Donor Relations & Fundraising Officer

Habitat For Humanity Of Durham; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Habitat For Humanity Of Durham is seeking a Development & Fundraising Officer in Durham, NC. This role focuses on cultivating donor relationships, managing fundraising strategies, and executing solicitation campaigns. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s degree, 2+ years of fundraising experience, and strong communication skills. The position offers a salary of up to $60,000 per year, with opportunities for professional development. Join our mission to build homes and communities.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of successful fundraising experience with a proven record of securing gifts/sponsorships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to listen well and engage diverse stakeholders.
• Experience supporting grant administration and reporting is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategies to cultivate and close donor commitments.
• Manage a portfolio of prospects, moving them through the donor pipeline.
• Represent Habitat for Humanity at community events and corporate meetings.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Public speaking

Communication skills

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Donor databases/CRMs

Job description

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

Salary

Up to $60,000 per year