Donor Relationship Officer at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

Tasks & Responsibilities

Donor Acquisition, Engagement & Stewardship

• Support acquisition, donor engagement and stewardship for individual, corporate, foundations and major donors, with priority focus on Islamic philanthropy.
• Build and manage a personal portfolio of high-value and prospective donors, supporting in development of tailored cultivation and stewardship plans for each.
• Draft and oversee personalised donor communications, thank-you letters, impact reports, and stewardship materials.
• Support in Planning and coordinating donor touchpoints, including one-on-one meetings, cultivation events, donor briefings, and field or site visits.
• Track engagement outcomes and donor satisfaction and adjust stewardship approaches based on donor feedback and giving behaviour.

Islamic Philanthropy Strategy & Partnerships

• Contribute to the Implementation of MSF Eastern Africa's Islamic philanthropy strategy, including annual targets, priority segments, and channel plans.
• Identify, map, and build lasting relationships with Islamic philanthropy networks, Zakat institutions, Waqf funds, mosques, and Muslim foundations relevant to MSF's work.
• Support in designing, and implementation of Ramadan- and Zakat-specific fundraising appeals and campaigns, working closely with Communications, and Programmes and fundraising teams.
• Represent MSF in negotiations and support in management of partnerships related to Islamic charitable organizations, faith-based community groups, and diaspora networks. e.g. Somali diaspora
• Ensuring all fundraising materials and messaging are culturally and theologically sensitive, accurate, and aligned with Islamic giving principles; act as the organisation's internal reference point on Islamic philanthropy practice.
• Represent MSF at relevant faith-based, philanthropic, and community forums, strengthening MSF’s profile and credibility among Muslim donors, Islamic charitable organizations, Zakat institutions, and other Islamic philanthropy networks.

Business Development & Revenue Growth

• Identify and pursue new donor prospects and partnership opportunities to grow income against agreed annual targets.
• Develop compelling funding proposals, concept notes, and pitch materials for individual donors, foundations, and institutions.
• Contribute to the wider Fundraising team's income diversification and long-term donor pipeline planning.

Research, Reporting & Compliance

• Lead prospect research on Islamic philanthropic organisations and high-net-worth Muslim donors across Eastern Africa.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date donor records and activity in the CRM system and ensure data quality across the donor portfolio.
• Prepare regular briefing notes, performance reports, and presentations for senior management and the Fundraising team.
• Ensure all donor engagement and gift acceptance activity complies with MSF policy, relevant due diligence requirements, and applicable regulations.

Team & Organisational Contribution

• Support the professional development of interns or junior team members contributing to Islamic philanthropy and donor relations work.
• Collaborate closely with Communications, Programmes, and Finance to ensure donor-facing materials accurately reflect MSF's operations and impact.
• Contribute to broader Fundraising team strategy, planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Representing MSF EA in different platforms with the MSF movement when advised to

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Integrate EDI & Safeguarding aspects in area of work responsibility, including policies and practices.
• Recognize, respond, and document any form of abuse or inappropriate behaviour and alert the safeguarding unit of any suspected potential abuse.
• Proactively participate in the individual performance management process including objective setting, performance monitoring and performance evaluation.
• Embed duty of care principles into all initiatives, CRM administration, and staff relations.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Communications, Islamic Studies, Business Administration, or a related field
• Strong, demonstrable knowledge of Islamic philanthropy mechanisms- including Zakat, Sadaqah, and Waqf; and of faith-aligned giving practices is a core requirement of this role.

Experience

• A minimum of 2 years' professional experience in fundraising, donor relations, business development, or partnership management, ideally within an international NGO or humanitarian context.
• Experience with reporting and donor management tools like CRM, Mailchimp is preferred.

The vacancy closing date is: 14th October 2026.​​​​​​​