Ripple Effect - Director of Fundraising

Director of Fundraising

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in joining Ripple Effect as Director of Fundraising.

Ripple Effect is a partnership between our committed and experienced staff in the countries where we work, our UK and US based fundraising teams, and resourceful farming families in rural Africa. Together, we create a ripple effect of positive and sustainable change that continues to grow.

For over 30 years, thousands of individuals, companies, groups and organisations have supported us, enabling 2.5 million people in rural Africa to learn more, grow more and sell more. Our proven approach brings farmers together to learn new skills and share knowledge and decision-making so they can improve their livelihoods and thrive. They feed their families better, and by having a surplus to sell, can invest in their farms, send their children to school, and build sustainable agribusinesses.

This financial year, we are projecting to grow income by nearly 10% to £7.2 million and to be working alongside nearly 800,000 people in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia, more than ever before. Under our Africa Forward approach, we have established an Africa Hub in Nairobi, Kenya to grow impact, influence and sustainable income to support our vision.

We have just launched our new 2030 strategy along with our new brand and name. Our ambitious but achievable 2030 goal is to double our global income so we can reach a further five million people. The re-brand from Send a Cow to Ripple Effect reflects how our work starts on an African farm and the benefit spreads far beyond our programmes, and will enable us to inspire and attract new audiences.

We are looking for a Director of Fundraising who shares our vision and values to drive our fundraising to the next level. Bringing energy, a strong team ethic and a new way of thinking to an experienced and talented team of 30, you will help us to thrive and reach our untapped potential.

If you are such a leader, please consider joining us to create a movement which will grow and grow.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Paul Stuart, CEO

About us

Our vision

A confident, thriving and sustainable rural Africa.

Our mission

To inspire and equip African communities to transform lives and protect the planet.

Our values

INTEGRITY

Acting with honesty, fairness and honour in all that we do, treating all people with equal respect.

COMPASSION

Believing that every person deserves a life worth living, we are driven by empathy, humanity, and justice towards people and the planet.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Valuing the support and resources given to us, acting responsibly to ensure we use these with care and consideration.

Who we are…

Ripple Effect - formerly Send a Cow - is a partnership of experienced and committed African staff, working with support from the UK and US, and most importantly, with farming families in Africa. Together, we create a ripple effect of positive and sustainable change that grows and grows.

… and why it matters

Rural Africa is rich with opportunity: resourceful communities and land which can produce enough food to feed the continent and beyond. But, families face poverty that is extreme, cruel and worst of all - unnecessary.

The knowledge and skills needed for farmers to grow and sell effectively are often lost. Over three decades, thousands of individuals, companies, groups and organisations, have supported Send a Cow, enabling 2.5 million people in rural Africa to learn more, grow more and sell more. Ripple Effect will continue this vital work in the decades to come. The farmers we work alongside share what they know, and what they have, with their families and communities. Soon, thousands experience the benefits in communities where everyone is able to thrive. It’s efficient, effective and builds a momentum that spreads far beyond our programmes. It starts on an African farm and creates a ripple effect that helps build a confident, thriving and sustainable rural Africa.

Our strategy

The solution

The problem

Poverty in Africa is multi-dimensional and has risen in recent years. Now the triple threats of Covid-19, the climate crisis and conflict threaten to push 150 million more people into extreme poverty.

The climate crisis is unjust: those who contribute the least, are affected the most. Agriculture is a lifeline for most rural families who rely on the land for food and income. Indeed, it contributes more than 19% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP but is now under constant threat from the effects of the climate crisis. The International Panel on Climate Change suggests global warming will have devastating effects on crop production and food security. Conflict also threatens efforts to reduce poverty and leads to substantial numbers of internally displaced people or refugees who have little or no access to land and resources.

The global pandemic - which led to lockdowns, food crises and school closures in the countries where we work - has put attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in jeopardy, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Our proven approach brings farmers together to learn new skills and share knowledge so they can improve their livelihoods and thrive. Ripple Effect farmers learn more, grow more and sell more. They can feed their families nutritious food and by having a surplus to sell, can invest in their farms, send their children to school and build sustainable agri-businesses. Key to our impact is that our programmes - designed and delivered in-country - encourage and enable farmers to share their knowledge, skills and resources with the wider community.

For every family we work with, three more families in the community benefit and the ripple effect begins. This is achieved through our programme mechanisms of networks of selfhelp groups, peer farmer training, copy farming, passion gifts of seeds and livestock, gender and social inclusion interventions and community savings and loans groups.

We see - and seize - the opportunity for us to scale our work to reach a further 5 million people by 2030. This strategy outlines how we will:

• focus on our areas of expertise: our agroecological climate positive approach (ACPA); gender and social inclusion; and business skills

• support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

• grow our profile, influence and funding to allow us to reach even more families in extreme poverty

• collaborate with local partners to ensure our programmes create appropriate, effective and sustainable solutions for Ripple Effect communities and beyond.

Our goals

Where we want to go

Our Strategic Goal: to work with 5 million more people by 2030. This goal is ambitious but achievable. By enabling farmers to create a ripple effect, we offer an effective and scalable solution to extreme poverty in the countries where we work. We have seen how rural Africa can be confident, thriving and sustainable. Our project participants tell us how they have been able to learn more, grow more and sell more. They talk proudly of how they have become donors and teachers themselves, sharing their assets and knowledge.

We want to see that ripple effect positively impact the natural environment too, with productive land and sustainable resources for future generations. We want to see families and communities working together, deciding their future, and leaving no one behind. We want to see farmers moving away from subsistence farming to developing profitable co-operatives and agribusinesses and accessing new markets.

Growing our funding

We have a diverse range of income sources, across a breadth of audiences, providing a strong and resilient base to grow from. We have an excellent reputation for building and maintaining relationships with supporters and funders, demonstrated by A-ratings from FCDO for our projects in 2021. However, changes to the funding landscape have reduced some of the accessible funding sources and we need to focus on areas which will improve our reach and influence to achieve our planned growth.

Our new brand and strategy will enable us to inspire current and new audiences and attract funders looking for innovative ways to make a difference that match their philanthropic aspirations.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Ripple Effect is committed to inclusion and equality of opportunity and we take great care to ensure that our actions as an employer reflect this. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and will consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, gender identity, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

As part of our ongoing commitment to disability inclusion, Ripple Effect has signed up to the UK government’s Disability Confident Scheme.

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Fundraising department

Director of Fundraising

Head of Philanthropy & Partnerships

Corporate Partnerships and Major Donor Fundraising

Head of Fundraising Operations

Head of Public Fundraising

Director of Comms and Marketing

Director of Programme Funding

Supporter Care, Fundraising Insight and Data Analysis

Individual Giving, Community and Events and Digital Fundraising

Communications and Multimedia

Programme Funding, Trusts and Foundations and US Fundraising

Role description

Job title: Director of Fundraising

Salary: £60,000 - £70,000

Location: Remote and office working

Office: Newton St Loe, near Bath

Reporting to: CEO

Direct reports: Five

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development of plans to deliver our new Fundraising Strategy to enable the charity to deliver its mission and goals. Ensure that it delivers a diverse and balanced mix of restricted and unrestricted income to meet the resourcing needs of the charity.

• Inspire and motivate the fundraising team and achieve the right organisational culture to promote our values, creativity, overcoming hurdles and encourage cross-organisational collaboration to maximise our impact.

• Lead the team to deliver targets, always reaching for maximum impact and efficiency, and embedding a culture of achievement and ambition.

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To support the identification of and actively cultivate and manage relationships with key donors and partners as appropriate.

• To build a suite of successful acquisition campaigns, both for Public Fundraising and as a significant feeder to Partnerships and Philanthropy.

Purpose

This role is responsible for the strategic leadership, development, and delivery of the charity’s Fundraising Strategy. We are reaching towards an ambitious new goal where we aim to increase our income in order to help 5 million people out of poverty by 2030.

• Work closely with the Africa Director based in Nairobi, to support significant new growth opportunities in Africa, in particular ensuring teams, systems and processes are in place to deliver this.

• Ensure all donors receive the highest level of care, stewardship and customer service, to maximise their lifetime giving to and engagement with Ripple Effect.

• To deliver a strategy which clearly demonstrates our value and increases awareness of our charity and approach across key audiences and channels including digital.

• Ensure effective monitoring of income and expenditure with a clear set of KPIs and reporting to key stakeholders as necessary.

• Ensure strong internal systems are developed and monitored to progress and record all necessary information within the legal and regulatory frameworks.

• To play a major role in the charity’s wider strategic development and growth.

Person specification

Learning and skills

Experience of fundraising at a senior level including setting, managing and delivering major fundraising campaigns, ambitious income targets, new business development and multiple income streams.

Significant experience of people leadership, including developing and coaching multi-discipline teams. Experience of supporting teams through change is essential.

Creativity and reasoning

This role requires a high level of creative and analytical thinking. The role demands the ability to solve complex issues and create clear integrated plans. Strategic innovative thinking is required to drive income generating activities to a higher level.

Communication and interaction

To communicate complex information to internal and external stakeholders including Boards. As a line management role, there is an occasional need to deal with sensitive and emotive situations. Negotiation and persuasion skills are essential. There is a frequent need for the role to undertake networking and advocacy for the charity.

Stewardship

• People: Leadership of a team of thirty, with direct line management of five roles. All roles managed work in income generation and marketing. Ability to manage challenging situations and conflict constructively, confidently and empathetically to resolve issues and achieve solutions.

• Finances: Responsible for all income generating activities of the charity >£7m pa, which requires experience of planning and managing complex budgets and the ability to work collaboratively with fundraising teams to plan, assign and monitor income targets across a variety of income streams.

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Supporters: Responsible for ensuring all our fundraising activity is conducted in a fair, transparent and compliant manner in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice, charity law and all relevant legislation.

Judgements and actions

This role demands a high level of autonomy. Decisions made by the role holder have the ability to impact the whole organisation. It is primarily a strategic decision-making role, with some advisory aspects. It is expected that the post holder is able to make decisions swiftly and communicate those decisions effectively. A commitment to professionalism and excellence, with drive, initiative and energy is essential.

Working environment

The role is hybrid, working remotely and from our office based near Bath with flexible working options. There is an occasional need to travel internationally and to attend evening and weekend events.

Benefits

More information about Ripple Effect can be found on their website.

How to apply

To apply for the role please upload your CV in the first instance on the Prospectus website at the link below and a call will be arranged to brief you further on the role.

At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.

Applications should be made via the Prospectus website at: jobs.prospect-us.co.uk/jobs/details/hq00180890

Recruitment timetable

Deadline for applications: 9 May 2022

Interviews with Prospectus: 11 and 12 May 2022

First panel interviews with Ripple Effect: 25 and 26 May 2022

Second panel interviews with Ripple Effect: w/c 30 May 2022

Queries

If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Jessica Stoddart at Prospectus on 0207 400 6397 or email, jessica.stoddart@prospect-us.co.uk

If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact Jessica on 0207 400 6397 or email: jessica.stoddart@prospect-us.co.uk

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