Development Officer: Trusts and Foundations

THE WALLACE COLLECTION

The Wallace Collection is an internationally outstanding collection which contains unsurpassed masterpieces of paintings, sculpture, furniture, arms and armour and porcelain. Built over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, it is one of the finest and most celebrated collections in the world. So that it could be kept together and enjoyed by generations of visitors, the collection was given to the British Nation in 1897 and opened to the public in June 1900. It was an astonishing bequest and one of the greatest gifts of art works ever to be transferred into public ownership. The museum is internationally famous for its collection of French eighteenth-century art, Arms and Armour and for its Old Master paintings.

The museum is managed by the Director Dr Xavier Bray, who reports to a board of Trustees appointed by the Prime Minister, and is financed by a combination of grant-in-aid from central government and self-generated income.

We aim to engage with and diversify our audience and, before the pandemic, we attracted over 450,000 visitors a year to the museum.

SALARY

The salary for this role is between £30,000 and £34,000 per annum dependent on skills and experience.

OUR PRIORITIES

The Collection is committed to providing access to as wide a public as possible and to helping visitors engage with this diversity. Our goal is to create a place of understanding, cultural pluralism, curiosity and learning. To do this, we plan to create a world-class visitor experience for all ages which stimulates engagement with our collection through a new programme of exhibitions, major gallery refurbishments and an enhanced and expanded digital presence.

Our strategic priorities are to:

1. Maintain, research and preserve the Collection for future generations;
2. Broaden and deepen visitor engagement, connecting with audiences onsite and digitally;
3. Build and support a strong exhibition programme;
4. Lay a strong financial foundation for the future; and
5. Embark upon a Masterplan programme to transform the museum.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Development Department’s key purpose is to increase the generation of income in order to enable the Collection to achieve its core aims and sustain and increase the supporter base of the museum. Alongside a fundraising revenue income target, the Development Department is seeking to raise funds to create an endowment for the Collection (to reach a £20 million target) and to complete the museum’s Masterplan of capital works.

The Development Officer: Trusts and Foundations role is to assist the department in delivering the revenue and capital targets. Funding from charitable trusts and foundations is essential to the museum. Excellent communication skills and a clear, concise and inspirational writing style when conveying the Collection’s aims and ambitions to potential funders will be key to this role. Supporter care and stewardship also play an important part of the position.

Working closely with all departments at the museum and effective internal communication will be crucial for the success of the post holder. This role reports to the Head of Development.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

Fundraising and Stewardship:

1. Steward and maintain our existing relationships, writing detailed and engaging reports to the Collection’s current supporters.
2. Research trusts and foundations (personal foundations and corporate foundations), both in the UK and abroad, who may not have supported the Collection before or have lapsed in their support.
3. Manage key relationships with charitable trusts & foundations, delivering proposals and budgets from conception to application, and providing all follow-up and reporting, including delivery of benefits and appropriate acknowledgment.
4. Be responsible for grant approvals, crediting obligations, progress monitoring and deadlines.
5. Fully understand the organisation’s activities and build compelling, specific cases for support for grant applications, proposals and reports.
6. Analyse wider sector trends and giving patterns.

Finance and Administration:

1. Maintain up-to-date records of correspondence with all trusts, foundations, and prospects and ensure the highest standards of data capture are maintained on Microsoft Dynamics 365. This includes, but is not limited to, information on giving history, interest, relationships, contacts, applications, etc.
2. Work with the Development Assistant in order to maintain high standards in financial processes and recordkeeping, processing payments and storing personal data in a way that is consistent with GDPR and other relevant legislation and best practice.
3. Assist the Department in constructing donor pipelines, reports and lists on the CRM (Microsoft Dynamics).
4. Support the prompt and efficient administration of gifts and the thanking of key contacts (both from the Director and the Board).

Other:

1. Participate in any way that the Director of Development or Head of Development requires to fulfil the key responsibilities for the department.
2. Communicate clearly and effectively internally and externally, and foster transparent and excellent relationships with other departments at the Collection.
3. Assist in out-of-office or after-hours activities and events as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential:

1. Exceptional communicator and writer with an excellent eye for detail.
2. Ability to manage and prioritise a busy workload and to think proactively.
3. High standards of presentation, ability to keep calm under pressure and a pragmatic, problem-solving mindset.
4. A collaborator with strong experience of working in partnership with a wide variety of internal and/or external stakeholders.
5. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office and databases.
6. Strong numerical literacy.
7. Enthusiasm and passion for the Wallace Collection.
8. Friendly and flexible attitude; enjoys working as part of a team.

Desirable:

1. Experience of working in the charitable or arts sector, ideally in a similar role.

HOW TO APPLY

Please complete the Application Form, and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, following the links provided on our website. Please note the equal opportunities form is used for monitoring purposes only and does not form part of the selection process. Both forms should be emailed by midnight 19/01/2025. Please note late applications or applications via a CV will not be considered.

Interviews for the role will take place week commencing 20/01/2025. Candidates who have been shortlisted for interview will be contacted after the closing date. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it will not be possible to contact or give feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted for interview.

Start date: As soon as possible

Appointment to the role is subject to a satisfactory Basic Disclosure check. The Wallace Collection is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.