Type of role: Volunteer Trustee. This is a voluntary, unremunerated position.
Location: London (United Kingdom) and online.
Term: Initial appointment for one year, followed by re-election for successive three-year terms in accordance with the governing document.
Time commitment: Typically 30–60 hours per year. This includes five Board meetings (normally alternating between in-person and online), occasional committee meetings and agreed engagement between meetings. The precise commitment will vary according to individual expertise, interests and availability.
Applications: Reviewed on a rolling basis.
About Give Us Time
Give Us Time is a Service charity established in 2013 to support Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families during periods of challenge.
Through donated holidays and respite breaks, we help military families reconnect, recover and spend valuable time together. These experiences strengthen relationships, improve wellbeing and help families facing bereavement, injury, separation and the wider pressures of Service life.
Since 2020, the charity has supported more than 1,000 military families through the generosity of holiday hosts, grant funders, supporters, ambassadors and partners.
The Role in Brief
First and foremost, you will be a trustee.
You will share fully in the collective responsibility for the governance, strategy, stewardship and long-term success of Give Us Time.
Alongside those responsibilities, you will bring particular expertise in fundraising, philanthropy and supporter development.
The Trustees have recently completed a review of the charity’s fundraising capability. That review recognised that Give Us Time already has significant strengths, particularly in grant fundraising, together with an exceptional network of supporters, hosts, trustees and ambassadors.
The opportunity now is to strengthen those existing foundations by developing a broader and more sustainable fundraising capability.
This is a governance role, not an executive fundraising position.
Your role is to help the Board think strategically, provide constructive challenge, share experience, open appropriate doors and support the executive team in building stronger fundraising relationships, systems and capability over time.
Responsibilities of Every Trustee
As a trustee you will help to:
Further our purposes by ensuring that the charity pursues its charitable objects through a clear long-term strategy.
Comply with the governing document, charity law, company law and all relevant regulation.
Act in the charity’s best interests, applying its resources solely in pursuit of its charitable purposes.
Set goals and hold the organisation to account, agreeing objectives and reviewing performance.
Safeguard the charity’s reputation and values, ensuring that all decisions reflect the ethos of Give Us Time.
Ensure sound administration, appropriate governance and effective organisational oversight.
Maintain financial sustainability, safeguarding the charity’s assets and ensuring prudent financial management.
Support and oversee the executive team through appropriate governance, challenge and encouragement.
The Fundraising and Supporter Development Specialism
Working with fellow Trustees and the executive team, you will help the charity:
Shape Fundraising Strategy
Support the continuing development of a fundraising strategy that reflects the mission, values and long-term ambitions of Give Us Time.
Help identify opportunities to diversify income while strengthening existing fundraising activity.
Build Supporter Relationships
Help the charity develop stronger long-term relationships with supporters.
Advise on donor stewardship, supporter communications, impact reporting and supporter retention so that people understand the difference their generosity makes and remain connected to the charity over time.
Strengthen Networks
Help the Board make better use of the relationships already surrounding the charity, including trustees, ambassadors, holiday hosts, corporate partners, military organisations and supporters.
Support relationship-building rather than simply increasing fundraising activity.
Strengthen the Charity’s Story
Provide strategic guidance on how Give Us Time presents its mission and impact.
Support the development of communications, Family Stories and the website so that supporters clearly understand both the need and the difference their support makes.
Develop Fundraising Capability
Advise the Board on opportunities to strengthen fundraising capability, including:
- grant strategy;
- corporate partnerships;
- major donors;
- regular giving;
- supporter stewardship;
- fundraising systems and CRM;
- measurement and reporting.
During the first year, help the Trustees review the charity’s fundraising capability against the priorities identified in the Trustees’ Fundraising Strategy Paper and recommend where investment, governance changes or external expertise would create the greatest long-term value.
Open Doors
Where appropriate, use your own experience and networks to introduce potential supporters, partners or advisers who may benefit the charity.
Fundraising Governance
Help ensure that fundraising is undertaken with appropriate governance, integrity and transparency.
Bring an understanding of modern fundraising regulation, proportionate donor due diligence, Gift Aid, fundraising governance and wider legal responsibilities, or be willing to develop that understanding quickly.
Support the Board in ensuring that fundraising remains ethical, proportionate and consistent with the charity’s values.
Person Specification
Essential
We are looking for someone who brings:
- significant experience in fundraising, philanthropy or supporter development;
- strategic judgement and sound governance;
- strong relationship-building skills;
- experience of developing sustainable fundraising strategies;
- curiosity, integrity and good judgement;
- an ability to challenge constructively while working collaboratively;
- commitment to the mission and values of Give Us Time;
- the ability to contribute effectively as part of a Board;
- eligibility to serve as a charity trustee and company director.
Previous trustee experience would be welcomed but is not essential.
Desirable
Experience in one or more of:
- grant fundraising;
- corporate partnerships;
- major donor fundraising;
- marketing and communications;
- supporter engagement;
- digital fundraising;
- customer relationship management;
Why This Role Matters
Give Us Time already has many of the ingredients required for successful fundraising.
This role exists to help those strengths work together more effectively.
The successful Trustee will help the charity build stronger relationships with supporters, strengthen its fundraising capability and enable more military families to benefit from Give Us Time in the years ahead.
How to Apply
If you believe you can help Give Us Time strengthen its fundraising capability and support more Armed Forces families, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Please submit a CV together with a short covering letter outlining your relevant experience and interest in the role to Give Us Time’s Adviser, Rupert Forrest MBE, at rupert.forrest@giveustime.org.uk.
We are always happy to arrange an informal conversation before application.
