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 THE HISTORIC TOWNS TRUST IS LOOKING FOR A DEVELOPMENT MANAGER —

A NEW POST TO START UP, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT ITS

FUNDRAISING AND OUTREACH STRATEGY

 

 

Salary: in the region of £42,000 to £45,000 plus benefits

Contract: three years with the possibility of extension

Location: initially working from home

 

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The following details can also be downloaded as a PDF from the following web page: www.historictownstrust.uk/about/support-us

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What we are

The Historic Towns Trust is a charity which is the leading creator of historical atlases and maps of the towns of Great Britain.  Researched and produced to the highest scholarly standards as part of an international programme, they promote an understanding of our shared urban past.

 

The Trust researches and publishes volumes of the British Historic Towns Atlas, and sheet maps in the Town & City Historical Maps series. Details of both these series can be found on this website. It has an educational remit and is developing materials for use in schools. The Trust’s publications explain in maps and text the topographic development of our historic urban areas. Used widely by all who have an interest in the history of towns and cities, by local authorities and developers, and in schools, universities and community organisations, they also support the growth of tourism, recreation and the creative industries. By explaining the way that towns have developed, our publications reveal the historical and spatial awareness essential for combining sustainable preservation with effective urban regeneration.

 

Since its foundation more than fifty years ago, we have published atlas volumes covering eighteen towns, and historical sheet maps of thirteen places. Recent projects include:

• An historical atlas of Oxford

• A map of medieval London

• An historical map of Coventry, as part of its status as UK City of Culture 2021

 

We are currently working on projects in Bath, Cambridge, Canterbury, Perth, Ripon and Swansea & Mumbles. Each of these projects is at a different stage of development, and we have some ambitious additional projects lined up for the future.

 

Who we are

We are a friendly, Trustee-led organisation, run in a collegial and collaborative environment. Reporting to a board, our volunteer Trustees are divided into three committees which run the content, outreach and fundraising aspects of our work. The day-to-day running is overseen by an Executive Steering Committee of Trustees. Trustees are supported by a Cartographic Editor who also helps to manage and administer projects and the wider Trust. We operate throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

 

Almost all our projects are run in partnership with local organisations — typically historical, civic or archaeological societies.  The production of our publications depends on the enthusiasm and expertise of local supporters in the town who provide the research and input to the content, and provide much of the funding for each project.

 

How the HTT is funded

The Historic Towns Trust’s work is currently funded from a small endowment which is invested to produce an income. Although the income pays for some of the ongoing administration and project management of the Trust, each of the projects that we undertake has to be fully funded for it to proceed. Following a start-up contribution from the Trust, the money to pay for each project is raised locally by a partner team in the town which is being published.  Net proceeds from sales are usually shared with those partners.  The Trust has been successful in attracting support from other charitable trusts and also recently from a personal donation, but there is an urgent need for a considerable expansion in such funding, and the long-term future of the Trust is likely to be secured by building a much larger core endowment.

 

The future

Following an extensive review of the direction of the Trust, we have produced a plan stating our future ambitions. It is published in full on our website as the Case for Support (www.historictownstrust.uk/about/support-us). We have been guided through its creation by an experienced fundraising consultant, who will also be available to support the development manager in the first year or so. In summary: we seek to expand the number and geographical coverage of our publications; to extend the relevance of our publications; and to much extend our educational outreach. To achieve our ambitions, we need to raise the funds.

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We now seek an experienced Development Manager to help the Trustees achieve the challenging but realistic financial targets that will transform our impact. 

The role is to help the HTT’s team build on existing fundraising efforts to increase its core funding considerably. We want to expand our base of donors and sponsors, working collaboratively with existing local funding supporters in different parts of the country, but above all trying to find new donors, and raise the bar on our fundraising efforts.

 

What the role will entail

The focus of the job will be on delivering the programme outlined in our Case for Support.

 

Initially this will require working with our fundraising consultant to develop a fundraising strategy for the HTT. The strategy, and the subsequent work of the Development Manager to give effect to it, will focus on cultivating mid-level and major donor and sponsor prospects in order to:

1. raise money to so that its invested income supports our expanded work programme

2. raise funds for other projects, especially those which will result in expanding our educational outreach

3. advise the groups who raise funds locally for their projects on fundraising strategies and good and effective practice.

 

The job will also involve organising face-to-face cultivation events for supporters and presenting our projects to different audiences. The postholder will be expected to contribute to discussions about policy that will help in setting priorities for different projects.

 

A detailed list of responsibilities appears at the end of this document. Trustees will be happy to explain any aspect of the job requirement, and the postholder will receive a full induction into the work of the HTT and will be provided with any training necessary to fulfil the post.

 

The post

Contract: three years, with the possibility of extension, beginning with a probation period of six months. Fundraising targets will be set in discussion between the successful postholder and the Trustees initially covering Year One, with outline targets set for subsequent years.

 

Salary and expenses: the post is intended to be full time but we are open to the possibility of a four-day working week. Salary will be in the region of £42,000 to £45,000 p.a. depending upon experience and location (pro rata for a four-day week). Annual leave will be given for 25 days (pro rata for a part-time appointment). A pension with contributions from HTT will be provided after the six-month probation period has been successfully concluded. The Trust will provide an allowance for office expenses, including a Zoom account. There will also be funds for organising events, as authorised by the Trustees.

 

Location: as the Trust does not currently have an office, the postholder will be working from home, with the ability to travel to different parts of England, Scotland and Wales when needed in order to engage with potential supporters, and with Trustees who are located throughout the country. They will also work closely with the local leaders of different atlas and map projects advising on fundraising for their projects. Attendance at Board meetings (four per year, a combination of Zoom and in-person events usually in London or Oxford) will be expected. Full standard-rate travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses will be provided.

 

Reporting to: The postholder will report to the Chair of the Board of Trustees, working closely with the Chair of the Friends and Fundraising Committee. 

 

Who we are looking for

We are looking for candidates with at least five years’ experience of fundraising or related roles who are self-starters, collaborative, capable of working with considerable autonomy but according to an agreed plan. The successful candidate will have an enthusiasm for widening educational access, and a particular interest in the history and geography of cities and towns.  We will welcome candidates from the widest possible range of diverse backgrounds and we are open to discuss any practical or technical support needed.  Candidates are invited to discuss this role with Trustees before and during the application process.

 

Essential Fundraising Experience

• Proven experience of successfully presenting a Case for Support persuasively in front of donors and sponsors;

• Ability to think creatively and proactively about different approaches to fundraising, whether through writing grant applications, making presentations or devising new ways to communicate our fundraising messages;

• A track record of delivering high-level fundraising targets, especially in mid-level and major donations and sponsorship;

• A working knowledge of fundraising best practice, data protection and charity law.

 

Desirable Fundraising Experience:

• A record of fundraising within the heritage and/or educational sectors;

• A record of engaging with new and diverse audiences in fundraising;

• Experience of training or volunteer engagement with a fundraising organisation such as the Chartered Institute of Fundraising or the Council for Support and Advancement of Education.

 

Essential Skills and Competences for this post:

• Evidence of being highly organised, self-motivated and capable of working autonomously to an agreed plan;

• IT-literate with good numeracy skills and experience of managing budgets and presenting their results;

• Excellent personal communication and people skills;

• Ability to write clearly and persuasively to grant funders, sponsors and other donors, with evidence from a cause in which you have been involved.

 

Desirable Skills and Competences for this post:

• A knowledge of or personal interest in historic towns and/or their mapping and the uses to which those can be put;

• Experience of engaging a wide diversity of new audiences for a charitable cause;

• Evidence of an ability to work collaboratively with Trustees and organisational leadership similar to the highly experienced Trustees who run the HTT on a voluntary basis.

 

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How to apply

To apply, send your CV and a covering letter setting out your fundraising/development experience and skills, and why you are the right person for the role, to the Chair of HTT, Professor Vanessa Harding, at V.Harding@bbk.ac.uk by Monday 20 February 2023.  In your letter, please tell us if you are London-based, and include the names of two referees who are familiar with your recent work. We expect to make an appointment by early March 2023, and ideally the successful candidate should be free to take up the post in the spring of April 2023.

 

We encourage intending candidates to speak to one of the Trustees about the post and any questions you may have. Please contact the chair of the Friends and Fundraising Committee, Dr Alice Prochaska, at alice.prochaska@some.ox.ac.uk. 

 

Interviews:  Following a first round of on-line interviews between 27 February and 6 March, short-listed candidates will be invited to a face-to-face interview with several Trustees in London, about one week later.

 

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The responsibilities of the Development Manager

 

The Trustees will be happy to answer any questions about the following list, either informally beforehand or at an interview.

 

1. Propose and gain support from the Board for a plan to raise funds to support the Trust over a three-year time period. This would include identifying potential donors and ways to obtain funding.

2. Agree with the Chair of the Friends and Fundraising Committee and the Board a budget for the plan, and work closely with the Trust to achieve that budget.

3. Implement and deliver the said plan to achieve a net gain per annum in funds in cash and confirmed pledges covering the costs of Year One by the end of year 1, with a surplus by the end of Year 2 and considerable and ongoing surplus by the end of Year 3.
   This means successfully identifying and approaching new as well as existing donors and sponsors and securing guaranteed funding.

4. Work closely and positively with the Board of the Trust, and the various committees of the Trust to ensure that the fundraising plan is understood and shared by all members so as to assist in its delivery.
   This could include (as part of an agreed Fundraising Strategy) the organisation of sponsored and promotional events, recruiting volunteers and co-ordinating their work, and planning and implementing campaigns and special initiatives which support the Strategy

5. Work closely with the Cartographic Editor to ensure that their joint endeavours contribute to the successful delivery of funds as suggested in items 3 and 4.

6. Develop and propose a longer-term Fundraising Strategy with an implementation plan supported and agreed by the Board to ensure that there is a continuing inflow of significant funds over the three to five years following completion of this three-year period.

7. Engage with local groups to understand their operations (recognising that the primary purpose of local groups is to raise money for their local map/atlas production rather than for core funds to support HTT in its overall objectives). The postholder will provide general advice on fundraising, advise on the methods used, and act as a source of intelligence for the local groups.

8. Initiate and develop a group along the lines of a ‘Friends of HTT’ to support our work at different levels.

 

 

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