Volunteer Fundraising Officer | Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue

You lead efforts to maximize our charitable income by developing strategies for donations, sponsorships, & grants. Your focus is on securing reliable funding & building strong relationships with funders to support BLSAR’s operations.

What difference will you make?

As Fundraising Officer, your role directly impacts the search and rescue team’s ability to save lives by securing essential funds for operations, resources, and training. You develop strategies to obtain reliable funding through grants, sponsorships, and donor campaigns, ensuring the team has what it needs for life-saving missions. By building relationships with businesses, organizations, and individual donors, you foster community support, strengthening the team’s foundation. Organizing and promoting fundraising events raises awareness, engages the community, and attracts new supporters who are vital for sustaining the team’s work. Your efforts in securing grants ensure specific needs—such as equipment and training—are met, enhancing the team’s operational capacity and readiness to respond to emergencies. Working with the marketing team, you create messages that highlight the team’s impact and inspire donations to keep the team mission-ready. In managing a fundraising team, you ensure strategy execution and promote team involvement, driving a culture of support for life-saving work. Through careful administration, you maintain transparency and accountability in all fundraising efforts. Ultimately, your work ensures that BLSAR is fully funded, equipped, and ready to respond effectively when lives are at stake. Your contribution is vital in helping the team be prepared for the urgent and critical work of saving lives.

What are we looking for?

Essential Skills and Experience Proven experience in fundraising, sales, marketing, or a related field (voluntary or professional). Proven self-starter and individual contributor. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to inspire and engage a wide audience. Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines. Knowledge of grant application processes and donor management. Passion for BLSAR's mission and the ability to work collaboratively with a team of volunteers. Desirable Skills Experience in fundraising and community engagement. Familiarity with digital marketing tools and platforms. Established local network in Berkshire and the surrounding areas.

What will you be doing?

Key Responsibilities Fundraising Strategy Development You develop and implement a sustainable fundraising strategy aligned with BLSAR’s goals. You identify and pursue new opportunities, including grants, sponsorships, and donor campaigns, while collaborating with organizations that support BLSAR’s fundraising efforts. Community and Corporate Engagement You build and maintain relationships with businesses, organizations, and donors. You organize and promote fundraising events and campaigns, engaging the community and recognizing their contributions. Grant Applications You research and prepare grant applications to secure funding from trusts, foundations, and other sources. You track deadlines and maintain a calendar of funding opportunities. Marketing and Communications You work with the BLSAR marketing team to promote fundraising activities via the website, social media, email, and media channels. You develop compelling case studies and materials to inspire donors and represent BLSAR at partner and volunteer-led events. Management You determine the team structure needed to support fundraising, recruit and manage team members, and ensure successful strategy execution. You promote fundraising efforts within BLSAR and serve as an active member of the Leadership Team. Administration and Reporting You work with leadership to identify funding needs and secure grants. You maintain an annual fundraising forecast, provide monthly progress reports, and ensure accurate donation records. You also ensure all fundraising activities comply with best practices, legislation, and BLSAR policies.