Fundraising Assistant At Jesuit Refugee Service

JRS-IO Vacancy Announcement

Fundraising Assistant

Department: Communication & Fundraising Department

Location: Rome, Italy

Reports to: Director of Communications and Fundraising

Organizational Context

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a ministry of the Society of Jesus, acting as an international non-governmental organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. The organisation was founded in November 1980 and now has a presence in 57 countries. JRS undertakes services at national and regional levels with the support and guidance of an international office (IO) in Rome.

The style of JRS service is human and spiritual, working in situations of greatest need, seeking the long-term well-being of refugees and displaced people while not neglecting their immediate or urgent needs. The main services provided are in the field of education, reconciliation, livelihood activities and psychosocial support. Currently, almost 1 million individuals are direct beneficiaries of JRS projects.

Operational Context

The Fundraising Assistant is an integral part of the Communications and Fundraising (C&F) Department. The Fundraising Team, in close collaboration with Communications, raises funds from individuals, Religious Congregations, foundations, and corporations at global level to support the life-changing work of the organization.

The Fundraising Assistant will support the C&F team by helping steward relationships with donors and organizations and assisting in the production of content aimed at furthering JRS’s mission with the aim of sustaining and increasing the visibility of and financial support to JRS.

The Fundraising Assistant reports to the International Director of Communications and Fundraising.

Key Responsibilities

• Support and coordinate fundraising efforts with outreach initiatives, also liaising with other IO departments, JRS colleagues worldwide as well as with external partners/service providers.
• Supports with the coordination of donor stewardship events (online and offline)
• Coordinate and support direct mail appeals, campaigns, stewardship mailings, and other donor communications
• Draft and edit donor proposals and reports received from the field and put them into donor-friendly, aesthetically pleasing reports
• Draft, prepare and disseminate acknowledgement letters for supporters
• Coordinate translations of information in JRS’ official languages, Spanish and French (plus in Italian if needed)
• Prepare existing briefing materials, proposals, presentations, and other dissemination materials needed to coordinate successful cultivation and solicitation
• Update institutional material with new data (.ppt presentations, update of brochures and one pagers and creation of digital versions)
• Keep records updated on Salesforce and help with creating lists, reports, engagement programs for donor stewardship initiatives using Salesforce
• Coordinate and manage project planning for Fundraising Team with Asana
• Research and identify additional prospective supporters
• Provide other administrative support as needed

Required Competencies

• University Degree in a relevant field
• 1-2 years of relevant experience in a similar role
• Working knowledge of relevant software packages (Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Active Campaign, Asana etc)
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Sound interpersonal, communications and organizational skills; ability to handle multiple responsibilities efficiently
• Ability to take initiative, function independently and exercise good judgment.

Desirable:

• Prior experience in a professional environment, especially in a fundraising role
• Working knowledge of French or Spanish.

Core values and ethics

• Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity
• High integrity, honesty and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations and information
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value

Terms and Conditions

Please note that this position is only open to candidates who possess EU citizenship or other legal authorization to work in the European Union.

Successful candidates will be offered a regular contract under Italian law.