Fundraising & Partnerships Officer

Role purpose 

The Fundraising & Partnerships Officer is responsible for the development and stewardship of major and mid-level gifts across a designated portfolio of donors. The Officer manages the full giving cycle for the designated portfolio, from prospecting and cultivation through to proposal development, stewardship, and renewal. For donors, where the primary relationship is held by another team member, the officer coordinates to ensure the stewardship of those relationships runs smoothly. 

The position is expected to focus primarily on religious congregations and other faith-based donors – small, mid and major levels - but the portfolio may be adapted in response to the needs of the organisation. 

The role also plays a coordination and delivery function within the broader GRM team on events, campaigns, CRM, and donor support activities, and engages with the wider Jesuit and religious network on behalf of JRS. 

The line manager for this position is the GRM Lead, and the technical supervisor is the Fundraising & Partnerships Sr. Officer. 

Key responsibilities  

The following list is not intended to be exhaustive but outlines the main responsibilities of the Fundraising & Partnerships Officer.  

Prospect Identification and Cultivation 

• Identify and screen new funding prospects, assessing gift potential and alignment with JRS’s mission and funding priorities, focusing on religious congregations and Jesuit provinces. 

• Develop and implement tailored cultivation strategies to build and deepen relationships with mission-aligned partners over time, including in-person engagement, events, and targeted communications. 

• Monitor giving patterns across the portfolio, including both active donors and non-donors, identifying opportunities for engagement or re-engagement. 

Relationship Management and Support 

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for a portfolio of religious congregations and Jesuit province donors, managing the full giving cycle independently. 

• Manage global-level stewardship for this donor portfolio, in coordination with JRS local teams for donors requiring a multi-level engagement approach. 

• Manage timely and personalised donor acknowledgements, impact updates, and stewardship communications to foster loyalty and long-term partnership. 

• Provide essential coordination functions where relationships with congregations are managed by other team members to ensure a consistent and effective stewardship approach. 

Funding Request Development 

• Lead the development of funding requests, proposals, and impact reports tailored to the priorities, values, and communication preferences of target donors. 

• Work with relevant colleagues as needed to ensure that restricted funding requests are grounded in country programme plans and can be credibly delivered. 

• Close the giving cycle through personalised impact reporting and re-engagement for subsequent gifts. 

Events, Campaigns, and Jesuit Network Engagement 

• Contribute to the coordination and delivery of JRS’s fundraising campaigns and stewardship events and instruments (e.g. Annual Report, Easter campaign, end-of-year campaign, emergency campaigns) for relevant portfolios of donors in collaboration with team members. 

• Manage assigned tasks such as invitations, content, acknowledgements, and logistics, and coordinate contributions to these activities. 

• Engage with the wider Jesuit and religious network on behalf of JRS, including through events and relationships with relevant institutions and bodies. 

CRM, Data, and Donor Intelligence 

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records and develop data dashboards for the designated donor portfolio to support analysis and decision-making. 

• Input donor intelligence, giving patterns, and results into GRM planning, evaluation, and learning processes. 

• Support CRM data quality across the team, including data cleaning and research for congregation donors where information is incomplete or absent. 

Travel 

• The position may occasionally require travel to JRS locations. 

Qualifications and competencies 

• University Degree in a relevant field; 

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in private fundraising, donor and project management in an international or non-profit organisation; 

• Demonstrated experience with medium and major gift acquisition and management; 

• Experience initiating and/or stewarding relationships with religious congregations or other faith-based organisation and groups is a strong asset; 

• Excellent prospect research skills and knowledge of funding sources;  

• Ability to build and cultivate positive relationships with every category of international donors;  

• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office, and any experience with marketing automation and CRM software platforms – such as Salesforce, Active Campaign - a plus; 

• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communications skills; 

• Good organisational skills, ability to handle multiple tasks with great attention to detail, and respect strict deadlines; 

• Ability to work independently and in a fast-paced environment; 

• Strong interpersonal, communications and teamworking skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively in a multi-cultural, international, and demanding work environment; 

• Proficiency in verbal and written English mandatory; 

• French, Italian or Spanish at working proficiency desired; 

• Experience and / or knowledge of the work of faith-based organisations is a plus. 

Core values and ethics 

• Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity. 

• High integrity, honesty and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations and information. 

• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value. 

Terms and Conditions  

Please note that this position is only open to candidates who possess EU citizenship or other legal authorization to work in the European Union.  

Successful candidates will be offered a regular Italian fixed term of 12 months with potential extension under the Italian CCNL of AGIDAE Istituti Socio Sanitari, Assistenziali, Educativi.  

Gross Annual Salary: The position is graded at level D1 under the AGIDAE Contract, with a minimum gross annual salary of €30,000, which will be (not may be) adjusted upwards based on the selected candidate’s qualifications and professional experience. 

Location: Hybrid, Rome office and from home 

How to apply 

All applicants are requested to submit the following documents: 

• A cover letter describing the candidate’s desire and motivation to work for JRS and how her/his qualifications and experience are a good fit for this position 

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English, including two (2) professional references with contact information, phone and email address. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

Thank you for your interest in joining JRS 

JRS International Office is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We believe that diversity enriches our organization and strengthens our ability to serve refugees worldwide. We actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, including those historically underrepresented in the humanitarian sector, to apply. We are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where all staff members feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to our mission of accompanying and serving refugees with compassion and solidarity.