Strategic Partnerships Director, California - 2025249

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten?  Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

At this pivotal moment in time, we are rapidly expanding and growing our team to meet the increasing needs of our world. We are looking for people who want to use their gifts and talents to make a real and tangible difference in our world and the lives of the suffering.

If you’re looking for a purpose-driven career in which you can grow your talents, while also standing up for the rights of the vulnerable, we want you to join us today.

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for 80 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to build a world where families thrive and communities flourish.

Today, organizational programming focuses on humanitarian and disaster response, community strengthening and resilience, and refugee & immigrant services and advocacy.

This position is reliant upon funding and may be subject to modification or termination based on resource availability.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Strategic Partnership Director serves as a key front-line fundraiser responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors within a designated U.S. region. This role will manage a dynamic portfolio of high-capacity individuals, building meaningful relationships that lead to transformational investment in World Relief’s mission. Through strategic in-person engagement, donor-centered communication, and intentional stewardship, the Strategic Partnership Director will drive regional fundraising goals, strengthen partnerships, and invite others into the redemptive work of justice and compassion around the world. 

•  Meeting or exceeding an annual regional income goal through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors and church partners.   
• Driving revenue growth by consistently achieving monthly lead indicator objectives aligned with individual and team performance standards.   
• Ensuring the retention and growth of existing major donors through intentional relationship management and compelling impact reporting.   
• Leading efforts to identify and acquire new donors with a focus on expanding the regional philanthropic footprint.   
• Planning and executing high-impact regional events that engage current partners and attract new audiences to the mission of World Relief.   
• Collaborating closely with local offices and national teams to align regional fundraising strategies with World Relief’s broader U.S. ministry goals.   
• Developing, coordinating, and managing a defined portfolio of approximately 100–125 major donors and prospects, with individualized engagement strategies for each.   
• Conducting in-person meetings and site visits, traveling as necessary to cultivate deep relationships and advance giving conversations.   
• Participating in the creation and refinement of annual donor journey strategies for each partner, ensuring alignment with giving capacity, interests, and World Relief’s mission priorities.   
• Collaborating with colleagues and volunteer leaders to facilitate donor engagement experiences—including curated special events and intimate gatherings that inspire and activate generosity.   
• Participating in international vision trips and ministry trips that allow partners to see and experience the impact of their support firsthand, when appropriate and aligned with donor interest.   
• Tracking all fundraising activity and moves management milestones using World Relief’s preferred donor database system, ensuring timely follow-up, high-quality data integrity, and strategic documentation.   
• Expertly qualifying, pitching, and closing gifts in alignment with World Relief’s consultative and mission-driven fundraising model.   
• Designing and delivering tailored partner care and growth strategies that cultivate trust, express gratitude, and deepen partner investment—both relationally and financially.   
• Overseeing a timely and personalized stewardship process, including major donor acknowledgements with input from leadership and program staff, ensuring response within a 3-day turnaround.   
• Maintaining accurate and current donor records, capturing both hard and soft touchpoints, in compliance with best practices and organizational standards.   
• Proactively identifying new high-potential leads, cultivating them into prospects, and advancing them through the giving journey toward long-term partnership.   
• Protecting the confidentiality of all donor-related information, ensuring the highest level of integrity and discretion. 
• Participating in biannual portfolio reviews to assess performance, celebrate wins, and realign strategies based on donor engagement data and mission priorities. 

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; attention to detail.   
• Strong public speaking skills and the ability to relate to an audience and connect with people one on one.   
• Strong planning, administrative and organizational skills
• Ability to manage time efficiently, meet deadlines, work independently and within a team;
• Ability to work under pressure.   
• Proven ability to use storytelling to connect donors to mission, inspire engagement, and drive fundraising success.   
• Ability to articulate a personal walk with Jesus Christ and relate it to the ministry of World Relief.   
• Ability to travel regionally and internationally 

• Demonstrated success in securing major gifts and cultivating relationships with major donor prospects.   
• Ability to engage donors of diverse backgrounds with World Relief’s mission.   
• Track record of successfully raising funds, closing on major gifts, and meeting revenue goals.    
• Bachelor’s degree, or commensurate work experience and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in non-profit or academic major donor planning, cultivation and stewardship.   
• Ability to use Raiser’s Edge donor tracking system or equivalent and knowledge of moves management philosophy and practices, preferred.   
• Proficient with Windows-based word processing, spreadsheets, databases, email and the Internet.   
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities   
• Communication and leadership abilities, with a particular bent on guiding prospective partners towards partnership.     
• Naturally persuasive personality and ability to share the blessing of financially supporting God’s work through World Relief.   
• Strong interpersonal skills and flexible working style. 

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package and employee discount program for full-time and part-time employees.

World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.

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Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.