BrainWaves
Fundraising Manager
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Fundraising Manager
Location: Remote, with occasional meetings and events in Oxford and London
Hours: 0.8 FTE / four days per week. Full-time working may be considered for the right candidate.
Salary: £43,000 FTE (£34,400 at 0.8 FTE), with flexibility up to £45,000 FTE (£36,000 at 0.8 FTE) for an exceptional candidate
Contract: Permanent
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Line management: None initially
About BrainWaves Research
BrainWaves Research is a charity working to improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing through research, education and collaboration.
We bring together scientists, educators, schools and young people to build a stronger understanding of adolescent mental health and translate evidence into practical support. Our work combines a major longitudinal research study with evidence-based educational resources for schools.
BrainWaves is a long-term collaboration involving the University of Oxford, Swansea University and The Day News & Media. We are entering an exciting stage of growth and are looking for a proactive and versatile Fundraising Manager to help secure the sustainable income needed to achieve our ambitions.
The opportunity
You will lead the day-to-day delivery of fundraising across trusts and foundations, major donors, corporate partnerships and individual giving, developing new opportunities as well as managing and growing existing relationships.
The role may particularly suit someone with strong experience in one area – most likely trusts and foundations or high-value giving – who is ready to broaden their expertise across a mixed portfolio.
You will work particularly closely with our fractional Fundraising Director, who will provide strategic direction and support, as well as experienced specialists in major gifts and events, senior volunteers and colleagues across BrainWaves.
This is a hands-on role with significant autonomy. We are looking for someone proactive, ambitious and organised who enjoys turning strategy into action, building relationships, improving systems and hitting targets. Above all, you will be passionate about our mission to improve young people’s mental health.
Key responsibilities
Fundraising and income growth
- Work with the Fundraising Director and COO to deliver BrainWaves’ fundraising strategy and annual income plan.
- Manage and grow a pipeline across trusts and foundations, major donors, corporates and individual giving.
- Research and develop new prospects, partnerships and sustainable income opportunities.
- Prepare compelling cases for support, grant applications, proposals, presentations and donor communications.
- Take ownership of agreed income targets, deadlines and activity plans, monitoring performance and forecasting income.
- Manage funder and supporter relationships from initial approach through to reporting and stewardship.
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Major donors, corporates and supporters
- Work with the Fundraising Director, trustees, senior volunteers and specialist advisers to identify, cultivate and steward high-value prospects.
- Build relationships with companies whose values and interests align with BrainWaves and develop appropriate partnership opportunities.
- Help develop our individual-giving programme, including appeals, regular giving and supporter journeys.
- Manage and improve our use of JustGiving and other digital fundraising platforms.
- Support donor and cultivation events, including prospect identification, communications and follow-up.
CRM, data and fundraising operations
- Take day-to-day ownership of BrainWaves’ CRM, ensuring supporter, prospect, donation and relationship records are accurate and up to date.
- Improve how the CRM is used for pipeline management, reporting, segmentation, stewardship and task management.
- Establish clear and consistent processes for recording and using fundraising information.
- Produce regular pipeline, income and forecasting reports and use data to identify opportunities, gaps and risks.
- Ensure information from JustGiving and other platforms is captured and followed up appropriately.
- Maintain high standards of data protection, fundraising compliance and data quality.
Collaborative working
- Work closely with the Fundraising Director and experienced freelance specialists in fundraising strategy, major gifts and events.
- Collaborate with colleagues across communications, research and operations to develop strong fundraising propositions and materials.
- Support trustees and senior volunteers in their fundraising activity.
- Attend occasional meetings and events, primarily in Oxford and London.
About you
You will be a confident and proactive fundraiser with strong experience in at least one income stream and an appetite to broaden your expertise.
You will be a persuasive communicator and excellent relationship builder, comfortable managing multiple prospects, deadlines and priorities. You will enjoy working in a small, evolving organisation where initiative is valued and will be effective working independently from home while staying closely connected to the wider team.
Most importantly, you will be motivated by ambitious targets and genuinely excited by BrainWaves’ mission.
Essential experience and skills
- Experience of securing income within a charity, university, research institution or other purpose-led organisation.
- Strong experience in at least one fundraising stream, such as trusts and foundations, major donors, corporates or individual giving.
- Evidence of meeting fundraising targets or contributing significantly to income growth.
- Experience of managing prospects from research and qualification through to solicitation and stewardship.
- Excellent written skills, including producing persuasive applications, proposals and donor communications.
- Strong relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills.
- Ability to understand complex information and turn it into a clear and compelling case for support.
- Experience of using a fundraising CRM to manage pipelines, records and reporting.
- Excellent organisation, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- A proactive, resourceful and collaborative approach.
- A genuine commitment to BrainWaves’ purpose.
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Desirable experience
- Experience across more than one fundraising income stream.
- Trusts and foundations and/or major donor fundraising experience.
- Experience of corporate partnerships.
- Experience of using and improving a CRM, particularly Beacon or a similar system.
- Experience of JustGiving or similar digital fundraising platforms.
- Experience of fundraising for mental health, young people, education, science, health or research.
- Knowledge of fundraising regulation and data protection.
- Experience of donor cultivation or fundraising events.
What we offer
- The opportunity to shape and grow fundraising within an ambitious charity.
- Close working with an experienced Fundraising Director and senior fundraising specialists.
- Significant autonomy and the opportunity to broaden your fundraising experience.
- Meaningful work supporting research and education focused on adolescent mental health.
- A flexible, predominantly home-based role.
- 25 days’ annual leave pro rata.
- Auto-enrolment into our pension scheme after successful completion of a three-month probation period.
- Reasonable travel expenses for required meetings and events.
How to apply
Please submit:
- Your CV.
- A supporting statement of no more than two pages or 1,000 words, explaining your interest in the role and how your experience meets the essential criteria.
- Details of two referees, who will only be contacted following a conditional offer.
Please send your application to careers@brainwaveshub.org by 10am on 7 September 2026.
First-stage interviews are expected to take place during the week of 14 September.
Please state whether you would prefer to work four days per week or be considered for a full-time appointment.
No agencies please.
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