• Generate content and create posts for social media including LinkedIn feed
• Promote community fundraising events across all channels
• Managing the donor database
• Events management
• Reporting and budget management

Required Competencies/Experience:

• Solid experience in a fundraising role
• Some experience of being a volunteer
• Experience of managing small events
• Ability to communicate effectively to a broad range of people with an understanding of the different communications channels appropriate to different generations and types of people
• Creative writing skills
• An aptitude to motivate and manage teams of volunteers
• The ability to manage information, keeping detailed records and making connections across information sources
• Excellent prioritisation skills with the ability to meet deadlines

We are a heritage steam railway operated by award-winning volunteers and supported by paid staff, bringing smiles to faces through the beautiful Hampshire countryside for 50 years.

We are traditional but innovative; respectful but challenging; slow-moving but fast-paced; friendly, intergenerational, real world and hands-on. We deliver social value to our volunteers and visitors; economic value to our region; and cultural value to the nation in the preservation of memories and skills of the heritage steam and diesel.