Development Coordinator

About Us Chalke History Festival is a week-long celebration of history, ideas and culture, bringing together talks, performances, music, living history and storytelling. It is the largest festival in the UK, and perhaps the world, devoted entirely to history, attracting a local, regional, national and international audience.

The Festival is owned and run by a charitable trust, which exists to promote understanding of, and engagement with, the past to the widest possible audience, particularly children through our Schools Festival.

Income from sponsors, individual supporters, members, trusts and foundations plays a vital role in enabling us to deliver and grow this work.

The Role We are looking for a highly organised, proactive Development Coordinator to work closely with our Development Director and support fundraising and partnerships across Chalke History Festival and the Trust.

This is a varied, hands-on role spanning corporate sponsorship, individual giving and membership, and trusts and foundations. You will help research new opportunities, keep prospects and relationships moving, maintain our CRM and development pipelines, prepare proposals and communications, and ensure our sponsors and supporters receive an excellent experience of Chalke.

This would particularly suit someone at an early stage of their career who is organised and ambitious and would like to develop a career in fundraising, partnerships, events or the cultural sector.

Key Responsibilities Sponsorship and Partnerships

• Research prospective corporate sponsors and partners, including identifying relevant decision-makers and routes to introduction.
• Maintain the sponsorship prospect pipeline and ensure actions and follow-ups keep moving.
• Help prepare proposals, presentations, briefing documents and partnership agreements.
• Support communications and meetings with existing and prospective partners.
• Track sponsorship agreements, benefits, invoicing and payments.
• Help coordinate sponsor benefits, activations and hospitality during Festival week.
• Gather information and data for post-Festival partnership reports.

Donors and Members

• Support research into prospective donors, Patrons and Benefactors and prepare briefing information where required.
• Maintain accurate donor, member and supporter records in our CRM.
• Coordinate supporter communications, acknowledgements, renewals and benefits.
• Keep the Membership Hub up to date and support membership recruitment and renewal campaigns.
• Help organise supporter cultivation, stewardship and events.
• Support the hosting of donors, Patrons, Benefactors, members and other VIP guests during Festival week.

Trusts and Foundations

• Research trusts, foundations and other potential funders.
• Maintain a pipeline of funding opportunities, application deadlines and reporting requirements.
• Help prepare and proofread funding applications and proposals, gathering supporting information and impact data as required.
• Maintain records of applications and grants received.
• Help prepare reports for existing funders and ensure deadlines are met.

Development Coordination

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date CRM records, prospect pipelines and development trackers.
• Undertake research across companies, individuals and funders.
• Keep track of meetings, actions, deadlines, invoices, payments and follow-ups.
• Provide administrative support to the Development Director, including meeting preparation, scheduling and document preparation.
• Help prepare reports, presentations and Board papers.
• Support supporter communications and campaigns using platforms including Mailchimp.
• Provide practical support throughout Festival week to ensure sponsors and supporters are well looked after.

About You We are looking for aptitude and potential rather than extensive fundraising experience. You will be:

• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• A strong written and verbal communicator.
• Proactive, resourceful and good at following things through.
• Confident researching organisations, individuals and opportunities.
• Personable and professional, with the ability to build positive relationships with a wide range of people.
• Comfortable managing several priorities and working to deadlines.
• Numerate and confident using Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Comfortable learning new systems and technology.
• A collaborative team player with an interest in history, heritage, culture or events.

Above all, we are looking for someone who gets things done: someone who notices what needs doing, follows through and takes satisfaction in making things run brilliantly.

Desirable, But Not Essential

• Experience in fundraising, sponsorship, events, account management or administration, either paid or voluntary.
• Experience using a CRM or database, particularly Beacon CRM.
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp.
• Experience in research, events or hospitality.
• An interest in the charity, heritage or cultural sectors.

Learning and Development This is a genuine development opportunity. Working directly with the Development Director, you will gain practical experience across corporate partnerships, individual giving, membership and grant fundraising.

As your experience and confidence grow, there will be opportunities to take ownership of individual projects and relationships and develop your own areas of responsibility.

Working at Chalke The role is three days per week, with some flexibility around working patterns at different times of year. It is primarily home-based, with occasional days in our Broad Chalke office. Attendance throughout the seven-day Festival in June is required.

Salary: £17,000 per annum (£28,333 FTE)

Holiday: 17 days per year, including bank holidays

Pension: Workplace pension scheme through NEST