Place of work: Galapagos Conservation Trust office, central London (hybrid working with min. 2 days per week in the office)

Hours of work: Full time (35 hours per week), 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (with one hour unpaid
lunch break, 7 hour working day)

Reports to: Senior Development Manager
Line Manages: No direct line management, possible volunteer management

Salary: £27K-£31K per annum (depending on experience

Job Description

The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador are one of the planet’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a global conservation priority due to unique biodiversity – with species found nowhere else on Earth, and a local community dependent on maintaining a healthy ocean and island environment.

Based in London, Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) is the only UK registered charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainable development of the Galapagos Islands. We are looking for a proactive individual with good storytelling skills to produce fundraising applications and reports that inspire. You will be joining our friendly team at an exciting time for the organisation, as we begin our 2026-2028 strategy and strive to achieve our key ambitions by the year 2030 across our programmes, fundraising and communications efforts.

As part of GCT’s Fundraising & Communications team, you will work closely with the Senior Development Manager to secure grant funding from Trusts & Foundations across our programme portfolio (including island restoration, community resilience, ocean protection and plastic pollution topics), with an increasing focus on securing multi-year funding to embed sustainability in our programme delivery.

You will be a great writer, researcher and comfortable working with numbers, enabling you to identify new fundraising opportunities and develop engaging proposals and reports with clear budgets. You will also be an organised individual with great attention to detail, ensuring you can effectively balance your time across competing deadlines and tasks.

What we want:

• An individual with experience of supporting the development of quality fundraising applications and achieving funding success from Trusts & Foundations.
• An excellent storyteller and communicator, who is able to write proposals for a wide range of audiences and is confident making enquiries regarding potential applications, in person, by phone and email.
• A highly organised individual, ideally with experience developing and maintaining fundraising pipelines and meeting funding targets.
• A proactive approach, able to work on own initiative as well as part of a small team.

What you will get:

• A connection with cutting-edge conservation impact in the planet’s first World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands and the surrounding Galapagos Marine Reserve.
• Opportunities to develop your skills with training from GCT’s senior fundraising team, joining us as we set out on ambitious growth plans – a great opportunity to boost your fundraising career.
• Opportunities to benefit from professional external training to support further development where relevant and feasible.
• Support from a fully engaged, friendly and inclusive staff team.

What you’ll deliver:

• Work with the Senior Development Manager to achieve an annual fundraising target for Trusts & Foundations income (c.£500K in 2026), also helping to secure six figure multi-year grants.
• Produce high-quality, compelling grant proposals with clear budgets and measurable indicators.
• Ensure all Trust & Foundation donors receive quality reports and a high-level of donor stewardship.
• Support the development of GCT’s programmes by aligning project plans with fundraising
  opportunities, including targeted research for new potential Trusts & Foundations.
• Drive administrative upkeep of GCT’s Trusts & Foundations database, planning documents, GDPR compliance and coordinating mailings to Trust & Foundation contacts such as for events or new magazine issues.
• Support the Senior Development Manager with quarterly Trusts & Foundations fundraising updates in GCT’s operational plan, and for the GCT Senior Leadership Team, Fundraising Committee and Board as required.

How we’ll measure it:

• Amount of restricted and unrestricted income secured through Trusts & Foundations.
• Contribution to development of GCT programmes and our 2030 goals.
• Number of applications submitted, both those led and supporting other fundraising team members.
• Successfully maintaining ‘repeat’ and ‘new’ funders as demonstrated through tailored cultivation and donations secured.

What you’re responsible for:

• Increasing restricted & unrestricted income from Trusts & Foundations in line with GCT’s fundraising strategy with the Senior Development Manager.
• Supporting keeping our database, internal documents and files up-to-date and GDPR compliant for Trusts & Foundations and external contacts.
• Producing high quality proposals and reports, ensuring consultation of key GCT team members and partners in their development, and submitting these to meet all deadlines.
• Support the Senior Development Manager with applications for multi-year grants, such as writing and budget inputs, Theory of Change inputs and organising supplementary materials.
• Helping to maintain excellent relationships with existing funders via bespoke outreach and thank you letters, project updates as appropriate, and semi-regular communications on GCT materials/events.
• Proactively researching potential funders and supporting the Senior Development Manager and Senior Leadership Team members on their cultivation.
• Reviewing fundraising success from Trusts & Foundations and developing annual fundraising plans with the Senior Development Manager.
• Supporting the Senior Development Manager with Trusts & Foundations income and fundraising pipeline updates to GCT’s Senior Leadership Team and Trustees as required.
• When grants are successful, lead or support the Senior Development Manager with handover actions to the Programmes team to ensure project budgets, timelines and donor expectations are clear.

Person Specification:

Work Experience:

• 1-2 years proven experience in Trusts & Foundations fundraising.
• Experience working with budgets in Excel.
• Experience of working with a database and managing contact lists and records.

Technical knowledge and skills:

• Excellent writing skills (both creative and scientific writing experience is welcomed) with strong attention to detail required.
• Thorough understanding of the process of engaging, cultivating and applying to Trusts & Foundations.
• Strong knowledge of the UK grant-making sector.
• Experience of working within the charity sector (including relevant voluntary roles).
• Excellent verbal communication skills and a confident and polite telephone manner, and an ability to represent the charity at funder meetings & events.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads in order to meet deadlines.
• Strong research skills and data management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel.

General:

• A passion for conservation and the natural world.
• A passion for story-telling and inspiring others.
• Knowledge of fundraising best practice.
• A proactive individual worker and a good team player.
• Willingness to undertake any other duties which may be required from time to time (e.g. helping or representing GCT at occasional evening events/conferences).

Desirable (not essential):

• Experience fundraising for, or communicating about, environmental/conservation, education or sustainability projects.
• Experience of working with volunteers.
• A degree or equivalent background in an environmental or social science, education or policy topic.
• Ability to speak Spanish.

Galapagos Conservation Trust: Who We Are:

Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) is the only UK registered charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainability of the Galapagos Archipelago. With over 30 years of experience working in Galapagos, we collaborate with our strong local network of NGOs, community members, authorities and researchers, as well as international partners, to deliver projects that achieve measurable conservation outcomes, improve sustainable livelihoods, and protect the environment. We will soon launch our 2026-2028 strategy, with our programmes supported island restoration, ocean protection, community resilience and pollution solutions, taking a systems approach to conservation at the ecosystem scale, and ensuring our efforts tackle priority threats through a suite of solutions centered on science, education, community innovation and policy.

To Apply:

GCT welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or
disability.

To apply for this role, please send (i) a CV and a (ii) a covering letter explaining how you meet the key
requirements of the role and your motivation for applying to [email protected].

Closing Date: midday (GMT) Wednesday 3rd December. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so submitting your application early is encouraged as the role may be filled early.

Thank you for your interest in joining the GCT team!

Who we are   

Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) is the only UK registered charity focussed solely on the conservation of one of the most unique and ecologically important, but vulnerable, areas in the world, the Galapagos Islands. With 30 years of experience, we partner with Ecuadorian authorities, NGOs, local communities and leading researchers both in Galapagos and the UK to support impactful conservation programmes and deliver community outreach across the Archipelago.  

By raising funds and awareness in the UK, we can support and deliver projects in Galapagos, helping to contribute to the overall management of this unique ecosystem and enabling us to achieve maximum positive impact in our efforts to conserve the special wildlife of these Islands. 

Qué hacemos 

We support and deliver projects in Galapagos, focussing on restoring natural habitats by removing invasive species that threaten the iconic and unique nature of the Galapagos.  In doing so, we protect the Floreana Mockingbird, the iconic Galapagos Giant Tortoise, the Scalloped Hammerhead and the Blue-Footed Booby.  We are also ambitiously seeking innovative solutions to the scourge of plastic pollution – in Galapagos and globally. 

The Board today 

The Board is currently composed of ten Trustees.  You can find our Board here (Trustees Archive – Galapagos Conservation Trust).  As part of succession planning and to complement the existing skills on the current Board, we are seeking a new Trustee to join the Board and play an active part in ensuring it remains a driving force for nature conservation.  

Currently, Board members are required to attend four Board meetings (approx. 2 –3 hours) per year, aiming to have two in-person in London each year. In addition, Board members are expected to attend four committee meetings per year prior to each Board meeting with wider senior staff and get involved in GCT events wherever possible. 

The Board is supported by a professional and committed Executive Team, led by CEO, Jen Jones and Ambassadors such as Sir Stephen Fry, Dr Sarah Darwin and Monty Halls. 

The role of a Trustee 

Trustees work with the Chair and other members of the Board to determine the Trust’s strategy and ensure that it delivers on its charitable objectives and long-term mission. The Board are ultimately responsible for the organisation’s viability and legal responsibilities. 

In addition, Trustees should be willing to use their specific skills and expertise to support the Board and Senior Leadership Team in its decision-making, and will be ambassadors for the Trust, always acting in its best interests. They will also be able to form sound and balanced independent views, and to challenge in a constructive and collegial manner. 

All Trustees are encouraged to financially support the Trust at a level they determine appropriate but this is not compulsory. GCT is open to those seeking their first non-executive role, provided they can demonstrate that they have the ability to work at a strategic level, think creatively and criticise constructively.  

What we’re looking for 

We are looking for someone who can bring knowledge of Ecuador and its culture to the Board and provide input on a wide range of ever-changing issues as the organisation continues to grow and develop. We are in the process of registering as an international NGO in Ecuador and are looking for someone who can help support us through this process and the ongoing requirements once registered. We are looking for someone who can actively contribute to the Board at a strategic level with the ability to question and challenge the organisation and always work in the best interest of GCT.  

For the role, we are particularly interested in individuals who have some of the following skills and experience to complement our current Board: 

• Good understanding of Ecuador and the culture 

• Understanding of the responsibilities of company directors and charity trustees 

• Communications and marketing strategy expertise 

• Charity accounting expertise 

• Strategy development and implementation 

• Risk management and controls 

• Compliance with legal regulations in Ecuador 

As a Trustee, you will be able to provide governance, strategic direction, constructively contribute to Board discussions, and provide inspiration and vision to our staff. 

A keen interest in the Galapagos Islands and your passion for wildlife, the environment and conservation will enable you to be an effective and enthusiastic ambassador and advocate of our work.  

The process 

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an initial discussion with the CEO, and if successful, a meeting with at least one current Trustee. The successful individual will initially join the board as a Trustee, enabling them to spend time understanding our work and how we operate, before being appointed officially at our AGM in May/June 2026.   

Closing date for applications: 31 October 2025 

Diversity 

GCT welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. As those from younger age groups and from ethnically diverse backgrounds are currently underrepresented on the Board, applications from those candidates are particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from under-represented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well. 

Terms of appointment 

This role is unremunerated, but reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed. There are quarterly Board and Committee meetings per year, plus an additional Board/ Committee meeting if required.

In addition, there will be an annual strategy session. It is also expected that some contribution will also be made outside of board meetings in mentoring and providing advice and guidance. Meetings are currently held virtually, but it is expected that some meetings will be held in person in the future. Trustees are elected at the AGM for a term of three years, which may be renewed for a further term of three years, subject to a maximum consecutive period of office of nine years from the date of appointment at an AGM.