Post title: Student Fundraiser
College/Division: Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO)
School/Department: Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO)
Full time/Part time: Part time
Duration of the Post: 17/10/2026 – 29/11/2026
Grade: 2
Hourly rate: £13.45 per hour plus holiday entitlement
Number of positions available: 30
Closing Date: 24/08/2026 at 23:55
Our offer to you
At the University of Birmingham, Worklink is the dedicated student employment service which helps students to find flexible, well paid part-time roles that fit around your studies. Each year, the University invests more than £2.5 million to employ 3,000 of our own students in a wide range of roles, supporting our student community into part-time work. Roles available via Worklink include a range of positions, including administrative roles, support staff such as cleaners or baristas, research roles and many more.
Jobs through Worklink help you to gain work experience, develop skills relevant for your future career, and improve your soft and hard skills in a professional setting. Enhance your CV and get valuable experience ready for graduate roles and feel connected to your university and local community.
Our jobs are flexible and can be scheduled around your academic commitments, so you can focus on your studies first. Our team are passionate about supporting students into work. Worklink are based in a central location on campus which is easily accessible for students and can also be contacted online.
Find out more about working through Worklink here or via the student intranet.
Job context
We are looking to recruit passionate student callers for our Autumn 2026 Telethon Fundraising Campaign. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a friendly team where you can develop new skills, make a difference, and gain valuable fundraising experience.
The University’s Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) raises money for charitable projects across the University, with the majority of donations coming from our graduates. Thanks to their support, we have been able to transform the campus, support under-represented students, and fund ground-breaking research that impacts lives worldwide. Learn more about our fundraising priorities.
We’re committed to ensuring that no talented, ambitious student is held back by circumstances like financial hardship, family responsibilities, lack of confidence or absence of role models. As a Student Fundraiser, you’ll play an integral role in our annual Telethon Campaign, engaging with thousands of alumni to raise funds that open doors for students through mentoring, scholarships, and financial support.
However, this campaign is not just about raising much-needed funds; it is also about reconnecting alumni with the University, learning about their experiences and interests, and for callers to gain valuable insights into life after graduation. Our focus is on building strong, lifelong relationships with alumni and inspiring them to support the University of Birmingham, either now or in the future.
Join us and be a part of a meaningful campaign that makes a lasting impact!
Job Summary
Working within the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO), you will have a unique opportunity to connect with University of Birmingham graduates over the phone, inviting them to support students through charitable donations.
This role offers you the chance to hear inspiring stories from alumni, build your confidence, and gain valuable transferable skills such as effective communication and negotiation – all of which will boost your career prospects after university.
Please note, this is a hybrid role with both on-campus and remote working. To work from home, you must have:
- A stable internet connection
- Access to a laptop and smartphone (calls are free to you)
- A quiet, private space to work
- UK residency during employment
If you are interested in the role but unsure about any of the above requirements, please contact the Telethon Campaign Manager, Zarah, at z.alam@bham.ac.uk for more information.
Mandatory paid training will take place on campus from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October 2026. Attendance on both days is required.
Main duties
- Aim to meet and exceed campaign fundraising and engagement targets by securing charitable donations from alumni.
- Confidently and respectfully ask for donations, using persuasive communication and negotiation skills to support our fundraising goals.
- Handle each phone call with professionalism, courtesy, tact, and sensitivity, representing the University at all times.
- Create personalised videos through ClipConnect to thank alumni after each call (full training is provided).
- Demonstrate enthusiasm, reliability, and commitment to your role, your team, and the overall success of the campaign.
- Handle all alumni data with care and precision, ensuring confidentiality and data protection policies are upheld at all times.
- Follow employment expectations and performance standards, including working a consistent number of weekly shifts throughout the campaign.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience
If you like communicating with people, are excellent on the phone and want to gain some valuable experience raising money for a great cause, this could be the perfect job for you.
Our student fundraisers will need to:
- Have a good standard of spoken English, particularly when using the telephone.
- Have excellent communication and listening skills.
- Be comfortable communicating and building rapport with a wide range of people.
- Be able to convey a confident, friendly and positive telephone manner.
- Be confident in asking for donations and have good negotiation and persuasion skills.
- Be comfortable recording personalised videos through ClipConnect to alumni.
- Be able to use your own initiative and work independently towards targets.
- Be reliable, hardworking and punctual.
- Be able to work well as part of a team.
- Have a good general knowledge of the University of Birmingham and a passion for the work we do, with a willingness to learn more.
- Have an understanding of Data Protection (successful applicants will receive full training).
- Be able to manage university workload and the Student Fundraiser job commitments.
We particularly welcome applications from Pathways to Birmingham scholarship recipients. We value diversity at the University of Birmingham and encourage applications from under-represented groups.
Please note that previous fundraising experience is not required, as full training will be provided.
Further details
Call shifts will take place from the 19 th October 2026 to 29 th November 2026.
You will be expected to work a minimum of three shifts per week, including at least two weekend shifts (either Saturday or Sunday).
You will be able to choose between one of two rotas for the campaign at the point of recruitment. Any changes after that would need to be agreed with us directly.
Calling shift times are likely to be as follows
- Monday to Friday: 6pm – 9pm (on-campus shift)
- Saturday: 11am – 2pm (remote shift)
- Saturday: 2pm – 5pm (remote shift)
- Sunday: 5pm – 8pm (remote shift)
Successful callers are also required to attend mandatory training on 17 th and 18 th October.
For any informal queries, please contact Zarah Alam (z.alam@bham.ac.uk).
The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time for a maximum of 13 consecutive weeks. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g. PGT, PGR or PhD student), you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this, please be aware if you are an international student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate authorised absence.
You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered.
To work you will need to carry out a right to work check. These checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing.
Regarding the use of AI in applications, we review hundreds of applications and shortlist candidates based on their unique perspective, motivations and potential. Cover letters generated through, or edited by, AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or CoPilot) are easy to identify. They produce generic answers and will not score highly enough to progress. You may use AI tools for research, but all written content in your application must be your own work. Authenticity and originality are key to standing out in this process.
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