Donor Relations & Fundraising Officer

<p>Description</p><p>Habitat for Humanity of Durham seeks a Donor Relations &amp; Fundraising Officer to serve as a member of our fundraising team and help drive growth in our annual giving and sponsorship programs. This role is part of a small, cross-functional team, working closely with Communications teams.</p><p><br/></p><p>The Donor Relations &amp; Fundraising Officer will provide leadership and initiative to develop and execute strategies to identify, cultivate, retain, and close gift relationships with assigned individuals, corporations, faith-based groups, and community organizations to meet a significant annual revenue goal. This is a relationship-forward role requiring strong public presence, excellent communication, and comfort with public speaking and presentations. The ideal candidate is a proactive fundraiser who enjoys meeting new people, telling compelling stories, and turning relationships into meaningful support for Habitat’s mission.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Responsibilities</strong></p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Fundraising Strategy &amp; Donor Development</strong></p><ul><li>Establish with the development team a systematic strategy to actively identify, cultivate, solicit, and close commitments from new and existing donors to meet or exceed assigned revenue goals.</li><li>Manage an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors, moving them through the donor pipeline.</li><li>Lead donor engagement efforts to retain, upgrade, and track annual giving supporters and sponsorship partners’ activities in the donor database/CRM.</li></ul><p><strong>Donor Solicitation &amp; Relationship Management</strong></p><ul><li>Work independently to conduct face-to-face visits, possible virtual meetings, and other relationship-building activities to secure assigned sponsorships and annual gifts.</li></ul><p><strong>Campaigns, Presentations &amp; Communications Collaboration</strong></p><ul><li>Create and execute, with the Communications Team, assigned solicitation campaigns (mail, email, virtual, website, presentations, proposals, etc.) to compassionately and effectively articulate the Habitat story.</li><li>Represent Habitat for Humanity of Durham at community events, faith-based gatherings, corporate meetings, and volunteer activities.</li></ul><p><strong>Planning, Reporting &amp; Operations</strong></p><ul><li>Work with the Development Team to establish annual revenue goals for the budget; provide accurate and timely progress reports.</li><li>Grant administration support (tracking deliverables/timelines/compliance; maintaining grant documentation with program/finance)</li><li>Grant reporting + drafting narrative language with organizational leadership (proposals/renewals/funder communications)</li></ul><p><strong>Events &amp; Community Engagement</strong></p><ul><li>Assist in hosting and supporting events on- and off-site (including some nights and weekends).</li><li>Build strong internal relationships with program staff to stay current on Habitat work and bring impact stories to donors.</li><li>Professional Development</li><li>Actively seek and participate in professional continued education to strengthen fundraising skills and stay current on best practices.</li></ul><p><strong>Professional Development</strong></p><ul><li>Actively seek and participate in professional continued education to strengthen fundraising skills and stay current on best practices.</li></ul><p>Requirements</p><p><strong>Required Qualifications</strong></p><ul><li>Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.</li><li>2+ years of successful fundraising experience, including a proven record of securing gifts/sponsorships or comparable revenue generation.</li><li>Previous financial experience (budgeting, reporting, analysis, or related work) and fundraising experience is expected.</li><li>Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to listen well and engage, inspire, and persuade.</li><li>Comfort with public speaking and developing presentations</li><li>Strong relationship-building skills with a diverse range of constituents and a commitment to maintaining high-quality donor stewardship.</li><li>Ability to manage multiple complex priorities and meet deadlines.</li><li>High level of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.</li><li>Experience with donor databases/CRMs is a plus.</li><li>Experience supporting grant administration and reporting (narrative, outcomes, and compliance) is a plus.</li></ul><p><strong>Additional Requirements / Working Conditions</strong></p><ul><li>Must be able to lift and carry at least 50 lbs.</li><li>Must be willing to work occasional nights and weekends</li><li>Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation preferred</li></ul>