Stewardship and Research Officer

Reporting to the Director of Philanthropy, the Stewardship and Research Officer is a key member of the Philanthropy team, providing high-quality research, prospect intelligence, stewardship and relationship-management support to fundraisers working across corporate partnerships, foundations, major gifts and legacy giving.

This role helps ensure that fundraisers have the information, tools and materials they need to build strong donor relationships, identify new opportunities, deepen existing partnerships and secure increased philanthropic support.

This is a virtual role, based in Canada. The successful applicant must reside in the Eastern Time Zone, with preference given to candidates in the Ottawa and Gatineau region

About the Role

The successful candidate will be an excellent researcher and communicator who can turn information into useful insights and compelling donor communications. They will be highly organized, curious and collaborative, with strong attention to detail and an understanding of the importance of thoughtful, timely and personalized donor stewardship.

Prospect research & fundraising intelligence

• Conduct research on prospective and existing major donors, foundations, corporations and legacy prospects to identify philanthropic interests, giving capacity, priorities, connections and potential opportunities.
• Prepare concise and actionable prospect profiles, briefing notes and research summaries to support fundraiser strategy and donor engagement.
• Monitor developments relating to priority donors, companies, foundations and sectors and proactively share relevant intelligence with fundraisers.
• Support prospect identification and qualification, including researching new sources of individual and corporate funding.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date prospect information in the fundraising database.
• Support portfolio and quarterly Business Strategy reviews by identifying gaps, opportunities, upcoming milestones and next steps.
• Research corporate, foundation and philanthropic trends to inform fundraising strategy and business development.

Donor stewardship

• Support the development and delivery of thoughtful, timely and personalized stewardship for donors.
• Draft impact updates and other stewardship content.
• Coordinate stewardship activities and ensure donor commitments, recognition opportunities and reporting requirements are tracked and delivered on time.
• Work with program and communications colleagues to gather compelling impact information, stories, data and visuals for donor communications.
• Support the development of donor reports, presentations and impact updates tailored to different audiences.
• Help ensure that stewardship reflects donor interests while maintaining strong alignment with organizational priorities and brand.

Fundraiser support

• Provide day-to-day research and administrative support to fundraisers managing corporate, foundation, major donor and legacy portfolios.
• Track follow-up actions, proposals, reports, stewardship activities and other relationship-management milestones.
• Lead proposal development, including gathering organizational, programmatic and donor-specific information.
• Support funding requests, reports and other donor-facing materials.
• Coordinate information and inputs from internal teams to support timely and high-quality donor communications to keep donors informed and engaged.
• Help fundraisers maintain strong portfolio hygiene and accurate records in Raiser’s Edge.

Legacy fundraising support

• Provide research and stewardship support for the legacy program, including researching prospective legacy donors and maintaining appropriate donor information.
• Assist with personalized communications and stewardship journeys for legacy supporters and prospective legacy donors.
• Support the preparation of legacy donor materials, correspondence and impact communications.
• Ensure legacy interactions and relevant information are accurately recorded and managed with appropriate sensitivity and confidentiality.

Data, systems & process improvement

• Maintain accurate and complete donor and prospect records in the fundraising database.
• Develop and maintain research and stewardship systems, templates, trackers and processes that improve team efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to streamline administrative processes and improve the quality and accessibility of fundraising intelligence.
• Support regular reporting on portfolio activity, stewardship and prospect development.
• Ensure donor information is handled in accordance with organizational privacy, confidentiality and safeguarding requirements.

Cross-team collaboration

• Build strong working relationships with colleagues across Philanthropy, International Programs, Business Development, Communications and Brand, as well as across WaterAid Federation.
• Proactively seek information and stories from program colleagues to strengthen donor communications and stewardship.
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, learning, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Support broader fundraising initiatives, campaigns and events as required.

Qualifications & experience

• Post-secondary education in fundraising, business, communications, research, social sciences or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 2–4 years of relevant experience in fundraising, prospect research, donor relations, philanthropy, business development, research or a related field.
• Experience conducting prospect or organizational research and translating findings into concise, useful information.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI and digital research tools to enhance prospect research, donor communications, and stewardship processes while ensuring accuracy, quality, and ethical use of information.
• Experience working with a CRM or fundraising database; experience with Blackbaud/Raiser's Edge or a similar system is an asset.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to tailor communications for different audiences.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills. While WaterAid Canada is an English-speaking work environment, the ability to work in French is considered a strong asset.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment while contributing effectively to a collaborative national team.
• Strong interpersonal skills and sound judgment when working with sensitive donor information.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, collaboration and the organization's mission.

TO Apply

Applications close 12:00 PM ET  on September 28, 2026.

https://apply.workable.com/wateraid/j/51CFD80210/apply/

Our people promise

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to put the wellbeing of our people first, to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values. 

Equal opportunities

We are an equal opportunity, disability-confident employer and are dedicated to achieving the highest standards of diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions and ways of life. This includes, but is not limited to, race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, national or social origin, health status, and economic or social situation.

Safeguarding

We are also committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).

Wherever you work in WaterAid and whatever job you do, you’ll be joining a global network determined to reach everyone, everywhere with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
For health, for life, forever.