YORKSHIRE VENTURE PHILANTHROPY PROGRAMME 1.

INTRODUCTION

Community Foundations are independent grant-making charities that focus on raising money and then distributing it, in the form of grants, to local community groups and charities. A key focus is on building permanent Endowment Funds that distribute income every year, for ever. There are 60 individual Foundations in the United Kingdom, each of which focuses on a specific geographical area. We work with a wide range of individuals, businesses and organisations to encourage them to set up Personal Funds (which operate like charitable trusts) or contribute to Themed Funds. We then work with the fund-holders to distribute grants to local community projects. We also offer professional grant-making services to local and central government, the NHS, national grant-makers and other organisations that want to make sure their money is having a positive impact in local communities. We provide a vital bridge between the public and private sectors, and the voluntary sector. 2.

YORKSHIRE VENTURE PHILANTHROPY PROGRAMME

Thanks to funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), three of the Community Foundations in Yorkshire are launching a regional initiative called the “Yorkshire Venture Philanthropy Programme” (YVPP). This is an exciting new venture that is aimed at supporting social enterprises at various stages of their development. The programme will offer a range of support via a wraparound programme that will include access – via a single point of application - to: stand-alone grants; a combined grants/loans package working with Key Fund; support from business mentors; and access to specialist advice from expert advisors. The three participating Community Foundations are: Leeds Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for Calderdale and South Yorkshire Community Foundation. 3.

RECRUITMENT OF VENTURE PHILANTHROPY DIRECTOR

We’re looking to recruit a new post of Venture Philanthropy Director to help implement and then manage this programme. The successful applicant will have strong project management skills, ability to manage successful partnerships and previous experience of supporting social enterprise and / or business development. The closing date for applications is Friday 3rd August 2012. Interviews will be held in week commencing 13th August with a view to the post-holders taking up their posts as soon as possible. We are using Blue Octopus to handle our recruitment. Please go to their website, register as a user and complete the online form: www.blueoctopus.co.uk/JobSeekers/VacancyDetails/4520. For more information about The Leeds Community Foundation, visit www.leedscf.org.uk.

JOB DESCRIPTION KEY DETAILS Job Title:

Yorkshire Venture Philanthropy Director

Reporting to:

Chief Executive of Leeds Community Foundation as the employer (working alongside the CEO’s of the Community Foundations in Calderdale and South Yorkshire)

Responsible for:

No direct line management. Administration & Financial support will be provided by the core staff team in the Leeds Community Foundation.

Salary:

£30,000 to £32,000 depending on experience Non-contributory pension scheme in operation

Hours of work:

Full time – 35 hours a week. There will be some need to work outside normal office hours and time off in lieu will be given where excessive out-ofoffice hours working is required.

Contract Term:

The post is subject to a three-month probationary period and is offered on an initial 3-year fixed term contract. The post-holder is expected to create a self-sustaining model from year 3 onwards. Annual leave of 24 days plus 8 days statutory holiday.

Place of Work:

Leeds (city centre offices). Fairly extensive travel will be required throughout the Yorkshire region. A mileage allowance of 45p a mile is offered.

Equal Opportunities:

We select candidates for interview and the appointee in line with our equal opportunities policy. Our offices are fully accessible for disabled people.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB The role of the YVP Director is to establish, manage and develop this exciting, new initiative which will help support the growth in social enterprise in the Region. Core activities will include: providing practical and financial support to third sector groups looking to develop enterprising activity; recruiting and supporting a regional Mentor and Talent bank; brokering in private sector mentoring support; and managing an investment readiness programme. You will also work closely with staff in all three participating Foundations to make approaches to potential private sector investors.

Social Enterprise Investment: providing financial support for social enterprise activity 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Design, create and launch an investment application process by which social enterprises can seek funding from the YVPP (stand-alone grants of up to £5k; joint grant/loan product from £5k to £100k). Develop and implement a marketing and PR plan to promote and raise awareness of the Fund amongst the target social enterprise community in Yorkshire. Co-ordinate the activities of Community Foundations and other partners, key advisors and intermediaries throughout the Yorkshire region to highlight the Fund. Provide guidance and advice to staff in the local Community Foundations so that they can provide support to social enterprises in their respective areas. Recruit and support local investment committees /grants panels who will take decisions on small grant applications on a quarterly basis (up to £5k); and a central investment committee to decide on the larger investments (£5k to £100k).

6. 7. 8. 9.

Work with staff in local Community Foundations to prepare relevant panel / investment papers for review by the grants panels / Investment Board and gain approval for any proposed investment. Once investment decisions have been taken, propose and negotiate the investment with the relevant social enterprise(s). Introduce a programme for monitoring progress of all successful applicants to ensure that they progress according to plan and deliver on the required outputs. Provide specific support for the applicants in receipt of significant investments (a portfolio of 10-20 investments) to introduce relevant mentors, board directors or other such partners who can help both the enterprise and the Fund achieve the proposed investment objectives.

Social Enterprise Support: providing practical help and support for social enterprises 10. Initiate the design and launch of a ‘social enterprise readiness programme’ to be delivered via online resources, face-to-face and one-to-many events: a. To promote the benefits of social enterprise activity to local community and voluntary sector groups and registered charities b. To provide specific support in areas of common interest – finance, marketing, negotiation, contracting etc c. To provide general support for existing or early stage social enterprises to help them prepare for potential investment support from the Fund 11. Establish and develop a regional “Mentor & Talent Bank” by liaising with organisations currently providing mentoring & coaching programmes, as well as recruiting and providing training for new mentors and coaches. (This aspect of the programme may be partially or entirely out-sourced to a third party, following an appropriate tender exercise). 12. Establish and develop a regional “Expertise Bank” by recruiting individuals and companies with expertise in providing practical support to social enterprises in specific areas. 13. Maintain and promote a “roadmap” that maps existing sources of financial and practical support for social enterprises across the Region.

Financial Management and Project Reporting 14. 15. 16. 17.

Manage appropriate financial and administrative systems (with day-to-day support provided by existing staff from Leeds Community Foundation) to meet requirements of ERDF. Provide advice to Community Foundation partners about systems they may need to introduce. Manage all due diligence activities required of any internal or external partners of YVPP. Manage relationships with all key investors/donors including ERDF and partner organisations (regional Community Foundations, Key Fund etc) through provision of regular financial and management reports.

Fundraising and Investor Focus Work with staff in the existing Community Foundations in Yorkshire (and their board members / ambassadors) to: 18. Make approaches to potential individual and corporate donors to invite and secure financial and in kind contributions to the Fund. This will include: written approaches by letter, including writing and producing relevant marketing materials; verbal approaches on the phone; contacts made through attending a range of networking events; face-to-face presentations on a 1:1 and group basis 19. Deliver a series of events to introduce the VVPP to potential donors, including ‘Dragon’s Den’ type events to raise awareness and gain financial support 20. Create a register of social enterprises (and associated activities) in the region and promote this to potential private and public sector organisations that might be interested in trading with them / commissioning services from them

Other Duties We expect all staff to 21.

22. 23. 24.

Comply with the relevant policies & procedures including:
Health and Safety Policy, associated safe working procedures and guidelines.
Data Protection policy
Equal Opportunities policy
Confidentiality Policy Participate in team-working and staff development activities and attend training events as required. Actively support the values of the Leeds Community Foundation (and partner Foundations). Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post, which may reasonably be required from time to time.

PERSON SPECIFICATION: VENTURE PHILANTHROPY DIRECTOR Knowledge, skills and experience required (to be demonstrated on application form, from past experience and at interview)

Experience

Essential

Desirable

At least 3-5 years in a senior management role in business or third sector.

Creating, implementing and evaluating strategies and contributing to business planning processes.

Good understanding of general business practices covering a range of areas including business planning, finance, new product or service development and in making investments (including knowledge of relevant accounting and legal processes).

Prior experience of working with smallmedium sized enterprises and/or social enterprises.

Strong skills in financial, business and risk appraisal. Comfortable working with senior volunteers and staff to develop relationships with significant individual donors or clients.

Skills

Prior experience of managing ERDF programmes and / or reporting requirements. Good knowledge of the regional economy in Yorkshire. Knowledge and understanding of voluntary sector and the issues affecting it. Working with board of trustees or understanding of governance issues.

Networking ability including skill in building high level relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Line managing staff or volunteers.

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build good relationships with a wide range of people.

Competence with use of databases and CRM systems.

A strong and persuasive negotiator. Confident in dealing with people at all levels, and able to influence others.

Excellent written communication skills including production of clear, concise, written reports. Excellent verbal communication skills including confidence in making formal and informal presentations appropriate to a range of audiences and in a range of settings. Excellent planning and organisational skills. Familiarity with Microsoft packages. Financial literacy and managing operational budgets. Qualifications

Project management qualifications Business or accountancy qualifications Degree

Personal Detail conscious and methodical characteristics Highly motivated and commercially astute, with ability to motivate others. Confident and able get on with people from a range of backgrounds Proactive self starter – able to work on own initiative with minimal supervision as well as being active team player Ability to work on and manage a number of projects simultaneously, prioritise workload, meet deadlines and work under pressure Flexible and able to respond to changing demand, with a practical “can do” attitude Credible, approachable and professional personality Commitment to Equal Opportunities Other

Ability to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends as required

A UK driving license Access to a car