Community Fundraising Volunteer

Background

Do you want to use your networking skills within your community to help Rural Smiles Foundation raise vital funds and build our profile to help people struggling financially?

We want to make Rural Smiles Foundation the best-known charity fighting poverty nationwide and that’s why we’re looking for volunteers to help boost our local fundraising networks. To do this, we are setting up local fundraising groups across the country led by Volunteer Fundraising Coordinators, and are looking for dedicated Volunteer Community Fundraisers to join local groups to make this a reality. By joining a fundraising group, you’ll be making a massive difference to Rural Smiles Foundation and, ultimately, to the lives of people struggling to cope financially.

Where

This role is based out & about your local community at group meetings and fundraising events organized by the group.

When

This is an ongoing, ad-hoc role which can be tailored to fit in with your time and availability. Your Volunteer Fundraising Coordinator will strive to set meetings and events in order to suit group members’ availability.

Time Commitment

This is a flexible role and the time you need to commit is dependent on the number of meetings and fundraising activities organised by the group. However, we understand that group members occasionally will not be able to attend every meeting or event.

Tasks involved

• Attending regular group fundraising meetings – frequency agreed by your group.
• Working with the Volunteer Fundraising Coordinator to help recruit local fundraising volunteers.
• Inputting into the planning, organising and promoting of your group’s fundraising events.
• Attending fundraising events and collecting funds on behalf of the charity. · Acting as an ambassador for Rural Smiles Foundation at fundraising events.
• Complying with Rural Smiles Foundation-relevant organizational policies, procedures and legal requirements such as health and safety legislation for fundraising events and safeguarding.
• Liaising with the Volunteer Fundraising Coordinator to keep you up-to-date with Rural Smiles Foundation’s activities.

Skills required

• An interest in helping people facing financial difficulty and in helping to break the cycle of poverty.
• Good verbal communication skills.
• Experience of contact with a wide range of people from a variety of backgrounds. · Honesty and reliability.
• The ability to be a team player.
• A willingness to make decisions by consensus in a group setting.
• A willingness to adhere to all relevant organisational policies and procedures

Training and Support

• All volunteers receive a comprehensive induction to Rural Smiles Foundation and relevant training for their role.
• Training may be delivered by the Fundraising Team, the Volunteer Fundraising Coordinator or through online modules, or a mixture of the three.
• Fundraising volunteers are supported by the Fundraising Team as well as our Volunteer Support Manager and Volunteer Support Officers.
• We will reimburse reasonable travel/mileage and lunch/refreshments expenses in line with our volunteer expenses policy.
• You’ll receive regular support and updates on the work of Rural Smiles Foundation.

What’s in it for you?

• Amongst other skills, the role will help further develop your fundraising and marketing skills and experience, and will look great on your CV!
• This role is ideal for someone who wants to help others in their community.
• You’ll gain a real personal benefit from knowing you are making a real positive change to the lives of people who are struggling to get by.
• You’ll be part of a national charity which has achieved the national Investing in Volunteers quality mark for our volunteering programme.
• You can broaden your social circle by meeting Rural Smiles Foundation volunteers and through community events.
• After a qualifying period of satisfactory volunteering, you’ll be able to ask for a reference in line with our Volunteer Policy.

Additional information

• This role does not meet the criteria for a DBS check, but we will need two referees we can contact to for their opinions on your suitability for this role.
• We ask that you complete the diversity monitoring form to ensure we are involving as wide a range of people as possible.
• We adhere to current GDPR legislation and will provide you with guidance during training about storing confidential information. Your details will be stored safely and never passed on to other agencies without your prior consent.