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Quartet Community Foundation is the largest local charity supporting the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) in the West of England. Its primary purpose is to connect people who care with causes that matter.
We develop strong relationships with fundholders, donors and supporters, helping them to match their giving with the causes that mean most to them.
We work with organisations whose work spans a wide range of needs and issues, from addressing homelessness and poverty, to provision of food, and advice/support around mental health and wellbeing and domestic abuse.
We work across a wide geographical area: Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset.
As a result of the pandemic, it’s been a year like no other, but Quartet has continued to grow and to deliver its activities on an unprecedented scale. Our Endowment Fund stands at an all-time high, having reached £56.6 million on 31 March 2021. In 2020/21 we distributed a record breaking £5.2 million in funds, helping hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged people to fulfil their potential.
We have opportunities in three key areas for people to engage more closely with our activities: helping to shape our future plans, to work alongside us as we implement them and to be an ambassador and advocate for the work of Quartet in the wider community.
As a charity, we are governed by a Board of between 12 to 15 Trustees that meets 5-6 times a year. Trustees are responsible for setting the strategic direction of Quartet and supporting the staff as they manage the day-to-day activities of the organisation. This is an exciting time to join as we are working on a new Strategic Plan which will see a closer alignment of our organisational goals with strategic priorities, including: diversity, equity and inclusion; environmental sustainability; and digital transformation.
At present we are particularly interested in finding people with skills in the following areas:
– Marketing and PR
– Human Resources
– IT & opportunities offered by digital technology
Our committees are made up of 6 to 10 people who meet 2-4 times a year. Their main purpose is to provide strategic oversight and input on key areas of our operation and to make recommendations and report back to the main Board. Some of our Trustees do sit on the Committees, but we also welcome people who can apply their expertise, gained through both professional and lived experience, to help develop our thinking and plans. Areas covered by these committees include: Grant Making, Philanthropy and Marketing, as well as Finance and Investment, Governance, HR and Operations, Climate Change and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
We manage charitable funds and make grants from them that cover a wide range of needs, issues, beneficiaries and geographical areas. To help ensure we make effective and informed decisions, we convene a number of different grants panels made up of people with the relevant knowledge, expertise and experience. These panels all include a Quartet Trustee and often the fund’s donor is a panel member. Panels usually comprise between 4 and 10 members and meet between 1 and 4 times throughout the year.
In the first instance, please send an Expression of Interest to enquiries@quartetcf.org.uk
This should be a short statement that tells us a little bit about yourself and provides a brief outline of why you would like to engage with Quartet, and the kind of skills and experience you could bring. As a guide, we would be looking for the statement to be around 1 or 2 pages in length (or 500 words maximum). Please indicate which of the three positions interests you (you might want to indicate more than one), and then complete and return your Expression of Interest by 12 noon on Wednesday 1st September 2021.
We may not be able to take forward every Expression of Interest we receive, but we are committed to reviewing and replying to all received.
Quartet seeks to build diversity across its board, committee and panels and its staff team, and consideration is given to ways in which groups that are under-represented might be reached and encouraged to apply.
1st Sept – receipt of Expression of Interests
Sept – follow ups
beg Oct – interviews
end of Oct – appoint
Nov – induction
Nov/Dec – attend committee/board meetings
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