Are you a passionate advocate for the great work done by grassroots community groups and charities? Do you enjoy interacting with people both in person and virtually, getting to understand the work they do.
You are also a details person, committed to careful record-keeping and task-management to ensure that OCF provides an excellent level of service to groups. You are a proactive problem-solver and a team player who enjoys being part of a small organisation and getting things done together.
The role
OCF is seeking a Grants Officer for the effective delivery of grants to charities and community organisations in Oxfordshire. The Grants Officer plays a key role in supporting the Head of Grants and Inclusion to deliver our innovative grant-making programmes where we have built a reputation for being a trusted, fair and transparent grant-maker. We fund around 200 grassroots organisations each year, giving around £2 million annually to tackle priority issues.
The Grants Officer will help to run grants rounds throughout the year to channel funds to the voluntary sector in Oxfordshire. You will be helping with the promotion of our grants rounds, processing grant applications received from charitable organisations, responding to enquiries from applicant organisations, completing grants assessments, tracking and reviewing end of grant monitoring and creating reports. You will also build relationships with grassroots organisations through in-person visits to understand their work and funding needs.
This is a rewarding role where you will build relationships with local, grassroots charities and be able to make a tangible difference to the vital work they are doing in communities across Oxfordshire.
The Grants Office will report to the Head of Grants and Inclusion. Training will be provided.
Part-time will be considered
About Oxfordshire Community Foundation
OCF is a charity that builds thriving communities through effective philanthropy, matching investment to the needs of small charitable groups. We fund around 200 grassroots organisations each year, giving around £2m annually to tackle priority issues. These organisations offer excellent value for money, but often go under the radar of funders because they are too small to afford comms and fundraising.
We are a small, friendly team. OCF is committed to creating an inclusive working environment where everyone can flourish whilst contributing to our mission. We warmly welcome applicants from across the rich diversity of Oxfordshire, including those with lived experience of local social and community issues. We support flexible working and are proud to be an official Oxford Living Wage employer.
Responsibilities
Grants programmes and fund distribution:
- Grants programmes and fund distribution
- Maintaining the database for grant applications and funding programmes, and producing grant reports from the database (Salesforce experience is desirable, but training will be provided)
- Handling email and telephone enquiries from grant applicants, recipients and potential applicants
- The administration of funds and grants programmes (grants rounds) and their criteria, including carrying out due diligence processes and grant application assessments.
- Following up with reference checks for applicant organisations
- Supporting grants panels and Grants and Impact Committee administration, including taking meeting notes
- Monitoring the delivery of funds and grants programmes, tracking applicant activity against funder requirements
- Conducting impact reporting on funding and grant programme achievements
- Providing feedback for unsuccessful grant applicants
Community engagement
- Visiting groups to understand their work and their funding needs and attending events to learn about needs and opportunities for grassroots charities in Oxfordshire
- Acting as an ambassador for OCF at community events
- Supporting a range of community engagement activities (consultations, webinars, in-person events)
- Working with OCF’s marketing team to produce reports that demonstrate the difference our funding makes
- Helping to build OCF’s reputation and raise our profile with stakeholders
Donor care
- Supporting the account management of donor named funds to deliver the fund’s aims and to ensure productive and long-lasting donor relationships
- Supporting donor care activities, such as organising project visits or stakeholder events
- Identifying and collating information to provide impact and other reporting to donors Supporting other OCF activities as required in line with the job purpose and role.
Experience and skills
You are a passionate advocate for the great work done by grassroots community groups and charities. You likely have insight into their work having been a volunteer, trustee or staff member, and/or having benefited from the work they do. You know it’s not easy applying for funds, and you’re excited about helping every group to have a fair opportunity by ensuring OCF is inclusive and accessible. You enjoy interacting with people both in person and virtually, getting to understand the work they do. You are also a details person, committed to careful record-keeping and task-management to ensure that OCF provides an excellent level of service to groups. You are a proactive problem-solver and a team player who enjoys being part of a small organisation and getting things done together.
Key competencies
Essential:
- Experience of managing external enquiries in a professional setting, and capable of engaging confidently in meetings with an organisation’s stakeholders
- Effective written, verbal, report-writing and presentational communication skills, with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
- Administration techniques and knowledge of monitoring and reporting processes
- IT literate, including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook; experience of Salesforce would be ideal
- Strong organisational skills with a logical and systematic approach to tasks, and the ability to manage your own workload
- Able to carry out basic research
- Understanding of due diligence and related processes
- Able to represent OCF professionally and effectively in an external environment
- An understanding and/or practical experience of charitable grant-making and/or donation processing (this can be from an applicant perspective)
Desirable:
- An understanding of local social and community issues and the charitable sector
- Lived experience of social economic factors: (Personal or professional)
- Successful account or relationship management experience
- A driving licence
An intrinsic part of this job is visiting community groups and therefore a willingness and ability to travel regularly around Oxfordshire to visit groups is essential. OCF pays travel expenses outside of the normal commute to work.
Some community group events happen in the evenings and occasional attendance at these will be required. Attendance is also required at the quarterly Grants and Impact Committee as minute-taker, which takes place in the evening due to volunteer availability. In total, the successful candidate would have on average one evening event a month and this can be planned well in advance
Application process
To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae and a word document with your answers to these three questions (answer in maximum 150 words per question):
1. Describe an achievement you’re really proud of
2. What about this job appeal to you, and why?
3. Tell us a bit more about your experience
Please send these two documents to: [email protected]
The closing date is 11pm on 11 September 2025.
The first round assessment will be virtual in the week commencing 22 September.
The second assessment will be in person at the OCF office in the week commencing 29 September.
The assessments will be a mixture of tasks and conversations.
To find out more about our work, visit https://oxfordshire.org/
Please let us know when you apply if you have a disability and require any reasonable adjustments to the interview process. We are proud to have disabled staff and are fully committed to providing adjustments.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £28,300.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Paid volunteer time
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Oxford OX1 1HD
Application deadline: 16/02/2025
Reference ID: Grants Officer 2025
