Key Relationships Officer (Remote, Northeast)

charity: water; United States; Hybrid; USD 86,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Summer Fridays

6-week paid sabbatical after 5 years

Annual bonus potential

401k with employer match

Medical 85% coverage + dental/vision

FSA + dependent care FSA

Life insurance, STD, LTD

Maternity/Paternity leave 16 weeks

Home office stipend

You-do-You Perk

Travel stipends

Job summary

charity: water is seeking a Key Relationships Officer in the United States to cultivate, pitch, and steward donors. You’ll build meaningful relationships with supporters, visit them virtually and in person, and grow their lifetime giving while working toward revenue targets with the Key Relationships team.

You’ll report to the Director of Key Relationships, collaborate across departments, and help advance our mission through strategic donor engagement and event leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5–7 years frontline fundraising experience with a proven track record of closing gifts of $10k+.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent relationship-building and networking abilities.
• Willingness to travel within the U.S. regularly.
• Experience stewarding major gift donors and portfolios.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate, pitch, and steward existing and prospective donors.
• Visit supporters virtually and in person to communicate organizational priorities and donor impact.
• Grow giving over time and contribute to revenue targets.
• Manage a portfolio of major gift supporters capable of $10K+ annually.
• Develop a metrics-driven portfolio strategy and keep CRM up to date.
• Coordinate and host regional events to share the charity: water story.

Skills

Relationship-building

Donor stewardship

Communication skills

Prospecting/qualification

CRM (Salesforce)

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Main areas of focus: Stewarding existing major donors and building meaningful relationships to curate a portfolio of engaged and inspired charity: water donors

Location : Northeast area preferred

Eligibility: At this time, we are only considering candidates who are eligible to work in the United States without the need of company sponsorship now or in the future.

JOB HIGHLIGHT

You’ll build relationships with our supporters to curate a portfolio of engaged, inspired charity: water donors.

JOB SUMMARY

As a Key Relationships Officer, you’ll be responsible for cultivating, pitching, and stewarding both existing and prospective donors. You’ll spend most of your time building meaningful relationships by visiting supporters both virtually and in person, communicating organizational priorities and donor impact, and growing their giving over time. You’ll report to the Director of Key Relationships and work closely with other members of the Key Relationships team and the wider organization to directly contribute to revenue targets and the organization’s bottom line.

YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR…

• Working towards a collective Key Relationships department goal of $45M in FY27
• Managing a robust portfolio of major gift supporters capable of donating $10K+ annually and raising $1-3M in total annual revenue once fully onboarded
• Cultivating long-term relationships with individuals and families, encouraging participation at increased levels, involving their networks, and optimizing their lifetime value
• Visiting regularly, both in person and virtually, with donors throughout your assigned region
• Developing a metrics-driven strategy for your portfolio and keeping your CRM records up-to-date
• Innovating ways to show donors the return on their investment and finding creative avenues to show our appreciation
• Coordinating and hosting regional events where the charity: water story can be shared, working to turn the excitement of every guest into an opportunity to support our mission
• Becoming an expert on charity: water’s programmatic work and staying up to date on international Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) issues as a whole

YOU MUST HAVE…

• A bachelor’s degree
• 5-7 years of frontline fundraising experience and a proven track record of closing gifts of $10,000+
• A passion for charity: water’s mission that invigorates and excites the people you share it with
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; you are articulate and persuasive
• Well-honed relationship-building skills and the ability to connect with all types of people
• Drive and sophistication; you are excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of the development department and the organization as a whole
• A team-oriented mentality, enthusiastic work ethic, and openness to continually improve
• Highly developed interpersonal skills and strong EQ
• The ability to travel within the U.S. regularly

IT’S AN ADDED PLUS IF YOU HAVE…

• Proficiency with Salesforce as a CRM tool
• Experience successfully planning and executing large and small-scale events
• Familiarity working cross-departmentally with creative, design, and event teams

YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL IF…

You’re uniquely people-oriented

You’re more than capable of cultivating productive relationships. Working with Fortune 500 CEOs, philanthropists, influencers, and people from a wide range of backgrounds doesn’t intimidate you but excites you. You thrive on building and developing these relationships with emotional intelligence, maturity, and professionalism.

You have a strong track record

You have a history of participating in successful fundraising initiatives with measurable results that have impacted the bottom line.

You’re driven, organized, and detail-oriented

You’re a self-starter capable of working independently. You prioritize well and are able to manage important projects, schedules, and communications in an orderly fashion.

You understand the value of our supporters

You make everyone feel special. You’re able to get anyone excited about what we do through articulate storytelling and you’re passionate about giving every person who interacts with charity: water an unforgettable experience.

You take an innovative approach

You’re familiar with the tried and true ways of fundraising but stay on top of the new trends and are open to new ways of doing things.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

The Key Relationships team cultivates lasting and meaningful relationships with our most generous supporters. They work directly with our community to engage and steward donors who either sponsor an entire water project or join the group of constituents who cover our operational costs. This charismatic group spreads our mission and is often the face of our organization.

HIRING TIMELINE

This role was posted on October 22, 2026 and will remain open for approximately 90 days.

SALARY RANGE

This is an exempt role with a range of $85,500 - $92,000 a year.

BENEFITS & PERKS

• Unlimited PTO
• Summer Fridays
• 6-week paid sabbatical leave after 5 years of employment
• Annual bonus potential through The Pool
• 401k plan + employer match
• Medical covered at 85% + Dental/Vision contributions
• FSA + dependent day care FSA
• Employer-paid life insurance, STD, LTD
• 16-week paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents
• Stipends for Home office, Professional Development, and a You-do-You Perk
• TSA Pre-check reimbursement
• Flexible working hours; team members are expected to be online 10am - 4pm ET regardless of location, plus three hours per day asynchronously, which factors in an hour for lunch
• 2-4 annual travel requirements that foster team alignment, connection and in-person collaboration

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

At charity: water, we believe that water changes everything. We work with local implementing partners to fund sustainable solutions that provide clean and safe drinking water to people around the world. Since 2006, with a diverse team of world-changers and an unstoppable community of supporters, we’ve brought clean water to more than 20 million people worldwide. With the makings of a mid-size tech startup, we’re reinventing charity through endless innovation, contagious passion, beautifully crafted stories, and a powerful brand that inspires a new kind of generosity.

At charity: water, we value every background, identity, and experience. We believe that a diverse team, informed by different cultures and perspectives, makes us stronger. We are committed to doing the work and challenging each other to be an organization in which everyone is respected and heard. We commit to providing genuine opportunities for all people to thrive. And we will continue to embed diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equality in everything we do.

Note, charity: water will never ask you for your credit card or financial information during the interview process. Should you receive a message requesting this information, please mark the email as spam and report here.