Fundraising and Grants Manager
| Posting date: | 20 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £45,000 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Additional performance bonus upon achieving fundraising target |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 20 May 2026 |
| Location: | CBS Arena CV6 6GE |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Sky Blues in the Community |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | FGR |
Summary
Do you believe that sport has the power to change lives, and that securing the right funding is what makes that possible?
At Sky Blues in the Community, the official charity of Coventry City Football Club, we use the power of football to connect communities, tackle inequality, support wellbeing, and create opportunities across Coventry and Warwickshire. Every day our programmes make a difference to children, families, older adults, young people at risk and people facing disadvantage. Your work in this role will be what keeps those programmes going and helps them grow.
We are recruiting a Fundraising and Grants Manager to lead our income generation activity. If you are passionate about securing funding that creates real-world impact, skilled at developing compelling applications and experienced at building relationships with funders, this is a role where your expertise will be felt directly in communities across Coventry and Warwickshire.
Why this role matters
Our programmes only exist because of the funding that supports them. Premier League Kicks keeps young people safe on Friday nights. Walking Football for Parkinson’s gives people with neurological conditions a place to stay active and connected. Premier League Primary Stars and Inspires reach thousands of children in schools across our region.
Behind every one of those programmes is a funding application, a funder relationship and a compliance obligation. This role is responsible for all of it. The Fundraising and Grants Manager will shape SBitC’s income strategy, lead on bids to the EFL Trust, the Premier League Charitable Fund and a wide range of trusts, foundations and statutory bodies, and ensure we meet every reporting and compliance commitment we make to our funders.
This is a senior, strategic position with a direct line to the Head of Community and a meaningful stake in the organisation’s future.
What you will do:
Your work will shape how SBitC sustains and grows its charitable activity. The role focuses on four main areas.
Income Generation and Strategy
Leading our fundraising strategy across all four pillars, building and managing a live pipeline of applications to EFL Trust, Premier League Charitable Fund, lottery bodies, trusts, foundations and statutory funders. You will set and own our annual income targets and keep the Head of Community fully sighted on progress, risks and opportunities.
Bid Writing and Application Development
Taking the lead on all grant applications, from identifying the opportunity to submitting a compelling, fully costed bid. You will work closely with programme managers across our teams of: Sports Facilities and Community Assets, Health and Wellbeing, Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion and Participation and Education Training and Employment; to build the evidence base, and you will ensure every application we submit reflects the quality and ambition of the work we do.
Funder Relationships and Stewardship
Acting as SBitC’s primary contact for our key funders, attending meetings, representing the charity at external forums, and managing every relationship with the professionalism and consistency that builds long-term trust. You will develop a stakeholder engagement plan that ensures no funder relationship is left to chance.
Reporting, Compliance and Impact
Ensuring we meet every funder reporting obligation on time and to the required standard. You will maintain a reporting calendar, oversee financial returns to funders in partnership with our Financial Coordinator, and work with programme teams to capture the impact data that makes our next application stronger than the last.
What we are looking for
We are looking for someone with a genuine track record of securing significant income through grants and fundraising, including six-figure awards. You will have experience of leading funder relationships at a senior level and the written communication skills to produce applications that stand out.
Experience of working with football-sector funders, including EFL Trust or the Premier League Charitable Fund, is an advantage, as is a background in community sport, health or education programmes. What matters most is that you understand the funding landscape, you know how to build a pipeline and manage it, and you can work collaboratively with colleagues to turn programme delivery into compelling evidence.
A commitment to safeguarding children and adults at risk is essential, as is a genuine belief in the power of sport to change lives.
Why you will enjoy working here
This role offers the rare combination of a competitive salary for the charitable sector, a meaningful performance bonus, and work that you can see making a difference in real communities. You will be part of a small, dedicated team where your contribution is visible and valued, operating under the banner of a professional football club that gives our charity a reach and credibility that very few organisations can match.
The experience you gain here will strengthen your professional profile across the fundraising, community sport and charity sectors. You will build relationships with some of the most significant funders in football and community sport, and you will have the scope to shape how SBitC grows its income for years to come.
This role may involve working with children or adults at risk, and as part of our safer recruitment process, any offer of employment will be subject to:
• Two satisfactory references
• An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Confirmation of your identity and right to work in the UK
At Sky Blues in the Community, the official charity of Coventry City Football Club, we use the power of football to connect communities, tackle inequality, support wellbeing, and create opportunities across Coventry and Warwickshire. Every day our programmes make a difference to children, families, older adults, young people at risk and people facing disadvantage. Your work in this role will be what keeps those programmes going and helps them grow.
We are recruiting a Fundraising and Grants Manager to lead our income generation activity. If you are passionate about securing funding that creates real-world impact, skilled at developing compelling applications and experienced at building relationships with funders, this is a role where your expertise will be felt directly in communities across Coventry and Warwickshire.
Why this role matters
Our programmes only exist because of the funding that supports them. Premier League Kicks keeps young people safe on Friday nights. Walking Football for Parkinson’s gives people with neurological conditions a place to stay active and connected. Premier League Primary Stars and Inspires reach thousands of children in schools across our region.
Behind every one of those programmes is a funding application, a funder relationship and a compliance obligation. This role is responsible for all of it. The Fundraising and Grants Manager will shape SBitC’s income strategy, lead on bids to the EFL Trust, the Premier League Charitable Fund and a wide range of trusts, foundations and statutory bodies, and ensure we meet every reporting and compliance commitment we make to our funders.
This is a senior, strategic position with a direct line to the Head of Community and a meaningful stake in the organisation’s future.
What you will do:
Your work will shape how SBitC sustains and grows its charitable activity. The role focuses on four main areas.
Income Generation and Strategy
Leading our fundraising strategy across all four pillars, building and managing a live pipeline of applications to EFL Trust, Premier League Charitable Fund, lottery bodies, trusts, foundations and statutory funders. You will set and own our annual income targets and keep the Head of Community fully sighted on progress, risks and opportunities.
Bid Writing and Application Development
Taking the lead on all grant applications, from identifying the opportunity to submitting a compelling, fully costed bid. You will work closely with programme managers across our teams of: Sports Facilities and Community Assets, Health and Wellbeing, Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion and Participation and Education Training and Employment; to build the evidence base, and you will ensure every application we submit reflects the quality and ambition of the work we do.
Funder Relationships and Stewardship
Acting as SBitC’s primary contact for our key funders, attending meetings, representing the charity at external forums, and managing every relationship with the professionalism and consistency that builds long-term trust. You will develop a stakeholder engagement plan that ensures no funder relationship is left to chance.
Reporting, Compliance and Impact
Ensuring we meet every funder reporting obligation on time and to the required standard. You will maintain a reporting calendar, oversee financial returns to funders in partnership with our Financial Coordinator, and work with programme teams to capture the impact data that makes our next application stronger than the last.
What we are looking for
We are looking for someone with a genuine track record of securing significant income through grants and fundraising, including six-figure awards. You will have experience of leading funder relationships at a senior level and the written communication skills to produce applications that stand out.
Experience of working with football-sector funders, including EFL Trust or the Premier League Charitable Fund, is an advantage, as is a background in community sport, health or education programmes. What matters most is that you understand the funding landscape, you know how to build a pipeline and manage it, and you can work collaboratively with colleagues to turn programme delivery into compelling evidence.
A commitment to safeguarding children and adults at risk is essential, as is a genuine belief in the power of sport to change lives.
Why you will enjoy working here
This role offers the rare combination of a competitive salary for the charitable sector, a meaningful performance bonus, and work that you can see making a difference in real communities. You will be part of a small, dedicated team where your contribution is visible and valued, operating under the banner of a professional football club that gives our charity a reach and credibility that very few organisations can match.
The experience you gain here will strengthen your professional profile across the fundraising, community sport and charity sectors. You will build relationships with some of the most significant funders in football and community sport, and you will have the scope to shape how SBitC grows its income for years to come.
This role may involve working with children or adults at risk, and as part of our safer recruitment process, any offer of employment will be subject to:
• Two satisfactory references
• An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Confirmation of your identity and right to work in the UK
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
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About Disability Confident
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