Donor Relations (Independent Contractor)

Church World Service

About The Position

Church World Service (CWS) is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. CWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability, or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services. The CWS local Offices work with refugees and immigrants to provide services to communities in need. We are a highly motivated, mission-driven team eager to create a welcoming place for all neighbors. CWS is a fun and supportive organization, with competitive salary and benefits. About CWS Imagine waking up every morning with the chance to change someone's life. Imagine knowing your efforts will benefit both your career and our neighbors around the world. At CWS, our team knows they are making a difference every day. Whether you're in our U.S.-based offices supporting refugees, asylees or unaccompanied children, implementing hygiene initiatives in Cambodia or rebuilding projects in Central America ... or even connecting remotely from your home on fundraising campaigns, grant reports, or critical communications - you have the opportunity to work towards a world where everyone has food, a voice and a safe place to call home. Purpose The Midlevel Giving Accelerator supports the growth of CWS’s philanthropic pipeline by providing personalized stewardship, cultivation, and qualification for midlevel donors (generally $750–$2,999 annually and/or high net worth prospects). This role focuses on timely, meaningful, relationship-centered engagement to accelerate giving, strengthen loyalty, and identify donors ready for major or planned gift portfolios. Primary activities will include telephone, email, videos and written communication with donors daily. This position serves as a concierge for midlevel donors, executing intentional touchpoints, documenting donor interactions, and collaborating with gift officers to ensure donors experience exceptional care and impact reporting. The role reflects the best practices of midlevel donor engagement, including curiosity about donors, strong communication skills, and an ability to track and manage a high-volume caseload. The ability to be organized and work with a database will be necessary. This is an opportunity to work with a dynamic group of motivated professionals with a terrific mission and passion. This is a full-time independent contractor position through December 31, 2026, subject to modification based on funding.

Requirements

Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to communicate with a wide variety of individuals from varying backgrounds
Ability to ask good questions that engage donors and reveal their passions and interests
Ability to think on your feet in conversations
Effective organization and time management skills
Capable of analyzing complex and confidential data
Aptitude to create and work with spreadsheets
Ability to manage multiple tasks and shift priorities as necessary to meet deadlines
Ability to take direction, follow procedures, and ask appropriate questions
Can work independently as well as collaboratively with the Individual Giving Team
Ability to handle stress while operating with a sense of urgency and using good judgment
Ability to convey CWS’s mission and stories of impact in an engaging way.
Curiosity and skill in researching donor backgrounds to inform meaningful engagement.
Undergraduate degree in related field.
Minimum three years of proven experience in fundraising, customer relations, sales, or donor stewardship roles.
Experience with CRM systems, data entry, and tracking donor moves.

Nice To Haves

Previous employment and/or volunteer experience with a non-profit and/or faith-based organization is useful.
Familiarity with major gift or planned giving concepts.
Experience with disaster response fundraising or donor engagement during urgent campaigns
Demonstrated success in managing donor relationships by phone and email.

Responsibilities

Donor Stewardship & Thank You Outreach (approx 700 - 1000 donors)
Current Donor Calls: Initiate a Getting to Know you/Discovery/Stewardship call with all current mid-level donors.
Lapsed Donor Calls: Initiate a Getting to Know you/discovery/Stewardship call with all mid-level donors who have not donated in 11+ months.
Deliver highly personalized calls, emails, and handwritten notes for gifts of $1,000+ and for High Net Worth donors.
Impact reporting: Send follow up “thinking of you impact stories” 4–8 weeks after a gift, sharing how the donor’s support made a difference (by text or email or video message).
Coordinate acknowledgement of bequest intention donors and thank families of realized bequests.
Send holiday cards, birthday cards, seasonal greetings, and other thoughtful personal touches.
Donor Cultivation & Engagement
Conduct regular outreach to donors for:
Giving Day, Giving Tuesday, and renewal campaigns, including upgrade or reactivation asks.
Emergency or disaster response opportunities, ensuring donors receive timely invitations to give again, when their interests align with urgent needs.
Share stories of program impact, current needs, and meaningful updates curated from program staff and communications teams.
Work with Sustaining Partners Lead on recurring donor prospecting, identifying donors who may be strong candidates to convert into recurring givers.
Pipeline Development & Qualification
Monitor donor giving patterns to identify:
Individuals giving multiple gifts totaling $3,000+ annually for potential mid‑level or major gift pipelines.
Donors demonstrating high loyalty or high net worth capacity for major gift qualification.
Conduct qualification calls with high-net-worth donors to assess philanthropic interests, communication preferences, and long-term giving potential.
Promptly move qualified donors to the appropriate Major Gift Officer
Planned Giving Support
Follow up with individuals initiating non-cash giving activity in the FreeWill portal, offering stewardship and assistance.
Execute outreach during Make‑A‑Will Month and other planned giving campaigns – sharing Smart Giving Guide etc.
Provide stewardship for existing planned giving donors, including thank‑you calls and impact updates.
Administration, Tracking & Data Management
Maintain accurate, prompt notes and activity tracking in the donor database.
Document donor preferences, philanthropic interests, personal details, and moves management steps along with documenting all donor interactions.
Manage a structured caseload of 400–700 mid‑level donors, segmented by engagement tier, ensuring each receives a personalized journey.
Participate in regular strategy meetings, segment reviews, and performance check-ins.