About me
To be successful you will have professional experience as a writer with strong editing skills. The ability to build relationships cross-culturally with fundraising and global programme staff is also essential, as is experience of influencing a range of stakeholders around complex and sometimes sensitive issues. In addition, you will have:
• Experience of packaging complex technical or organisational information for presentation to a lay audience
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to produce accurate, inspiring and relevant content
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with experience of seeking creative ways to overcome complex problems, responding to changing priorities and customer demands
• Confidence when presenting to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders
• An enthusiasm and drive to keep up to date with SCUK’s international activity.
I am a senior writer with over ten years’ experience in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
I have worked as a fundraising writer for six years in CAFOD which is one of the UK’s leading aid agencies.
In this time, I have worked on DM campaigns that have brought in record amounts for the charity as well as match funding appeals that have exceeded targets by triple the amount forecast.
I am also proud of the relationships I’ve built with different teams in the organisation – in the UK and across the world. I have forged strong bonds with the countries I work with and have spent time story gathering in some challenging locations such as Gaza, Sierra Leone, Lebanon and Myanmar.
Part of my role involves influencing stakeholders both internally and externally. So this can be pitching ideas to fundraising managers, or working with directors on projects to generate money, or developing new approaches to how we communicate with supporters in general.
As the senior communications officer for CAFOD, I have written on a variety of complex and sensitive issues – these included rape cases in Congo, Operation Protective Edge in Palestine, the current refugee crisis where I met and interviewed refugees who had recently run for their lives from Islamic State.
How I meet your requirements
Packaging complex technical or organisational information for presentation to a lay audience
I have written speeches for government ministers such as Ed Balls and the Baroness Delyth Morgan. Government speeches often start from policy documents. For example, the ‘Faith in the system’ conference in 2009 was founded on a challenging technical document. I wrote a speech for the Secretary of State for Education, Ed Balls that communicated key points about a problematic area – the role of faith schools in the education system – to a very polarised audience consisting of faith leaders and adversarial journalists.
Excellent writing skills with the ability to produce accurate, inspiring and relevant content
I have written campaigns that have inspired people to donate to CAFOD for eight years. In 2012, I wrote direct mail, talks, video scripts and community fundraising materials that meant we raised £9m – smashing the regular target of £3m. I have also led on Christmas appeals that were brought in house. Since the appeals have come in house, income for Christmas has gone up compared to agency-produced packs. CAFOD usually expects to raise £150,000 from an Advent appeal. Since bringing the DM in-house for this appeal, we raise upwards of £250,000.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with experience of seeking creative ways to overcome complex problems, responding to changing priorities and customer demands
• Confidence when presenting to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders
• An enthusiasm and drive to keep up to date with SCUK’s international activity.
Skills
- Charity Fundraising
- Storytelling
- SEO
- Direct Mail
- Interviewing
- Online Content
- Copywriting
- Feature Writing
- Communications
- Brand Storytelling