Trust & Foundations Manager

Location: Central London office with the option to work two days per week from home

Hours: Full-time, permanent (37.5 hours per week)

Salary: £40,000 to £45,000 per annum

Holidays: 25 days annual leave plus eight bank holidays

Benefits: Generous 8% employer pension contribution; membership of The Hoxton Hotel shared workspace with refreshments, events, and discounts.

How to apply: We recommend submitting a cover letter along with your CV, outlining why you're right for the role to .

MicroLoan Foundation envisions a world where people living in poverty can build sustainable and better lives for themselves and their families. We empower women in sub Saharan Africa through access to financial services, business training, mentoring, and ongoing support. By enabling women to establish small businesses, we foster lasting economic independence and resilience for families and communities.

This is an exciting time to join MicroLoan Foundation as we prepare to launch a major capital campaign in 2026, scaling our impact from supporting 150,000 women annually to reaching 1 million women each year.

Purpose of the Role

The Trust & Foundations Manager is responsible for securing significant grant income from trusts, foundations, and institutional funders in the UK and internationally. The role leads on developing and managing a high value funding pipeline, securing five , six and seven figure grants, and building strong, long term funder relationships.

Reporting to the Director of Fundraising & Communications, the postholder will work closely with colleagues in London and across sub Saharan Africa to develop compelling proposals, budgets, and reports. The role includes line management responsibility for one fundraising team member and plays a key part in supporting organisational growth during a critical scale up phase.

1. Strategic Income Generation & Leadership

• Lead the implementation of the trusts, foundations, and institutional fundraising strategy, delivering sustainable income growth against agreed targets.
• Research, identify, and prioritise new funding opportunities, developing and managing a robust and dynamic pipeline in collaboration with senior leadership and Board members in the UK, USA, and Australia.
• Develop high quality, tailored funding applications and concept notes for five , six and seven figure grants, ensuring strong alignment with funder priorities and organisational strategy.
• Take ownership of the end to end bid writing process, producing persuasive, well structured applications that clearly articulate impact and value for money.
• Oversee the management of the grants pipeline, ensuring deadlines, reporting requirements, and performance are effectively monitored.

2. Relationship Management & Stewardship

• Build and maintain strong, long term relationships with key trust, foundation, and institutional funders through proactive engagement, stewardship, and high quality communications.
• Engage directly with trustees, programme officers, and decision makers to understand funder interests and position MicroLoan Foundation as a strategic delivery partner.
• Ensure excellent stewardship of existing funders through timely reports, impact updates, and ongoing relationship management, maximising renewal and uplift opportunities.

3. Line Management & Team Development

• Line manage one fundraising team member, providing clear objectives, regular supervision, coaching, and development support.