Job Description

Job Title: Trusts Fundraising Executive

Reporting To:

Trusts & Major Gifts Fundraising Manager

Accountable to:

Director of Income Generation

Responsible for:

Heart of Kent Hospice provides compassionate, specialist end-of-life care for people across our community. As demand for our services grows and NHS funding continues to cover only a fraction of our true costs, the need for exceptional bid-writing and proactive trust fundraising has never been more urgent. The Trusts Fundraising Executive will play a critical role in securing income from Charitable Trusts, Foundations and other grant-makers. This role is responsible for generating high-quality, compelling bids, predominantly in the three and four figure range, to fund essential clinical services, patient support, and transformational projects. You will help ensure the hospice can continue to deliver outstanding care today and plan confidently for the future.

Hours:

The role is 37.5 hours per week - may involve some evening and weekend work.

Location:

Hybrid - 60% remote and 40% hospice, Aylesford, Maidstone

Salary:

29,000 - 32,000 (depending on experience)

Closing Date:

Thursday 8th January 2026 -

please note all applications to include a cover letter.

Interview Dates:

Friday 16th January

About the Role

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Trusts Fundraising Executive to help grow our income from Charitable trusts, foundations and other grant makers. This role will support the development and delivery of funding applications as well as helping to identify new funding opportunities.

Main Responsibilities

Research & Prospecting

Proactively research and evaluate potential grant funders, identifying strong matches for priority hospice projects.

Build intelligence on both existing and new trust prospects, ensuring a healthy and diverse pipeline of opportunities.

Case for Support Development

Work closely with Clinical, Finance, and wider hospice colleagues to gather insight, data and evidence needed to shape compelling cases for support.

Ensure all information collected meets funders' expectations for clarity, impact, and accountability.

Budgeting & Financial Monitoring

Produce accurate and credible project budgets in collaboration with Finance.

Monitor trust income performance against agreed targets and update colleagues proactively on progress, risks or emerging opportunities.

High-Quality Bid Writing & Reporting

Write persuasive, tailored funding applications that clearly communicate need, impact and urgency.

Deliver exceptional stewardship through timely, personalised thanks, updates, and high-quality reports.

When applications are unsuccessful, seek meaningful feedback and identify learning that can inform future bids.

Parish Council Relationships

Lead on managing and stewarding relationships with local Parish Councils, sending annual applications and demonstrating the impact of their support.

Stewardship of Small-Medium Trusts

Manage a portfolio of small-medium trust supporters, ensuring thoughtful, relationship-centred stewardship that encourages renewal and multi-year giving.

Pipeline & Planning

Share responsibility for maintaining an accurate, forward-looking pipeline and action calendar to ensure all deadlines are met and trust opportunities are maximised.

Ensure compliance with funders' guidelines, eligibility criteria and reporting requirements.

Collaborative Working

Work closely with colleagues across the Fundraising team, especially where accounts or stewardship responsibilities overlap, ensuring a seamless donor experience.

Data & Compliance

Maintain accurate, timely records on The Raiser's Edge and associated shared files.

Support best-practice data management in line with GDPR and hospice policies.

Administration & Events Support

Support the Trusts & Major Gifts Fundraising Manager with donor mailings, cultivation events and other administrative tasks as required.

Reporting & Insight

Provide timely reports, statistical updates, funder insights, pipeline summaries and other information for the Trusts & Major Gifts Fundraising Manager and senior leadership.

Training and Development

Participate in the hospice performance review and appraisal process which is known as Your Snapshot.

Attend all statutory and mandatory training and undertake training and development as identified through individual performance reviews.

Communication

To promote close working relationships and good communication links with colleagues at all levels throughout the hospice.

To liaise with internal departments and a wide range of external organisations and individuals as appropriate.

Essential Criteria for the Role

Proven experience of writing successful, high-quality funding applications, securing three and four figure grants or higher. Demonstrable understanding of Trusts, Foundations, and statutory/lottery funders and what makes a compelling case for support. Experience researching funders and building a strong, diverse pipeline of prospects. Experience gathering information from internal stakeholders and translating technical or clinical detail into accessible, persuasive narratives. Understanding of budgets for fundraising applications and experience creating or working with project costings. Good knowledge of stewardship best practice and donor relationship management. Strong understanding of data protection and donor confidentiality (e.g., GDPR, fundraising regulation). Outstanding written communication skills, with the ability to write clearly, concisely, emotionally and persuasively for different audiences. Ability to juggle multiple applications, deadlines and reporting requirements with excellent attention to detail. Strong organisational and project-management skills, able to prioritise effectively in a fast-moving environment. Ability to analyse funder guidelines, eligibility criteria and reporting frameworks and respond accurately. Confident using CRM systems (preferably Raiser's Edge) and maintaining accurate records. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, donors, and community stakeholders. A proactive, self-motivated approach with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.

About the Hospice

At Heart of Kent Hospice, we believe that everyone deserves compassionate, expert care when there is no cure for their illness and when they have a limited time left to live.

We are a charity and we don't charge a penny for our care. We depend on the compassion and kindness of you, the people of this community, to power our services and ensure that everyone gets the help they need.

We provide specialist care and support to adults who have a terminal illness as well as their families, friends and carers. We help people to live as fully and as well as possible for the rest of their lives and ensure that their final days are comfortable and peaceful,

wherever they choose to be. We treat every individual as the unique and special person that they are. Everything we do is tailored and personalised.

Our vision is that everyone living with a terminal illness in our community will have the best quality of life. Our purpose is to enable people with a terminal illness in our community to live with comfort, independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support those closest to them. All our care is underpinned by our core values of compassion, integrity, respect and teamwork. These values guide our decision-making and how we conduct ourselves in our work and every one of our colleagues plays an important part in enabling us to give our patients and their families the best possible care.

If you're passionate about our cause consider joining our team.

Benefits of Working at the Hospice

At the Hospice we offer a competitive remuneration package including contributory pension scheme with NEST or the option to continue in the NHS pension scheme specifically if you have been contributing in the NHS pension for the last year, life assurance (2 x salary), employee assistance programme, incremental increases in annual leave from 27 days or 19 shifts per annum, up to 33 days or 23 shifts per annum, a flexible/hybrid working approach (where practical and appropriate for the role - 3/5 days at the Hospice location), a warm and friendly atmosphere with a focus on your health and wellbeing. We support our colleagues and volunteers with on-going training and development, celebrating excellence and rewarding success. Full details will be provided if selected for interview.

For more information about what it's like to work with us please contact Maria Sullivan, Interim Director of Income Generation on 01622 792200. Job description and application form can be found on our 'Work with us' page on our website.

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Full terms of Use and Privacy Policy can be viewed on the hospice website using the following link:- https://www.hokh.org/terms-of-use-and-privacy-policyThe policy outlines why we collect data, what we use if for and who we share it with.

We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity in all its forms and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, identities and disabilities.

All applicants

must include a cover letter along with their CV and/or application.

Any shortlisted candidates will also be required to complete our application form in full.

A Standard DBS Check will be required if you are successfully appointed.

Registered Charity No 298164

Job Types: Part-time, Contract
Contract length: 12 months

Pay: 29,000.00-32,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress Company events Employee discount Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking Sick pay Store discount Work from home
Experience:

copy writing: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 08/01/2026