Application Guide

How to Apply for Freelance Fundraiser

at Shieldfield Art Works

🏢 About Shieldfield Art Works

Shieldfield Art Works (SAW) is a unique Methodist Church project in Newcastle upon Tyne that uses creative practice to promote community wellbeing, blending Christian ministry with secular arts outreach. This role offers the chance to support a community arts hub that values both faith-based and cultural impact, making it ideal for someone passionate about integrating spirituality with social change through the arts.

About This Role

This freelance fundraiser will develop and implement a robust fundraising strategy to help SAW become more sustainable, focusing on multi-year trust/foundation applications, individual giving campaigns, and CSR channels. The role is impactful because it directly supports SAW's social outreach and creative programs, ensuring the organization can thrive in a challenging climate while telling its unique story to diverse funders.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve researching and drafting a multi-year grant application for a cultural trust, followed by a virtual meeting with a potential donor to discuss SAW's creative outreach programs. You could also spend time crafting storytelling content for an individual giving campaign, balancing messages for both Christian and secular audiences while working remotely to support SAW's Newcastle-based team.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for Shieldfield Art Works

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Shieldfield Art Works Is Looking For

  • Has proven experience with larger, multi-year applications to trusts and foundations, ideally within the cultural or arts sector.
  • Can articulate an active Christian faith and explain SAW's Christian ministry to both religious and secular audiences.
  • Is a skilled storyteller who can champion SAW's mission, cultivate donor relationships, and develop individual giving campaigns.
  • Is self-motivated, confident in fundraising expertise, and driven by SAW's social impact and outreach work.

📝 Tips for Applying to Shieldfield Art Works

1

Highlight specific examples of successful multi-year trust/foundation applications you've managed, especially in the cultural sector.

2

Demonstrate your ability to write for both Christian and secular funders by including samples or describing how you've tailored messaging for different priorities.

3

Explicitly connect your Christian faith to your professional work, showing how it aligns with SAW's ministry and creative outreach.

4

Emphasize your experience with individual giving campaigns and CSR channels, providing metrics or outcomes if possible.

5

Tailor your application to SAW's mission by researching their past projects and explaining how your fundraising can support their wellbeing-focused arts practice.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience with trust/foundation fundraising in the cultural sector, including any multi-year successes.', "How your Christian faith informs your professional approach and aligns with SAW's ministry.", "Your storytelling ability and how you can champion SAW's unique blend of arts and community wellbeing.", "Your motivation for SAW's social impact work and how you've driven similar outcomes in past roles."]

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Explore SAW's past and current creative projects on their website or social media to understand their community impact and artistic focus.
  • → Research the Methodist Church's involvement in community arts and how SAW fits into broader faith-based outreach in Newcastle.
  • → Look into UK trusts and foundations that fund arts and community wellbeing projects, noting any that might align with SAW's mission.
  • → Review SAW's public communications to gauge their storytelling style and how they present their Christian and secular work.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you developed a fundraising strategy for an arts or cultural organization. What were the challenges and outcomes?
2 How would you explain SAW's Christian ministry to a secular funder, and how would your approach differ for a Christian funder?
3 What experience do you have with individual giving campaigns and CSR channels? Provide a specific example.
4 How do you balance remote work with building donor relationships, especially for a community-focused organization like SAW?
5 Tell us about a fundraising story you crafted that successfully engaged diverse audiences. How did it reflect the organization's mission?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic application without mentioning SAW's specific blend of Christian ministry and arts-based community wellbeing.
  • Failing to provide concrete examples of multi-year trust/foundation fundraising, especially in the cultural sector.
  • Overlooking the requirement to articulate an active Christian faith or not explaining how it relates to professional fundraising work.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Shieldfield Art Works!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →