Fundraising Support Assistant

Role & Responsibilities

The Fundraising Support Assistant supports core donor relationships across Medair’s global donor networks by processing one-off or regular gifts, coordinating multiple follow-up tasks and thank you communications, as well as bringing strong reporting and detailed reconciliation and accountability for donations in collaboration with the broader Engagement department and key Finance staff. Sustaining and developing Medair’s positive and credible relationships with Swiss and global mass and middle donors, providing optimal and timely donor customer care and service, helping increase their loyalty to our humanitarian work, and building their trust in us.

Project Overview

Medair Global Support Office (GSO) provides operational guidance for country programmes, along with both technical and compassionate support for our relief workers. Within our GSO and affiliate offices, we are also responsible for promoting the work of Medair to the world, to raise and manage the funds needed to run our life-saving and sustaining programmes, and to recruit international and GSO staff. The Engagement department in GSO is responsible for building awareness of Medair globally, engaging new and existing supporters, as well as to communicate powerfully about the impact of our humanitarian work. Our objectives are to raise significant private funding to support our humanitarian work and teams, to complement and support delivery of project funding, driven by our international programme teams.

Workplace & Conditions

Global Support Office (GSO) position based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Swiss or eligible EU citizens, or those with a valid work permit for Switzerland, can apply.

Starting Date / Initial Contract Details

As soon as possible. 80%, open-ended contract.

Key Activity Areas

Fundraising support services

• As part of the Medair Engagement fundraising department, within the Fundraising Support team, you have responsibility to enter and validate donations in our donor database (Salesforce) following fundraising campaigns and unsolicited giving.
• Responsible, with the support of the supervisor, for ensuring accurate, timely and best practice data entry for gifts and donor details. Use the Salesforce reports available to provide strong reporting on donation giving and project funding allocations.
• Engage with donors through appropriate “thank you” follow-up activities.
• Collaborate with and support the Finance team as necessary to ensure accurate reconciliation of donation amounts with bank statements.
• Provide feedback, as necessary, to the supervisor or key stakeholders with any errors / exceptions found in the gift process to remedy and repair.
• Supporting the customer service (including “thank you management”) by stewarding and building relationships with new and existing donors in order to sustain and develop the portfolio of mass and middle donors actively contributing to achieve overall Engagement Team objectives.
• To ensure enrichment of donor data and to improve communications, some data cleansing may be required to increase accuracy of data. Support data accuracy by updating donor details following the return of mailings.
• Actively contribute to the automation projects aiming at facilitating improved fundraising support at all levels.
• Recommend process improvements and positive change where appropriate in any area of fundraising support activities.
• Coordinate and supervise the volunteers who support the fundraising and thank you support tasks.
• Annual organisation of the Swiss sponsored clementine sales in partnership with Aligro.
• Support donor relations by sharing responsibility for proactively checking Medair inbound “donor contact” email account and responding, as appropriate, to their requests.
• Potentially, in collaboration with the broader Engagement team, maintain, sustain and develop Medair’s donor relationship with Swiss mass and middle donors, providing optimal and timely donor customer/care service, as well as understanding their communication needs, thus helping increase credibility and loyalty.
• Join a collaborative team which seeks to innovate, automate and increase efficiency in our gift processing and fulfilment practices.

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts.
• Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayers, and words of encouragement.
• Encouraged to join and contribute to Medair’s international prayer network.

This job description covers the main tasks that are anticipated. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary.

Qualifications

• Educated to a degree level.
• Certificates within a Marketing, Sales, Account Management or Communication sector preferred.
• A minimum of C1 in French (writing and speaking); B2 in English; Swiss German will be an asset.

Experience

• Experience in a fundraising support role or equivalent desirable.
• Experience using Salesforce or other donor / relational databases preferred; aptitude to learn rapidly.
• Ability to respect donor integrity with an accuracy and sense of responsibility with respect to data.
• Ability to consider ways to automate manual processes.
• Demonstrable professional success in customer service.
• Three years or more of work experience in Switzerland.
• Experience in CRM /sales management software, preferably Salesforce.
• Ability to communicate well with digital tools. (Email, Trello, Teams, Chatter…).
• Ability to use Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, Box…).
• Motivated, autonomous hard worker that find solutions, is eager to learn and to collaborate well with others.
• Ability to keep focused with a strong attention to detail.
• Analytical mindset, autonomous and ability to troubleshoot and find solutions.
• Ability to work well with a global team; a collaborative team player with a proactive and self-driven personality.
• Ability to be positive and proud to complete administrative work well.
• Strong interpersonal skills; good communication skills – verbal and written.
• People oriented; customer service oriented; ability to build sustainable relationships.
• Excellent listening skills, people-oriented type of person with an ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Project management, multi-tasking skills.
• Able to think strategically, critically and analytically while working in a fast-paced environment.
• Desire to do an excellent quality of work in any task required.
• Understanding of international and humanitarian context an asset.