Practice manager

About the role

The Practice Manager plays a key role in supporting the Association of Charitable Foundations’ (ACF) strategic objective to help trusts and foundations aspire to and achieve excellent practice.

Working within the Policy and Programmes team, the role leads and contributes to ACF’s practice work across a range of foundation practice issues. This includes gathering and analysing insights from members and stakeholders, developing evidence-based positions, and producing practical guidance and resources to support learning and improvement across the sector.

The role works closely with colleagues across ACF to ensure practice insights are embedded across the organisation and effectively communicated to members through events, networks, learning opportunities and publications.

This is a maternity cover role offered on a fixed-term, part-time basis.

Key Responsibilities

Practice Insight, Research and Development

• Maintain and develop ACF’s understanding of current foundation practice and the context in which foundations operate
• Gather insights from ACF members, networks and external stakeholders to identify examples of excellent practice and areas where additional guidance is needed
• Research and analyse complex and technical information from a range of sources to inform practice positions and content
• Contribute to the development of long-term organisational approaches and positions on key areas of foundation practice, building on frameworks such as Stronger Foundations

Guidance, Content and Learning

• Develop clear, accessible and engaging guidance and practice resources to support members in reflecting on and strengthening their practice
• Contribute practice content for events, learning opportunities and member communications
• Respond to practice-related queries from individual members and other stakeholders
• Support the ongoing delivery of member benefits such as the Daily Digest

Stakeholder Engagement and Networks

• Build and maintain productive relationships with ACF members and external stakeholders
• Represent ACF at meetings, events and external initiatives to monitor developments affecting foundation practice and build sector relationships
• Take responsibility for a small portfolio of member networks, supporting co-convenors and feeding insights into ACF’s intelligence base
• Maintain ACF’s mechanisms for members to engage with initiatives such as the Funder Commitment on Climate Change and report on progress

Internal Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

• Act as a key internal source of knowledge and insight on foundation practice
• Brief senior leaders on emerging practice issues and trends
• Work closely with colleagues across ACF, particularly policy, communications and learning teams, to ensure practice developments are shared accurately and consistently
• Support strong internal communication so colleagues are aware of and can engage with practice activity

General and Organisational Responsibilities

• Uphold ACF’s values, behaviours and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Comply with organisational policies, including health and safety requirements
• Take responsibility for personal development and participate in training and performance reviews
• Undertake other duties reasonably required within the scope of the role

About the Association of Charitable Foundations

ACF is the leading membership association for foundations and independent grant-makers in the UK.

We strengthen trusts and foundations so they can rise to the challenges of our time. Our vision is diverse, vibrant and effective foundations working together for social good.

You can read our new five-year strategy here.

You can read the Principles of engagement for our learning, events and networks here

Our values are:
We care
· We are open
· We are evidence-based
· We are ambitious

About our members

We have over 440 members, who together represent one third of the assets of the charity sector and make over 40% of the grants awarded by UK foundations. Our members range from small family trusts to some of the largest charitable foundations in Europe, funding across sectors from social justice and the environment to education and the arts.

Our commitment

We embrace…