Donor Relations Coordinator - Brussels (Belgium)

Position description

Department: Funding & Services – Donor Relations Unit
Contract type: Permanent contract, Full-time (100%), Belgian contract
Duty station: Brussels, Belgium
Preferred start date: 1st of July 2026

*This position is open to candidates who are legally entitled to work in Belgium (EU)*

*Candidates who have previously applied for this position do not need to reapply, as their application is already under consideration*

Mission

Geneva Call is a neutral and impartial non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting respect by Armed Groups, De Facto Authorities (AGDAs) and Provisional Governments for international humanitarian norms in armed conflict and other situations of violence, in particular those related to the protection of civilians. Geneva Call focuses its efforts on banning the use of anti-personnel mines, protecting children from the effects of armed conflict, prohibiting sexual violence in armed conflict, working towards the elimination of gender discrimination, protecting civilian infrastructure, and ensuring humanitarian access.

Role

As part of the Donor Relations’ team, the Donor Relations Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the excellence of relationship management of donors (creating and nurturing relationships of trust) and providing relevant support to the fundraising activities throughout the organization. This includes leadership, coordination, facilitation and tracking of the various donor engagements from identification, initial cultivation and solicitation, through ongoing stewardship and relationship management. While donor relations are a shared responsibility at different levels and intersections, the Donor Relations Coordinator, leads & coordinates aspects of the relationships that run across the organization and that are related to donors within her/his portfolio.

Duties & Responsibilities

The main role of a Donor Relations Coordinator is to identify, cultivate and maintain positive relationships with donors within the assigned portfolio by supporting fundraising activities, providing personalized communication and stewardship, managing donor information and evaluating donor engagement to inform strategic efforts. The Donor Relations Coordinator serves as the focal point for optimising relations and providing relevant support to fundraising activities throughout the organization. The position also plays a proactive role in identifying new donors, funding instruments, and emerging opportunities within existing donor structures, ensuring that funding gaps are anticipated and addressed in collaboration with relevant teams. The coordinator contributes to enhancing Geneva Call’s visibility and positioning through targeted engagement initiatives, technical briefings, and events, and by bridging fundraising efforts with broader advocacy and communication platforms.

Identification of funding opportunities

• Conduct research to identify prospective instruments for fundraising within assigned donors, assess their priorities, funding focus and interests, and develop strategies for cultivation and solicitation.
• Identify and monitor funding opportunities, developments, potential partners & their timing and requirements, according to the Geneva Call’s thematic and geographic priorities and programmatic needs.
• Ensure regular communication within Headquarters (HQ), regional and country offices on funding related meetings and interactions with assigned donors at country and capital level.
• Assist in the planning and execution of fundraising events, including donor cultivation events.
• Actively identify and engage with emerging funding mechanisms, multi-donor pooled funds, and innovative financing instruments relevant to Geneva Call’s mission.
• Follow-up on the internal tracking of the funding gaps across Geneva Call’s portfolio and coordinate timely follow-up with programmatic and management teams to develop proactive engagement strategies and proposals for the assigned donors.
• Collaborate with thematic and communication teams to develop tailored pitches, concept notes, or technical presentations to capitalise on new opportunities and position Geneva Call strategically with donors.

Donor engagement and cultivation of relationships

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with assigned donors, ensuring positive interactions and engagement.
• Serve as a point of contact for assigned donors, providing them with updates on organizational activities, impact reports, and other relevant information.
• Implement stewardship strategies to recognize and retain assigned donors, such as exclusive events, donor appreciation programmes, and personalized communications.
• Develop and manage relationships with relevant donors’ instruments & representatives and serve as the primary Geneva Call’s focal point for fundraising purposes within the assigned donors.
• Represent and/or coordinate the representation of Geneva Call at different levels involving fundraising responsibilities, while engaging with relevant stakeholders in the assigned donors.
• Plan and accompany high-level meetings with assigned donors for the relevant staff of Geneva Call as per needs identified.
• Support relevant headquarters and field colleagues in establishing and building relationship with assigned donors and in the development of targeted institutional messaging to support overall engagement.
• Proactively organize and coordinate technical briefings, donor roundtables, and other targeted events or initiatives to strengthen donor confidence, increase visibility, and position Geneva Call as a key humanitarian partner.
• Develop joint initiatives that bridge fundraising objectives with advocacy and communication efforts, ensuring consistent and strategic messaging across different fora.
• Coordinate with other departments, such as Country Offices, Regional Units, finance, and HR to ensure alignment in donor communications and stewardship efforts.

Application development & grant negotiations

• Coordinate strategic positioning opportunities with assigned donors (consultations, discussions, forums and others) linked to potential funding opportunities.
• Support proposal/application development to assigned donors by providing donor-specific guidance on requirements, practices and interests.
• Serve as liaison with donors in grant negotiations.
• Ensure that funding applications are informed by proactive donor intelligence and aligned with both Geneva Call’s strategic priorities and the donors’ evolving agendas.

Data Management

• Maintain accurate records of donor information and interactions in the organization’s database, ensuring data integrity and compliance with privacy regulations.
• File records of correspondence related to pre-award grant activities and grant related documentation (full packages of final submissions, full packages of donor contract & annexes, reporting templates – narrative, financial, payment requests, and any other related templates as per donor rules, guidelines, other requirements, etc.) within the organizations grants management files.
• Track and analyse donor engagement metrics, such as retention rates, donation patterns, and event attendance, to evaluate the effectiveness of donor engagement and cultivation strategies to inform future initiatives.
• Stay informed about best practices in donor relations and fundraising, seeking opportunities for professional development and implementing innovative approaches to enhance donor engagement and support.
• Regularly update donor and funding opportunity mapping, ensuring the organization maintains a real-time overview of funding trends, priorities, and potential prospects.

Additional responsibilities

• Regularly travel to assigned donors’ capitals and HQ to support donor relations and fundraising activities.
• When required and relevant, travels to field missions to support Geneva Call’s field missions.
• Actively contribute to institutional efforts aimed at increasing Geneva Call’s visibility through public and donor-focused events, side meetings, and joint advocacy or communication opportunities.

Work Relations

• Reports to the Deputy Head of Donor Relations, directly coordinates with the relevant units at HQ and in Brussels, regional and country level as appropriate for support on assigned donors’ engagement and funding related topics.
• Collaborates with the Advocacy and Communications teams to ensure fundraising initiatives are strategically linked with broader advocacy and outreach efforts.

Qualifications

Education (essential)

• An advanced university degree in a relevant field such as, Development or Social studies, International Human Rights Law, International Relations, etc.

Experience (essential)

• At least 8 years of work experience in donor relations and fundraising in the fields of development cooperation, peace building and/or humanitarian aid.
• Proven experience in donor engagement and cultivation, and successful fundraising and grant negotiation.
• Knowledge of the funding instruments/mechanisms and priorities, of assigned donors.
• Strong diplomatic, networking, advocacy, and external representation skills.
• Proven experience in project design, implementation and performance management.
• Understanding of budget development and financial planning.

Organisational competencies

• Understanding and respect for humanitarian principles and the organisation’s vision, mission and confidentiality.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Collaborative, team‑oriented and solutions‑oriented approach.
• Uphold Geneva Call’s core values: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, accountability, dedication and respect.

Languages

• Fluency in English, oral and written, is required.
• Knowledge of French or another EU language is an asset.

Personal skills

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritize and manage complex functions.
• Sensitivity to/understanding of political and conflict dynamics.

Additional information

Performance Management

The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies described in this job description. Performance reviews will be conducted in accordance with Geneva Call’s Performance Management guidelines using the job description, the individual work‑ and professional development plan, and the competency framework.

Conflict of Interest

Any candidate affiliated to, or openly supporting, one or more interest groups opposed to Geneva Call’s principles and values, or whose previous position could engender safety issues for co‑workers at Geneva Call, will be excluded from this selection process.

Why join Geneva Call?

Geneva Call consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. Geneva Call is an inclusive working environment for all staff. Applications are particularly encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on the grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute directly to humanitarian initiatives by cultivating relationships with key donors, supporting fundraising efforts and ensuring compliance that enables Geneva Call’s mission to protect civilians in conflict zones. If you are passionate about making a tangible impact and excel at relationship management, we look forward to your application.

Application instructions

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