Mass Participation and Events Fundraising Lead
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Mass Participation and Events Fundraising Lead
We are seeking an experienced leader to drive forward the development and implementation of the events and mass participation fundraising strategy.
Position: CE405 Mass Participation Lead
Location: Home-based, UK Nationwide. However, frequent travel will be required as part of this role (may include team meetings or other work-related meetings)
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Salary: Circa £49,000 per annum (inner London weighting £3,950 per annum/pro rata or outer London weighting £2,457 per annum/pro rata may be applied in accordance with where you live)
Contract: Permanent
Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (this will increase with service up to 30 days, full time equivalent) cashback and discount scheme, employee assistance programme, learning and development, pension scheme, Life Assurance, Eye Care vouchers, Long Service Award, Tax-free childcare, Health Cash Plan, Working Pattern Agreement, flexible working opportunities available.
Closing Date: 5 June 2026 Midnight
Interview Date: 16 and 17 June 2026. Interviews will be held via video conferencing. Please let us know if this will present any challenges when you email your application.
The Role
Reporting to the Head of Regional Fundraising this is an exciting role leading an ambitious vision for this area of the team. Worth currently over £2m annually the charity is looking to grow it’s income from third party and owned products and events.
You will provide strategic leadership to the Mass Participation team (2 direct reports and accountability for a further 6) as well as playing an active leadership role across the Regional Fundraising Team and Mass Engagement department, contributing to the wider directorate goals and objectives.
You will be an innovative thinker with the ability to review the existing programme, the wider market environment and identify opportunities for supporter acquisition, engagement, and retention. You will oversee a customer-centric approach where supporters receive an outstanding experience and feel proud of their continued contribution.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Developing strategy for events and mass participation products
- New fundraising product development
- Strategic leadership of a geographically dispersed team, embedding a culture of high performance
- Setting meaningful income and expenditure budgets and being able to accurately re-forecast putting action plans in place to mitigate shortfalls.
About You
We are looking for someone with experience of:
- Delivering targets with successful outcomes.
- Developing strategy for events and mass participation products
- Project planning and problem solving.
- Delivering formal presentations and public speaking.
- Budget development, planning and forecasting and an understanding of risk, mitigation and contingency planning.
- Achieving annual income and expenditure targets.
- Recruiting, managing, motivating, developing and training staff and/or volunteers.
- Analysing and interpreting data.
You will need a full driving licence and own vehicle (or can demonstrate that you meet the travel requirements of the role which include travelling extensively across the region/country).
To fulfil the role, you must be a resident of the UK and have the right to work in the UK.
Applications
Please submit your CV, (including details of your current address), and a supporting statement of no more than two pages, demonstrating how you meet the person specification and what you bring to the role in terms of your skills and experience.
You will be able to view the role profile when you apply.
Finding strength through support
The organisation is the only charity in the UK providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families. Providing tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year. This support includes one-to-one and group support, funding vital scientific research into stroke prevention, acute treatment, recovery and long-term care, and campaigning to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.
They are here for stroke survivors and their loved ones, from the moment they enter the new and frightening post-stroke world, supporting them every step of the way as they find their strength and their way back to life.
It’s only thanks to the generosity of supporters and donors that they can provide vital support.
The Association is driven by an ambition to improve the lives of everyone affected by stroke. This means they’re determined to create an equitable and inclusive workplace that benefits from the difference, and thrives on the diversity, of our people. Guided by an approach to solving inequity in stroke, the team are prioritising listening to, and learning from, lived experience across the charity.
The charity are working to improve the representation of this lived experience at all levels within the Association and are eager to recruit applicants from a variety of communities and backgrounds. We are keen to receive applications from people affected by stroke, people of colour, members of LGBT+ communities, and disabled people because these identities and experiences are underrepresented and would add enormous value to how the organisation work.
A Disability Confident employer, the organisation is making great progress focusing on flexible working, reasonable adjustments and access to work. The charity has a variety of staff network groups and are committed to continuously improving diversity and inclusion efforts. If you have questions, or access needs, we’re happy to discuss any support and adjustments we can make throughout the recruitment process so that you’re able to contribute your best in a way that meets your needs.
You may also have experience in areas such as Mass Participation, Mass Participation Manager, Mass Participation Officer, Challenge Events, Events Lead, Fundraising Events Lead, Events Fundraiser, Events Fundraising, Regional Fundraiser, Supporter Engagement, Community Fundraiser, Participation, Individual Giving. #INDNFP
Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight your mass participation and events fundraising experience prominently as this £2m+ income stream is central to the role
📊 Quantify your fundraising achievements: 'Led team delivering £1.8m annual income, 15% above target'
🎯 Emphasise your strategic leadership experience with geographically dispersed teams as this role manages 8 team members across regions
💼 Showcase budget management skills with specific examples of forecasting accuracy and mitigation strategies
🌟 Demonstrate your innovative thinking in fundraising product development and supporter acquisition methods
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Developed mass participation fundraising strategy generating £2.3m annual income across 12 events, exceeding target by 18%
- •Led geographically dispersed team of 8 fundraising professionals, achieving 95% staff retention and 22% income growth year-on-year
- •Implemented customer-centric supporter journey resulting in 34% improvement in participant retention and £450k additional revenue
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
Your cover letter is ready
We've drafted a cover letter for The Guardian. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to The Guardian
Dear Hiring Manager,
The Guardian's £2m+ mass participation fundraising programme represents exactly the strategic leadership challenge I'm seeking. Your focus on innovative supporter acquisition and third-party event development aligns perfectly with my experience in scaling fundraising operations and building high-performing teams.
My background in developing fundraising strategies, managing geographically dispersed teams, and delivering income targets will enable me to drive forward your ambitious vision for this growing revenue stream.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How would you develop a strategy to grow mass participation income from £2m to £2.5m annually?
- ›What fundraising databases and CRM systems have you used for supporter management?
- ›How do you approach budget forecasting and what tools do you use for financial planning?
- ›Describe your experience with third-party event partnerships and revenue sharing models
- ›What metrics do you use to measure success in mass participation fundraising?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you had to turn around an underperforming fundraising programme
- ›Describe a situation where you had to motivate a geographically dispersed team
- ›Give an example of when you identified a new fundraising opportunity and how you developed it
- ›Tell me about a time you had to deliver difficult news about budget shortfalls to senior leadership
- ›Describe how you've handled a situation where a major fundraising event faced significant challenges
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you had to turn around an underperforming fundraising programme
Describe a situation where you had to motivate a geographically dispersed team
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