Bryony M.

Trust Development Executive
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Bryony M.
English and Related Literature
English and History
Undergraduate
Alcuin
2011
United Kingdom

My employment

Trust Development Executive
National Theatre
United Kingdom
2013

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A day in the life of a Trust Development Executive in the United Kingdom

How I found out about the job

Guardian jobs

The recruitment process

I applied online through Guardian Jobs. I went to a first interview and was then invited to a second. In preparation for the second interview I had a task to write an example funding proposal which I was then questioned about in the interview.

My career history

My first job after graduating was Visitor Fundraising Assistant at The Science Museum in London. I went for the job because I was interested in heritage and wanted to work in a museum, though I hadn't previously thought of a career in fundraising. I found I enjoyed fundraising, and so I started looking for a job that would give me wider experience. My next job was Individual Giving Assistant at The British Lung Foundation, where I looked after the charity's membership scheme. After 6 months I was promoted to Individual Giving Coordinator, which involved continuing to oversee the membership scheme as well as looking after in memoriam donors. The fundraising team at BLF were great and it was a really good opportunity to learn about the different kinds of fundraising. I became interested in trust fundraising because I would be able to use the writing skills I'd gained from my degree. When I saw the Trust Development Executive job come up at the National Theatre I wasn't sure I had enough experience, but I went for it and haven't looked back.

What I do

As Trust Development Executive at the National Theatre I research and pursue potential funding opportunities from charitable trusts and foundations. I write applications for funding to support the work of the National Theatre, including learning programmes, the NT Studio, the NT Archive, and access programmes. I also steward existing supporters and maintain relationships with funders, which includes regular mailings, writing reports, and organising events. I take responsibility for the general administration of the Trusts team, and work closely with the wider Development team.

What I like most

Perhaps more than other types of fundraising, Trust fundraising is very projects-based as trusts and foundations tend to prefer supporting a particular project. This means I get to research and write about all kinds of different creative projects and meet people from a wide variety of departments at the NT. The National Theatre is a fantastic building to work in and I love working in a creative environment.

Next steps...

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