Donor Relations & Fundraising Officer at Habitat For Humanity of Durham Inc – Durham, North Carolina

Habitat for Humanity of Durham seeks a Development & 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.

The Development & 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.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Donor Development

• 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.
• Manage an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors, moving them through the donor pipeline.
• Lead donor engagement efforts to retain, upgrade, and track annual giving supporters and sponsorship partners’ activities in the donor database/CRM.

Donor Solicitation & Relationship Management

• Work independently to conduct face-to-face visits, possible virtual meetings, and other relationship-building activities to secure assigned sponsorships and annual gifts.

Campaigns, Presentations & Communications Collaboration

• 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.
• Represent Habitat for Humanity of Durham at community events, faith-based gatherings, corporate meetings, and volunteer activities.

Planning, Reporting & Operations

• Work with the Development Team to establish annual revenue goals for the budget; provide accurate and timely progress reports.
• Grant administration support (tracking deliverables/timelines/compliance; maintaining grant documentation with program/finance)
• Grant reporting + drafting narrative language with organizational leadership (proposals/renewals/funder communications)

Events & Community Engagement

• Assist in hosting and supporting events on- and off-site (including some nights and weekends).
• Build strong internal relationships with program staff to stay current on Habitat work and bring impact stories to donors.
• Professional Development
• Actively seek and participate in professional continued education to strengthen fundraising skills and stay current on best practices.

Professional Development

• Actively seek and participate in professional continued education to strengthen fundraising skills and stay current on best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2+ years of successful fundraising experience, including a proven record of securing gifts/sponsorships or comparable revenue generation.
• Previous financial experience (budgeting, reporting, analysis, or related work) and fundraising experience is expected.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to listen well and engage, inspire, and persuade.
• Comfort with public speaking and developing presentations
• Strong relationship-building skills with a diverse range of constituents and a commitment to maintaining high-quality donor stewardship.
• Ability to manage multiple complex priorities and meet deadlines.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Experience with donor databases/CRMs is a plus.
• Experience supporting grant administration and reporting (narrative, outcomes, and compliance) is a plus.

Additional Requirements / Working Conditions

• Must be able to lift and carry at least 50 lbs.
• Must be willing to work occasional nights and weekends
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation preferred