Role Overview

Purpose of the Role

The Senior Trust & Foundation Lead is responsible for generating new income from grant-making trusts, foundations, and institutional funders. This senior role focuses on finding, building, and managing key funder relationships to secure high-value, multi-year grants. The postholder should be a strategic thinker, strong communicator, and excellent bid-writer. Working within a small fundraising team in London and reporting to the Director of Fundraising & Communications, the role also involves collaborating with senior teams in sub-Saharan Africa to develop proposals, budgets, and tailored funder reports. Candidates are required to have the legal right to work in the UK and we are not able to provide sponsorship.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Income Generation

• Lead the implementation of the trusts, foundations, and institutional fundraising strategy to grow new income streams and meet ambitious but realistic annual targets.
• Research, identify, and prioritise new funding opportunities, building a dynamic pipeline of prospects working with the Board of Directors in the UK, USA and Australia.
• Develop compelling, tailored funding proposals and applications for five-, six- and seven-figure grants, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and funder criteria.
• Oversee the management of the grants pipeline, tracking deadlines, reporting requirements, and performance against targets.
• Take ownership of the bid-writing process, ensuring all applications are persuasive, well-structured, and demonstrate clear impact.

2. Relationship Management & Stewardship

• Cultivate and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key funders, including regular communication, stewardship updates, and in-person/virtual meetings.
• Proactively engage with programme officers, trustees, and decision-makers at grant-giving organisations to understand their priorities and position the organisation as a partner of choice.
• Ensure excellent stewardship of existing funders, delivering timely reports and impact updates to maximise renewal and upgrade opportunities.

3. Collaboration & Organisational Engagement

• Work closely with senior leadership across the globe, programme teams, and finance to develop fundable projects, budgets, and cases for support.
• Work closely with the Director of Fundraising & Communications on large scale bids and support the wider team in cross-functional fundraising initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of organisational fundraising strategy and team planning.
• Provide training on fundraising, bid-writing and budgeting for fundraising colleagues, volunteers and wider MicroLoan team.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all funder interactions, applications, and outcomes using the organisation’s CRM and grants management system.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising approaches, providing regular reports and analysis to senior management.
• Stay abreast of trends in grant-giving and institutional philanthropy, adapt strategies accordingly.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Proven track record of securing significant grants (six-seven figure gifts) from trusts, foundations, and institutional funders.
• Advanced bid-writing with demonstrable experience in writing successful grant applications and bids, with a portfolio of high-value awards.
• Strong budget development and financial planning skills, with the ability to translate programme needs into clear, funder-friendly budgets.
• Demonstrable ability to analyse funder guidelines, align organisational priorities, and maximise the likelihood of success through strategic application planning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives and adapt style for different audiences.
• Strategic thinker with strong research, analytical, and project management abilities.
• Collaborative, proactive, and results-driven.
• A genuine interest in international development and the work of MicroLoan Foundation.
• A willingness to occasionally support the fundraising team for events and donor engagement outside of regular working hours.
• Legal right to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship now or in the future.

Desirable:

• Experience in international development, social impact, or a related sector.
• Familiarity with grant management systems and CRM databases.
• A willingness to travel overseas would be desirable