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1 Fundraising Consultant – high level engagement brief A. ABOUT US We Are Family (WAF) is an adoption support community which operates in and around London. WAF's focus is the parent, through whom we seek to support adoptive families as a whole. WAF provide a network of other adopters to link up with and active support through regular meet ups, social events, information sharing, family activities and other initiatives. Rather than offering advice, we offer community believing that the support which a community can offer may be fundamental to the mental health and stability of any family. Originally founded in 2013 by a small group of adoptive parents who wished to provide local, peer-to- peer support, WAF has grown from one to eleven groups in four years, supporting about 800 families. WAF is now a registered charity. All our events are run by volunteer adopters. Our membership is free, registered, and socially inclusive. Our members mirror the demographic patterns of the population at large, with good reach into minority groups such as single, same sex, non-white and disabled adopters. You can read more about us here https://wearefamilyadoption.org.uk/ B. AIM & PURPOSE OF ENGAGING A FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT WAF is entirely dependent on donations and grants and whilst the charity has been lucky during 2018 in being awarded some substantial and game-changing grants, we do not have any regular sources of funding to rely on nor do we have a full pipeline of funding providers to approach. Without reasonably reliable regular funding it will be hard to develop WAF in a way which involves ongoing regular expenditure, such as staff costs, more and better training, support to group facilitators, reimbursement of childcare costs etc. Examples of such regular funding might be committed individual giving (individual supporters donating a regular amount each month by direct debit or standing order; or a calendar of regular fundraising events.) In terms of fundraising experience, there is a gap in knowledge and experience within WAF at board level and amongst WAF volunteers generally which we believe we should fill as early as possible in order to enable WAF to generate regular long term funding options and therefore to continue to operate and grow as per WAF’s mission and charitable objects. We would like to find one or more trustees with fundraising experience. In the short-term, however, we have recognised the need to obtain such expertise via a fundraising consultant. The aim of engaging professional, experienced consultancy support in fundraising would be to:- i. Establish clear options for developing sources of regular and reliable income which would help provide some certainty in covering WAF’s core costs year on year. WAF has relatively low core costs now (c£8-10k per annum) but in the future we would like to be able to fund at least one permanent staff post at manager level together with administrative support. ii. In so far as such core costs might be covered by grants from foundations and trusts, we need to establish a pipeline of appropriate grant making bodies to whom we may wish to apply for future grants.

Fundraising consultant - high level engagement brief FINAL · fundraising experience. In the short-term, however, we have recognised the need to obtain such expertise via a fundraising

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Page 1: Fundraising consultant - high level engagement brief FINAL · fundraising experience. In the short-term, however, we have recognised the need to obtain such expertise via a fundraising

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FundraisingConsultant–highlevelengagementbriefA. ABOUTUS

WeAreFamily(WAF)isanadoptionsupportcommunitywhichoperatesinandaroundLondon.WAF'sfocus is theparent, throughwhomwe seek to support adoptive families as awhole.WAFprovideanetworkofotheradopterstolinkupwithandactivesupportthroughregularmeetups,socialevents,information sharing, family activitiesand other initiatives. Rather than offering advice, we offercommunitybelievingthatthesupportwhichacommunitycanoffermaybefundamentaltothementalhealthandstabilityofanyfamily.

Originallyfoundedin2013byasmallgroupofadoptiveparentswhowishedtoprovidelocal,peer-to-peersupport,WAFhasgrownfromonetoelevengroupsinfouryears,supportingabout800families.WAFisnowaregisteredcharity.Alloureventsarerunbyvolunteeradopters.Ourmembershipisfree,registered,andsocially inclusive.Ourmembersmirror thedemographicpatternsof thepopulationatlarge,withgoodreachintominoritygroupssuchassingle,samesex,non-whiteanddisabledadopters.

Youcanreadmoreaboutusherehttps://wearefamilyadoption.org.uk/

B. AIM&PURPOSEOFENGAGINGAFUNDRAISINGCONSULTANT

WAFisentirelydependentondonationsandgrantsandwhilstthecharityhasbeenluckyduring2018inbeing awarded some substantial and game-changing grants, we do not have any regular sources offundingtorelyonnordowehaveafullpipelineoffundingproviderstoapproach.Withoutreasonablyreliable regular funding it will be hard to develop WAF in a way which involves ongoing regularexpenditure,suchasstaffcosts,moreandbettertraining,supporttogroupfacilitators,reimbursementofchildcarecostsetc.Examplesofsuchregularfundingmightbecommittedindividualgiving(individualsupportersdonatinga regularamounteachmonthbydirectdebitorstandingorder;oracalendarofregularfundraisingevents.)In termsof fundraisingexperience, there isagap inknowledgeandexperiencewithinWAFatboardlevelandamongstWAFvolunteersgenerallywhichwebelieveweshouldfillasearlyaspossibleinordertoenableWAFtogenerateregularlongtermfundingoptionsandthereforetocontinuetooperateandgrowasperWAF’smissionand charitableobjects. Wewould like to findoneormore trusteeswithfundraising experience. In the short-term, however, we have recognised the need to obtain suchexpertiseviaafundraisingconsultant.Theaimofengagingprofessional,experiencedconsultancysupportinfundraisingwouldbeto:-

i. EstablishclearoptionsfordevelopingsourcesofregularandreliableincomewhichwouldhelpprovidesomecertaintyincoveringWAF’scorecostsyearonyear.WAFhasrelativelylowcorecostsnow(c£8-10kperannum)butinthefuturewewouldliketobeabletofundatleastonepermanentstaffpostatmanagerleveltogetherwithadministrativesupport.

ii. Insofarassuchcorecostsmightbecoveredbygrantsfromfoundationsandtrusts,weneedtoestablish a pipeline of appropriate grant making bodies to whomwemay wish to apply forfuturegrants.

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iii. Toproposeanefficientmethodand/orplatformformanagingandmaintaining individualandinstitutionaldonorrelationships

iv. If time and cost allow, to help WAF set up a platform for capturing and retaining Gift Aiddeclarations from individual donors as well as proposing and implementing a system formanagingdirectdebitsand/orstandingordermandatesifrequired.

C. KEYSKILLSANDEXPERIENCE

Ideal! FundraisingexperienceataseniorlevelandforasmallcharitysuchasWAF! Experienceinrelationtobothgrant-makingfoundationsandindividualgiving! Knowledgeoffundraisingrelatedsystemsandsoftwarepackages(donormanagement)

Other

! KnowledgeoftheadoptionsectorandabilitytodemonstrateacommitmenttothevaluesandmissionofWAF

D. PROCESS

TheWAFtrusteesinitiallyplantousetheircurrentnetworktofindtherightindividualtosuitourneeds.Applicantswillbeshortlistedandinitialscreeningcallswilltakeplace(ZoomorSkype)tonarrowdownpotential candidates to a short list of up to 3. These short listed individuals will then be asked toprepareabrief1or2pageproposal (including indicativecosts) layingouthowtheyplantoapproachthework,thetimelinestheywouldenvisageandthefinaldeliverablestoWAF.ItisanticipatedthataconsultantwillbeformallyengagedbyearlyMarch2019andthatsubstantiallyallof theworkwillbecompletedby lateApril2019 (earlier ifpossible).Weexpect that theworkwouldinvolve a review of existing documentation, discussions with key stakeholders, desk-based research,developmentofoptionsandpreparationofawrittenreportandwilltakesomewhereintheregionof5-10daysintotal.Applications should be sent to the following email address:[email protected]