Ampleforth Abbey Trust

Job title: Fundraising Lead Trustee
Location: Ampleforth Abbey, North Yorkshire
Time Commitment: Six meetings per year (c. 15 days in total, including preparation time)
Contact details: lfk@ampleforthabbey.org.uk
Closing date: 12.00 noon Friday 17 May 2024

Why join us?

Ampleforth Abbey is home to England’s largest Benedictine monastic community, 40 monks who live according to the Rule of St Benedict. The community has been in this part of North Yorkshire, an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Howardian Hills and on the edge of the North York Moors, since 1802.

If you have extensive experience of fundraising, there is a volunteer opportunity here for you which offers tremendous satisfaction and a chance to make a difference in assisting the monastic community in its mission to the Church and society in the 21st century and ensuring financial resilience in the furtherance of its monastic life and apostolic works.

As a trustee you will help deliver the Trust’s Strategic Plan Choosing a Future Together and, with particular responsibility for fundraising, to help develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy.

The Trustee Board comprises monastic and lay trustees with a comprehensive mix of skills. Following a governance review, Ampleforth Abbey Trust is seeking to invite an additional lay trustee to join the Trustee Board to provide particular oversight of the fundraising activity of the charity.

Who are we looking for?

The Board wishes to appoint a trustee with fundraising expertise and experience who will be able to align fundraising with the charity’s overall Strategic Plan and ensure effective income generation.

As the specialist fundraising trustee, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the Ampleforth community by setting and monitoring the Trust’s strategic direction to ensure sustainable delivery of core objectives. The Board, which has collective responsibility for decision making, is responsible for:

•. Setting the strategic direction of the charity
• Providing positive challenge and support to the Trust’s senior executive
• Nurturing a positive relationship with stakeholders
• Observing the highest standards of governance, sustaining a culture of transparency and accountability.

Main duties:

• Fundraising strategy: provide expertise, advice and guidance to align fundraising within the charity’s overall Strategic Plan to ensure effective income generation
• Fundraising Steering Group: work with the Chair of the board and invited experts on a Fundraising Steering Group
• Donor engagement: collaborate with the monastic community and the board of trustees to develop and monitor a donor engagement plan
• Compliance and Risk: ensure compliance with legal requirements, assess risks in fundraising planning, alerting the Board of Trustees in a timely manner about any concerns
• To report to the Board at a strategic level on the successes and challenges of the fundraising strategy.

Start date, time commitment and remuneration

The successful candidate will be invited to join the Board as soon as reasonably possible after the completion of the interview process.

The Board holds approximately six business meetings each year at Ampleforth and provides the capability for lay trustees to join virtually if they are unable to attend a particular meeting in person.  Information is regularly shared and, on occasion, business transacted by e-mail between meetings.

It is expected that Trustees will normally serve on at least one committee.

Taking all this into account, the time commitment for a trustee is around 15 days per year (plus travel time to Ampleforth).

The role is non-remunerated, although reasonable out of pocket expenses are paid in line with the Trust’s policy on expenses.

Person Specification

Candidates must be able to demonstrate a high level of personal accomplishment alongside experience of successfully fulfilling leadership roles at the very highest levels in organisations of considerable scale and complexity, and/or through public and community service and wider representation. In addition, candidates will demonstrate many or all of the following:

Clear demonstrable and evidenced empathy with support for Ampleforth Abbey Trust’s mission and ethos;

Experience of participating in the oversight or management of organisations and an understanding of organisational operational and effectiveness issues;

Experience (professional or non-executive) in strategic philanthropic development and fundraising and an understanding of the key opportunities for the Trust in this area;

Willingness to use different experiences to support the Trust, and to act as an ambassador;

A capacity for independent thought, judgement and expression – balanced by influencing skills with an ability to advise and challenge on a constructive and open basis;

A warm, collegiate and diplomatic style with the ability to take tough decisions when required;

Good interpersonal, communication and team-working skills;

Able to give sufficient time on a voluntary basis;

Demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, alongside a personal commitment to core principles of opportunity, openness, transparency and respect for others;

Experience in a non-executive role.

Although it is not necessary for lay trustees to be Roman Catholic we do expect them to identify strongly, and align, with the values of the Trust and to commit to ensuring the delivery of the charitable objects.

Candidates are not expected to have knowledge of the Trust or sector issues. The Trust operates an induction programme for all new trustees, monastic and lay.

Application Process

The Trust values diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Please e-mail your application to Liam Kelly, Company Secretary at Ampleforth Abbey Trust and Clerk to the trustees, at lfk@ampleforthabbey.org.uk

Completed applications must be received by 12.00 noon on Friday 17 May 2024. Candidates short-listed for interview will be notified in the week beginning 20 May 2024 and interviews will be held at Ampleforth Abbey on Thursday 30 May 2024.

Applications should include:
Cover letter, accompanied by CV
The contact details of two referees

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS