Donor Relationship Officer

About the role

The Donor Relationship Officer will support Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in acquiring, engaging and stewarding donors, with a focus on Islamic philanthropy. The role involves building relationships with high‑value donors and ensuring culturally appropriate fundraising communications.

Key responsibilities

• Support acquisition, engagement and stewardship of individual, corporate, foundation and major donors, prioritising Islamic philanthropy.
• Build and manage a personal portfolio of high‑value and prospective donors, creating tailored cultivation and stewardship plans.
• Draft personalised donor communications, thank‑you letters, impact reports and stewardship materials.
• Plan and coordinate donor touchpoints such as one‑on‑one meetings, events, briefings and site visits.
• Contribute to MSF Eastern Africa’s Islamic philanthropy strategy, mapping networks, Zakat institutions, Waqf funds and mosques.
• Design and implement Ramadan‑ and Zakat‑specific fundraising appeals in collaboration with Communications and Programmes teams.
• Identify new donor prospects and partnership opportunities to meet annual income targets.
• Lead prospect research on Islamic philanthropic organisations and high‑net‑worth Muslim donors across Eastern Africa.
• Maintain accurate donor records in the CRM system and ensure compliance with MSF policies and regulations.
• Support the development of interns or junior team members working on Islamic philanthropy and donor relations.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Communications, Islamic Studies, Business Administration or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of professional experience in fundraising, donor relations, business development or partnership management, preferably in an international NGO or humanitarian context.
• Strong knowledge of Islamic philanthropy mechanisms (Zakat, Sadaqah, Waqf) and faith‑aligned giving practices.

Required skills

• Experience with donor management tools such as CRM systems.
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms like Mailchimp.