Orphan Sponsorship & Special Requests Officer

Responsibilities

The Orphan Sponsorship & Special Requests Coordinator plays a critical role within the International Programs Department at Human Appeal USA. This position is responsible for managing and strengthening the delivery of two high-visibility, donor-facing portfolios:

• Orphan Sponsorship Program (1:1 sponsorship model)
• Special Requests Portfolio (individually funded interventions such as wells, livestock, medical support, wheelchairs, masjid contributions, etc.)
  
  

This role ensures high-quality program delivery, accurate reporting, and timely donor feedback, acting as a key bridge between Human Appeal USA’s fundraising teams and global program implementation teams. The Coordinator will play a central role in ensuring that donor commitments are fulfilled with integrity, transparency, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant & Program Management
• Review and support management of agreements with global program teams to ensure:
• Accuracy of sponsored orphan records and special request deliverables
• Clear timelines for reporting and implementation milestones
• Track program deliverables and ensure timely submission of reports, including:
• Orphan updates (profiles, progress reports, sponsorship status)
• Special request completion reports (photos, narratives, verification)
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of all reports prior to donor dissemination
• Maintain up-to-date awareness of:
• Programmatic changes, delays, or access constraints
• Policy updates affecting orphan sponsorship or special request delivery
• Identify risks to delivery timelines or donor commitments and escalate proactively
• Conduct periodic audits of sponsorship and special request files to ensure completeness and accuracy
• Support troubleshooting with global teams to resolve delivery or reporting gaps
• Support preparation for field visits, including documentation and coordination
• Advocate for Human Appeal USA’s donor commitments and quality standards within global program coordination
• Donor-Facing Program Support & Stewardship
• Ensure timely and accurate feedback loops to donors, aligned with donor expectations
• Support internal teams in responding to:
• Donor inquiries, complaints, or escalations
• Sponsorship mismatches, delays, or missing reports
• Maintain visibility into:
• Active, inactive, and pending sponsorships
• Pipeline of available orphans and special request opportunities
• Contribute to improving donor experience and retention through consistent and transparent program updates
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration
• Act as a liaison between:
• International Programs (US & Global)
• Fundraising / Income Generation teams
• Donor Care teams
• Salesforce / Data teams
• Provide real-time program insights to support fundraising campaigns and sponsorship drives
• Coordinate resolution of operational issues including:
• Salesforce coding or allocation discrepancies
• Payment tracking issues
• Missing or delayed reports
• Systems, SOPs & Workflow Support
• Support the Programs Manager in developing and rolling out grant management systems, SOPs, and workflows
• Identify process gaps and suggest improvements
• Support adoption of new systems across teams
• Documentation & Knowledge Management
• Establish and maintain organized, centralized program documentation systems
• Ensure all files are complete, accurate, and audit-ready
• Support institutional knowledge through consistent documentation practices
  
Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Humanitarian Studies, Business Administration, or a related field
• 2–4 years of relevant experience in program coordination, nonprofit operations, or donor-funded programs
• Experience working in a multi-stakeholder or cross-functional environment preferred
• Interest in humanitarian programming and donor engagement
  

Core Competencies

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Highly organized with ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and cultures
• Proactive and solutions-oriented mindset
• Ability to identify issues and escalate appropriately